Reviewed May 16, 2012 NEW

In In The News, Youngberg Hill | Tagged with oregon, Travel, willamette valley

30th ANNUAL WINE FESTIVAL
PASO ROBLES, May 18 – 20
The winery doors will be open Friday – Sunday, 10 to 4
LIBRARY WINES open to club members

The 30th Annual Wine Festival begins Friday, May 18, 2012 as select wineries feature their library, reserve, futures and refreshing power white/Rosé samples at the RESERVE event. On Saturday, May 19, 2012 60 wineries come together in the Paso Robles Downtown City Park to showcase their wines alongside culinary samplings from food trucks. Tunes from The JD Project will complement your tasting experience.

Travel beyond the Park to explore more than 150 winery events throughout the weekend including winemaker dinners, live music, barrel samplings, and more.

In In The News, Winery Events | Tagged with ambyth, california, education, events, tastings, Travel

Terry Sullivan is an organic grape grower, wine producer and glassblower in Talent.

On one side of his house, Sullivan tends to syrah, viognier and other vines. On the other side is a glass-blowing studio, where he creates artistic wine decanters and graceful, stemless wineglasses.

Soon, he’ll be able to pour his estate-grown 2010 Upper Five Vineyards tempranillo, the first wine under his own label, into his glassware and drink it. Glass, like grapes and wine, is not very forgiving, he says.

“I can’t make a mistake along the way if I want to get the results I want,” Sullivan says. He bought his property in 2001, planted 21/2; acres in 2003 and added another acre in 2006. His Upper Five Vineyard was certified organic in 2005.

As Sullivan, 55, shifts to the even higher standard of Biodynamic, he has to work with nature and pay attention to minute changes.

“I can’t use a silver bullet to fix a problem,” he says of forgoing synthetic pesticides in the vineyard or sulfur to correct a young wine.

In 2010, his organic sauvignon blanc grapes were purchased by Bill and Barbara Steele of Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden and made into 144 cases of Sullivan/Steele Sauvignon Blanc ($22). Only three cases remain at Harry & David Country Village in Medford.

At the Sullivan/Steele debut party last June at Thai Pepper in Ashland, Sullivan told the crowd that some call grape growing a “labor of love,” but he calls it “a love of labor.” “You have to love it,” he said.

The 2011 Sullivan/Steele Sauvignon Blanc will be released in the summer. His 2010 Upper Five Vineyard tempranillo, made with winemaker Linda Donovan, will be unveiled in the fall.

As for his handblown glassware, a 12-ounce glass ($15) with a purple, gold or blue rim and a 750-milliliter spiral-neck decanter ($80) are sold at Trium tasting room in Talent or in a five-piece set at www.etsy.com/listing/94239063/handblown-stemless-wine-glasses.

Taken from the Ashlnd Daily Tidings, by Janet Eastman,

In Cowhorn, In The News | Tagged with biodynamic, cowhorn, Demeter, in the press, oregon, organic wine, sustainability

From the Woodinville Patch, by Cork Dork, Chris Nishiwaki, May 4, 2012

Last week I embarked on a road trip to Oregon like I hadn’t done since my college days. Back then I would travel to Eugene to watch my Huskies destroy the University of Oregon Ducks in football.

For the record, the University of Washington has won more college football national championships than Oregon, with one. Do the math and you can deduce, the number of Oregon championships.

Last Saturday, I stayed in Seattle to watch the University of Washington spring football game at Century Link Field, the temporary home of the Huskies next season. The defense made me optimistic about the 2012 season. The offense was downright offensive and made me want to drink Oregon Pinot Noir. That would have to wait a day.

On Sunday morning I flew to Portland, where our Oregon odyssey began. Crammed in a van, we covered Oregon wine country over the next four days from the Willamette Valley by the Washington border to the Rogue Valley almost to the California border.

Four writers from California, yours truly as the only representative from Washington, and the Oregon state wine industry each professed the virtues of the various wine regions. The preference and bias for wines, neatly falling by local allegiance, were as clearly defined as the state borders.

Furthermore, a clear division (in some cases animosity) became evident between American Viticultural Areas within each state. Like the Civil War, Oregon was split between the north and the south of the state. California’s ugly stepchild wine regions were Temecula and Mendocino County. As for Washington, even more specifically Woodinville, I was reminded of the division between wineries based in Woodinville versus wineries with tasting rooms in Woodinville but based elsewhere in the state.

There are slightly more than 400 wineries in Oregon. There are almost twice as many in Washington state, at around 750. California has five times as many as Washington at almost 4,000 wineries.

During the course of my work I try wines from all over the world. I believe it gives me a clearer perspective on the wines of Washington that are the focus of the Cork Dork column each week. And I’m here to tell you that Woodinville competes toe-to-toe with the best and largest wine regions of the world.

Granted, most of the fruit that goes into wines made in Woodinville comes from vineyards east of the Cascade Mountains, but the variety and quality produced in Woodinville is remarkable at every price point. Woodinville does not have the climate to ripen vinifera properly. What Woodinville lacks in grape growing conditions, it makes up in innovative and precise winemaking.

Most of Washington doesn’t provide the conditions to make Pinot Noir like they do in Oregon. That singular reputation for spectacular food-friendly Pinot Noir has positioned Oregon wines across the country better than wines from Washington, where growers and winemakers continue to experiment with new varietals.

In Oregon, Pinot Gris is the leading white varietal. Chardonnay has made tremendous strides over the last decade or two since many of the growers and winemakers have focused on Dijon clones of the varietal.

Over the next decade or two look for Rhone, Bordeaux and Rioja-style varietals from Southern Oregon to thrive. Abacela in Roseburg is already making world-class Tempranillo and Albarino as good as the wines in Spain, and Viognier and Grenache-based Rosé that compares to the wines of the Rhone.

Many of the other wineries in Southern Oregon, such as Brandborg Vineyard & Winery, Cowhorn Vineyard, Del Rio Vineyards, Folin Cellars, Quady North Winery and Red Lily Vineyards, are making outstanding wines with hot weather varietals such as Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Viognier in a more elegant style than in Washington or California. Northern Oregon producers Domaine Serene and Ken Wright Cellars make outstanding wines with Southern Oregon fruit under the labels Rockblock and Tyrus Evan, respectively.

For one current measure of how Washington compares to Oregon and California, I turned to the 18th annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition, organized by seafood guru Jon Rowley of Jon Rowley & Associates. Yours truly was one of 25 judges in Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco selecting the 10 winning wines.

Washington showed the best in the annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition completed last week with four of the 10 winners hailing from the Evergreen state. Kirkland’s Cedergreen Cellars won for its 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

Oregon and California had three wines each among the 10 equal winners, as Rowley likes to say. See below for a complete list of winners.

In judging the wines, Rowley urged us to first smell and then chew the oyster before taking our first sip of wine to rate the “bliss factor.” Generally, dry, crisp and clean wines pair best with oysters.

Look for the winning wines at local oyster bars, restaurants or at the Taylor Shellfish store in the Melrose Market on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Most of the wines are also available at specialty retail stores or supermarkets at under $15 a bottle.

2012 “Oyster Award” winners:
Washington

Cedergreen Cellars 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
Hogue Cellars 2010 Pinot Grigio
Milbrandt Vineyards 2010 Traditions Pinot Gris
Sockeye 2010 Pinot Gris

Oregon
Brandborg Vineyard & Winery 2010 Pinot Gris
Foris Vineyard Winery 2010 Pinot Blanc
Van Duzer Vineyards 2011 Pinot Gris

California
Dry Creek Vineyard 2011 Dry Chenin Blanc
Kenwood Vineyards 2011 Pinot Gris, Russian River
Kenwood Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc

In Cowhorn, In The News | Tagged with cowhorn, in the press, oregon, Travel

Hello Again Everyone,

Spring is finally in full swing! Farmer’s Markets across the state have opened to the delight of customers, pastures are green and glowing, and Farm Dinner Season is just around the corner.

Here are a few quick updates on our 2012 events. Later this week, we will send you the exciting details of the first installment of our new FOOD ADVENTURE SERIES: The Farm to Fork Rafting Adventure

.

APRIL UPDATES:

UNDERGROUND SERIES
The first installment of our Underground Series will begin in early June in Southern Oregon. Those of you who are on the private guestlist will receive an email in May with event details and reservation instructions. If you aren’t on the guestlist yet, find the Underground page on our website and follow the instructions.

July 21 FARM DINNER – BEND
(seats available)

• PARTNER CHEF FINALIZED: T.R. McCrystal from Jen’s Garden in Sisters, Oregon!
• FEATURED PROTEIN FARM FINALIZED: Grass-Fed Beef from Dancing Cow Farm.
• SPECIAL SURPRISES: In addition to serving the wonderful wines of Maragas Winery with dinner, 10 Barrel Brewing Company will be crafting a one-of-a-kind beer for the “happy hour” portion of the event and Brewmaster Jimmy Seifrit will tap the keg!

August 11 FARM DINNER – ASHLAND

(sold out)

• PARTNER CHEF FINALIZED: Neil Clooney from Smithfields Restaurant in Ashland, Oregon!

September 2 FARM DINNER – CORVALLIS

(seats available)

• PARTNER CHEF FINALIZED: Eric Bechard of Thistle Restaurant in McMinnville, Oregon!
• FEATURED PRODUCE FARM FINALIZED: Organic Produce from Gathering Together Farm.

September 8 FARM DINNER – HOOD RIVER  (some seats available)

• PARTNER CHEF FINALIZED: Jon Moch of Celilo Restaurant in Hood River, Oregon!
• FEATURED PRODUCE FARM FINALIZED: Organic Produce from Hood River Organic.
• SPECIAL SURPRISES: In addition to serving the stellar selections of Viento Wines with dinner, Double Mountain Brewery will join us for the “happy hour” portion of the event and guest will get to enjoy a Double Mountain brew in the orchard.

October 6 FARM DINNER – JACKSONVILLE

(a few seats available)

• PARTNER CHEF FINALIZED: Courtney Sproule of Din Din Supper Club in Portland Oregon!
• FEATURED PROTEIN FARM FINALIZED: Pastured Poultry from Rogue Valley Brambles.

Thank you so much for your support of our organization. We appreciate any help spreading the word about Farm to Fork Event Co. to your friends, colleagues, and local media outlets. With your help, we believe we can make a difference in our local communities, and have fun doing it. See you out on the farm!

By Matthew Domingo, Director of Farm to Fork Event Company

In In The News, Winery Events | Tagged with Dinners, education, Food Related, in the press, Matthew Domingo, oregon, Travel

Youngberg Hill Vineyards and Inn in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

Where: Oregon’s Willamette Valley in McMinnville, about an hour from Portland

The Details: Eight rooms (four queen suites and four king guest rooms) offer views of the 22 acres of organic vineyards. Rooms are in the same building as the tasting room, where you’ll have the chance to taste four wines with the three people heavily involved in the day-to-day operations: the winemaker, the grape grower, and the owner. Rooms have private baths, comfy chairs from which you can enjoy the views, fireplaces, Jacuzzi tubs, Wi-Fi, and loaner iPads.

Why Stay Here: Its on-site vineyard produces organic Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, rated 90 or better by Wine Spectator. Common areas include a library, a lounging salon, and a dining room. Sipping wine on the wrap-around porch offers panoramic views of the Coastal Range, Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood, and Willamette Valley. Want to explore? Dozens of wineries are within a 20-minute drive, including Dundee, Carlton, Amity West Salem, and Eola Hills. Wake up in the morning to a two-course gourmet meal with seasonal food and local products such as homemade granola and yogurt, Pinot-poached pears, and pancetta tarts.

Best Time to Avoid Crowds: November to March

How Much: From $200 per room per night for two people

Info: tel. 888/657-8668; www.youngberghill.com

From Frommers.com
Read more: http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/index.cfm?group=1005&p=9#ixzz1sy5bXIgf

In In The News, Youngberg Hill | Tagged with oregon, Travel, willamette valley, youngberg hill

A Welshman’s thriving vineyard in sunny California could soon be exporting its AmByth wine from the USA back to Wales.

Phillip Hart emigrated to the USA from Bangor, North Wales, in the 1970s.

And after meeting his horse-rancher wife Mary, he established an organic vineyard and winery at Templeton in central California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

He now leads an idyllic life on the AmByth Estate – named after the “Wales Forever” slogan Cymru Am Byth – with cows, sheep, rabbits, cats and dogs for company.

The most famous resident in the small town in the wine growing hills of California is actor Josh Brolin, son of Amityville Horror star James and stepson of Barbra Streisand.

The temperature in the town, founded in 1886, ranges from a chilly -9C in winter to a sweat inducing 45C in summer.

Speaking from the AmByth Estate Mr Hart told the Western Mail: “I was born in Bangor, North Wales and raised on a sheep mountain farm [Llanerch] near Porthmadog.

“I went to school at Borth-y-Gest, and Ysgol Eifionydd.”

Asked how he came to name his estate and winery AmByth, he explained: “The name has a tad more to it than first glance. “My brother Mark and I emigrated to California from Wales in 1978 after two years in South Africa and two years before that in Australia.

“We opened a rug store in Newport Beach, California called Hart’s Rugs & Carpets with the corporate name of Cymru Trading Inc.

“When my wife, who grew up on a horse farm in Oklahoma, bought and moved to our farm in central California and planted grapes we had to come up with a name for the vineyard and winery.

“We researched many Welsh names but as you well know the average ‘Anglo’ has a bit of a problem with Welsh names, Llanerch for instance.

“I remembered my childhood in Wales where the black steel railway bridges had been spray painted with graffiti declaring ‘Cymru Am Byth’.

“After trying the words Am Byth on several people and finding out that by and large they ‘got it’ we modified it a little and joined them together but kept the caps, hence ‘AmByth’.

“Perhaps because Mary and I grew up in ‘natural’ environments we decided to farm in an organic way.

“We are certified organic and certified bio-dynamic. I make natural wines with no additions beyond some tiny sulphur additions in some wines – absolutely nothing else gets added except grapes.

“We foot stomp everything, native fermentation, natural lactic acid et cetera.

“Our farm AmByth is indeed a farm and we hope that after we are dead and gone it will continue forever in good health.” Mr Hart said the AmByth Estate was looking to produce cider and that there are plans to export to the UK over the next few years.

“We have 65 apple trees [for cider], 60 other fruit and nut trees, a total of 540 producing olive trees, vegetable gardens, cows, sheep, rabbits, chickens and of course dogs and cats,” he said.

“A wonderfully alive place to belong to.

“Last year we had a young chap from Wales here as an intern, Jack Teifi Evans from Aberaeron, Ceredigion who is studying viticulture in Brighton College.

“His father is starting a vineyard in Wales.

“We are currently in talks with a London importer called The Sampler in Islington.

“If we can come to some arrangement then our wines would be available for purchase in the UK and of course Wales.

“If not then our current plans would be to possibly pour at UK wine festivals, possibly in 2014.”

Despite California’s reputation for sunshine, the AmByth Estate’s production has been hit by unusually cold weather.

“Because of severe frost in April 2011 our production from that year will be just 6,000 bottles,” said Mr Hart.

“Farming’s the same whether we are in Wales or California and full of pitfalls.

“Our current market is California with distributors in Quebec, Chicago, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

“Of course, online sales go on throughout the United States too but it would be wonderful one day to export back to Wales.”

Nearly three-quarters the size of France, California accounts for nearly 90% of the entire wine production of the USA.

Production in California alone is one third larger than that of Australia and if California were a separate country, it would be the world’s fourth-largest wine producer.

The state’s wine producing history dates back to the 18th Century Spanish missionaries who planted the first vineyards in the region so they would have red wine for Mass.

Taken from WalesOnline.com, by Robin Turner, April 20, 2012

In AmByth Estate, In The News | Tagged with ambyth, biodynamic, california, in the press, natural wine, organic wine, sustainability

May is Oregon Wine Month, and the Oregon Wine Board is welcoming it in style with “Unwine’d”, a major event in Portland on Sunday, April 29^th.  More than 85 wineries and over a dozen restaurants will be showcasing extraordinary wine and food, casting a spotlight on the incredible breadth and depth of Oregon’s fertile, vibrant landscape.

Unwine’d is being held at Portland’s Left Bank Annex, from 3pm-6pm. Trade and Media early access is from 2pm-3pm.  Tickets are just $50 and can be purchased through the Oregon Wine Board’s website.

ConsciousWine is honored to have been invited and is especially proud to participate in Unwine’d, and to join our colleagues in celebrating not just the overall growth and success of Oregon’s wineries and farms, but specifically the growing and thriving community of organic and biodynamic farms and vineyards.

To demonstrate just how spectacular these wines are, ConsciousWine’s Jeffrey Weissler will be pouring at least two exceptional wines from Cowhorn Vineyards located in Jacksonville and Dominio IV located in McMinnville.

Don’t miss a chance to see Jeff Weissler in person, sharing and talking wine.  Jeff is an expert on wines made from organic, biodynamic grapes and a passionate advocate for what’s happening in Oregon.

Come to Unwine’d on April 29^th and say “hi”!

In Blog Roll, Conferences, ConsciousWine, In The News, Jeff's Blog, Media, Sustainable Practices, Tasting Wine, Winery Events | Tagged with biodynamic, education, events, Food Related, oregon, organic wine, sustainability, Travel, willamette valley

Gerry Frank’s picks: Hood River’s Blossom Craft Show, Vineyard B&B, and more

Columbia Gorge scenery comes into full bloom at Hood River’s Blossom Craft Show (541-354-2865) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22. In addition to enjoying one of the most geographically breathtaking areas anywhere, you’ll find gourmet food choices and local wines, a quilt show, arts and crafts, fine art, nursery stock and those delicious Hood River pears presented by the Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers. Free admission.

Relax at the Three Sleeps Vineyard B&B (1600 Carroll Road, Mosier; 877-867-7776) where you’ll enjoy a welcoming evening taste of Dominio IV wine with owners Liz and Glenn Bartholomew. The accommodation overlooks the Dominio estate vineyard and Mt. Adams in the distance. Choose from either a king ($150) or queen ($135) room, each with a private entrance and patio. The B&B name originates from the Lewis and Clark expedition when explorers asked how far it was to the ocean. Native Americans replied, “Three sleeps.”

There’s year-round appeal in the Gorge; be sure to drive all or part of the Historic Columbia River Highway. As a side note, Menucha, the former summer estate of Governor Julius Meier (my great-uncle), is on the highway and now serves as a Presbyterian retreat.

Open for breakfast and lunch since January 2011, The Gathering Spot Cafe (106 N. First St., Silverton; 503-874-4888) has garnered an enthusiastic following. This place is a good eats bet and the prices are right (all menu items are under $11). Crepes, waffles, French toast and the signature eggs Benedict Florentine are offered for breakfast; enjoy soups, sandwiches, wraps and more crepes and egg options for lunch. Kids plates are available. Bring your family and friends to a great mealtime gathering place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Sundays offer an all-day special brunch menu.

By Gerry Frank, Sunday, April 15, 2012, Special to the Oregonian (OregonLive.com)

In Dominio IV, In The News | Tagged with dominio iv, oregon, Travel, willamette valley

Last month we had the pleasure of welcoming to Youngberg Hill Ornithology Professor Don Powers of George Fox University, and nearly two dozen of his current and former wildlife biology students. Professor Don and his group conducted on March 17 the first ever Youngberg Hill Vineyards Native Bird Study.

It was a lucky day for bird-spotting, as forty different native species were identified in less than three hours! Highlights included a gorgeous Pileated Woodpecker, Merlins, Kestrels and a Northern Harrier Raptor. Our resident eagles made a regal appearance soaring over the vineyard rows. The students were an enthusiastic bunch, tramping through the muck of the vineyard and recording everything they saw.

We ended the experience with a hearty lunch in the warmth of the dining room. If you have been following our blogs this winter, you are probably well aware of our ongoing trouble with the non-native European starlings that eat so many of our grapes during harvest time. We were especially pleased to see that only one or two starlings were sighted, and that the avian diversity of our vineyard ecosystem looks very healthy.

Professor Don was very impressed by the species count and said that if the weather had been better (it rained, of course!) we would have seen even more native species. This initial effort was so successful that we have decided to monitor our native bird population’s health on a regular basis by conducting quarterly surveys with Dr. Powers and his wonderful George Fox students.

Upon the completion of our new vineyard panorama deck, we will also be launching a “Wet Your Beak” wine tasting, in honor of our feathered friends. Imagine spotting colorful native birds while sipping our tasty organically grown flight of Pinot noirs.

Now that’s our kind of birding!

Taken from Youngberg Hill’s Blog, April 7th, 2012 by Nicolette

In In The News, Youngberg Hill | Tagged with oregon, sustainability, Travel, willamette valley, youngberg hill

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