OK, I have 12 months to make and break promises
on my resolutions.
The first one I broke a few minutes
after New Year’s—I
swore I would not make any resolutions in 2004. But,
after careful (or careless) consideration, and
several glasses of champagne,
I changed my mind.
Lots of folks think about dieting after eating their weight
in chocolate during the holidays. People feel a sense of rebirth
and renewal facing a new year and want to drop bad habits and
embrace new, healthy ones.
My resolution is to drink more
Northwest wine—not volumes
of it, but taste more wines produced by new wineries, and revisit
the pioneers who have given the Northwest a fine reputation for
great Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The past
few years, I’ve gone through phases, such as California
zinfandel, Australian Shiraz and Spanish Tempranillo. I’ve
discovered great wines in those regions while spending
less time in my backyard tasting Oregon, Washington
and Idaho wines.
Not anymore—not in 2004! My motto for this year is “Northwest
is the best!”
This year, I plan to snatch up
every version of anything Josh Bergstrom makes. This
young man is unbelievable. In his late
20’s, he is one of Oregon’s youngest winemakers,
yet produces wine with the intensity and maturity of someone
with far more experience. If you know music, Bergstrom is what
Johnny Lange is to music—incredible talent and maturity
at a young age.
The 2002 Bergstrom Pinot Noir is out and promises to be yet
another great year for the young winemaker, including the Willamette
Valley, Bergstrom, Arcus and Cumberland vineyard versions of
his Pinot Noir.
Yep—more in 2004 is what I
say!
One of my favorites last year was
Charlie Hoppes’ Fidelitas.
Actually, my resolution should be not to tell anyone
about it because there would be MORE FOR ME! Released in April 2003, the
wine is a Columbia Valley Meritage blend of 62 percent Cabernet
Sauvignon and 38 percent of Merlot. It is a stunner and if I
had any sense at all, I’d never write about it. Yeah, that’s
the ticket—forget that last part!
One wine I am looking forward to
tasting this year is Francis
Tannahill’s first Oregon Pinot Noir under that label. Frankly,
I figure you can’t go wrong with two winemakers living
under the same roof, producing wine together after years of winemaking
for others. They are both so darned agreeable anyway, and each
brings a great deal of experience—Sam Tannahill for Archery
Summit and Shea, and Cheryl Francis for Chehalem.
The wine should be available at the end of January,
first of February and my
resolution is to buy some as soon as possible and
savor every drop.
The couple says they intend to price
the new wine reasonably so that many can afford
the wine. Yippee—someone
who is thinking about the consumer!
My next resolution is to taste
Peter
Rosback’s new Jezebel label—both the Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. Rosback
is the winemaker for Sineann, among others, and can
make a batch of juice that warms the toes and lifts
the spirits.
Rosback is a winemaker with a strong
sense of what he wants and it shows in his wines.
I’ll bet he had a smile on his
face when he and his partner in the new label, Pam Walden, decided
on the name Jezebel. For an inexpensive Pinot Noir, I’ll
bet the wine is nervy, sensuous and in your face!
Another new winery on the block
is Five
Star Cellars in Walla Walla, WA. My resolution
for 2004 is to get more of it before
it’s sold out. Their Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have
already won medals just out of the starting gate,
and in Walla Walla, where everybody is making wine,
getting noticed can be
difficult. They have three wines on the market, totaling
1,500 cases. My advice: Find it and horde it.
I also promise to stop babbling
about Lynn
Penner-Ash’s
wines. I have waxed on about her lovely her Pinot Noir and Syrah
while people start to drift to sleep. I also spend too much time
preaching to the choir about Walla Walla Vintners—if you
haven’t tried the wines, run, don’t walk to your
nearest wine store and buy it.
Keep an eye out for Witness Tree’s
assistant winemaker Steve Westby, who has made
a terrific Viognier under his own
label, Elemental Cellars. I recently tried this wine
and was so impressed that I bought six more bottles.
Got to get more
in 2004!
With so many new wineries opening in the
Northwest, trying them, and tasting those steady
winemakers who never fail to disappoint
(Woodward
Canyon, Beaux
Freres, Quilceda
Creek, Domaine
Drouhin, Patricia
Green Cellars) should be an easy
resolution to keep. I have 12 months to keep my resolutions,
and I plan to use every one of them.
Now, about those other resolutions and
that diet …... time
will only tell.
