IPNC is "Delish', Delish',
and More Delish'!"

The 2002 International
Pinot Noir Celebration
by Cole Danehower Oregon Wine Report

That's how International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) attendee Molly Hamilton of Naples Florida described her experience of the 2002 International Pinot Noir Celebration---and it's hard not to agree!
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Academy
Merlot 2000
$19.99 SALE $17.99
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A big big wine with soft intense flavors, on a hot day, this wine shines. Opaque, deep dark black/purple, with a knock out of a nose of black cherries, chocolate, licorice, and oak. Flavors follow through with the same theme. A wonderful value.

Academy Emeritus 2000
Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc
$24.99 SALE $19.99
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Gorgeously fruity, medium to full bodied, could pass for a young Bordeaux. A muscular, big wine with moderate tannins and tremendous potential for aging. Another very very reasonably priced offering from Barney.

ACADEMY OF WINE
Southern Oregon's Best Values!

We've known Barney Smith and his Academy of Wine for many years and it's time to tell you about him.

Barney creates rich, full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay, and spicy, fruit forward Pinot noirs at his tiny winery in Southern Oregon.  Although he has made fewer than a thousand cases of wine a year for the last eight years, his wine has become one of the most requested special orders at the store.

His vineyard site gets plenty of heat, the vines are mature, and the wines are reminiscent of Walla Walla Valley reds. The Cab and Merlot have deep, dark color and lots of hints of cigar smoke, coffee, and chocolate. Medium bodied, the wines are very reasonably priced for their quality. The Pinot noirs are very accessible, easy drinking, well integrated and fruity.

Barney spearheaded the effort to designate the Applegate Valley, where his winery is located, an official appelation with the BATF. The effort was successful, and the Applegate Valley is now listed as the appelation for his wines.

Academy's wines are still priced the same as they were eight years ago. Barney told me he has to get around to changing the prices, but he hasn't yet. What has changed is the wines- they really get better each year as the vines age and we continue a succession of great vintages. Academy is one of Oregon's little known treasures- check them out- you'll be glad you did!--jy

Westry Pinot Gris 2000 $13.99
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A fav at IPNC last weekend, crisp, this wine is given a warm fermentation and is made without recourse to oak or malolactic fermentation. The result is a lovely crisp wine with a peachy, green nut nose; elegant and well balanced, the flavour is white peach which lingers long on the palate thanks to the lively acidity. A great food wine.

Andrew Rich Sauvignon Blanc 2001 $15.99
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Andrew's Sauv Blanc sells out so fast, I am really hoping we can keep it in stock a little longer this summer. Like Patty Green's or Holloran's Sauv blanc, Andrew is re-writing the sauv blanc story with a wine that is just delicious and remarkably complex.

Eola Hills Mystery Block Chardonnay 2000 $19.99
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2000 vintage Wine Spectator 90 points: "Round, polished and supple, with pretty pear, apricot and a touch of honey as the flavors linger softly and generously. Drink now through 2003. 768 cases made. (HS)"
The hottest Chardonnay from Oregon in years, we have just a few more cases. Just delicious!

O'Reilly Pinot Gris 2001 $12.00
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This was going to be blended into the Owen Roe Pinot Gris, but the Casablanca fruit turned out so spectacular that David decided to bottle this separately and at a great price. It's 25% Casablanca fruit and 75% St Columban Vineyard, everything you'd want in a gris- nice nose, pleasant gris character fruit, and a clean finish that goes well with food.

L'Ecole
Voila Walla Walla $11.99
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This vibrantly fruity and lively Chenin Blanc displays accents of sweet apricot and mandarin orange, with flavors of fresh apple and a hint of sweet pink grapefruit on the finish. Usually only available if you travel to the winery, I dream of this wine, and now, I can have it at home!--jy

10%
SALE
CONTINUES!
More info here

EVENTS CALENDAR

We have a new feature on our site- an events calendar for Oregon, Washington, IDaho, and BC wineries.-- Check it out!

Washington State Wine Grape Growers Forecast Largest Crush Ever

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 2002--The Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG) estimates the 2002 crop to weigh in at more than 118,000 tons, a 16 percent increase from last year's 100,000-ton harvest.

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