I am a proud, but picky Merlot drinker and I have stoically supported the varietal, especially after the movie, “Sideways,” gave the grape such a black, er, purple eye.

The conditions are perfect in eastern Washington State to grow the dark-blue-colored grape. When it is cultivated properly, the wine produced is lush and velvety, a little soft, and can be as silky and sexy as a great Oregon Pinot Noir. I’ve generally found that Merlot falls into three styles—a fruitier style with little tannins, a middle-of-the-road wine expressing fruit and some tannic structure, and a beefy, highly tannic style that stands up to a classic Cabernet Sauvignon.

Because it is so prolific in the vineyard, winemakers tended to over-produce the grape and the resulting wines were cheap, thin and offered little character. In some respects, those California merlots were the target of Myles disgust in “Sideways.”

I’ve tasted the grapes on the vine and know how great this fruit can be, especially in the hands of a skilled winemaker. In fact, a few years ago, I interviewed Zelma Long (at right,) a terrific winemaker and consultant who travels globally in her consulting business. She also believes that Washington State grows some of the best Merlot in the world (http://www.northwest-wine.com/zelma-long.html).

About five or six years ago, I noticed that some wineries were no longer offering Merlot from their portfolios, such as Quilceda Creek and Andrew Will. The grapes are used in many of the top blends, but I thought it odd that the grape that really put Washington State on the wine map had suddenly taken a side role, a backseat to the more preferred Cabernet.

Last night, I opened a bottle of Abeja’s 2009 Merlot, made by John Abbott in Walla Walla and wanted to scream, “Merlot is Back Baby!” Abbott also stopped making Merlot, even though he produced some very nice versions when he was the winemaker at Canoe Ridge. While perusing through a wine shop with a friend recently, I spotted the Abeja and immediately bought it.

Abbott calls it a “gentle giant,” and I would agree. It has beautiful structure and classic descriptors for Merlot—black cherries, dark plums, chocolate and espresso, but this wine also has an earthiness and subtle wood flavors that make it something more unique and delicious. It is achingly good with food and a prime example of why winemakers should be embracing this variety as a star instead of a bit player.

Happy Tasting!

Oregon is officially declaring May 2012 as Oregon Wine Month, to recognize the importance and impact of wine in Oregon’s economy. It’s only been two decades since Oregon political leadership—the governor and legislature—acknowledged the importance of Oregon wines by designating a month of official recognition.

below, an April rainbow over Willamette Wine Country

Other than Gov. Kitzhaber reading a proclamation and shaking hands with leaders in the wine industry, what does it mean for consumers? Actually, it can mean plenty, especially when combined with consumer, trade and media activities and events are included.

Restaurants will feature Oregon wine specials, liquor stores will pass along special sales to customers who purchase wine, events will showcase the variety of the Oregon wine industry, from Pinot Noir to Cabernet, Pinot Gris to Chardonnay. The emphasis is focused on getting the word out on the great wines now produced in Oregon. Tourists will be exposed to Oregon’s wine bounty and those who are “locals” can taste new and established wineries at events such as “Unwine’d: Celebrating Oregon Wine,” a grand tasting of Oregon Wines on April 29 in Portland. This is Oregon’s version of Taste Washington and is open to the public, featuring more than 100 Oregon wineries.

Take advantage of the promotion and go to the activities. If you go to the grand tasting, be careful to taste and spit and keep track of wines you would like to taste further. If you don’t spit, by the time you reach your fifth winery, you won’t really taste the nuance of the wines. It simply becomes red or white alcohol, and you will miss spectacular wines and hidden gems that could send you to heaven and back. As they say in Washington, “it’s hip to spit.”

There are several other things to keep in mind if you attend Oregon’s wine events in May. Don’t wear white or light-colored clothing. If you spit, you could splatter. Also, take a plastic cup, or ask for a plastic spit cup (I’d bring my own, just in case). At big events, the wineries generally have dump buckets for the public to spit out the wine. It is so…disgusting to spit into a bit spittoon. Bring your own cup, and then you can pour the contents into the bigger bucket, rather than lean over and spit. I have this creepy image of “Sideways,” when Myles picks up the dump bucket…well, most of you know the rest.

Happy tasting…

In 1987, the Washington State Legislature recognized a small but growing industry that could have an impact on the state’s economy if it caught on—growing grapes and making wine. Although Washington already had an established agricultural industry, especially a robust apple crop, the idea of creating the critical mass necessary to become an emerging wine industry was new.

This was the time when the Washington Wine Commission (WWC) was created and today, 25 years later, the commission is representing a much larger group of wineries, winemakers and grape growers. I think there were about 40 wineries in the state when the WWC kicked in; today, there are 750 bonded wineries and even in a harsh economy, most are toughing it out.

above, Taste Washington in 2002

It also represents 15 years of Taste Washington, the state’s premier wood and food weekend (March 31-April 1 this year, www.tastewashington.org). I remember attending the second Taste, in the Paramount Theater in 1998. The setting was intimate because the state only had 129 wineries at the time, and not all of those wineries attended. It was the first time I met Steve Burns, the affable former executive director of the WWC, who was nearly floating on air with excitement as writers and reporters (no bloggers back in the old days), sampled Washington wines with the cuisine of the Northwest.

As I flit from booth to booth, I was ecstatic to have so many wineries represented in one place. As a budding wine writer, I generally had to travel from Walla Walla to Woodinville—across the state—to sample wines and meet winemakers. A few years ago, I found my tasting book that covered my notes from that event. Nearly every entry said something about “promising,” or “one to watch,” or “far better than the previous vintage.” I’ve only missed a handful of Taste Washington events, and am looking forward to celebrating its 15th year.

I had the privilege of visiting Olsen Estates Winery in Prosser, Wash. a few years ago, when the farming company decided to make its own wines rather than sell only the grapes. Dick and Larry Olsen, brothers who wanted to leave a legacy to their sons Leif and Martin, were convinced by their boys to open a tasting room and use their fabulous fruit to make Olsen wines.

Leif and Martin gave it a strong effort and turned out good to outstanding wines, but in a harsh economy, could not get the buzz to showcase and distinguish their wines from the many bottles occupying shelf space in wine and high-end grocery stores. In an interview a few years ago, the two cousins said they would give it about five years to make a profit, and 2011 was the fifth year. Sadly, Olsen Estates closed its doors for winemaking in 2011, after a valiant effort.

There are still Olsen wines in the marketplace and I recently tasted the 2008 Malbec and 2008 Petit Verdot with a stewed beef and vegetable dish, the kind of hearty meal that sticks to your ribs, warranting a heartier wine. The malbec tasted lighter than the 14.2 percent alcohol, with spiced plum, blackberry and a lingering pepper in the back of the throat. It has heft with tannins, so a little cellaring would make it even better. The petit verdot was much more muscular and yet more floral, with violets, lilacs and hints of tobacco and leather.

I will miss what the Olsens could have done, had they managed to keep the doors open, but I also know that some of their fruit will land in some of my favorite Washington and Oregon wines. I wish them luck.

Happy tasting!

To spit in the eye of bad weather this past weekend, I decided I wanted to grill steaks and have some terrific Cabernet Sauvignon with friends. Although the Northwest has had a mild winter, months and months of steely grey, cold temperatures and runny noses forced me to drastic action—a winter barbeque.

Typical of my dinners, we blind-tasted two cab blends. Both wines were blends of 69 percent cabernet and 31 percent merlot, although the price between the two bottles was vastly different—nearly $100 versus $20.

The economy is not going to force me to give up special wines, but I am also looking for greater value, more than ever. The blind tasting didn’t fool anyone and the more expensive wine, Rasa Vineyards 2008 Creative Impulse, was outstanding, with black cherry, vanilla and truffle notes, followed by a very long finish. However, everyone thought the second wine, Renegade Wine Company’s 2009 Reserve Red Wine was a steal at $20. Renegade is a second label of Sleight of hand Wines.

“We make $20 wines to taste like $40 wines,” says Renegade Winemaker Trey Busch. “About three years ago, we saw the opportunity in the market and purchased very good juice at great prices. We passed it along to the consumer.”

I loved Rasa’s very limited bottling of Creative Impulse and will cellar the other bottle for another night when splurging seems like the right thing to do. The winery also offers more affordable wines that I am now curious to try. But I will search for more values like the Renegade label. This isn’t like the two-buck Chuck phenomenon where mediocre wine was touted as a really good deal. In reality, that wine was a good deal for a very short time, during a grape juice glut in California.

Renegade wines and many other second labels are values because they offer the luxury of tasting like a much more expensive wine, and pair just as well with foods as their more expensive counterparts. In fact, some of the second label wines compliment food even better.

Happy tasting!

Avalon’s Senior Editor Christina Kelly chose this dish to pair with Evesham Wood’s Le Puits Sec Pinot noir.

Tasting note: Fresh black cherry and raspberry, with a dusting of Christmas spice towards the back of your palate. The heart-melting interplay of sweet fruit, juicy acidity, a savory-resin awesomeness and classic Le Puits Sec dried herbs whisks you away. I can talk about a food match (duck confit, anyone?) but this is comfort food in a glass. – Marcus

Ingredients

Pork:

1 five-pound (more or less) pork loin roast

A handful of sage, (all to taste) leaves chopped

A handful of thyme leaves chopped

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (12-ounce) bottle hard cider

1 cup chicken broth

1 lemon, juiced optional

Apples:

8 Honey crisp or other sweet apple

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 large corn muffin, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup golden raisins

6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (more or less to taste) hard cider

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the pork roast in a roasting pan with the ribs facing up, braced against each other. Add sage and thyme to olive oil. Brush the pork roasts with oil mixture and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast the pork loin for 2 1/2 hours, until the skin is crackled. (Put the apples in the oven along with the pork roast in the last half hour of cooking.)

Remove the pork roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Pour out some of the excess fat from the roasting pan and put it on the stove over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour into the hot pan juices, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook and stir the roux until its light brown. Add the cider and continue to stir to incorporate. Pour in the chicken broth; boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick. Check for seasoning – add lemon juice if necessary. Serve the cider gravy with the pork roast and baked apples.

To make the buttered apples: Core the apples with an apple corer, making a good size cavity to hold the stuffing. Douse the cut sides of the apples with some of the lemon juice to prevent them from browning while you make the stuffing. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, muffin crumbs, raisins, sage, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the cavities of the cored apples; stand them up, side by side, in a baking dish and sprinkle the tops with the reserved muffin crumbs. Pour the cider around the apples and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 375 degrees F, until soft when pierced with a knife. Place the warm apples in the center of a round serving dish. Spoon the cider sauce around the apples and serve with the pork loin.

Served with braising greens or Swiss chard.

For those who saw this on last night’s Facebook post, here’s the recipe:

Heat a small amount of butter in a dutch oven, brown 4 chicken thighs skin side down, turn and repeat.

Remove browned chicken and half the fat, add one diced onion, cook for 3-4 minutes, then add
1/2 inch segments of celery and carrot (or ideally, small bunch carrots, tops removed)
and quartered small potatoes – cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Add 1 12 ounce bottle of dark beer, plenty of salt and black pepper, a dusting of smoked paprika or ground chipotle, and a couple sprigs of rosemary. Stir.

Put the chicken back in the dutch oven, rearranging the vegetables so the things are in as much beer as possible (the veg can be out of the liquid). Bring to a low boil, cover, and simmer for an hour-plus. Remove from heat when the chicken is fork tender.

The fun part: remove the things and place a baking sheet. With a ladle, remove 3/4 of the braising liquid and transfer to a small skillet. On medium heat, reduce to a thick sauce, then brush the thighs with the sauce, reserving 1/3.

Turn on the broiler on high and when it’s ready, put the chicken underneath and broil until the skins crisps a bit/the sauce begins to char. Remove. Serve vegetables and braising liquid in a deep bowl first, a chicken thigh on top, spoon the last bit of reduction on top. Eat with abandon.

Works with a wide variety of wine and beer. I recommend something earthy, like a lighter Nebbiolo or a medium-bodied Pinot.

Breaking news: today’s Wine Spectator Insider has three 94 point Oregon Pinots. And like usual, we have them all. Maysara, Shea, and Brittan. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wine Spectator 94 Points

Maysara Winery
McMinnville Estate Cuvee Pinot noir 2009

$29.66 in any 12 bottle order
$32.95 retail

Wine Spectator – “Supple, sumptuous and distinctive for its range of cherry, boysenberry, floral and dark chocolate flavors, dancing suavely through the long, expressive finish. The tannins are submerged, and this has miles to go. Drink now through 2019.” – H.S.

Wine Spectator 94 and “Hot Wine”

Shea Wine Cellars
Estate Pinot noir 2009

$35.96 in any 12 bottle order
$39.95 retail

Wine Spectator: “Supple, rich and complex, layering its dark berry, black cherry, pink grapefruit and exotic spice flavors on a velvety frame, the finish lingering effortlessly. Drink now through 2019. – H.S.

Wine Spectator 94 Points

Brittan Vineyards
Gestalt Pinot noir 2008

$40.46 in any 12 bottle order
$44.95 retail

Only 24 Bottles Available

An Avalon Wine Club Selection Last Year, December 2010

Wine Spectator – Supple, rich and focused. A plush mouthful of blackberry and violet with a hint of verbena, wrapped in polished tannins and persisting into a vivid finish. Distinctive and graceful. Drink now through 2018. – H.S.

Wine Spectator’s Top 100 #25

Wine Spectator announced its Top 100 Wines of 2011 this morning. It’s the most anticipated wine ratings announcement of the year.

As we predicted, Owen Roe’s Ex Umbris Syrah 2009 is not only in the Top 100, it is #25.

Wine Spectator Top 100 #25
93 Points

Owen Roe
Ex Umbris Syrah 2009

$21.55 in any 12 bottle order
$23.95 retail

Wine Spectator – “Supple and round, this red is layered with plum, currant, sassafras, cream and spice flavors that keep sailing through the long, vivid finish. This has style and grace to go with its undeniable power. Drink now through 2018.”- H.S

Ex Umbris is Owen Roe’s best value red. I know, the Abbot’s Table is popular but to me, the Ex Umbris really shines. It has tons of delicious, smoky Syrah character and is so easy to drink. – Marcus

Christina Kelly wrote an article for us today, scooping just about everyone with the news that a study commissioned by the Oregon Wine Board showed that the economic impact of Oregon’s wine industry nearly doubled to $2.7 billion since the last study in 2005, stunning industry leaders who were prepared for declining numbers in a weak economy.

Here’s the link:

http://www.avalonwine.com/Oregon-Wine-Industry-Impact.php

It’s hard to believe with things as hard as they are for so many, but Oregon’s wine industry is bucking the trend.

The 2011 vintage is turning out to be one of the slowest starters ever. Here’s a picture of a grape cluster on June 20th 2011.

Wine club members get 15% off reorders of all club wines!

It’s easy: join a club, get the discount.

This month the Reserve Pinot Club features our Winery of the Year for 2010 – Arterberry Maresh.

JUNE SELECTIONS

Arterberry Maresh Maresh Vineyard Pinot noir 09 $55/$46.75

J. Albin Laurel Vineyard Pinot noir 08 $29/$24.65

Rasa Vineyards VOV Populi Mourvedre 09 $45/$38.25

Guardian Cellars Gun Metal Red 08 $36/$30.60

Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills PN 09 $25/$21.25

Evesham Wood Blanc du Puits Sec 10 $15/$12.75

Big Reds Club members get a massive style Red Blend and a Mourvedre from a hot new winery – it’s going to be one of Walla Walla’s most sought after – you taste it before the whole world finds out.

New Discoveries Club has my favorite go-to summer white and one of Oregon’s best bargain Pinots.

Also in this month’s newsletter -
“It’s the Season for Barbeque! – The Ten Commandments of Grilling”

You ever walk down the aisle of a wine shop and the shelf/box/slot for the wine you really wanted to try is empty? Ever repeat that process three or four times and just leave?  Seems like there’s tons of blowout prices out there, but who wants another b-flat wine, even if its cheap. As the t-shirt says, life is too short to drink bad (or even just boring) wine. I want the good stuff.

A lot of what we do at the store is look for wines that go in those interesting wine slots – the wines that winery insiders are buzzing about, or a local-made party slurper at a killer price, a bit of something super popular that got overlooked in the warehouse, or the new release that’s already sold out at the winery. We’re featuring one of each online this week. Without having to drive and park and walk and get no satisfaction.

1 – The Buzzy Walla Walla Syrah – PB Wines Yakima Syrah 08 $25.88 any 12.
I firmly believe that Billo Naravane is a genius. And that Rasa Vineyard is one of the biggest “next big things” in Washington wine.  We opened a bottle of his PB Yakima Syrah for our friends from Houston yesterday, serious wine guys who’ve tried ‘em all, and it turned all the heads in the room. Ah, his Rieslings, his upcoming Dubrul Cab (!!!!) and the one I love, the VOX Mourvedre.

You have a favorite wine memory? A wine with that indefinable little something extra that made it unforgettable? I have a few, and one of them is Billo’s Rasa VOX. It’s a Mourvedre, but unlike any I’ve had from the northwest before. Smoke and mystery – meaty and sophisticated – big and intricate. It’s a study in opposites and is just completely different.
Above, Pinto and Billo Naravane.

2 – The local slurper – Grochau Red $14.35 any 12.
John knows his audience, and and he’s always got his A-game on. Try to get this wine outside of  Portland. It’s the “gotta have a case or two for summer” red that rocks. When it comes to red party-wines, GC has nearly everyone beat. Even wine snobs like Marcus will put this down their gullet.

3 – The Orphan – Evening Land The Table Cabernet Sauvignon 07 $17.50 any 12.
Evening Land owner Mark Tarlov is one for the grand gesture. He likes his vineyards Famous, his Sommeliers World Famous, his winemakers Stellar Famous, and yes, Evening Land is well on its way to Fame, after only three vintages.

A few years ago, Mark put together a program for Sommeliers and Chefs to blend their own wines. This one was blended for Thomas Keller’s Boucon Bistro, across the road from the French Laundry.  I suspect that a glass of it there will set you back about twice what this entire bottle costs.

4 – The new release that’s already sold out -  Guardian Cellars “The Wanted” 08 $35.05 any 12. Former narc and law enforcement officer Jerry Riener’s monster reds are made in the style of his friends Mark McNeilly (Mark Ryan) and Chris Gorman. Our job is to grab them as they go flying by and make sure the slot isn’t empty. Right now it’s full and we’re restocking regularly.

We visited Evening Land Vineyards last week – what a fascinating crew of people – Owner Mark Tarlov, winemaker Isabelle Meunier, Marketing Director Larry Stone, consulting winemaker Dominique Lafon. Oregon Pinot noir is getting a big boost in visibility with Evening Land and its high profile participants.

at right, Isabelle and Mark

Mark Tarlov is a film producer with a deep knowledge of wine. He has a wide circle of friends including many of the world’s top sommeliers. He now lives in New York City, and in just two years’ time, he has gotten Evening Land wines on the wine lists of numerous “A” List restaurants.

He recruited his longtime friend, the uber-famous Master Sommelier Larry Stone, (formerly at Rubicon) last year to be Evening Land’s President. Evening Land has relationships with a veritable who’s who of the world’s highest profile sommeliers – Daniel Johnnes of restaurant Daniel in New York (and premiere Burgundy event in the US, Le Paulee), Raj Parr of Michael Mina, Bernie Sun of Jean-Georges (Vongerichten), and Paul Roberts, formerly of The French Laundry.

Having winemaker Dominique Lafon involved with Evening Land is nothing short of amazing. Dominique is “the” white Burgundy expert in France, and wines from his Domaine des Comtes Lafon sell for hundreds of dollars a bottle.

Impressive credentials and contacts aside, the proof is in the bottle. Based on our tasting last week, Evening Land is going to keep and expand their reputation for making great wine.

Put yourself in Burgundy when you try Evening Land wines. Particularly with the Chardonnay, it all becomes clear when you think about Lafon’s French wines. There’s the weightless, deceptively delicate quality of a great white Burgundy in the La Source and Mad Hatter Chardonnays. There’s the expansive, constantly evolving flavor, texture and scent – the complexity that elaborates and eludes the more time you spend with the wine. The little extra that makes a wine memorable.

The Evening Land wines are hard to write about. While we were tasting, I kept trying to figure out how to describe them, to come up with something I already know to compare them to, to find a way to resolve my pleasant confusion. I finally came to realize that the key to their beauty is the inability to simplify and pigeonhole them. In keeping with Mark’s philosophy of the infinite nature of the tension of opposites, the wines keep changing and evolving, defying categorization.

If you want to understand the Evening Land wines, you have to talk with Mark Tarlov. He has a philosophy of wine you’ve never heard before. Quirky and at times as hard to understand as Douglas Hofstadler, he relates the duality of big and small Alice, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and the Red and White Queens in Alice in Wonderland to what makes a great wine. Thus the references in the names of the wines – Red Queen was his top of the line Pinot noir for the 2008 vintage, White Queen was a tiny bottling of stratospheric Chardonnay, and Mad Hatter is a new Chardonnay.

In explaining his experience of wine, Mark will reference ideas from quantum mechanics to Greek mythology to the nature of infinity. He uses the tension of opposites and the idea that there is no finality in true complexity to describe the experience of tasting good Pinots. He compares them to Cabernet, which he dismisses as a black and white, on and off kind of wine that is easily understood. Tasting the 2009′s I got a sense of what Mark is trying to describe. You have to suspend judgement and allow yourself some confusion to “get” what the wines are about.

Of the many things you can say about Evening Land, it’s never boring!

Buy the wines of Evening Land on northwest-wine.com

Evening Land Vineyards
La Source Pinot noir 09

$53.95 in any 12 bottle order
$59.94 retail

Previous Vintage Wine Spectator 96 Points

It’s a huge feat to make a worthy successor to a 96-point wine. Evening Land has done it with a La Source that is attractive, even seductive while it’s fresh, structured, and balanced. Personally, I think it’s a better wine than the 2008. I’m charmed by the red fruits that fan out in all directions, the ribbon of minerals that adds verve, the dusting of spices and herbs that make me smile and think of Seven Springs Vineyard. – Marcus

Evening Land Vineyards
Estate Pinot noir 09
Seven Springs Vineyard – Eola Amity Hills

$38.66 in any 12 bottle order
$42.95 retail

A pull and pour Pinot noir from the Seven Springs Vineyard, ohhh yeah. The nose is wonderful red fruit with a touch of greenhouse. The initial splash is signature 09 – read delicious, well-controlled fruit that will appeal to the whole spectrum of Pinot drinkers. Following is a balanced middle that echoes off the roof of your mouth without being overwhelming. The finish is lush with a puff pastry creaminess that I completely dig. Needless to say, the Evening Land Estate Pinot noir 09 has a little something for everyone.
- Andy

Evening Land Vineyards
La Source Chardonnay 09

$53.95 in any 12 bottle order
$59.94 retail

Previous Vintage Wine Spectator 94 Points

Focused, bright, and stylistically in a world of its own in American Chardonnay. White flowers, green apple, and flinty minerality coax you in – white peach and tangy lemon build intensity. Like all of the Evening Land Chardonnays, this is made for aging. – Marcus

Evening Land Vineyards
Mad Hatter Chardonnay 09

$39.55 in any 12 bottle order
$43.95 retail

A blend made from Evening Land’s
top Chardonnay blocks -
Summum and La Source. Only available from Oregon.

New this vintage, 200 cases made and exclusive to Oregon. The name “Mad Hatter” is another reference to Alice in Wonderland (they also make a Red Queen, White Queen, etc.). Seven Springs Vineyard Estate fruit and 20% nearby Roserock Vineyard.

In Alice in Wonderland Mark finds the tension of opposites – big and small Alice, White and Red Queens, Tweedledee and Tweedledum – the book is full of unresolved opposites. Mark relates the mysterious quality of uncertainty in Alice in Wonderland and in science and mythology to the indefinable complexity of great wines. – Jean

“The 2009 Evening Land wines have a lush tranquility.”

- Mark Tarlov, Owner Evening Land Vineyards