Today as eventful, and exciting, as at least one of the wineries we visited had started “the crush.” That wonderful, and stressful, time when the grapes come off the vines and the winemaking process begins in earnest.
Somehow, we still managed to start drinking Pinot Noir before noon. After my first sip, we passed a sign for rabbit on a stick. I wonder what wines goes with rabbit on a stick? Why, Pinot Noir, of course.
We made our way up the mountain to Domaine Drouhin. Winemakers Joseph and wife came to Willamette from France to plant Pinot, and created a product that more than rivals their French brand. They were actually in France, preparing their grapes there to make wine.
In fact, the winery showed two of their French wines, along with their Domaine Drouhin selection, all of which was delicious. In the course of our tour, we noticed that Garrett had somewhat of a head injury, in the form of a large strawberry on his left temple. Turns out that the night before, as he attempted to get things out of his car, he took what he described as a “Tall Poppy Tumble,” thanks in part to the Yamhill Valley wines and mean old mister gravity.
The winemaking process was described in great detail, and what were learning was that everyone had their own twist on how they made their Pinot Noir. All very similar, but there were tweaks here and there that helped create the distinctions between the many brands. And what must be 30 bottles into it, we were getting it. Just tasting grapes on the vine, I was beginning to get a sense of how they would translate to the wine. Either that, or Pinot delirium I setting in.
“You bruise the grape, you bruise the wine,” our guide said, noting that the Drouhins were very patient with when they picked their grapes. Their vineyards, though, were well-manicured, and the fruit was beautiful.
But we had other wines to drink, and headed back down the hill. We took a long drive across the valley, and ate lunch with the owners of Montinore Estates. Rudy and his daughter Kristin were gracious, helpful, and very enthusiastic about their wines.
“It’s one of the most difficult grapes to grow,” Rudy said of the Pinot Noir. “It’s one of the most difficult wines to make, but when you do it right, it’s sublime.”
And his wines were just that.
Joel decided that if we hit the lottery, we would buy a vineyard in Willamette. We would call it Macon-Wood, and the Macon-Wood Pinot would be a rock star. Or, at the very least, we would have some fun doing it.
But it also appears to be a lot of hard work. We are talking to farmers, not PR people. These are people who understand the earth, and the grape, and how each is crucial to producing excellent wines. It was noted that 75-80% of good winemaking happens in the orchard.
Montinore actually shakes their grapes off the vine, eliminating the need for the de-stemmer, and allowing for a more delicate handling of the fruit.
After our tour, we bought some schwag, and then headed down the valley to Elk Cove, where they had started the crush. The winemaker was gracious enough to taste us on some wines, and give us a tour, but he was clearly distracted, as they were harvesting and processing grapes.
The rains had started, and all the winemakers were getting nervous. When to pick s one of the great variables, and can determine the difference between a good wine and a great wine, and can also determine not only the quantity of grapes, but the quality.
We drank a few more bottles of Pinot, and then met the winemaker from Yamhill Valley for dinner at a little place called Nick’s in McMinnville. Another winemaker, from Soter, sent us a bottle of his sparkler to drink with our dinner. I LOVE this place!
The dinner conversation was almost strictly Pinot, A good cab, they say, will knock your socks off. A good Pinot, though, will slip your socks off. It is seduction in a bottle. In fact, I have always been a Pinot fan, but now I’m a Pinot stalker. Stephen King could write a book about my feelings about Pinot Noir.
Kristin added that, in the valley, white wine is what you drink while you are deciding which Pinot Noir to order.
Each vineyard has a system to scare the birds away, usually involving the sounds of a cannon. I have heard this noise so much this week, when I get home, every time I hear a car backfire, I will have a Pavlovian response, thinking about Pinot Noir.
Today, we have a few more vineyards to visit, and then it is back to Portland, for tomorrow’s trek home. I will miss the valley, but I have a feeling my liver will not…
Somehow, we still managed to start drinking Pinot Noir before noon. After my first sip, we passed a sign for rabbit on a stick. I wonder what wines goes with rabbit on a stick? Why, Pinot Noir, of course.
We made our way up the mountain to Domaine Drouhin. Winemakers Joseph and wife came to Willamette from France to plant Pinot, and created a product that more than rivals their French brand. They were actually in France, preparing their grapes there to make wine.
In fact, the winery showed two of their French wines, along with their Domaine Drouhin selection, all of which was delicious. In the course of our tour, we noticed that Garrett had somewhat of a head injury, in the form of a large strawberry on his left temple. Turns out that the night before, as he attempted to get things out of his car, he took what he described as a “Tall Poppy Tumble,” thanks in part to the Yamhill Valley wines and mean old mister gravity.
The winemaking process was described in great detail, and what were learning was that everyone had their own twist on how they made their Pinot Noir. All very similar, but there were tweaks here and there that helped create the distinctions between the many brands. And what must be 30 bottles into it, we were getting it. Just tasting grapes on the vine, I was beginning to get a sense of how they would translate to the wine. Either that, or Pinot delirium I setting in.
“You bruise the grape, you bruise the wine,” our guide said, noting that the Drouhins were very patient with when they picked their grapes. Their vineyards, though, were well-manicured, and the fruit was beautiful.
But we had other wines to drink, and headed back down the hill. We took a long drive across the valley, and ate lunch with the owners of Montinore Estates. Rudy and his daughter Kristin were gracious, helpful, and very enthusiastic about their wines.
“It’s one of the most difficult grapes to grow,” Rudy said of the Pinot Noir. “It’s one of the most difficult wines to make, but when you do it right, it’s sublime.”
And his wines were just that.
Joel decided that if we hit the lottery, we would buy a vineyard in Willamette. We would call it Macon-Wood, and the Macon-Wood Pinot would be a rock star. Or, at the very least, we would have some fun doing it.
But it also appears to be a lot of hard work. We are talking to farmers, not PR people. These are people who understand the earth, and the grape, and how each is crucial to producing excellent wines. It was noted that 75-80% of good winemaking happens in the orchard.
Montinore actually shakes their grapes off the vine, eliminating the need for the de-stemmer, and allowing for a more delicate handling of the fruit.
After our tour, we bought some schwag, and then headed down the valley to Elk Cove, where they had started the crush. The winemaker was gracious enough to taste us on some wines, and give us a tour, but he was clearly distracted, as they were harvesting and processing grapes.
The rains had started, and all the winemakers were getting nervous. When to pick s one of the great variables, and can determine the difference between a good wine and a great wine, and can also determine not only the quantity of grapes, but the quality.
We drank a few more bottles of Pinot, and then met the winemaker from Yamhill Valley for dinner at a little place called Nick’s in McMinnville. Another winemaker, from Soter, sent us a bottle of his sparkler to drink with our dinner. I LOVE this place!
The dinner conversation was almost strictly Pinot, A good cab, they say, will knock your socks off. A good Pinot, though, will slip your socks off. It is seduction in a bottle. In fact, I have always been a Pinot fan, but now I’m a Pinot stalker. Stephen King could write a book about my feelings about Pinot Noir.
Kristin added that, in the valley, white wine is what you drink while you are deciding which Pinot Noir to order.
Each vineyard has a system to scare the birds away, usually involving the sounds of a cannon. I have heard this noise so much this week, when I get home, every time I hear a car backfire, I will have a Pavlovian response, thinking about Pinot Noir.
Today, we have a few more vineyards to visit, and then it is back to Portland, for tomorrow’s trek home. I will miss the valley, but I have a feeling my liver will not…
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