What to Do When Your Goose Is Cooked:
Recipe and Oregon Wine Pairings
Why is it the goose, that once golden bird, is so sadly out of culinary fashion, largely disappearing from the American dinner table? The truth is that many factors are at play. By the early 20th century, turkeys were being mass produced, chickens were a staple and Americans had developed a taste for the mild flavor of white meat.
Goose, on the other hand, produces no white meat at all, only a rich (some say strong) dark meat. Geese are sometimes even referred to as the steak of birds. Once the meal of choice of the Egyptians and all but ubiquitous during the middle ages, goose is now a rarity.. More...
New Oregon Vineyard and Winery
in Prime Dundee Wine Country
Jared Etzel is the new General Manager and winemaker for an as yet unnamed vineyard and winery on The North Willamette Valley's Wine Industry's "Gold Coast," Worden Hill Road. The project is funded by a group of Canadian investors. Robert Roy, who is also an investor in Beaux Freres, and Robert's son are among the group. More...
Oregon Wine And Turducken: The Name Says it All
Turducken: A turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. Full of blork.
You may remember a few weeks ago when we wrote on these pages about pairing champagne with biscuits and gravy. It seems that article may have opened a Pandora's Box of sorts - since then we've been challenged almost constantly to up the wine pairing ante. So, in the spirit of rising to meet the challenge, we will propose a pairing for a dish so odd, so wrong, so...delicious, that it is going to take some serious brilliance - and humility - to find the right wine.
The dish we're talking about is turducken, that animal-in-animal curiosity of modern culinary exploration. This is a dish that has Americans divided. More...
When Small is Big and Sweet is Dry
Oregon Winemaker Remy's Lagrein and Trust Cellars Riesling
If you spend even a little time chatting with someone who is really into wine, it's likely that you'll hear them talk about the excitement of finding a wine that defies expectations. As with any hobby, serious wine drinkers and collectors often chase the unexpected. In wine, it is often paradoxes of flavor and texture that provide the most illuminating experiences.
One of the most enjoyable surprises for me - and one that I relish in exposing customers to - is that of a "light" wine that comes through with big flavors. How can a wine be delicate and bold at the same time, you ask? More...
Lignification, Maceration,
and Malolactic Fermentation, Oh My!
I feel like Dorothy in Oz-Land when I start thinking about all of the terminology that my Oregon winemaker friends use about their vineyards. This weekend, head spinning, I sorted out a few terms with the experts.
Try these on for size, like Dorothy's ruby slippers. If they don't take you home, at least drop them into the conversation next time you talk wine. They'll impress your friends.... More...
Wine Police IV:
Taking Oregon and Washington Wine to a Dinner Party
It's 4:00 on December 18th and dinner at Craig and Shirley's begins in an hour. They've been uncharacteristically hush about what they're serving. They've also tasked you with bringing enough wine for nine people. This is a combination of factors frightening enough to make the bravest cringe.
But, thankfully, you have the wine police on your side with our multitude wisdoms and guidance. Think of it this way, you're Bilbo Baggins and we're Samwise Gamgee. We're at your side and at your service, through your epic journey to bring the ring to safety!... More...
Oregon Wine Police III:
Chocolate and Dry Red Wine-
We Say "Yuck"
After our last post about whether chocolate is actually IN wine, we follow up with our taste test of wine AND chocolate. Hint: YUCK.
Among the heinous acts perpetrated by humans, pairing dry red wine with chocolate doesn't even rank. But, in the context of the tiny crimes that wine drinkers commit daily - like pouring Sprite into their Pinot Gris or chilling their Riesling to arctic temperatures - this is an issue that warrants our speaking up. We won't be occupying or camping out; just saying our piece about man's inhumanity to wine. Then we'll be moving on... More...
Letter to Avalon:
"Does wine really have
chocolate in it?"
Hello. My name is Marc. I have a question. While reading the review for The Owen Roe 1973 Block Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon, the writer says, "Rich components of dark chocolate, anise, vanilla, and sarsaparilla come together in a uniquely elegant and refined texture" as well as many other flavors he and other reviewers mention. Is the writer saying these "components" are ingredients... More...
Three Oregon Pinots
Wine Loving Ghouls and Goblins
Drink Oregon Pinot noir
This year I suggest you follow the lead of Oregon's wacky orange and black Ghouls and Goblins who celebrate the season with the many wineries who release special single vineyard offerings. There is nothing more scary than a good bottle of local Pinot Noir, folks, and this is a list of three of the scariest ghostly goblins' favorite recent releases from Evesham Wood le Puits Sec, Et Fille Heredity, and More...
Oregon Wine:
Broadley Speaking: A Review of
Broadley's 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot noir
We're approaching the season when our Northwest wine critics of all type stop their mindless promotion of rich wines, and dutifully yet briefly, write about how well Oregon's lighter wines pair with the cuisine of autumn. For me, this ranks right up there with the disservice we do to sparkling wines by only serving them on holidays and anniversaries. Lighter bodied Oregon wines pair with a wide range of food, and though delicious, their pairing should not be limited simply to turkey, stuffing and cranberry relish. More...
Oregon Winemaking OUR Way
It is more than a quaint fact that we in Oregon operate outside of what is the norm in many parts of the wine world. Considering the mostly market-driven nature of making wine in a place like California, a look at Oregon turns up something that looks a lot more organic, if you will. There are certainly examples of moneyed out-of-state folks setting up shop to join in what they think is the glamor of winery life. But these few examples (maybe six or seven?) of lifestyle-driven wine brands are anomalies in Oregon.
If you do a little research into our history, you'll find an independence ingrained in the kind of people that built this place: rugged individualists that forged their own path, from the pioneer days onward. Our wine industry is to this today informed by an overall disregard for traditional rules, specifically those that dictate how a product is brought to market. More...
Oregon Wine Police Part II:
Champagne with Biscuits and Gravy
Most people still believe that pairing food and wine is sacred territory upon which only board certified sommeliers and tenured chefs should tread. This led me to think about pushing the boundaries a bit further and to try a pairing that is both crazy-sounding and obvious at the same time: Champagne or an Oregon sparkling wine - with Biscuits and Gravy.
I prefer a Blanc de Noir (all Pinot Noir) in this case, given the overt richness of the food.
An excellent choice for this recipe is the J. Albin Blanc De Noir Sparkling Wine 2007.
Recipes and more info...
When the Right Oregon Wine is the Light Wine
We're approaching the season when our Northwest wine critics of all type stop their mindless promotion of rich wines, and dutifully yet briefly, write about how well Oregon's lighter wines pair with the cuisine of autumn. For me, this ranks right up there with the disservice we do to sparkling wines by only serving them on holidays and anniversaries. Lighter bodied Oregon wines pair with a wide range of food, and though delicious, their pairing should not be limited simply to turkey, stuffing and cranberry relish. More...
The Oregon Wine Police
and Food Pairings
I have some serious beef with the 'chicken, fish or pasta' approach to wine pairing. Wine industry folk who work the retail side have a duty to give these recommendations serious thought before doling them out. It might come as a surprise to some of them, but the 'goes well with fish' shelf tag really isn't that helpful. Most wine goes well with fish if the preparation is appropriate. More...
Speculators Say - Buy 2012 Oregon
With so much money resting upon both the quantity and quality of each year's grape harvest in Oregon, the din of speculators can be heard as early as March in some years. Keep in mind that this is before bud break and long before the first grapes have appeared on any vines. The truth is that there is very little accuracy in this kind of early guesswork, as tempting as it may be to opine. More...
Oregon Pinot noir
Walter Scott La Combe Verte
When you combine one of Oregon's most respected wine salesmen with one of our best Sommeliers, you have the makings of a breakout winery. Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon are those two people, and now that they've settled into their own winery, their breakout time is now. Their breakout moment is their new release, La Combe Verte Pinot noir 2011. More...
Stephen Tanzer's
Top Scoring Oregon Wines
Once a year, Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (a respected wine newsletter ala Wine Advocate) publishes a review of Oregon wine. The 2012 edition came out last week and Josh Raynolds had lots of positive things to say about the vintage. We've been saying for months that the 2010 Pinots are great. We're glad that another respected wine critic agrees. More...
New Wine Industry Idea:
Wine Cellaring Underseas ?!?
I'm being a bit tongue in cheek, but yes, really. They're doing it in France, surely Oregon can do it too. In Decanter magazine today, they describe a new wine cellaring business located 1000 meters underwater, about 70 miles off the coast. And another winery, in Italy, is making wine underseas. With our beautiful Oregon coast, we can offer vacationers something beyond whale watching, scuba diving, and fishing - a visit to their wine cellar. More...
Oregon's Chehalem Mountains AVA:
Wineries To Watch
The Chehalem Mountains AVA includes some of Oregon's best known: namesakes Chehalem, Adelsheim, Archery Summit, Ponzi, and Rex Hill. But among them are some of our favorite small wineries - lesser known, some are new, all are fascinating and the wines have something original to say. Wineries we've found and recommend. More...
News From Oregon's Owen Roe Winery
My conversation with Oregon's Owen Roe owner and winemaker David O"Reilly began with his vivid description of wild horses running near the 1973 Block of Washington's Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima, Washington.
Oregon's Evening Land Vineyards
French Winery Purchase
Evening Land Vineyards, whose consulting winemaker is the star white Burgundy maker Dominique Lafon, purchased French winery Chateau de Bligny in Bligny-les-Beaune last month. Lafon's involvement in Evening Land has expanded to include consulting and winemaking managment for their French efforts. The new French facility will act as a European distribution facility for the Oregon based winery. Evening Land makes several wines in France that are sold in the US and abroad, sharing space with consulting winemaker Dominique Lafon's (Domaine des Comtes Lafon) second label facility, Domaine Dominique Lafon.
Lumos Pinot Gris 2011
One of San Francisco Chronicle's Top Ten Wines for July 4th
The SF Chron says: "Before Organic was cool…Dai Crisp was making great wines in Oregon. Enjoy its floral aromas and creamy soft palate."
Oregon Winemakers Rick Mafit and Chris Mazepink on Wine Barrels
Winemakers choose their winemaking tools carefully: fermenters, sorting tables, yeast, etc. - and nothing elicits more time and thought than the choice of barrels. Two Oregon winemakers who take particular interest in their barrels are Mystic Wines' Rick...
Changes at Grochau Cellars
Oregon winery Grochau Cellars is moving from the Portland winery he shared with Boedecker Winery to McMinnville. In downtown "Mac" he will share space with Marcus Goodfellow's Matello and Love and Squalor wineries.
Musical Chairs at Portland's Urban Wineries
PDX Urban Wineries, the Guild Collective, SE Wine Collective, Portland Wine Project - the Portland urban wine scene is growing, and the wineries are moving around like musical chairs.
What Would Julia Child Think?
