Newsletter November 6, 2002

"The Struggle to Sparkle:
Oregon Winemaker
to Discontinue Sparkling Wines"

By Christina Kelly
Avalon Editor/Writer

Mark Vlossak, St Innocent winemaker/owner

Mark Vlossak grew up drinking Champagne at the dinner table for all occasions, not just special observances.

The St. Innocent winemaker/owner knew the moment he moved to Salem, OR in 1988 to begin a winery, he would produce methode champenoise sparkling wines, in addition to Pinot Noir.

Vlossak was soon to learn that producing a Champagne-style of wine was time-consuming and costly. He also discovered that Americans tend to drink sparkling wines and Champagne only on special occasions, rather than considering it as a beverage to accompany any meal.

"Many people have no concept that sparkling wines are incredibly food friendly," said Vlossak, who studied medicine before switching to winemaking. "They compliment and extend the pleasure of a meal."

Vlossak said he has watched a bride and groom toast each other with Champagne, then drink a heavy, beefy California Cabernet Sauvignon with their meal, when the Champagne was the perfect complement.

"We need to let go of this thought that sparkling wines should be saved for anniversaries or birthdays," Vlossak said. "We work too hard not to enjoy ourselves and sparkling wines amplifies the pleasure of a meal."

Despite his feeling that Oregon is a great place to produce sparkling wines, Vlossak says he will discontinue producing his methode champenoise wines after this year. Until the American public accepts sparkling wines as valuable as a good Pinot Noir, Vlossak said the production is too costly and labor intensive.

For example, Vlossak said he will touch a Pinot Noir bottle perhaps three times in the production process, but with a sparkling wine, he will touch the bottle 42 times. In the end, his Pinot Noir can sell for $30; his sparkling wine will sell for $20.

"With my process for making sparkling wines, it will be four years before I can make money from the bottle," Vlossak said. "If, after four years, I want to make a change, I have to wait almost another four years."

St Innocent Brut

Small producers, such as St. Innocent (Innocent was the middle name of Vlossak's father) have to produce a significant amount of sparkling wine in order to make blends. Winemakers need additional space for storing if producing Champagne-style wines.

"I read an interview with (the late Andre) Tchelistcheff (California's most influential winemaker) who said the best sparkling wines would not likely come from California, but from Oregon," Vlossak said. "He thought the best chance for success (for grapes traditionally used in Champagne) would be the growing conditions in Oregon."

In 1966, David Lett, (Erie Vineyards in Dundee) move to Oregon from California, convinced that Burgundian varietals most often used for sparkling wines (such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier) could be grown better in Western Oregon.

Tony Soter,
Soter Vineyards

Tony Soter, a highly respected winemaker whose clients have included elite California labels as Niebaum-Coppola, Araujo Estate, Dalla Valle, Moraga Vineyards and his own creation, Etude Winery, moved to Oregon in recent years to produce Pinot Noir. He and his wife Michelle are fans of sparkling wines and roses. So, Soter Vineyards produces a sparking rose.

James Cahill, Soter's associate winemaker, said their Brut Rose was inspired by what Soter saw in the vineyard.

"He thought it could be done well," Cahill said. "It was fun and an enological challenge."

About 500 cases went out this year of Soter's 1997 Brut Rose. It's a lovely sparkling wine, with big cherry and rose petal flavors.

"What we are offering is as good as or better than California sparkling wines," said Cahill. "It's tremendously labor intensive, but it's a labor of love. We're here first to make Pinot Noir, but after that, (making sparkling wines) is a kick."

One of the state's most impressive makers of sparkling wines is Argyle. A recent tasting of Argyle's 1991 Extended Tirage displayed ripe pomegranate, honey and vanilla bean flavors with hints of toasted oak and candied apples.

Other small Oregon producers of sparkling wine include Elk Cove and Domaine Meriwether. St. Innocent will have sparking wine through the next two years.

Small wine producers in Oregon say they would make more sparkling wines if the public embraced bubbly wine as a meal accompaniment, rather than indulging once a year.

This New Year's Eve, open an Oregon sparkling wine, then make a resolution to enjoy sparklers with food. It will likely be one of the easiest New Year's resolutions to keep.

Ken Wright
2002 Pinot Noir
Futures
$35 (reduced price
from last year)

Read Tasting Notes

Here is our take on the Ken Wright 2002 single vineyard pinot noirs, our tasting notes from barrel on Dec 4, 2002, along with information from Ken and Dale about the vineyards, ageability, the 2002 vintage, and more.

We have reduced our price from last year, reflecting the tougher business climate and our need to keep going in a slow and competitive market. The wines are better than ever and our price reductions have nothing to do with the quality of the wines. As a matter of fact, we are more excited about the 2002 wines than we have been since 1994. These wines may even outdo the wonderful 99 vintage for longevity and quality.
READ MORE...

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Jean's
Kitchen Sink
Picks of the Week

The kitchen sink suffers when the holiday season is upon us- I sit at the computer and work 18 hour days, eating in front of the screen, and when I do stop to sleep, I dream that I am writing HTML that never works and deleting sold out products that mysteriously reappear over and over again.

On the sink this week it's takeout Thai food containers and lots of kitty paw prints as they sat in the sink to drink from the faucet (forgot to fill their bowl!).

But in the midst of my bad food days (like bad hair days but with longer term health consequesnce), Ray made a pot of Clam chowder, just like his Grandmother up in Maine did. Yow! Wonderful, milkbased, bits of pork shoulder, cracklins on the side, it made the house smell like heaven all day. Ray was raised on an island off the coast of Maine and he can do just about anything with seafood, but this chowder beats all.

Which led me to the need to seek out the proper wine to go with clam chowder--- a tough job (ha). I can definitively tell you that Sineann's Gewurztraminer or St Innocent's Shea Pinot Gris vendange tardive (there are no tasting notes for this wine because I wanted it all for myself, but now I need money, so you can have some... I wish I could keep it all- it si remarkable..) can make even Ray's ambrosical mixture taste better. And I was surprised at how good the R Stuart Big Fire Pinot noir went with it. This Pinot is a drink-me-now, easy going wine that brought out the sweetness of the clams and the silkiness of the broth.

Christina has chimed in on the subject of clam chowder pairings with the Cristom Viognier- she had it with crab and it was great!

Ray suggests the Coleman Pinot gris, he had it with Thanksgiving turkey and says it would be wonderful with his recipe.

Want the recipe? I'll ask Ray, maybe he'll disgorge his secrets, if not, you'll just have to come visit and jolly him up to get him to cook for you.

All the best, Jean

News from Avalon-

Ken Wright futures are in full swing, we have a few cases left of the Cristom Reserve 2000 but it's going fast, and we cornered the market on the Kiona Ice Wine- incredibly good and even Uncle Gudger, who usually wants a Miller High Life, likes this one!

Jean, Ann, Carl,
Teresa, and Christina

“Gary Andrus, Archery Summit,
Pine Ridge founder,
returns to Oregon”

New wife, new baby, new OR winery
draw winemaker back to Willamette Valley

By Christina Kelly
Avalon Editor/Writer

Gary Andrus, founder of Archery Summit in Oregon and Pine Ridge Winery in the Napa Valley has returned to Oregon to start a small "Mom and Pop" winery in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Andrus purchased Lion Valley Vineyards, in Cornelius, OR at an undisclosed sum; the property was listed with a value of $1.75 million. The winery is located southwest of Portland, near Hillsboro, on 40 acres. Andrus signed the papers last week, according to winery real estate broker Mike McLain.

The pioneer winemaker and his wife Christine moved into the new home this week, along with 10-week-old baby daughter Gypsy. Andrus met Christine, a wine sales associate from Durango, Colorado, last year and said it was "love at first sight."

Gary Andrus founded Archery Summit and Pine Ridge Wineries

"We're excited to be back in Oregon again," said Andrus, one of the country's premium wine makers. "We wanted to move back, but not to start a winery. However, when I started looking around, and discovered the Lion Valley site, I knew this was exactly what we wanted.

"I missed having a hands-on site," he added. "Yeah, it's like starting a Mom and Pop operation all over again."

Andrus said he was impressed with the Lion Valley soil and the vineyard spacing. He estimates he'll have the winery up and running under his own label, as yet to be determined, by next fall. He purchased fruit this year from several vineyards owned by friends and that 2002 wine sits in barrels at the new winery.

"The wine I produce will be similar to what I've made in the past, because that's what I do," said Andrus. "It'll take me a few years to fine tune this vineyard, so there will be some differences."

Of the 40 acres, nine were planted this year, and Andrus plans to add another eight or nine this summer.

Last summer, Andrus announced he and his new wife were moving to New Zealand to craft Pinot Noir on several pieces of property in Central Otago. He was determined to create great Pinot Noir with the New Zealand soils, and improve trellising methods. By selecting the right Pinot Noir clones and rootstock, Andrus said he would create premium wine and increase the price point for winemakers.

New Zealand is an up-and-coming producer of wine, although for many years, much of the wine has been mediocre and inexpensive.

Those plans are still moving forward, Andrus said. The change is the new family will reside in Oregon and make frequent trips to New Zealand. (The couple plans to return to Central Otago in February for a short time).

The New Zealand winery will be called Christine Loraine, after his wife, and will be available in the United States beginning next fall.

"We've completely moved out of the Napa Valley," said Andrus, who retired last year as CEO of Pine Ridge Winery, producing some 85,000 cases of wine. "We'll spend time here and in New Zealand. I am a very happy man."

He still owns vineyard property in Carneros, CA., which produces Chardonnay, but doesn't have any plans except to sell the fruit to other vineyards in the area. He said at some point in the future, he might produce a Chardonnay from that vineyard.

Part of his return to Oregon was to be near his daughter Danielle Andrus Montilieu and his new granddaughter Solena. Danielle and her husband, former Willakenzie winemaker Laurent Montilieu created their own winery, Solena, this year. The couple is currently in France on a holiday.

Former Lion Valley Vineyards owner, David Levinthal, a software support engineer for Intel, said he didn't have enough time to devote to the winery. He purchased the land in 1991 and put the winery up for sale about nine months ago.

"Working a full-time job, and then trying to run a winery by yourself is nearly impossible," said Levinthal. "The reality is about 85 percent of the job is marketing, and I just didn't have the time."

Levinthal learned winemaking in France, and thought what he learned would help in Oregon. He quickly discovered that winemaking in the two countries is very dissimilar, and the American palette is different from what he enjoys in a wine.

"The American palette is dominated by fruit forward wines to drink now," Levinthal said. "People who write about wine like the heavier oaked Pinot Noirs. I don't produce that style. By structuring wines to age that don't rely so much on oak, you won't the high wine scores."

Levinthal says his life is much simpler now that he works one full-time job. He is happy to know his property will be in good hands, with the return of Andrus.

When contacted, a handful of Oregon winemakers welcomed Andrus back to the Willamette Valley fold.

"He has a high profile and knows how to market wine," said one winemaker. "That will be good for the rest of us."

Andrus has no plans to open the winery to the public, like his previous wineries. He said he just wants to produce small lots of wine and spend time with his family.

And that, says Andrus, is about as good as it gets.

Oregon Wines to Sweeten the Holidays
By Cole Danehower
Oregon Wine Report

As this year's winter rains finally come to Oregon, and the logs crackle with flame as we sit peacefully reflecting on the season's joys, there is nothing else like a well-made sweet wine to enhance the warmth and good feelings that comprise this time of year. And yet here in the land of Pinot noir, sweet wines rarely get the respect they deserve. Too bad! Those who know better will have a more fulfilling holiday season as they stop and sip the sweet wines of Oregon.

Andrew Rich's 2001 Les Vigneaux Gewurztraminer late harvest wine has to be at the top of my list of holiday favorites-this little bottle packs a wallop of flavor! For one thing, Andrew has brought out the natural spiciness of the Gewurztraminer grape in a wonderfully balanced wine that, though sweet, is so much more than just sweet. Far too many late harvest-style wines seem to offer intense sweetness as the measure of quality, when in fact it is varietal flavor that is the hallmark of greatness in late harvest wines.

Andrew's wine serves up a wonderful example of Gewurztraminer's apricot and nectarine fruitiness, along with hints of tart orange and a tangy allspice and clove-infused honey character that is simply delicious. Thankfully, the sweetness in this wine is balanced by an acidity that keeps it from becoming heavy and overbearing-like so many sweet wines that are simply, well . . . sweet. In fact, the sweetness in this wine acts not as a bludgeon of sugar, but rather as a soft backdrop upon which the flavors of the grape can be painted. If there is an Oregon wine that signifies Christmas to me, it is this one!

A wonderful holiday wine of a different kind is the lightly sweet Tualatin Semi-Sparkling Muscat. This delightful wine offers a very light-bodied (around 6.5% alcohol) and lightly sweet style that makes it great for serving at holiday parties regardless of the time of day. The semi-sparkling Muscat style was originated by Oregon winemaker Joe Dobbes, some years ago. The softly sparkling style is great for bringing out the earthy-sweet character of the Muscat grape, while still offering a certain verve through the soft, barely detectable fizz. Personally, I think it is a wonderful way to get through all the fruitcake offerings of the season; just sip the semi-sparkling Muscat and then quickly down the fruitcake. If you do it right, you'll enjoy the wine and won't even taste the fruitcake!

Two excellent examples of this wine are produced in Oregon. Winemaker Bryan Wilson at Silvan Ridge/Hinman Vineyards outside of Eugene makes a superb Semi-Sparkling Muscat, as does Tualatin Estate. Even people who don't think they like wine very much often find they can't get enough of the easy-going flavors of this wine-which makes it a great gift choice as well!

Contrary to popular belief, not all late harvest wines are intensely sweet. An excellent example of this phenomenon is the Amity Vineyards late harvest Oregon Riesling. Fairly bursting with apple and peach flavors, this wine delivers a wonderful uplifting fruitiness whose sweetness acts as a resonant tune to the fruit, rather than a singular note of its own. Though residual sugar is above 9%, this is not a wine that feels dramatically sweet. The balance is superb, making it an excellent choice of a variety of sipping situations, from aperitif to dessert-in-a-glass.

It is also true that not all Oregon sweet wines are of the traditional "late harvest" style. One of the most popular sweet wines of Oregon is made from raspberries, to which has been added neutral grape spirits. The "Raspberry Framboise Vin d' Ete" produced by Eola Hilla Wine Cellars is a perennial favorite. Made by crushing ripe raspberries, and then stopping fermentation by the addition of grape spirits, the result is an intensely concentrated, intensely raspberry, syrupy sweet wine. Pouring a glass of this is like pouring pure raspberry puree!

While this wine is more like a fruit liqueur than a wine, it has an undeniably appealing, in-your-face raspberry concentration and an incredibly lingering finish as the essence of the fruit stays in your mouth seemingly forever. This is great stuff for pouring over ice cream, adding to tonic when the hearthside gets too warm, or simply enjoying by itself.

For those who want to try something distinctively different, I might suggest you try either of these last two wines. Girardet, an intriguing family-run winery in the too-little known Umpqua appellation, produces a unique late harvest Pinot gris that offers a distinctive taste sensation. This apricot-colored wine is softly sweet (5% residual sugar), and carries an interesting light fruitiness reminiscent of apricots and nectarines. The unusual sweet Pinot gris fruit also delivers a slight herby bite that makes the wine at once a complement and a contrast to the sometimes overbearing rounds of holiday cookies and sweet breads-plus it is a wine that is simply not made anywhere else!

We end our holiday sweet wine roundup where most people begin with Oregon wines: Pinot noir. But not your typical Pinot! Montinore Estate, a winery that has recently been remaking its image with new wines, has produced a most unusual 2000 Late Harvest Pinot noir. A "Pinot Port?" Yup!

This highly unusual wine is lightly colored with an orangey brown and strawberry redness reminiscent of an older tawny port, and has aromas of nuts, plums, and toasty, smoky wood. In the mouth the wine has a big hot and sweet style (which comes from the 18% alcohol and 13.4% residual sugar), with a rich plumy fruitiness. Just as you swallow the wine there is a wonderfully flowery sensation of roses and wildflowers. The finish continues the smoke and wood notes of the nose, with flavors lingering quite awhile.

This is certainly a wine for sipping by the fireside, with a warming character that lulls you into contemplation or romance, depending on your inclination!

Oregon's sweet wines have definitely come up in quality over the last few years. There are many more wines showing complexity and balance, and fewer showing simple sweetness. There are also more winemakers trying different styles, giving us consumers a wider variety of sweetness to choose from. This is a wonderful trend that I hope will continue! In any event, I think you'll be happy with any of the wines reviewed here-they are great to give or get this holiday season!