Be a Wino on Reddit

Reddit.  Heard of it?  If you're not a nerd, geek, dork, or otherwise addicted to the Intertubes there is a good chance you haven't.  It's ok, though, there is salvation...in the form of The Oregon Wine Blog (and our favorite source for facts, Wikipedia).

In layman's terms, Reddit is a social news aggregation site,  on which users can post links to content on the Internet. Other users may then vote the posted links up or down, causing them to become more or less prominent on the reddit home page.  Owned by Conde Naste Digital, Reddit has a number of topical sections called "subreddits".  For tech geeks, it's all open source.  For the rest of us, it's a fabulous forum to learn such fun facts as "Iron Chef Secret Ingredients - A Complete List Of All The 'Secret Ingredients' Ever Used On Iron Chef" and other things that you've always wondered about.

OK, so why do we care?  Let me cut to the chase.  There is a wine related subreddit that currently has 438 listed readers.  It hasn't been very active, so Rick and I started posting relevant links to try to spread TOWB  spirit in a new forum.  Well, within 5 minutes of posting each link, our POSTS WERE DELETED by the moderator.  Whether they didn't fit his perspective of what should be on his subreddit, or, whether he was just awed that our journalistic ability out shined his, we'll never know.  What I do know is that we don't like having our voice squelched or our links removed, so the goal immediately became forming our own, more active subreddit related to wine - a la The Oregon Wine Blog.

Enter the Wino Subreddit, proudly brought to you by the folks at The Oregon Wine Blog.  Check it out. Post some links.  Upvote your favorites.  Add some comments.  Help us make it more freakin' popular than the other one that rejected our philosophy on wine like our stomachs reject NightTrain.  Vindictive, sure.  We really believe this is a new outlet to get folks involved in the wine experience...with your help.

Flight of the ONYX at Terra Blanca

On our recent trip to the Yakima Valley, Gwynne and I decided to venture out to Red Mountain and the Terra Blanca facilities, which had come highly recommended. Josh emailed ahead and let owner and winemaker Keith Pilgrim know we were coming.

At Terra Blanca, we introduced ourselves and owner and winemaker Keith and marketing genius Heather gave us a rundown of the history of Terra Blanca and a sneak preview into some of their upcoming changes. They're good ones, for sure. We also met Casey the Weimaraner, Heather's arch nemesis at Terra Blanca.

Keith and Heather gave us a tour of the facility. It's magnificent - from caves (caves!) to enormous doors to beautiful views from the terrace. The caves are naturally climate controlled and are hidden behind some serious doors.


As we were wrapping up the tour and our visit, ReNae Pilgrim asked if had a schedule and if we were at all interested in sticking around. The staff was having a lunch meeting in preparation for the 2006 Onyx release that was coming up that weekend. Gwynne and I said that we'd be thrilled to be their guests. (We had no idea just how thrilled we'd be.)

We walked around the corner and before us sat two pizzas and the entire vertical flight of ONYX; nine years worth of their signature Bordeaux blend. Keith, who got his start as geologist, named this wine for the deep dark gem. The ONYX is built to last, and Heather cited a Wine Spectator article that recently named three or four places in the world that turned out wines that were grown for the long haul. Red Mountain Cabernet and Merlot were on that list.

Terra Blanca describes ONYX as a "family portrait" of the Terra Blanca vineyards, and that portrait includes Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The blend varies from year to year because the fruit is different every year, and the variation allows the character of the vineyards for that year be expressed in the wine.

We started with the 1999, still a big bold wine. A wine that Keith described as "wearing boxing gloves." The grapes had a long hang time in 1999, with a very long growing season, making the vintage of the wine a unique one.

From there we moved to the 2000, which Keith feels is nearly at its peak. The 1998, which we drank immediately afterward, was the first wine to really come into it's own. Both wines are the product of hot seasons and are therefore maturing more quickly. The '98 blend saw 50% Merlot which resulted in soft tannins and a lot of chocolate.

We went next to 1997 which Keith thinks will peak in 8-10 years. It's 90% Cabernet, and is still bright. This was the first year of ONYX, with the estates planted in 1993. The vines were relatively young, in their fifth leaf, and Keith expects this wine will really come into it's own.

2001 was the next wine we tasted; it was very similar to the 97. The label looked like a Francis Bacon painting. This particular vintage used a higher percentage of new oak and the wine has a smoothness and elegance that stood out from its peers.

2002 was another warm growing season, similar to the '98 and 2000. It will likely mature faster than some of the older wines. Keith though prefers the more even temperature years. The fruit is more predictable and you have a good sense of what you can do with it. The 2003, which we tasted next, was likened to the 1997 wines because of the similar structure in the wines. This vintage, however, will take a few years to reveal itself. 2004 was a freeze year, and so only about one third of the crop was available.

The 2005 wine was my favorite, and brought out what is perhaps a first (in my hearing, at any rate): Heather called it crunked. Keith cited an change in oak that broadened the wine and gave it an elegance. The 2005 also introduced a new clone of Petit Verdot that fares a bit better in the Washington climate. He was pleased that I liked it the most as his goal was "to get better at what I'm doing."

The new release, the 2006 was also very good, and Keith turned up the Cab Franc and Petit Verdot ratios on this wine. His goal is to make a wine that's more approachable early. While ONYX is a reflection of the vintage, of that family portrait, it's also a reflection of Keith's maturation as a winemaker. He compared the wines to lego sets; the more sets you have, and the more experience, the more intricate things you can create. Keith talked about his process, of "thinking about this and trying to do something with a goal in mind. We're trying to get better with the choices we're making." When I asked Keith what he thought about the entire flight, and how they were maturing he revealed that he's so caught up in what he has going on in the current vintages that he doesn't give it so much thought.

My favorite thought Keith shared was "Wine is supposed to be fun. If you can figure out how to get the cork out of the bottle, you should be able to enjoy it." Well, we certainly had fun on this day. Being able to taste through the entire history of Terra Blanca, and spend some time with Keith, ReNae, Heather, and the staff was a fantastic experience and showed me a lot about how a wine and a winemaker can change and evolve. We certainly enjoyed it, and we'll be back to visit soon.

B.R. Cohn Winery

I first discovered B.R. Cohn Winery while still living in Washington. After proposing, my fiancée Katie and I knew we wanted to get married at a winery in Sonoma. Living so far away we were forced to make a decision by pictures that family and friends sent to us. The beauty of B.R. Cohn’s property and the ability to get up close and personal with the grape vines immediately sold us and we were married here in June 2009. Having relocated back to the area, it didn’t take us long to revisit this wonderful place and the charming town of Glen Ellen, CA.
Upon entering the tasting room you notice a couple things pretty quickly. First, the tasting room staff seems to be having fun, talking, and laughing with each other and whatever tasters are present. The second thing you notice is the art pieces throughout the room seem to have a theme...rock-n-roll. That is because in addition to founding and running the winery, Bruce Cohn also serves as the manager for classic rock artists, The Doobie Brothers. This rare blend of wine and classic rock creates a casual atmosphere to enjoy consistently great wine.
Situated on the Olive Hill Estate grounds, named for the groves of Picholine olive trees, B.R. Cohn focuses much of its estate on growing Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller patches of Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The climate on the Olive Hill Estate along with the natural hot springs underneath creates grapes with intense flavors and unique characteristics. On our most recent trip to B.R. Cohn, Katie and I tasted two lesser known blends, the 2007 Sonoma Valley SyrCab and the 2007 Sonoma Valley SyrZin.


Now you all are smart people and I am sure you can guess which two varietals make up each of these wines but the taste is something you have to experience. With 77% Syrah and 23% Cabernet the SyrCab has an intense nose of cherry and plum fruit. Upon first taste this wine is smooth, much like you would expect from Syrah. However, the Cabernet sneaks up on you at the end and leaves your mouth very full, enjoying this wine long after it is gone.
A new venture, the SyrZin is a 50/50 blend from three different Syrah vineyards and a low-yield Zinfandel vineyard. I went into this wine really not knowing what to expect. Unlike the SyrCab, the Syrah takes a backseat and allows the spiciness and the bite of the Zinfandel to catch you off guard first before it comes in and mellows the intensity. The staff recommended trying this wine with any grilled meat or a spicy Italian dish.
B.R. Cohn provides a safe environment to explore your own tastes as well as enjoy some of the risks the winemaker takes to produce unique profiles. My next posts will be from an upcoming visit with TOWB’s very own Josh Gana down in California wine country.

Cheers!

Wine Country Dining: Yakima's Barrel House

Downtown Yakima has a few gems when it comes to dining options. One of those is most certainly Barrel House. I stumbled upon the Barrel House several years ago as the result of a recommendation by a winemaker I'd met in the Rattlesnake Hills. When the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance to introduce The Oregon Wine Blog to the Barrel House based on fond memories.

My first impression made me a little nervous. Our party of ten was there on a Monday and there wasn't a soul in the place. We had made reservations and the waitress/bartender showed us to our seats. The Barrel House has an impressive selection of Yakima Valley and Washington wines and the prices are really unbeatable; the mark up is a negligible $5 to $10 dollars a bottle. That's an incredible bargain.

I got us started by ordering the Kana Masterpiece 2007, Portteus Malbec 2005, and McKinley Springs 2004 Cabernet. We also asked for the Boudreaux Cellars 2005 Cabernet to be decanted for dinner.

Our meal started out with a variety of appetizers and salads and we were soon on to the main course. My initial nervousness went away as soon as the waitress asked me how I'd like my duck done. This is generally a sign that people know what they're doing.

Between the ten of us we had a variety of entrees; duck with a crispy skin, a beautifully displayed pork shank, scallops that melted in your mouth and perfectly done steak. The food was excellent, and what was truly amazing was that Tim did all of this on his own. I mean that literally - there was one guy in the kitchen; no sous chef; no help. All of our plates came at once, they were all hot, and they were all tender. The duck had perfect balance between the crisp skin with the tender breast. We had to order another bottle of wine as well, and went with the Thurston Wolfe 06 Petite Sirah. None of us had room for dessert.

We thanked Tim for one hell of a meal, and asked about the crowd. He had told us that it was slower through the winter, but that over the weekend they would be slammed. There are a handful of really nice restaurants in Yakima and Barrel House certainly heads up that list. The entrees are a little expensive, but the wine prices are beyond reasonable. If you're in town, I recommend this be your first choice for dinner in Yakima.

Newport Seafood & Wine Festival

Those in the wine industry know that any event worth having isn't worth it unless those of us from The Oregon Wine Blog are there. This fact was reiterated as a few weeks ago we took our horse-drawn carriage to the end of our office's cobble stone driveway and retrieved a parcel from our pillar box. In it was two invitations to the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival. It had been quite some time since we visited our manor on the coast, so we attached a note to our carrier pigeon and sent it in the direction of our airfield. With our steamer trunks packed, we boarded our prepared jet and began our journey.


Seven minutes later, we landed in Newport and were greeted by our chauffeur. As our Rolls Royce approached the venue, I was immediately appalled by the parking situation. Not only were people parking their vehicles in grass and mud, but we didn't even have a reserved parking space! Nobody did! I don't know who was in charge of planning parking, but this is completely unacceptable.

After pulling up to the venue and exiting our vehicle, we were shocked by yet another facet of this event. The entire venue was a giant tent. A tent I say! You know, the temporary structure that ruffians erect in forests and imbibe canned beer in. We're respectable journalists, however, and decided to enter anyway. It helped that our passes allowed us to enter from the rear entrance instead of having to wait in line with the peasants up front.


Before I continue about this event, let us take a moment to list the components of a phenomenal wine event:

-The venue is either a vineyard, chateau, 5 star resort, or other similar structure worth more than your average small town

-The people attending are well educated about wine, dressed in formal attire, and moderate their alcohol consumption not to embarrass themselves

-The food consists of cheeses, vegetables, and animals most people haven't even heard of

With that out of the way, allow me to get back to this event.

Upon entering the tent, the first thing one notices is that the ambiance is a mixture of county fair, trade show, Mardi Gras, and frat party. Throngs of commoners wearing colorful beads and denim are squeezed in like sardines as they indiscriminately imbibe whatever falls into their glass. To make things worse, some get so inebriated that they drop their commemorative wine glass onto the paved floor. This sends the entire crowd into an uproar as they take a moment to remove whatever fried food on a stick they're consuming from their mouths and mock the now glass-less individual by "whoo"ing. Wine is serious business, which is apparently lost on these people.


All of that aside, there really were a lot of incredibly-respected wineries at the event. We had quick, yet pleasurable experience talking with the gents from Zerba out of Walla Walla. The only problem is that there were so many people incredibly intoxicated that not only was it almost impossible to chat with winemakers and do actual wine tasting, but few people actually cared! I even got bumped into so hard by some drunken ogre that my monocle popped out.

In short, the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival is not for the typical wine-goer. If your tastes are unsophisticated enough to enjoy a casual atmosphere with plenty of eclectic fair food, access to dozens of spectacular wineries around the Pacific Northwest, the possibility of meeting new friends or a one night stand, and amateur wine fans being loud and having fun despite the usually snooty reputation that wine has, then by all means plan on attending next year. Just remember to bring your favorite comically-oversized foam hat, a vulgar t-shirt, and your drinking boots.

As for us, don't expect to see our Rolls in the parking lot next year. Well, except Clive. He'll probably be there.

Fortified (Port-Style) Wine of the Yakima Valley: Episode 2; Syrah

When a wine is referred to as 'fortified,' it means it's been made stronger (or 'fortified') by adding a distilled beverage, traditionally brandy. The brandy is added before the fermentation process is complete, which kills the yeast, leaving behind more sugar, which results in a stronger, sweeter beverage. As I mentioned here, to properly be called Port, the wine must hail from the Duoro Valley in Portugal. Since the wines I received were grown and bottled in Washington, they are more properly 'port-style' or 'fortified wines.'

The first stop in our Yakima Valley fortified wines was Cabernet Sauvignon. Today's post will focus on Yakima Valley fortified wine made from the Syrah grape.

I received Syrah based fortified wines from Daven Lore, and Tucker Cellars.

The fortified Syrah wines has much more variance in style than did the Cabernets. Tucker Cellars sent two port style wines; one of which was done in a Tawny style. A Tawny style port is technically one that is barrel-aged for a long period of time so that the wine oxidizes and turns to a brownish gold color. The Tucker Tawny style was definitely lighter in color than it's Ruby counterpart but not the brownish gold of some tawny Port that you'll find out of the Duoro Valley. The Tawny Black Rock Creek port had an obvious presence of oak in the bouquet that came out in vanilla and smoky notes. The oak gave the wine a nuttier caramel flavor and was a welcome change of pace from the ruby ports we were drinking.

The Tucker Cellars Ruby Port was also quite good in a more typical style. This port was more fruit forward than the Tawny, with pomegranate and blackberries on the pallet. Both are fortified using grape spirits.

The Daven Lore Syrah Forte was a chocolate pairing delight. The grapes for this port-style wine are harvested from the Snipes Mountain AVA. The Forte is also fortified with grape spirits. This Syrah port-style wine aged 525 days in the barrel. The Daven Lore Forte has dark, dark cherries and rich red raspberries on the pallet. We had the Forte again recently at dinner at Picazo 7Seventeen in Prosser, and Chef Frank Magana paired it with his Strawberry creme brulee with chocolate ganache. It was an incredible pairing. The Daven Lore Forte was definitely the smoothest of the three Syrah port style wines that we sampled.

Our final installment to come will cover two kinds of ports, a traditional Portugese style blend, that includes Souzao, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Cao in the blend. These ports are made by Hedges Family Estate. Kestrel and Thurston Wolfe. There will also be one outlier, a Sangiovese port style wine by Lopez Island Vineyards.

Pairing & Preparing: Eat & Drink in the Northwest Cookbook Review

I came across the Eat & Drink in the Northwest cookbooks at Village Wines in Woodinville when my sister-in-law, Jen, pointed them out. The books were created by Marcus Pape and Melissa Peterman. Melissa crafts the recipes, which are then paired with wine by Marcus. Marcus has a background in visual marketing but is a self-proclaimed vinophile. Marcus and Melissa sent me all four books that were available at the time to take a test drive.

The Eat & Drink Northwest cookbooks is a series of books that come out approximately 3 times annually. They are small format, and come at a very reasonable $8.95 per volume. Each book contains about 20 recipes, and while the first in the series also included 20 wines, the wine pairing suggestions have tripled in later volumes. I love the way they approach the wine pairing. Not only do the suggest a varietal, but they typically offer two to three Northwest wines to choose from. Each recipe has a photo of one or two of the ingredients and a few bottles of wine, some of which are smaller local labels.

The cookbooks were made in a smaller format so that you could take them to the grocery store or the wine shop, which I like. We would have preferred if the books had page numbers and either a Table of Contents or an index. While the books are small, I think it would make them even easier to use - particularly when you have more than one of the books.

All in all, we made close to ten of these recipes, and there wasn't one that we won't make again. Volume 1 makes a point of saying that "these recipes are not meant to be thrown together in 20 minutes around the hustle and bustle of your daily routine. Instead, they are intended for a time when you can slow down, relax, and share the event of cooking with family and friends." I appreciate that and I think the food benefits from this approach. I think too many books are jumping on the bandwagon of 'quick and easy and under 20 minutes.' That's not to say there's not a place for that type of cooking - there definitely is - but there's something to be said for spending time with food as you cook it. It brings a greater appreciation to the table. I also liked that the books don't shy away from including sauces. A perfect example is the stuffed poblanos in (Vol. 2 Ed. 1), which were spicy but had a good flavor profile. The spice was not overwhelming and the roasted yellow pepper sauce did a really good job of balancing the spice from the poblanos. We paired the dish with Delille's Doyenne Rose and it was a great compliment. We found, however, that one pepper apiece wasn't quite enough for a meal in and of itself; when we make this again, we'll very likely add rice to the stuffing mixture to make it heartier.

The Prosciutto Wrapped White Fish with Roasted Vegetables was paired with a Horse Heaven Hills Grenache we went with Maison Bleue though it's not in the book. The fish is a roulade with a sun-dried tomato puree. The sun-dried tomatoes give the fish a rich Mediterranean taste that speaks of a long and deep marinade. The reality, though, is the cook time on this dish was more than reasonable. The Grenache was a good choice as the wine stood up well to the rich layered flavors of the fish as well as the simplicity of the vegetables.

One of our favorites, and one that will definitely be making future appearances in our house, was the Slow Cooked Tomato and Duck Ragu with Bowtie Pasta.

Slow Cooked Tomato and Duck Ragu with Bowtie Pasta (shared with permission)
Make a little extra time for this one. The sauce simmers for two hours, but trust me when I say that it's well worth it.
2 duck breasts
4 slices bacon
1/2 c small diced carrot
1/2 c small diced celery
1 1/2 c small diced sweet onion
coarse salt and cracked black pepper
2 garlic cloves
3 T sherry vinegar
2 T tomato paste
1 c red wine
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 c chicken stock
1 tsp cinnamon
2 dried bay leaves
1 rosemary stem
1 package bowtie pasta

1. Trim off excess fat from each duck breast and discard. Chop duck breasts into medium dice and saute in a large, dry pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove duck and bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of liquid from the pot and into another bowl.
   
2. Add carrot, celery and onion to the pot over medium-high heat and stir. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. cook for 5 minutes, add garlic and cook another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
   
3. Reduce heat to medium and deglaze with sherry vinegar and stir. Add tomato paste, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes.
   
4. Add wine, stir and cook for a few more minutes. Adjust to medium-high heat. Add the can of whole tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, rosemary stem, and stir (If you have a Parmesan rind you have been saving for sauce, this would be a great time to add it).
   
5. Bring up sauce to a low simmer and cook for 2 hours uncovered. Every 20 minutes, skim the fat off the surface and discard. Taste for seasoning and adjust with sale and pepper and sherry vinegar.
   
6. Cook pasta according to package directions.
   
7. Serve Slow Cooked Tomato and Duck Ragu over bowtie pasta.

I paired the food with wines I had on hand, what I love about these books however is that they recommend specific Northwest wines from smaller producers, like Buty, Pend Oreille and Amavi. And because of the books size, you could take it to a well stocked grocery and pick out the particular wines they recommend should you choose. I also want to acknowledge my lovely wife Gwynne and her help with working on this post with me. Her blog, Look What I Made You is a great stop for food and craft folks.