To Pinot or Not to Pinot…?

I couldn’t help but smile a bit at a recent article written about the big scandal over Gallo’s Red Bicyclette “pinot noir” which turned out to not be so pinot after all. Seems Gallo’s French suppliers of the supposed pinot sold them red table wine that was only partly pinot with merlot and syrah added but at a pure pinot price, more than doubling their profits.
And absolutely no one complained or had a clue until the customs department realized the pinot being exported far exceeded the total amount of wine that the region produced. Gallo was completely unaware of the scam and had nothing to do with tricking the wine public. They were duped into believing the bulk wine they purchased to be as it was touted, pure, high quality pinot noir from the Languedoc region of France.
So why would this story make me smile? Gallo marketed this wine as a wine their company was intensely involved in the making of. They referred to it as a taste of “Southern France” and wrote in detail about the vineyard the grapes were sourced from, the climate of the region and the oak aging and barrel fermentation of the wine as if Gallo wine makers had “hands on” involvement in the “crafting” of this “artisan” wine. When in fact it was actually their complete lack of involvement in the making of the wine that made it clear they were not involved in the charade! And while it is sad to hear of a lack of integrity in the wine world it does not come as any surprise. This is not the first time wine has been manipulated or misrepresented and will certainly not be the last. Nor am I surprised by the misrepresentation and the artistic license Gallo took when writing their marketing material for this particular wine. Self promotion as family owned, hands on vintners is standard practice by corporate wineries world wide.
And what turned the smile on my face to an all out grin was when I read that in their defense, the French wine makers said that the Americans with their gauche wine palettes did not even notice the difference. One attorney stated not a single American consumer complained. And this is absolutely true! Not only did no one complain, this wine won high praise from different wine judges, not only Americans mind you and was thought to be a terrific pinot for $9!
This whole debacle says so much more to me then what it looks like at face value: opportunistic business men decide to rip off an unsuspecting big corporation who will probably never know the difference. It reeks of arrogance. Arrogance too often found in the world of wine. And not just on the part of the French, but on the part of corporate wineries as well with their disingenuous, self promotion of hands on wine making not even close to what the reality is or was. It also suggests something else quite unfortunate. Americans in their all consuming quest for high quality wine at table wine prices have set up the perfect climate to be taken advantage of. A high quality pinot noir from a world class wine region would be difficult if not impossible to make and sell for under $10 and still afford a profit to the wine maker. So why not label and drink this Red Bicyclette as a fairly priced, French red table wine and enjoy! No arrogance here!

Spring is in the Air

With spring just around the corner it is time once again when plans for the annual Barrel Tour are in full swing. The Barrel Tour is an event that boasts a long history, 26 years and going strong, and has become to symbolize the kick off of wine season here in the Umpqua Valley.

So in a new year coming off recent press of our area being the number 5 destination for U.S. wine travelers and with Sunset Magazine calling us (Southern Oregon to be exact) the next Napa Valley, I can not help but feel an overwhelming desire for an event like this to really develop into the high end wine experience you would expect when visiting a world class wine region. To see our signature events take themselves a bit more seriously and gear themselves less toward the “partier” and more toward the wine interested attendee.

For those who read this column on a regular basis you are probably well aware that no one enjoys a party more than me. I just feel strongly there is a time and place for everything and just maybe, we could take this wonderful tradition of our barrel tour and bring it to the next level! I would love to see the barrel tour expand into a two or three day weekend event. Perhaps we could even have barrel samples at every winery so those attending for the first time would feel like there was some validity to the name. There is very little that excites wine lovers as much as the opportunity to taste young wine from the barrel! Event goers would transport themselves in their own vehicles and on their own schedule to each winery. This would create the feeling of a relaxed, gentile pace more conducive to the true wine experience and would allow for winery personnel and the wine makers to truly connect with their guests in a more meaningful way. Visitors would be able to choose the wineries they wanted to visit and would have two or three days to fit it all in. Having the time to truly experience each winery visit and their particular uniqueness supports those wine interested folks who are looking to expand their wine horizons. People who make wine a regular part of their lives will come away with not just a good time but will have a better understanding of what the Umpqua Valley has to offer. Those attendees desiring a party could hire a designated driver or a limo and party away. I think it is safe to say the turn out for an event like this may initially be less in numbers, but with the focus on quality and not quantity this type of event would grow quickly. For the host wineries as well as for those attending, I have no doubt having a few less people overall but with more people serious about wine appreciation, this type of tour would be a win win for all. Not to mention by spreading the event over two or three days encourages those from out of the area to stay for a while and support other businesses during their time here.

I am hugely respectful of the many years of the barrel tour event and give kudos to those who through the last two and a half decades have worked hard to keep this tradition intact and going strong. My experiences living and traveling other world class wine regions just makes me aware of areas we can improve and what we compete against. Taking away best practices from other high end, highly regarded wine events is smart and is how we will continue to live up to our expanding reputation. A reputation we no doubt deserve and one that will continue to grow if we keep raising the bar…

A Little Spanish Flare!

The most exciting part to exploring a new wine region is coming across wines and varietals that are new to you. Until moving to Roseburg, I had never tasted Tempranillo and had only heard of it maybe once or twice. Coming from a wine region where the grape is not widely planted, I was intrigued by its popularity here and how that all came to be.
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". In the last 100 years it has been planted in South America, South Africa, Australia, the US and Canada. Tempranillo wines can be consumed young, but the most expensive and highly coveted are the ones are aged in oak for several years. The wines are deep ruby red to almost purple in color, with aromas and flavors of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herbs.
Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano meaning "early" which is suggestive of the grapes early ripening characteristic. The fact that it flourishes in cooler climates and at higher altitudes is the biggest reason it is not prolific in most parts of California and why it does so well here in the Umpqua Valley. Earl Jones of Abacela Winery can be credited for figuring all this out. It was his love of Spanish Tempranillo and the wines ability to pair beautifully with so many of the foods Earl enjoyed most, that led him on his quest to find just the right spot to grow this grape. After much research and deliberation Earl and his wife Hilda moved to the Umpqua Valley and started growing Tempranillo being the fist to introduce this grape to Oregon!
At this time there are only a handful of local wineries producing it as a stand alone varietal. Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards, Delfino Vineyards, Chateau Nonchalant and Abacela Winery. All of these wineries grow and produce several different varieties but at Abacela, Tempranillo is their main focus. And this focus has paid off big with so many awards and accolades for so many of their Tempranillo’s it is impossible to list them all. The most prestigious award by far was taking gold at last April’s Tempranillos al Mundo competition. This competition considered “the world series” of Tempranillos was held in Stockholm Sweden and judged by Spanish and international wine judges. The gold medal Abacela received was the only gold medal awarded to any Tempranillo produced outside of Spain! Certainly Abacela Winery is not new to very prestigious awards, most notably with their Albarino (another Spanish variety) and their Reserve Syrah receiving high praise and points from well respected wine periodicals, but this gold for their Tempranillo was the fulfillment of their dreams.
To have committed vintners living here realizing their dreams is the magic that makes our region so special. As the Umpqua Valley strives for the understanding and respect we so deserve, receiving awards in the international arena are tremendously meaningful. Every recognition of the quality of our local wines moves us one step closer to realizing our potential as “the next big wine region“…

Home is Where the Wine is Made!

Through the years I have had various opportunities to try wine made by amateur wine makers.  You know those people making wine in their garages or basements?  For some well respected wine makers it is the way they began their wine making career.  For many it starts as a hobby and remains just that.  A part time endeavor making wine for personal consumption.
Now you never know what you are going to experience when it comes to tasting homemade wine.  Wine can be made from just about any fruit and through the years I have tasted wines of all different qualities from very good to undrinkable.  Hey, I have had wines from legitimate wineries I found undrinkable.  You just never know and that is part of the excitement of new wine experiences.  So when my husband and I were invited to try some wine made by a local Douglas County resident I was absolutely game.
Dale and his wife Betty are long time area residents and have a small garage at their home devoted to wine.  Dale has been dabbling in wine making for several years and currently makes Baco Noir, Pinot Noir and Merlot with grapes sourced from an established vineyard in the Melrose area of Roseburg.  His “winery” is clean and organized suggesting a promising tasting experience and that is exactly how it shapes up.   We start with the ’09s in the barrel and  finish up with some ‘08s and ‘07s in the bottle. We even get a taste of Dales pride, an ’01 Merlot.  By the third barrel sample it is obvious to my husband and me, Dale knows what he is doing and the 15 years he has spent at his hobby has paid off. He is indeed making some quality wine. 
I particularly enjoyed his two pinots that included wine made from grapes off a 777 clone.  These two pinots had bright fruit flavors combined with floral and earthy nuances and were delightful.  Dales ‘07 Merlot was a lighter bodied Merlot packed with flavor and very well balanced.  The two Baco’s were also lighter bodied with classic Baco flavors of  deep, black fruit, anise and spice.  Very nice and again very well balanced.  Frankly, both my husband and I were quite impressed. Our thoughts were very simply, that these wines were better then some wines we have paid to taste at various wineries in our life time!
I would have loved to encourage Dale to go “pro” and start selling his wines and even start a winery.  You know me…when I taste good wine I just can’t help but want everyone to have the same experience.   But it doesn’t appear Dale and Betty are interested in taking his obvious abilities to the next level.  But tasting Dale’s quality wine got me and my husband thinking.  How many other home wine makers are out there making quality juice? How many more Dales are out there, right now under our noses making wine too good to be missed?  In an area like ours rich with wine history and great grapes there has to be more.  So we have started a home wine makers group called UmpquaValleyVinophiles(http://groups.google.com/group/umpquavinophile)
in hopes of flushing out other talented home wine makers.  If  you’re out there let us know.  Lets get together and talk wine…