We’re Number One!

By now you have probably heard of the stunning award our local winery Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards received at the recent Riverside International Wine Competition held in Southern California. “Small Winery of the Year” was the honor bestowed upon the Umpqua winery after 9 of its 10 wines entered in the competition took silver medals or better.

I have written about Reustle Prayer Rock many times over the past two years. I began tasting their wines in the Spring of 2007 just after moving here. I can remember my very first visit and how impressed I was with their wines. Gloria & Stephen Reustle were new to the wine industry and they had only recently opened their tasting room. The last three years has brought huge growth for them and their winery. The addition of their wine cave being the most noticeable but less conspicuously there has been significant growth of the vineyard with new grape varieties being planted and new wines being made. They have followed in true Umpqua Valley tradition by claiming a number of firsts for the region including producing the first Grüner Veltliner in the country and building the first wine cave in the Umpqua Valley. They continue to enter their wines in many wine competitions both locally and internationally, receiving many awards and accolades. This most recent, “Small Winery of the Year” award being one of the most prestigious.

This is a deserved award for Reustle Prayer Rock. Their inexhaustible efforts toward making the very best wines possible is obvious. Stephen Reustle is as driven a vintner as I have known and his wine making style is very much his own. But for all of us in the wine industry this award is so much more than just a recognition of one winery and one winemaker. It is a validation of something much bigger. It is a just and overdue recognition of our AVA (American viticulture area) the Umpqua Valley. It is additional proof of what so many have known for so long; the Umpqua Valley produces world class wines and is a world class wine region. Richard Sommer,  Oregon's wine pioneer knew it and believed in the region so strongly he devoted much of his life to Umpqua Valley wine, paving the way for our current winemakers and their families. The terroir of the region has attracted a number of talented, driven, passionate winemakers like Stephen Reustle. The combination of this talent and mother natures gift of great land and proper climate are a recipe for greatness. Greatness that is beginning to be recognized in the world wine community.

This should make us all proud. And I mean all of us, wine lovers and non wine drinkers a like. All of Douglas County residents should stand a little taller and feel a little prouder of their home. Recognition as a legitimate wine region to be reckoned with is good for the local economy. A growing local wine industry means jobs. Award winning wines and wineries means tourist dollars coming in to our small businesses and local communities. This award won by Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards truly is an award shared by all of us here in the county. Congratulations Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards and congratulations Umpqua Valley!

One More Place to Taste…

                                                We have added another tasting room bringing to 23 the total number of locations to taste wine in the Umpqua Valley. There is nothing that excites me more then to learn of one more place to enjoy the wine making fruits of someone's labor right here in my own backyard.

My husband and I along with two of our dearest friends who enjoy wine as much as we do packed up and drove to HV Cellars new tasting room located in Tenmile just behind the Porter Creek store. We were not at all sure of what to expect. Our knowledge of HV Cellars previously called Hawks View Cellars with a winery located in Myrtle Point, was that they were doing primarily fruit wines. Since we were not fruit wine drinkers and have devoted our lives and our palettes to the appreciation of fine wine, we were a bit skeptical to say the least.

As we entered the tasting room we were pleasantly surprised to find a very neat and appealing room with a tasting bar and two additional tables where groups of four could be accommodated. Looking over the wine list we discovered HV cellars produces more than just fruit wine and we were excited to taste everything they had to offer. Evelyn, the winemakers wife who was working that day, proceeded to take us through the list. We started with the whites, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, both award winning wines and both were lovely and quite unique. We then ventured into the “red zone” and tried the Donna Rosa a Bordeaux blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Merlot added. This wine was a light bodied wine with great fruit, terrific acidity and each sip made me smile and left me wanting another taste. Evelyn told us they call this their spaghetti wine as it paired well with marinara sauce and we loved the idea of a classic French style wine pairing well with a classic Italian dish. Next we sampled the Syrah which was one of the most unusual Syrahs I had ever tasted with licorice, menthol, eucalyptus and spice all surrounding the deep fruit. We finished up the fine wine offerings with the Baco Noir which was rich and well finessed.

That left the four fruit wines. Since I am not a fruit wine drinker and had little experience with fruit wines I could not leave the tasting room without at least sampling their selection but I was absolutely positive I would not like any of them and expected each one to be a sweet, syrupy, cloying mess. Oh how wrong could a person be? We tried three of the four starting with their signature blackberry wine and “yummy” noises filled the room. The wine was like eating perfectly ripe blackberries from the vine at the peak of the season and the richness and depth of flavors was divine. The plum wine was deep and fruity had a lovely aroma of roses and flowers. The final wine was the cranberry wine which tasted exactly as you would expect anything coming from a cranberry would taste like, tart, expressive and full of flavor.

Our group left with wine to enjoy later and it might surprise some to know I took home a few bottles of the fruit wines. While fruit wines will never be regularly consumed at my house I could see a place for them. We all agreed how wonderful it was to have this new addition to our winery family making high quality fine wine and exceptional fruit wines and adding something new to the already amazing Umpqua Valley.

Outdoor Wine Tasting at its Best

It is that time of year again.  Good weather can be counted on and the days are longer providing us with more time to enjoy our lives outdoors.  With summer fast approaching I know many will be looking for great opportunities and venues to enjoy some of the best our wine country living has to offer. So at risk of sounding like a broken record it is once again time to talk about the best places to find everything you need for a mini vacation right in your own backyard.

While every local winery is worthy of visiting and each has its unique personality there are those wineries who have made big investments in providing outdoor wine country enjoyment.  At the top of my list is Julianna Vineyards and their river side deck. This deck located between their vineyard and the main Umpqua River has been extended to provide more seating and an even closer view of the river.  It is truly an idyllic setting where one can sip wine, relax and loose their cares in the peacefulness of it all.   For those who would like to take the experience one step further Julianna Vineyards is now offering Friday Night Date Night where visitors can preorder their dinners from Aromatica’s Feast in Roseburg and bring them to the Vineyard deck to enjoy with a bottle of Julianna Vineyard’s wine. A more romantic setting does not exist so whether you visit Julianna Vineyards to taste wine or to attend a Friday Night Date night, I highly recommend a visit.

Our newest tasting room Pyrenees Vineyards located just off exit 112 also has a lovely deck built right on the bank of the South Umpqua River.  You can  enjoy their Basque style tasting room and sample their varied wine line up.  Pack a picnic and spend the afternoon enjoying some wine while sitting right on the river.  Mountain views to one side and river views to the other make this a very special place.  The owners of Pyrenees have big plans for future additions to their property to make the property a true destination location and I will keep you posted on all the developments.  But don’t wait for that.  It is perfect just as it is.

Other recommendations for local wineries with outdoor space designed for visitors to stay a while include Becker Vineyard with their cozy deck with vineyard views, come for the wine and stay for the scenery.  Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyard has lovely places to picnic on their vineyard property, some available to wine club members only.  Hillcrest Vineyard added a deck last year so wine lovers can enjoy an expansive view of the Callahans while sipping their tremendous wines.  Henry Estate Winery has lovely grounds and plenty of picnic tables for couples and ideal for lager groups who are looking for a perfect place to spend some wine time.  MarshAnne Landing Winery offers a beautiful art gallery tasting room as well as a fabulous deck built high above the vines which allows maximum appreciation of views of the vineyard and surrounding rolling hills.  Bradley Vineyard in Elkton has the most delightful deck to sip wine and enjoy the vines and mature trees creating a cozy, quaint  feel.  Melrose Vineyards with their incredible well coiffed grounds is a perfect setting for a wine afternoon and Chateau Nonchalant with its delightful tasting room and expanded outside seating begs tasters to stay a while. 

Make plans to visit them all and find those wines and settings that speak to you. We will see you there…

Just Say No To Bill RU 5043

On April 15th 2010 RU 5034 a new bill was introduced into Congress which if passed will radically change the way wineries across the country and our state - particularly those right here in Douglas County- do business. And this radical change if implemented will not be good for our winery friends or for our region.

The Bill challenges current law which does not allow individual states to discriminate between in- and out-of-state wineries in matters of direct-to-consumer wine shipping. Direct-to-consumer wine shipping is now legal to varying degrees in 37 states and the District of Columbia.  One winery industry insider describe the proposed bill as  “the most onerous consumer wine law since the passage of the 18th Amendment and the onset of Prohibition”. The draft bill was written by the National Beer Wholesalers’ Association and the current bill RU5034 is virtually identical.  It is supported by the Wine & Spirits WHOLESALERS of America (WSWA) as well. These two organizations want to change the hard fought battles on the part of consumers to receive direct shipment of wines from small out of state wineries. Most recently, court decisions have been made in favor of the consumer but this bill would change that. If passed, HR 5034 will allow for new regulations to be put in place as well as reinstate old regulations on direct shipments of wine. It will also prevent any legal challenges to those regulatory barriers.

The alcohol wholesale associations are touting the legislation as necessary to protect children and minors from access to alcohol.  But to anyone well versed in the ways of purchasing alcohol on line or over the phone this is a ridiculous argument and a very obvious  ploy to guarantee a permanent monopoly for all alcohol to be distributed by their members.  All alcohol including wine, shipped through the US Postal Service, Fed Ex, UPS or any other shipping company requires a signature of someone 21 or over.  John Sasano wine blogger from California wine explains it best,”No youth ever ordered premium wine online, paid by credit card, waited a week for delivery, and presented a legal ID at delivery; if a youth were attempting to obtain alcohol, they would show up at the local convenience store with a $20 bill and ask older shoppers to buy them a 12 pack of Budweiser – instant gratification, realistic, real, no ID required. The “justification” for the bill is a charade. This is nothing more than bought and paid for politicians from both parties doing the bidding of their contributors.”

Many small, family owned wineries and that includes all of the wineries here in the Umpqua Valley rely on shipping directly to their customers to stay in business.This legislation has correctly been called anti-consumer and anti-small business by many. And it is not just the wineries that will suffer. Ending direct shipment of wine means consumers will no longer have the opportunity to enjoy limited release wines from small family owned wineries as most wholesalers don’t bother with small case lots of handcrafted artisan wines.  Consumer choice will be severely limited and support of the country's small artisan wineries will be next to impossible.

So please write or call your local representatives and tell them you oppose RU 5034.  And tell your friends to do the same. The health of our family owned wineries and our local economy depend on it!

What to do with Mediocre Wine?

I recently read an article in one of the various wine and food magazines I subscribe to entitled “When a Mediocre Wine is Good News”. The author, rather than lamenting the dreaded experience of opening a bottle of wine and finding it to be less spectacular then hoped, actually embraced the situation by using the wine as an inspiration in creating some wonderful new dishes.

While most chefs and foodies will agree you would never want to cook with wines you would not drink, cooking with an ok wine is considered acceptable.  As someone who loves to cook and is constantly experimenting with food and wine- both together in the same dish and separately but served together in food and wine pairings- I have a few other thoughts on mediocre wine and what you can do get the most out of it.

First off I would like to mention if you open a wine and are a bit disappointed make sure the wine is at the right temperature before you rush to judgment.  There is nothing more easily tweaked nor a mistake more easily made then serving temperature. Nothing can change the taste of a wine as much as the temperature and wines served too cold or too warm will not show their best.  It is amazing what even just 5-10 degrees can do for a wine!  The second thing is if the wine you are not feeling the love for is a red wine it is entirely possible it just needs a little time to open up.  Especially if the wine is young.  So before you decide the wine is only good for cooking… let it breath.  I can’t tell you how many times I have opened a bottle of red wine and found it tight and less than interesting only to give it time.  Sometimes a wine needs an hour or two and some can even benefit from being open over night.   But when you find yourself in that predicament where there is just no way around the fact that you have purchased a wine that is a bit of a dud, I have some ideas on how to enjoy the wine anyway.  You can even have a bit of fun while you are at it and these two ideas are perfect for warmer weather and summertime gatherings. The first recommendation is to make Sangria.  Just add seasonal fresh fruit and some sparkling water or citrus flavored soda and you have a fun wine punch with a kick.  Great for barbeques and can be made with both white and red wines. Wine coolers can be very nice and refreshing and I especially like them made with big red wines.  Just mix seven- up with your wine and serve over ice.  Perfect for that day at the river when you will no doubt get too much sun and will need some refreshing libations too keep you cool.

But the best way to reduce the times you end up with a wine you are not overly crazy about is to taste before you buy.  Those of us living here can do that by visiting our local wineries and checking out the current releases.   Makes it easy to find wines you really like and takes the guess work out of it all.  Not only easier, but so much more fun then standing in the wine isle in the grocery store  perplexed at the huge array of wines with no idea as to the quality or taste of any of them. For so many who like wine and want to be more adventurous, the thought of making a mistake forces us to buy the same wines over and over again.  Life is too short for that and visiting your local winery takes all the guess work out of finding great wines.  Trust me there is no shortage of quality, delicious wine made right here!   I can’t remember the last time I made Sangria or wine coolers….

Roll Out The Barrel

Saturday was the first Barrel Tour of the year and as always it appeared a good time was had by all.  The weather was just right. Started out a bit cool in the morning but by the afternoon the sun came out and it was beautiful, adding real sunshine to the liquid sunshine that flowed throughout the day. All of this made for a truly festive day!

For those of you who have never experienced the Barrel Tour it is a wine tour put on twice each spring by the Umpqua Valley Wine Growers Association. All of the Umpqua Valley wineries participate and the area is split up into three tour routes, each route including wineries based on geographical location.   Each tour, the north, central and the south encompasses 6 or 7 wineries and school buses are rented for the day with professional bus drivers responsible for getting everyone safely from each winery to the next.  Each winery visit is about 45 minutes allowing for just the right amount of time to taste the various food and wine pairings lovingly prepared and offered at each winery. 
This time the central tour sold out but the south and the north tours were not as full.  I had the pleasure of pouring for Becker Vineyard included in the central tour and the seven buses with 50 people per bus, beginning at 9:30 am and ending at around 5:00 pm, made for a very full day!  Chatting with the folks about the various wines and unique food pairings they were experiencing along the way it was obvious everyone was feeling well taken care of and enjoying themselves immensely. I spoke to a number of people from outside of our area. Many came from Eugene, Portland, Bend and the coast and it was really good to see so many visiting from other parts of our state.  Our high quality wine and natural beauty was not lost on these visitors and  many talked of the obvious magic of our area. I have to say it made me proud to hear such kind, appreciative words spoken about my community.

Putting on this event takes tremendous planning from the winery association and from every winery.  There is a substantial time, energy and monetary commitment each winery must make to secure the desired outcome of so many happy visitors. The wineries receive almost no compensation for their contribution and participation in the event. The $50 fee charged to those touring goes to cover the operating costs of the event and for future events and is not paid to the wineries. When all is said and done with the cost of food, wine and hiring the necessary help to put it all together, it is an investment they make for the opportunity to share and promote their wines.

The next Barrel Tour is scheduled for May 22nd.  And there is still space available and still time to sign up to tour.  If you go, have fun and remember to pace yourself.  It is a unique experience to be able to sample a wine before you purchase so when you find a wine you like, support your local family owned winery and take a bottle or two home.  The wineries will appreciate it and so will you when you serve it!  Summer is just around the corner and is the very best time for enjoying outdoor dining with friends & family and wine just makes it all that much more enjoyable...Cheers!
/Diane Clerihue-Smith and her husband H. Bruce Smith run "Oregon Wine Country Tours" based in the Umpqua Valley. OWCT.us or 866-WINEVAN/

HillCrest Vineyard Keeps Our Mouths Watering

There is always something new happening in the world of wine. With different wine trends and emerging new wine regions something is always going on to get your interest peeked and your mouth watering. In the Umpqua Valley this is no exception and there is one winery in particular that can always be counted on for a unique, mouth watering, wine experience.

The winery I am referring to is HillCrest Vineyard located in the Melrose area of Roseburg. HillCrest is the oldest winery in the state of Oregon post prohibition and is where the very first Pinot Noir vine was ever planted in our beautiful state -now famous for the same varietal. Dyson and his wife Susan run the winery with the help of their children and Dyson's 25 plus years of wine experience and his passion for wine making shows up in everything he does. Since HillCrest wines are only available at the winery and Dyson does not worry about wine awards and pleasing judges who too often are looking for wines that fit into a particular, narrow frame work, he is free to experiment and try new things. He makes wines he likes and that please him and in doing so, he please many others as well. He refers to his passion for wine making as his “sickness” and has a huge, loyal following.

Take his new Rosé bottled just a few days ago. This 2009 “Tamas” was inspired by meeting a famous wine maker on his recent trip to Hungary. Duszi Tamas is known as the “King of Rosé” in that country where Rosé is hugely popular. Rosé is drunk as an aperitif, with meals and on into the night. They like their Rosé so much in Hungary they even make cocktails out of it which quenches thirsts while delivering a bit of a kick! True to the European style of Rosés, HillCrest's “Tamas” is dry with a bright beautiful acidity that appeals to red wine drinkers.

And if you thought the “Tamas” sounds exciting and believe me, it is, you will be overwhelmed by Dyson's new 2009 “Inside Out “ - Pinot Noir Blanc. This wine is the very first of its kind here and is like nothing you have ever tasted. It is made from Pinot Noir but made more like a Chardonnay, gently pressed and made into a very light colored full bodied white wine that has the color of Blanc de Noir Champagne. The wine is unoaked and driven by rich round fruit with an exquisite perfumed strawberry finish that goes on forever.

These are just two of HillCrest's newest wines but certainly not the only two unique or worth writing about. I have written previously about his amazing Chardonnay and his Syrahs are some of the best I have tasted. His Zinfandel a varietal almost impossible to find here, is so rich and full bodied and when paired with cheese enchiladas makes a marriage in your mouth that boarders ecstasy. He makes beautiful European style Rieslings that make you cry and a visit to the winery and a talk with Dyson is an experience you will not forget. This year HillCrest will be home to a European style artisan distillery specializing in Eau de Vie and fruit distillates. Ah, yes...just part of Dyson's self proclaimed “sickness” as he calls it. I just hope as do many of us, that he never gets “well”!