Each
month Avalon publishes several feature articles on topics
related to the Northwest Wine world. At left is a list of current articles.
Below is a list of most poular articles from past years.
Star Vintner Domaine Drouhin Oregon:
a profile and interview with
Winemaker Veronique Drouhin-Boss By Jim Clarke A French invasion
sent ripples through the Oregon winemaking community in 1988.
They didn’t
come en masse, the way Champagne producers came to California.
Only one producer made
the journey, but in the close, neighborly fraternity of Oregonian
winemaking, they made a splash - like a Peugeot in a pond.
Okay, so maybe Maison Joseph Drouhin
isn’t that big,
but their impact on Oregonian winemaking was dramatic. Winemaker
Veronique Drouhin-Boss feels that at the time, “Oregon
was not a well-known region, and the fact that a famous producer
from Burgundy came to Oregon brought some credibility to the
area.” The state first caught the eye of Robert Drouhin,
the head of Burgundy’s Maison Joseph Drouhin, during a
visit to the Pacific Northwest back in 1961. He stayed in touch
with the then-nascent winemaking community and got to know some
of the area’s pioneers, like David Adelsheim and David
Lett. Lett’s Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir would later bring
worldwide attention to Oregonian Pinot Noir by taking first
place at a 1979 tasting competition in Paris.
“Fidelitas
Wines Rising to the Cream of the Crop and the Top” By Christina Kelly Charlie
Hoppes has something that can’t be taught in
the wine industry—a gut instinct that nudges him when
grapes are ready to pick, alerts him when he reaches the “ah-ha” point
of blending wines and intuitively informs him what a wine
will taste like a year or two down the road in the bottle.
2004 Vintage Preview by Cole Danehower
No one can claim that Vintage 2004 in northern Oregon has
been easy! Throughout the year, from January 1 until the
end of September,
weather weirdness has tried the patience and taxed the skills
of Oregon’s Pinot noir growers and winemakers. And yet,
as the first fruit to be harvested starts to arrive for processing,
winemakers are finally beginning to smile. While it may not
be an easy vintage in which to make great wine, great winemakers
should rise to the challenge and be able to make the kinds
of Pinot noir wines we ’ve
all come to love so much.
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard by Cole Danehower
When wine experts consider Washington State’s great vineyards,
one name that consistently appears near the top of any list
is Ciel du Cheval Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA. Famed for
the elegance and complexity of the wines it produces, Ciel du
Cheval and its owner Jim Holmes have become near-legendary exemplars
of what Washington wine is all about.
Jimi Brooks Memoriam
Jimi Brooks died of an apparent heart attack at his home in
McMinnville, Oregon on Saturday. A memorial service will
be held at 1 pm, Sunday, Sept. 12 at the Hidden Springs Winery,
10100 S.E. Eola Hills Road, Amity, OR. Shock
waves reverberated throughout the Northwest wine industry as
the news of Brooks’ death
hit people returning from the Labor Day weekend.
What's So Screwy (or is it scary) About
Screw Caps? by Cole Danehower
You know, I used to be like you. “Screw caps!” I
said, “I’ll never give up my trusty cork.” But
no more. I have seen the light—or more accurately, I have
tasted the wine. And now I’ve traded in that crusty old
cork for the fresh-fangled reliability of twist cap enclosures.
Climate Change and the 2002 Vintage by Harry Peterson-Nedry
Is 2002 a great Oregon Pinot noir vintage, or just a great
press release? All years are not created equal. We innately
look for differences to intrigue the intellectually curious,
to celebrate a product that is much like art in its ability
to reflect diversity and stimulate creativity, to create a high-C
against the choral sameness of passing years.
Trellising
the Vineyard- Unsung Aspect of Wine by Cole Danehower Most wine drinkers never
think about how the grapes that made their wine hang
on the vine. Yet every winemaker worries intensely
about the details of how to best trellis their vineyard
vines in order to get the optimum ripeness for their
grapes. Grape vine trellising is, for us consumers,
an unsung yet vital component of what we finally taste
in the bottle.
Balcombe
Vineyard -- Patricia Green Cellars by Jean Yates Balcombe Vineyard is only 7.25
acres, but its importance to PGC, and to Oregon pinot noir
lovers, is greater than its size would suggest. From this
vineyard, divided into five sections, come some of the
best Pinots made by Patty.
Betz Family Winery
2001 Releases, update on Bob's "retirement", WA harvest 2003 predictions
Chris Camarda on
Vineyard Management
An interview with Andrew Will winemaker and owner on how to optimize vineyards
in Washington, especially his "two Blondes" estate vineyard.
Bergstrom
Winery Interview
Interview with Josh Bergstrom, for whom
the vineyard is everything, and high ratings show that wine experts agree!
Francis Tannahill
Winery Profile
Sam Tannahill of Archery Summit fame + Cheryl Francis of Chehalem =
One 14 month old son named Theo, and a new winery.
Canoe Ridge Winery
Profile
and Winemaker Interview
Canoe Ridge is a Winery, as well as a vineyard. The release of their new
Merlot Reserve 2001 prompted a re-examination of this Estate. The Merlot
Reserve is luscious!
Five Star Cellars
A new generation of young Walla Walla winemakers (Cayuse, K Vintners) is
joined by a young man whose Cab and Merlot are turning heads and pleasing
palates.
Shea Vineyard in Depth by Cole Danehower Shea Vineyard name has become
one of the most prestigious labels in Oregon, placing it
squarely among the elite terroirs of
New World Pinot noir. “We’re working with people
who are pushing the envelope,” says owner Dick Shea, “discovering
new things every vintage to make their wine better. You
have to
constantly be on top of things—you can never rest
on your laurels.”
Quail Run Vineyard Don and Traute Moore own one of the most important Southern
Oregon vineyards, producing grapes for Oregon and Washington
wineries.
Interviews Meet the people of the Pacific Northwest Wine World.
Since 1999,
Avalon has published interviews with Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
and British Columbia's most interesting wine people. Read the
fascinating stories behind the wines you love, and develop
a more in-depth understanding of how wine people think.
Winery Profiles Learn about the wineries- read
about their history, people, wines, vineyards, successes and
challenges, and get a sense
of the who, what, when, where of the winery.
Feature Articles Each month Avalon publishes feature articles on different aspects
of the Pacigic Northwest wine world. Historical tales of
each state's wine industry, geological tales of how the geography
and climate of the Northwest evolved, reports on different
wine regions, and food and travel info are included.
Columns and Opinions Read the musings of wine writers
Cole Danehower and Christina Kelly, and keep up with Wine Press
NW's "Wine of the Week".
Avalon owner Jean Yates talks wine from her "Kitchen Counter
Chronicles", and occasional guest writers talk NW wine.
Avalon's Monthly Newsletter Our monthly newsletter consolidates
all of our new articles and wine releases, , and twice a year,
our two big sales. We publish the first info about new, hard
to get
releases and give our readers advance notice so they can
grab the hard to get wines before they disappear.
Northwest
Wine
