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Sparkle and Fade

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Unwine'd Friday Find, March 30

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this" and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.For about the next four weeks or so we'll be bringing you the Unwine'd Friday Find, or an under $20 wine from one of the 100 Oregon wineries...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

509 Wines... All About the 206

As the Washington wine industry blossoms to over 700 labels even those most "in the know" can have a hard time keeping up. For the uninitiated who want to support their local or regional wines it can be down right overwhelming. As the wine industry in Washington has continued to grow, its newer proprietors have learned from their predecessors, helping them achieve success with varietal selection, business models and often times more sophisticated labeling. For one Fremont winery, the industry growth has inspired a new look that's a stroke of genius. As the Washington wine industry grows, 509 Wine is in their 6th vintage with the 2010 whites....

Monday, March 26, 2012

All of Oregon is on Display: Unwine'd Celebrate Oregon Wine

Governor John Kitzhaber declared May of 2012 to be "Oregon Wine Month," so it's appropriate to kick it off with an event on April 29th. Portland's Left Bank Annex will host a tasting event for Oregon wine unlike any other, showcasing one hundred wineries representing the variety of the state, from the Columbia Gorge's Phelps Creek Vineyards to the far reaches of Southern Oregon and Roxy Ann. Oregon wine is more than just Pinot Noir and it's more than just terroir driven perfection, it's a huge business for the state. The wine industry in Oregon is 13,500 jobs at 850 vineyards over 20,000 acres and 420 wineries. It's a big deal. It's a...

Friday, March 23, 2012

Plan of Attack: Taste Washington Strategies

Taste Washington is a wine tasting extravaganza and it's not for the faint of heart. With 200 Washington wineries in attendance, this is serious tasting business. Multiply the number of wineries (200) by the average number of wines each table will pour (2 or 3) and the numbers start to get serious. What's clear is that this is perhaps the greatest wine tasting event in the free world and given that the un-free world probably doesn't have any wine tastings, maybe just the world. I already mentioned the 200 wineries, but there's also an oyster bar, a desert bar, beer, coffee, an incredible array of some of Washington's finest chefs and restaurants...

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Should Spring Decide to Show Up; The Willamette Valley is Ready

A couple days ago I woke up to snow. It's like mid to late-ish March here. Why are there snow flakes? I live in Seattle, at like 4 feet above sea level, it's warm, or it's supposed to be. This is nonsensical.Spring is supposed to be coming upon us and if it ever gets here there are a bevy of Oregon Wine events to greet it. Luckily for us, and perhaps more importantly, these events will go off in spite of the weather. Oregon Wine Month was declared for the month of May and we'll have lots of Oregon wine to talk about in the next few weeks. There are so many events and some we will highlight more in-depth. What I do want to bring your attention...

Monday, March 19, 2012

Big Table Farm: Living the Dream

There is something endearing about a sweet newborn baby with a surprising shock of black hair. Equally unexpected is the bright pink Victorian home that sits among the rolling hills and green pastures at Big Table Farm. Built in 1900, this distinctive house belongs to Brian Marcy, Clare Carver and their dogs, Clementine and Levi. A homestead like setting, the 70 acre farm in Gaston, Oregon has a vegetable garden, chickens, pigs, cattle and draft horses. Modeled after the sustainable farming practices in Michael Pollan’s book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, Brian and Clare endeavor to create a setting where the farm animals have a quality life,...

Friday, March 16, 2012

Friday Find, March 16

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this" and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest. The secret and intertwined histories of the Illuminati and Freemasonry are a long and debated topic.  While the Freemason...

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Stoller Vineyards; A Star has Risen

While she's not new to the scene, winemaker Melissa Burr  is a rising star in the Willamette Valley, or maybe a legitimate star risen.  Despite her youth, she's been at it quite awhile now with 2011 representing her ninth vintage.  It's fair to say however that the sky is the limit for both Melissa and Stoller Vineyards. Situated at the south end of the Dundee Hills Stoller Vineyards is planted on what was the largest turkey farm in Oregon until the late 1980s.  The turkey farm gave way to vineyard rows planted in 1995 through 1997.  Largely Pinot Noir which was sold to other winemakers.  Harry Peterson-Nedry...

Monday, March 12, 2012

A Rusty Grape By Any Other Name...

Photo Credit: Paul Freemanhttp://autumnlight.bizThere's an old adage that warns "Don't judge a book by its cover." Battle Ground, Washington, a sleepy enclave in Southwest Washington known locally for its stunning volunteer-constructed contributions to the Portland Rose Parade and its summer Harvest Days festival, knows a thing or two about that expression. For there is no battle ground in Battle Ground, you see.Quick history detour: Captain Strong convinced Klickitat Chief Umtuch and his tribe to return to nearby Fort Vancouver without a single shot being fired. For his efforts: he was the only casualty of the encounter - some say by soldier,...

Friday, March 09, 2012

Friday Find, March 9

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this" and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest. Today’s Friday Find is a delicious segue from winter into spring. Assuming we have seen the last of winter’s weather,...

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

The Future of Oregon Wine: Ripe for Success

Is it possible to gather 1300 wine lovers for two days of Enology, Viticulture and Business lectures, not simply to drink wine? To the shock and awe of many, the answer is yes. The Oregon Wine Industry Symposium took place February 21 -22 in Portland, essentially a State of the Industry address. Do the words “symposium” and “breakout session” send you running, or clicking over to check your Facebook page? Stay with us, and instead, prepare for metallic pom poms and megaphones. Those who appreciate Oregon wine unite in a collective holler - “Go Team!” We know why we love them, but how are Oregon wines seen through the eyes of the world?...

Monday, March 05, 2012

A Beginner's Guide to Celebrating Washington Wine Month

If you haven't heard March is Washington Wine Month.  In order to celebrate this fantastic occasion the Washington Wine Commission has a lot of things on the docket for the month culminating in the tasting event to end all tasting events Taste Washington on March 31st and April 1st. In addition to the specials from Washington winery tasting rooms, Safeway groceries (30% off!!) to Seattle area restaurant deals (which can be found here) you're probably wondering what you can do to celebrate?  We're here to help. First a crash course: second largest wine producing state to California, Washington has about 40,000 acres of vineyards...

Friday, March 02, 2012

Friday Find, March 2

Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this" and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.   In 1927 the state of Oregon selected the Western Meadowlark as it's state bird.  This selection was made by a popular...

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