Aug Newsletter from 15c...

I just returned from a week trip in Oregon and aside from Mountain biking, river rafting and farming every berry you can imagine the wines and micro-brews along with the restaurant scene is what really impressed me.  The weeklong road trip took me from Bend in the Center of the state, to Portland, the Willamette and then out to the coast.  Although Oregon is very young in the world of wine they are making some wines that are getting worldwide recognition and after visiting I can see, and taste why.

Oregon is a cool climate growing region that focuses on Burgundy-style wines along with a few others like Rieslings, Pinot Gris and some Rhone and Bordeaux varietals in the South of the state, Rogue Valley, where it gets warm enough to ripen them.  Over half the grapes planted in Oregon are Pinot Noir and it is arguably their best!

Upcomming Events
EVERY WEDNESDAY | happy hour 5 to 7 | $3 glasses of wine & beer

EVERY THURSDAY | Food & Wine is back with Chef Jeff Scott

6th - Siduri Wines and food inspired by Provance

13th - Cautonese "take out" & Rieslings from around the world

20th - Greek BBQ & Greek wines (promise no retsina)

27th - Heirloom tomatoes & Rose

EVERY FRIDAY | oyster bar all day| orders must be in by 7pm | enjoy a bottle of bubbles and fresh oysters from Pier 46

CALENDAR OF EVENTS…
August
6 – Siduri guest stars for our food & wine event
7 – Domaine select tasting of Argentinean wines
8 – Rose event, Wine Country News

Wine – the prices that the Oregon producers demand for their Pinot is not unjust and in fact when compared to a lot of California producers coming out of the Santa Rita Hills or Sonoma then a lot of them are in line if not a great value!  Below are some of our favorite producers:

A to Z Pinot Noir | $20
 A to Z wine works is made out of the Rex Hill facility, which is one of the largest in Oregon.  Its funny to say that its big because compared to a lot of the wineries on the Central Coast is could be considered small.  A to Z is the value oriented brand that gives us scrumptious Pinots for $20 bucks!  The 2007 is true to variety and vintage with bold aromatics and a palate to please. This wine has moderately deep color and a tannin profile to match. The dark spices on the nose and palate complement the flavors you would expect from a good Oregon Pinot Noir: blackberry, raspberry, black cherry and earth. The oak profile is restrained and the natural acidity brings everything into balance.

Penner-Ash | Willamette Valley $56 | Shea Vineyard $58
We were fortunate enough to meet Lynn, owner-winemaker at Penner Ash and her husband, Ron, and join them for a tour and tasting of their beautiful gravity flow facility in the Willamette Valley.  Lynn’s interest in winemaking grew out of an early passion for the sciences.   She went to Davis and after that worked as the enologist at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for four years. She joined the Oregon wine industry in 1988 as winemaker for Rex Hill Winery.   She started Penner Ash in 1998 and currently makes about 8,000 cases of wine. The Willamette Pinot that we carry is packed with berry fruit; black cherry, cassis and black pepper aromas lead into a creamy, broad palate of fresh blackberry, red cherry and violets. A purity of both red and black fruits combined with round tannins provide a lingering finish of baking spice and vanilla.  The wine spends 10 months in French Oak and the fruit is sourced from the best in the valley including Palmer Creek, Carabella, & Shea!

Bergstrom | $48
Unlike many other winery-blended wines, this wine is NOT a declassified wine made from the leftovers of the single vineyard program. This Pinot Noir is blended first to show the Bergström style. The Cumberland Reserve is dark ruby in with great spice notes, minerality, coffee and chocolate undertones and a great vein of dark red fruits such as black cherry and black raspberry. Supple with suave tannins and silkiness in the mid-palate and finish

Cristom | $36
The Mt Jefferson Cuvee is named after Mt Jefferson and its extremely high elevation vineyards in the Cascade. This wine is extremely polished and delicate.  This wine leans more towards the old world Burgundian style with truffle and forest floor earthiness.  Crushed raspberry, strawberry and red currant aromas. There are higher tones of tomato leaf and cola berry along with some brambly notes. It follows through on the palate with a core of ripe red fruits and notes allspice.  Want to feel like you are drinking a Grand Cru French Burgundy without the price tag?

Bethel Heights | $36
Bethel Heights Vineyard is one of the oldest vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, an independent hill chain of volcanic origin in the center of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The soil here is visibly red and adds a unique character. The estate Pinot has brooding aromas of clove and anise over light barrel toast, forest floor, and dusty raspberries.   The palate is dense, with a lively vein of acidity framing flavors of bright red cane berry, strawberry, and intense minerality. This wine is on the fruitier side for Oregon Pinot.
 
Beer

Deschutes Brewery, located in Central Oregon along the banks of the wild and scenic Deschutes River, has brewed a family of handcrafted ales since 1988. Starting out as a small brewpub in the heart of downtown Bend, Deschutes’ first beers were Black Butte Porter, Bachelor Bitter and Cascade Golden Ale.

Black Butte Porter
crafted from chocolate and crystal malts, is Deschutes Brewery’s flagship brand. With a rich and distinctive flavor, this porter has enjoyed a loyal and passionate following since its first pint in 1988.  Completely free of that disappointing wet-newspaper-in-the-mouth taste of lesser porters, it’s a vibrant, elastic brew that goes the distance with power, style and Lance Armstrong-like pacing.

Mirror Pond Pale Ale
The quintessential American pale ale, Mirror Pond elegantly blends the sweetness of malted barley with the bite of hops (which add bitterness and aroma). It's refreshing, loaded with strong hop flavors, and perfectly balanced.

Rogue Brewery
The Brewery is located in Newport Beach, Oregon not Cali and is as can be expected a sleepy little fishing village along the Rogue river with lots of regular sea captains and resident “salty dogs”.  It is a very colorful place to say the least and the labels on all their beers represent someone they know.  I’m pretty sure our 70-year-old bartender; Buck who has been working there for 20+ years was the model for the dead guy ale.  They make a wide range of great beers and we carry the following:

Dead Guy is in the style of a German Maibock, using our proprietary Pacman ale yeast. Deep honey in color with a malty aroma and a rich hearty flavor.

Morimoto Soba is the delicate flavor of our roasted Soba brings a nutty finish to this light and refreshing ale. A perfect accompaniment to lighter cuisine.

Rogue Creamery Smoked Blue Cheese
The Rogue River Valley is a series of small, diversified farms dotting the landscape as well as sprawling pear orchards. Seasonal employment in the logging industry and at lumber mills employed many, but there were few jobs available to tide a family over an unusually long winter. It was during the Depression of the 1930’s that a small creamery opened in southern Oregon. The new business promised to create year round jobs and was a welcome addition to the area.  The Creamery survived the great depression in the 30’s and during the World War 2 employed women. The Creamery’s contributions were also felt on foreign soil as cheddar production went into overdrive to help supply the war effort. For four consecutive years it produced five million pounds of cheddar that were shipped to troops in many countries. This sparsely populated rural area continued this extraordinary effort until the lights around the world came back on.

Once the War ended, the years of shortages were replaced with surpluses. The G.I. Bill of Rights, however, made for a smooth transition between the War and peacetime economy in the Valley. Rogue Creamery led the way, employing more people and retooling to serve the rejuvenated civilian market. In fact, the Creamery was the first major supplier of cottage cheese in Oregon.

Production of blue began in early 1957 and went down in the books as the first blue cheese produced in caves west of the Missouri River. Rogue Creamery’s “Oregon Blue” is the first blue cheese made on the West Coast, so we thought it only fitting that it be the first blue ever smoked.
It is smoked for 16 hours over hazelnut shells from the Pacific Northwest. The result is a balance of sweet caramel and hazelnut flavors that magically contrast the sharpness of our blue cheese.

Crumble on top of a grilled burger or simply layer slices on rustic white bread. Pair it with a Cabernet Franc or Zinfandel wine.


Come in and drink & eat some of our Oregon products

Salud

Ali Rush Carscaden – owner/WSET advanced