tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58861395436309190182024-03-12T18:33:25.983-07:00(G)astronomyLiving in the middle of Oregon wine country, we have access to a lot of great wine, a lot of great food, and moderately dark skies. We're also influenced by the "do it yourself" food culture of Oregon where it's not uncommon for people to make their own beer and wine, charcuterie, bread, and cheese. Join me in my adventures in food, wine, astronomy, and about 100 other hobbies.Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-87642944480841055592019-05-20T13:16:00.000-07:002019-05-20T13:16:30.281-07:00Conversations With Myself<i>"Time is like wax, dripping from a candle flame. In the moment, it is molten and falling, with the capability to transform into any shape. Then the moment passes, and the wax hits the tabletop and solidifies into the shape it will always be. It becomes the past, a solid, single record of what happened, still holding in its wild curves and contours, the potential of every shape it could have held."<br />Welcome to Night Vale episode 21, "A Memory of Europe"</i><br /><br />We are who we are, in the situation we are, because of a whole series of decisions we've made in the past. Some of them were life changing and we knew it (or at least suspected it) at the time. Some were life changing and we had no idea. We still don't. Others seemed life changing, but maybe didn't really make much of a difference. Now I'm not saying that we are truly the masters of our fate, able to conjure up any outcome simply through our choices. No, there are too many elements outside of our control. But there are moments in everyone's life when we come to a fork in the road and we know it, and there's not usually a scarecrow there to help us decide. What if we'd taken the other path? What would our lives be like now if we had?<br /><br />There are many stories and plot lines where a character finds him or herself in a different timeline because of some change in the past. In many of these stories, the timelines move parallel to each other and the character can jump back and forth between them. But in most of these stories, at least the ones I know about, the character retains all of his or her past experiences in the new timeline and needs to figure out how their current situation is different from the one they remember. <br /><br />What if, instead of bouncing from timeline to timeline, you could pick out specific moments in the past, specific decisions that you made, and conjure up the you that made a different decision at that point, and talk to them in their version of the present. What if you could sit down and interview that other self about their life in 2019? What would you ask them? What do you wonder about from that alternate decision timeline? What specific decision points would you choose? Why?<br /><br />Would you even want to do this if you could? You can't trade places with your other selves, you can only know what would have been. Would that knowledge benefit you, or would it cause deep pangs of regret? Perhaps such knowledge is not helpful after all.<br /><br /><i>"It can be overwhelming, this splattered, inert wax, recording every turn not taken. What's the point? you ask. Why bother? you say. Oh Cecil, you cry. Oh Cecil.</i><div>
<i><br />But then you remember, I remember, that we are even now in another bit of molten wax. We are in a moment that is still falling, still volatile, and we will never be anywhere else. We will always be in that most dangerous, most exciting, most possible time of all: the now, where we can never know what shape the next moment will take. </i></div>
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<i><br />Stay tuned for... well, let's just find out together, shall we?<br />Goodnight, Night Vale. Goodnight."</i></div>
Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-50671092021893742232017-03-19T20:03:00.001-07:002017-03-19T20:03:43.070-07:00The Big Eclipse - Part 5: Totality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8pJqXohZOFwYgTQ7_nA4Z-K3CMqJaDr_FppkbyC7V1_2prD9f3pwLfLgv00L_U-DRlTwgwHCR6lZjP-zymIx-mehngpusXQvmXFOH7J5PCWlLMz19gtx58oFS10mahGr_f_ayWVE_6Ry/s1600/Feb_1998_Eclipse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8pJqXohZOFwYgTQ7_nA4Z-K3CMqJaDr_FppkbyC7V1_2prD9f3pwLfLgv00L_U-DRlTwgwHCR6lZjP-zymIx-mehngpusXQvmXFOH7J5PCWlLMz19gtx58oFS10mahGr_f_ayWVE_6Ry/s320/Feb_1998_Eclipse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As we approach second contact (the start of totality), things start happening pretty quickly. One phenomenon to look for a minute or 2 before totality is the shadow bands. These are very subtle wavy bands of alternating light and shadow similar to ripples seen on the bottom of a swimming pool on a sunny day. The best way to look for them is to put a white sheet or large (several square feet) piece of white paper on the ground. It's unclear exactly what causes this, but it's thought to be an effect of the very thin sliver of the sun's surface causing a diffraction effect. Photos and a good explanation can be found <a href="http://www.strickling.net/shadowbands.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkp7xEqYUKZvR9ivTk7aajne8OC-clGCeS_0LqtOFla8RapjS_JihnxkR8ROk-L7Xb4N2OJuRIHtAe26QvrEPAMLyYun2OMNHzGLgB_nFKar2j7eW7U02BUX_z0LCdgGvpWZcb0vmetMs/s1600/HSE_2013_EFlight_XavierJubier_110803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkp7xEqYUKZvR9ivTk7aajne8OC-clGCeS_0LqtOFla8RapjS_JihnxkR8ROk-L7Xb4N2OJuRIHtAe26QvrEPAMLyYun2OMNHzGLgB_nFKar2j7eW7U02BUX_z0LCdgGvpWZcb0vmetMs/s320/HSE_2013_EFlight_XavierJubier_110803.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baily's Beads</td></tr>
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As totality finally approaches, you may start to see the corona appear on the side of the sun away from the last spot of bright light. The corona is part of the sun's outer atmosphere and is always present but is much too faint to see in the glare of the sun's surface. Only when the surface is covered as during an eclipse can you see this faint wispy part of the sun. On the side where the sun's surface is still visible, you will begin to see alternating dark and bright areas instead of a smooth bright crescent. This is caused by the mountains and valleys on the edge of the moon blocking parts of the sun (mountains), while other parts are still visible through the valleys. These are known as "Baily's Beads". I should remind you that you should still be using your eye protection at this point since some small part of the sun's surface is still visible. However, you can take the filter off of your camera if you want to photograph Baily's Beads and the Diamond Ring. Just don't look directly through the view finder of an SLR camera yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAe2O-smt1NvBA21sd-xFHgu02H7cDCzxOFFjlEXVsKmBcDgoM802Up0_ZdnzyjX1Rzm_Vw6o7wQssYc_vQEdaC95OKozekngbNCscxbjYMKMqDIJIHc_v_J7Qu7jKq0VTi-WZl05unKq/s1600/diamond+ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAe2O-smt1NvBA21sd-xFHgu02H7cDCzxOFFjlEXVsKmBcDgoM802Up0_ZdnzyjX1Rzm_Vw6o7wQssYc_vQEdaC95OKozekngbNCscxbjYMKMqDIJIHc_v_J7Qu7jKq0VTi-WZl05unKq/s320/diamond+ring.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Diamond Ring</td></tr>
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The corona, combined with the last piece of the sun's bright surface comprises the so-called "diamond ring" effect, which occurs immediately before totality. The last glimpse of the surface is the diamond, and the corona forms the ring. Again, it's OK to quickly glance up to see the corona and diamond ring, but don't look directly at the diamond.<br />
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Finally, the last bit of the sun's surface disappears behind the moon and you will see the corona completely surrounding the dark moon. It is now perfectly safe to stare at the eclipse without eye protection. Now is also a great time to use binoculars to study the eclipse without the need for filters. However, you must keep track of the time so you aren't looking through binoculars when totality ends. For safety, I generally stop using binoculars at least 30 seconds before the predicted end of totality for my location.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvHfm57Dj-caorngICC-oj8jEcjQlYL7bQn-2EkDmx_xV2PK0mOKLaFikKKQxJ_96megS-u2_gNYunVmB2YQEW472ddSzn8VTRFYDPH4P1XEZwyyNbA7Nar4wdl41v0gPeK6jHquCGVsR/s1600/regulus-planets-sun-8-21-2017-Eddie-e1477595696172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvHfm57Dj-caorngICC-oj8jEcjQlYL7bQn-2EkDmx_xV2PK0mOKLaFikKKQxJ_96megS-u2_gNYunVmB2YQEW472ddSzn8VTRFYDPH4P1XEZwyyNbA7Nar4wdl41v0gPeK6jHquCGVsR/s320/regulus-planets-sun-8-21-2017-Eddie-e1477595696172.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now is the time to enjoy the beauty of the corona. Is it round or elongated? Does it seem evenly illuminated or are there streaks and streamers? While using binoculars, look for red prominences along the very edge of the moon. These are streams of hot glowing gas that rise off the surface of the sun. During the 1991 eclipse, the prominences were so large that it was possible to see them even without binoculars. Also take time to look around you during totality. It's twilight that doesn't seem quite right. The horizon in every direction looks like sunset. Also look for planets in the sky. Venus and Jupiter should be quite easy to see, and you may catch Mars and Mercury too, if you know where to look.<br />
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All too quickly the moon will move off the surface of the sun, resulting in a second diamond ring. The whole thing will then play out in reverse, starting with the diamond ring, then Baily's Beads, the shadow bands, and the moon slowly leaving the sun. Be sure to put the solar filter back on your camera at this point, and of course use appropriate eye protection for the remaining parts of the eclipse.<br />
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My next blog entry will discuss some pointers if you want to take pictures during the eclipse. However, my best piece of advice for photographing your first total eclipse is this: don't do it. There will be many, many pictures available on the internet after the eclipse, but only your eyes can register the grandeur that will stay with you for the rest of your life. This is a relatively short eclipse (at most 2.5 minutes, and considerably less depending on where you are), so you should spend most of your time just using your eyes and binoculars.<br />
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<br />Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-10677926848065119292016-10-12T10:06:00.000-07:002016-10-12T10:06:01.670-07:00The Big Eclipse - Part 4: What to Expect<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb9fxWmhvomndJo0Ga3SO1LHo7MftpK76TDMViNNh9Tr0MeTM9Wh4lrZUdA1TIJziPYQbHdEyifjYUDNHwYKk1C18pyzL9s-s46cWZ7JDZPJrnnomnlO9NB3VulPMPcVtz85kD_Izsqxe/s1600/Eclipse+phases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb9fxWmhvomndJo0Ga3SO1LHo7MftpK76TDMViNNh9Tr0MeTM9Wh4lrZUdA1TIJziPYQbHdEyifjYUDNHwYKk1C18pyzL9s-s46cWZ7JDZPJrnnomnlO9NB3VulPMPcVtz85kD_Izsqxe/s400/Eclipse+phases.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Composite of March 2016 eclipse by Justin Ng, <a href="http://www.justinngphoto.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #5b5b5b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">www.justinngphoto.com</a></td></tr>
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This post will start to cover what you can expect on eclipse day itself. It's going to be a very exciting day, and parts of it will fly by so fast you may miss things if you don't know to look for them. I'll cover the partial phases in this post, and then the moments right before totality and totality itself in the next one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfX2Oj9nzSAbgUtHYdQVzj7TOEclLUwzuVJ7UyPm4zZ5ulwMIuKpg6I_RBG3UpgXYD2AH6k58Cy2N1J7oriaKXcpE980VUsW8r1oTuWLQxNcgdyb9r02x5VLuT_fEIRzUAFz_o55-pKcq/s1600/TotalEclipseDiagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfX2Oj9nzSAbgUtHYdQVzj7TOEclLUwzuVJ7UyPm4zZ5ulwMIuKpg6I_RBG3UpgXYD2AH6k58Cy2N1J7oriaKXcpE980VUsW8r1oTuWLQxNcgdyb9r02x5VLuT_fEIRzUAFz_o55-pKcq/s320/TotalEclipseDiagram.jpg" width="320" /></a>First, it helps to remember and visualize what's actually happening here. The moon orbits the earth in approximately the same plane as the earth and sun. That means that every 29 and a half days the moon gets between the earth and sun. However, the moon's orbital plane isn't exactly the same as the earth and sun so usually rather than getting right in front of the sun, it is slightly above or below the sun so we don't see a solar eclipse every month, we just get a new moon. However, every once in a while, new moon occurs at those points in its orbit that do fall exactly between the sun and the earth, and we get a solar eclipse. The next very cool fact is that even through the sun is much, much larger than the moon, it is also much further away. In fact, the size of the moon and size of the sun and their distances from the earth just happen to work out so that the moon <i>appears</i> to be exactly the same size as the sun when viewed from earth. Actually, depending on where the moon is in its orbit, it may appear slightly larger or slightly smaller, hence annular eclipses vs. total eclipses. As soon as you get your safe solar filter, go outside and look at the sun through it. It is the same size as the full moon! Cool, huh?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjafYaRGuhLlM0bvb_k0H5Jqc6Exf_b5cZ7c2YYJFSl_NdKyAEslYnGrT1EwCuEvNTwbcTToZuRiBaK25SRR7oa5YpcOiKo308eZa4LoerRo9K0Q9W_pAETBhEv-pF_U2xYZ-jAE8WkpQ/s1600/DSC_0606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjafYaRGuhLlM0bvb_k0H5Jqc6Exf_b5cZ7c2YYJFSl_NdKyAEslYnGrT1EwCuEvNTwbcTToZuRiBaK25SRR7oa5YpcOiKo308eZa4LoerRo9K0Q9W_pAETBhEv-pF_U2xYZ-jAE8WkpQ/s320/DSC_0606.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Contact</td></tr>
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So, in short, the moon is slowly moving across the sky in its orbit and is about to cross in front of the sun. You won't be able to see the moon itself in the sky because it's illuminated side is pointed away from us, toward the sun. But you will be able to see the moon start to pass in front of the sun. The moment that the edge of the moon is first detectable in front of the sun is called "first contact" and is the beginning of the eclipse.<br />
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For the next hour or so, you will see the moon continue to move in front of the sun, blocking out more and more of it. There are several things to look for during this time, especially as totality approaches. First, it's going to get darker, but not as much as you might think. The sun is very bright, and even when some of it is still showing, there will be plenty of light. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOPUb2v4Frs699CD_nYCSItf8u1VoM7L_4eAO259L-OG-lb4SIk-9sRV8MtratExzE1bRfhY7qEyL5H1B1qssCbQyBkH1fnmt1s_ZoqABpsOc0M16R2nsZHp4BIDt06YvOCQH5tTaxnq7/s1600/IMG_1126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOPUb2v4Frs699CD_nYCSItf8u1VoM7L_4eAO259L-OG-lb4SIk-9sRV8MtratExzE1bRfhY7qEyL5H1B1qssCbQyBkH1fnmt1s_ZoqABpsOc0M16R2nsZHp4BIDt06YvOCQH5tTaxnq7/s320/IMG_1126.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's really important to continue to use your safe solar filter during the entire partial phase of the eclipse. But now is also the time to look for as many "pinholes" as you can find around you and use them to project images of the crescent sun. Good places to find pinholes are saltine crackers, your straw hat, and overlapping tree leaves. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws6DgoRC4YfEvm62U-jlRdYk2Ql-xi0ygpfWLYYotw6oxl6jUkQ-0S1GdOikFtyHqgFrPnbeNras0lLW0lVugcxjA9hsh2_mwLkevjo6qGgUU7jnVy0XC0nPzm36XgIDLO0tBr-OH7OfL/s1600/IMG_1127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws6DgoRC4YfEvm62U-jlRdYk2Ql-xi0ygpfWLYYotw6oxl6jUkQ-0S1GdOikFtyHqgFrPnbeNras0lLW0lVugcxjA9hsh2_mwLkevjo6qGgUU7jnVy0XC0nPzm36XgIDLO0tBr-OH7OfL/s320/IMG_1127.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the crescent suns in the lower right of the shadow?</td></tr>
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Look at the sun filtering through the leaves of a tree on the ground underneath it. Can you see overlapping images of the crescent sun? <br />
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You may also notice that shadows are a lot sharper and crisper as the sun's crescent gets smaller and smaller. Because the sun is normally about half a degree on the sky, shadow edges are slightly blurry because light from all parts of the sun pass by the edge of whatever is making the shadow, but as the crescent gets smaller, the shadow edge gets crisper. Because of this, the quality of the light is also very strange. Look around you - it's darker but not like a normal twilight. It's hard to describe, but you'll certainly notice the difference. The air will get a lot cooler too.<br />
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If you have binoculars or a telescope with a safe solar filter, be sure to look for sunspots during the partial phases. It's fun to watch the edge of the moon move toward the sunspots and "eat" them.<br />
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Also, notice how animals around you react to the eclipse. As it gets darker, birds will return to their roosts and may start singing as they would in the evening. We've seen porpoises dance in the ship's wake as they do in the morning and evening.<br />
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As I mentioned, the partial phase from first contact to totality will last about an hour and 15 minutes. Use whatever safe viewing method you've chosen to check on the moon's progress every few minutes, especially if there are sunspots. And take the time to look around and observe your surroundings. How soon could you tell that something strange was going on if you didn't (safely) look at the sun?<br />
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As we are just a few minutes away from totality, the pace picks up and there's a lot to look for. I'll cover this in my next post.Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-54073620130299166232016-10-04T14:55:00.002-07:002016-10-04T14:56:24.567-07:00The Big Eclipse - Part 3: What to bring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Like the Boy Scouts, the eclipse chaser's motto is "Be Prepared." Totality lasts a very short time, at most about 2.5 minutes depending on where you're viewing. You won't have time to make decisions or wish you had another piece of equipment once the eclipse starts. So it's important to have a checklist of what to have with you (this post), and a complete, well rehearsed plan for what you're going to do during the eclipse (a future post). <br />
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You probably have some of this already, but other specialty items like the solar filters and maybe even binoculars or telescope or camera lenses may need to be purchased in advance.<br />
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We've already covered the basic items for safe viewing in the previous post. You'll need one or more of the following:<br />
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<ul>
<li>*Cardboard solar viewing glasses or #14 welders glass for direct viewing</li>
<li>Pinhole viewer of some kind such as described in my previous post</li>
<li>*Binoculars (both for projecting the partial phase, and direct viewing of totality).</li>
<li>Solar filters for binoculars</li>
<li>Solar filter for camera lens</li>
<li>Solar filter for telescope</li>
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* Must-have items in my opinion</div>
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In addition, you may want to consider the following additional equipment for viewing and imaging the eclipse. I'll talk about photography in more detail in an upcoming post.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Small (40-80mm) telescope with solar filter</li>
<li>Camera with appropriate filter, ideally a DSLR with a 200mm or longer lens. A focal length of 400 to 500mm is ideal. </li>
<li>Video camera</li>
<li>Tripods for the cameras</li>
<li>A white sheet or tablecloth for viewing shadow bands (more about this in a future post)</li>
<li>Printed timetable of the eclipse customized for your viewing site. Remember that the different parts of the eclipse happen at different times depending on your location. Use the NASA map (<a href="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html">http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html</a>) and zoom in on your viewing location. Click on the map at your location and a pop-up will display all the important info for that location.</li>
<li>Accurate time source (most cell phones are good enough).</li>
<li>Sketchbook. Some people like to draw what they see during both the partial phases (sunspots) and totality. </li>
</ul>
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Finally, there are several items you might want to bring to help you stay comfortable during the eclipse. They include:</div>
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<li>Chairs or blankets to sit on. Remember that the eclipse lasts about 2 and a half hours from first contact to last contact. A reclining lounge chair is a comfy way to view the whole eclipse.</li>
<li>Shade (an umbrella or canopy). </li>
<li>A straw hat. One reason for this is to keep the sun off your head, but the other reason is that straw hats form tons of pinholes for viewing the partial phases of the eclipse.</li>
<li>Plenty of water. Hey, it's August and likely to be hot. Snackage too.</li>
<li>Sunscreen and sunglasses (duh). But remember, it's not safe to look directly at the sun through sunglasses.</li>
</ul>
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That's pretty much all I can think of at the moment, but I'll go back and add things as I think of them. As always, if you have questions or want advice about equipment, feel free to contact me.</div>
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Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-722837658176386212016-10-02T15:41:00.000-07:002016-10-02T15:41:00.449-07:00The Big Eclipse - Part 2: Viewing SafelyI was going to devote this post to a discussion about what to bring to the eclipse, but I realized that I can't really talk about what to bring until I've discussed viewing safety and the items you'll want to have for that. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor_KbVb-ZxWNTABl1DD-w8I6WNtl0CnLqDvF47VCqLvFvE-Qlzu7e3624i7pewBiC_LxiaQ2H2xRj9Lzl04YJ3muuR1ReO68Yfgbcw90N7Zxl-7O2u00o_8WvpJrVkU9Ho4dxI8GEn-4_/s1600/DSC_0611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor_KbVb-ZxWNTABl1DD-w8I6WNtl0CnLqDvF47VCqLvFvE-Qlzu7e3624i7pewBiC_LxiaQ2H2xRj9Lzl04YJ3muuR1ReO68Yfgbcw90N7Zxl-7O2u00o_8WvpJrVkU9Ho4dxI8GEn-4_/s320/DSC_0611.JPG" width="320" /></a>First and foremost: <b>never look directly at the sun</b> (except during totality). Don't look at it using your naked eyes, don't look at it through an unfiltered telescope or binoculars, don't look at it through an unfiltered camera. The sun is no more dangerous to look at during an eclipse than normal, but people are more tempted to do so during an eclipse. The <b>only</b> exception to this is during those few minutes or seconds of actual totality when the entire surface of the sun is blocked by the moon. Even a very deep partial eclipse is not safe to look at. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgDDZdZc82p1pnxbempmiJBQMuG0_QSpAPhrnFC8XMUa6ASdUJ6X04G7I_cmkN8d7BHS_veERQ-4jVbVdWHJN_UUQ-5UQ_d0T0Jv_yyNyxRHQHFUhdFMx3svNIeYxgpf0vChddHkL6j6_/s1600/pinhole_demo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgDDZdZc82p1pnxbempmiJBQMuG0_QSpAPhrnFC8XMUa6ASdUJ6X04G7I_cmkN8d7BHS_veERQ-4jVbVdWHJN_UUQ-5UQ_d0T0Jv_yyNyxRHQHFUhdFMx3svNIeYxgpf0vChddHkL6j6_/s320/pinhole_demo.jpg" width="320" /></a>However, the partial phases of a solar eclipse are really interesting too, seeing the outline of the moon creep slowly across the sun's surface. So what can you do to view it safely? Fortunately there are many options. The easiest and safest is to use pinhole projection. Basically you're building a simple pinhole camera. Of course anything with small holes will work. I've seen people use saltine crackers, and I've used my straw hat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DSsrdI3w1XH_m7zyyqTspj4v9nb22UZ-exX1-1Qi7oYMqD2t-lp0zB1ZvPdsEghBtj87jEqRT-N1cL8rg8REKgmIMWN1Bpb1NIY7AJKCQTdN_ISfzTDXH2ApPUj06yXqtN2i3RFiZVtM/s1600/pinhole+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DSsrdI3w1XH_m7zyyqTspj4v9nb22UZ-exX1-1Qi7oYMqD2t-lp0zB1ZvPdsEghBtj87jEqRT-N1cL8rg8REKgmIMWN1Bpb1NIY7AJKCQTdN_ISfzTDXH2ApPUj06yXqtN2i3RFiZVtM/s320/pinhole+box.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'd recommend using a cardboard box with one side removed and a pinhole in a piece of foil at one end. Here's a good link that describes how to build one: <a href="http://kitchenpantryscientist.com/tag/pinhole/">http://kitchenpantryscientist.com/tag/pinhole/</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdfmkkoRuSWtlmYYmnHrRnypsCBN04nO0PrInWGJ2b6y3H0H_YA1mJ_7Va27gu4ipjhXtTRPihEEkLd0CaidF-Dys7K87lbA-A81yyShDE0I9808OdiTRli7VtDoraDmTG4yo10BMqYSI/s1600/binoprojection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdfmkkoRuSWtlmYYmnHrRnypsCBN04nO0PrInWGJ2b6y3H0H_YA1mJ_7Va27gu4ipjhXtTRPihEEkLd0CaidF-Dys7K87lbA-A81yyShDE0I9808OdiTRli7VtDoraDmTG4yo10BMqYSI/s320/binoprojection.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Another safe way to view with slightly better image quality is to use a pair of binoculars to project the image of the sun onto a light colored surface. Again, do not look through the binoculars. Leave the lens cap on one side of the binoculars and aim at the sun with the eyepiece pointed at a light colored surface a few feet away. You may need to adjust the distance between the binoculars and the surface to achieve good focus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTONtccgl17SDGDmgrZkOKhdH0GJ2Xom7cBANkLIvqHe0kKIpI1HTvcw_7LPdIlCTVW8D36tPWq3YFSNWsh__8YCfJ276s4gl0Fq6Ka-kYWIFRBW5_HEZ_sWoIy4Rxd3t96mo_21eYouZ/s1600/welders-glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTONtccgl17SDGDmgrZkOKhdH0GJ2Xom7cBANkLIvqHe0kKIpI1HTvcw_7LPdIlCTVW8D36tPWq3YFSNWsh__8YCfJ276s4gl0Fq6Ka-kYWIFRBW5_HEZ_sWoIy4Rxd3t96mo_21eYouZ/s320/welders-glass.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqatf07M5p89Zo8gcRuaqKqtcTXbgtb5NsLfST77cO4f47IO6RmMW-ym8brNdM74jH6wwERcRsDCmtxeHJqlYEtaWppicwePsBairT1dLqwlLEIw2WIAg0ltM4ggnzp7kdawIJz4Bd454/s1600/11835192-eclipse-glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqatf07M5p89Zo8gcRuaqKqtcTXbgtb5NsLfST77cO4f47IO6RmMW-ym8brNdM74jH6wwERcRsDCmtxeHJqlYEtaWppicwePsBairT1dLqwlLEIw2WIAg0ltM4ggnzp7kdawIJz4Bd454/s320/11835192-eclipse-glasses.jpg" width="320" /></a>If you want to look directly at the sun, you'll need a safe filter. Examples of safe filters include #14 welder's glass and aluminized glass or mylar filters specifically designed for solar observing. Do not use sunglasses, film negatives, smoked glass, or neutral density filters. Do not use space blankets or other aluminized mylar not specifically manufactured for solar viewing.<br />
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Safe solar filters come in several forms. There are the cardboard "eclipse glasses" for naked eye viewing that are available from many online sources. I strongly recommend that you buy a few of these regardless of what else you get. They are relatively inexpensive and it's really cool to see the partial phases of the eclipse directly using those glasses. Just Google "eclipse glasses" to see your purchasing options. If you're local, I have quite a few extras that I'm happy to share.<br />
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If you want to try photographing the eclipse (the subject of a future post) or viewing through a telescope or binoculars, you'll also need a solar filter that fits snugly over the end of the camera lens, telescope, or binoculars. There are many suppliers for these filters, but I like Oceanside Photo and Telescope: <a href="https://www.optcorp.com/solar-telescopes-ha-filters/white-light-filters-herschel-wedges.html">https://www.optcorp.com/solar-telescopes-ha-filters/white-light-filters-herschel-wedges.html</a>. Look for a filter that is slightly larger than the outside diameter of your lens or telescope. You may need to add some foam tape to the inside of the filter for a snug fit.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsjPF7AgqyR-Dvnla-MKLfMynJxPa6Fri67Gp63b6V6ogE21HdXl9hly3eaRofYC9U_5qUY52aPEU0X4j4oNCWpCtB9WRX0d3UzoMJmDJAy_3iz5G_WuGj00H6rjiJ97BpmviFhDiEInT/s1600/scopefilter.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsjPF7AgqyR-Dvnla-MKLfMynJxPa6Fri67Gp63b6V6ogE21HdXl9hly3eaRofYC9U_5qUY52aPEU0X4j4oNCWpCtB9WRX0d3UzoMJmDJAy_3iz5G_WuGj00H6rjiJ97BpmviFhDiEInT/s1600/scopefilter.jpeg" /></a><br />
If you have specific questions or want help choosing a filter, please feel free to contact me.<br />
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This is really just a summary, and an excellent article on safe viewing can be found here: <a href="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html">http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html</a> and I'd strongly urge you to read it.<br />
<br />Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-33533317953174972372016-10-01T17:07:00.000-07:002016-10-01T17:36:33.318-07:00The Big Eclipse - Part 1: Where to go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwzZfinVADGhcW3jnz7po7YcyJKKqw1U0IbF-YGmAI7ciDmpkDpBFSDHn8qcHRlCLQi6YLiOM_PzN6cX5qvLvOKA_W60f0B9XKP_K8fQevwAfJ-RBVdWQaAN_qE-2DLTi7fvnFvyE6shF/s1600/Feb_1998_Eclipse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwzZfinVADGhcW3jnz7po7YcyJKKqw1U0IbF-YGmAI7ciDmpkDpBFSDHn8qcHRlCLQi6YLiOM_PzN6cX5qvLvOKA_W60f0B9XKP_K8fQevwAfJ-RBVdWQaAN_qE-2DLTi7fvnFvyE6shF/s320/Feb_1998_Eclipse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
By now you've all probably heard that there's going to be a total solar eclipse visible across the US on August 21st of next year. The news stories started appearing almost a year ago, and the coverage has been getting more intense every month. I've actually been looking forward to this eclipse since I first found out about it about 15 years ago. This is one you definitely don't want to miss; I've seen 2 total solar eclipses (and been clouded out for a third), and they are one of the most amazing spectacles of nature that you'll ever witness. <br />
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Because I've been getting so many requests for advice about the eclipse, I thought I'd cover it here in the next 3 or 4 blog posts. I'll cover topics including where to view, what to bring, how to safely view the eclipse, and what to expect during the eclipse itself. This particular post will focus on where to view since it's not too early (and may be too late in some cases) to start planning your travel.<br />
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Let me first say that unless you happen to live in the narrow (about 60 miles wide) path of totality, you won't see a total eclipse. Rachel compares a total eclipse to being pregnant. It's either total or it's not - there so such thing as "mostly total". Even if you live close to the path of totality, you'll only see a deep partial eclipse which is absolutely, completely, and in every way NOT a total solar eclipse. If you're even slightly considering not traveling into the path of totality, please contact me so I can talk you out of it. Please. So, most of us are going to need to travel. But where?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnr2174vjDczBsxRBw5Whz9NBGqIb6q-TnI7EA0IuMHw9xStStziM59vIu5n01YIu6_Bg5XaSGftQKMbcpkNe_UsdHgU_75a9RPuNxMA-ZPpDCNgEZXa4k72whYBl_5frN8aHFizj2X3i/s1600/eclipsemap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnr2174vjDczBsxRBw5Whz9NBGqIb6q-TnI7EA0IuMHw9xStStziM59vIu5n01YIu6_Bg5XaSGftQKMbcpkNe_UsdHgU_75a9RPuNxMA-ZPpDCNgEZXa4k72whYBl_5frN8aHFizj2X3i/s320/eclipsemap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
NASA has a wonderful interactive Google map showing the path of totality here: <a href="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html">http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html</a> As you can see, it stretches across the US from Oregon through the midwest, and leaving in South Carolina. It passes over some major cities such as Salem, OR, Idaho Falls, ID, Jackson and Casper, WY, Kansas City (barely), Columbia, MO, Nashville, TN, and Charleston, SC. The other important point to note about this map is that the closer you are to the centerline (the red line on the map), the longer the eclipse will be. The 2 blue lines show the limits of totality, but if you're right near that blue line, you may only see a few seconds of totality as opposed to around 2 minutes at the center. So as you think about a location, choose one close to the centerline if possible.<br />
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Weather is also a consideration. Fortunately August is generally pretty good weather-wise across most of the path of totality. But of course some places are better than others. A good set of maps and charts describing historical cloud cover for August can be found here: <a href="http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/weather/2017_clouds.htm">http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/weather/2017_clouds.htm</a> For those in Oregon, Salem actually isn't bad, while the coast is riskier (but it would be amazing to watch from the beach). Of course these are only averages, and the weather on the actual eclipse day could be anything.<br />
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Your next decision is whether or not you want to try and stay somewhere overnight or just drive on the day of the eclipse. In Oregon, the eclipse starts around 9am, with totality about 10:20 am. If you live close to the centerline, this gives you plenty of time to drive to your location, watch the eclipse, and drive home the same day. This means no overnight accommodations are needed, and you can change your destination at the last minute in case of local clouds at your chosen spot. However, if you plan to view more than a few hours from home, you'll probably need to travel the day before and stay overnight. Unfortunately many (most?) hotels and campgrounds along the centerline are already booked. But that doesn't mean you can't try. You can also try to book lodging an hour or 2 away from centerline and drive to your viewing site that morning. But if you do plan to stay overnight somewhere, start making arrangements now.<br />
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OK, you've decided approximately where you're going to be. But where, exactly, are you going to view from? Fortunately the sun will be fairly high in the sky for everyone in the US, so you won't need to find a place with good views to the horizon. I recommend a nice grassy park somewhere, but anywhere will work. We watched an annular eclipse from the balcony of a motel a few years ago. The entire eclipse from beginning to end lasts a little over 2 hours, so if you're going to watch the whole thing, be sure to pick someplace that you can stay around that long. We have also found it really great to view with a crowd, especially if some of them have telescopes fitted with a solar filter. Check with science museums and astronomy clubs in your area to see where they are having viewing parties. But be aware that organized events like this are likely to be very, very crowded. Again, a public park might just be perfect.<br />
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In my next blog, I'll discuss what you might want to bring to the eclipse. Some items like solar glasses are a must and may be in short supply, so you'll want to order some soon. In the mean time, if you have questions, post them here and I'll try and answer them.<br />
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If you're local and would like to find out more about what it's like to see a total solar eclipse, we have a great video (on VHS!) made during the 1991 eclipse in Mexico that really does a great job of communicating the excitement of a total eclipse. This was my first successful solar eclipse, although we viewed it from a ship off of Mazatlan. If you have a VHS player, you're welcome to borrow it.<br />
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<br />Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-74184266051734196192014-01-26T21:54:00.000-08:002014-01-29T13:54:14.665-08:00Adventures in BreadOK, it's been a long time since I've updated this blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking, eating, and drinking wine. Just a little too busy to keep up the blog. A couple of months ago I decided that it was time to become a better bread baker, mostly as a result of reading Michael Pollan's latest book, <u>Cooked</u>. In it, he chronicles the amazing process of transformation that is cooking, using as metaphor the 4 ancient elements: earth, fire, air, and water. In his section on Air, he sets out to bake the perfect loaf of bread, and it inspired me to redouble my efforts. <br />
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Several years ago my mother in law gave me a book by Peter Reinhart (aka Brother Juniper) called <u>Crust and Crumb</u>. It was a fascinating book, but seemed to involve more time and effort than I was willing to put in. However, after going back to it, I decided that it wasn't so bad, and I would give it a shot. He has since written several more bread books including his latest, <u>Artisan Breads Every Day</u>, which takes a lot of the principles he's developed over that past several years and distilled them into an easier overnight method that retains most of the benefits of his long pre-ferments in the previous books. <br />
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Since I'm already about 3 months into the journey, I'll summarize my progress so far in this post, and then try to keep up more detailed posts as I go along. This is really driven by my need to take notes of what I've done for myself, but if anyone else finds it of interest, so much the better!<br />
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In November, I wanted to set down a baseline for my bread. For a little over a year, my best effort with every day lean (French) bread used a recipe from Brian and Clare and Big Table Farm. It's essentially a no-knead overnight bread that produces pretty good results. So, I made a batch in November and it turned out pretty well. I gave most of it to co-workers, and they seemed to enjoy it.<br />
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Here are the next batches that I made (as best as I can remember them) and my notes:<br />
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Dec 7th: Baked French Bread I from Crust and Crumb. I made 3 loaves - 2 batards and one shaped in an oblong proofing basket. I baked them on the pizza stone, and baked the 2 batards together, and then the other one. The crumb was light and airy, and the crust was nice too. I think it was better than the Big Table recipe (but takes much longer). Our oven seems to run slow, so I had to increase baking time.<br />
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Around this time I was also trying to get a native yeast starter going, but failed after 3 attempts. I still need to try this again, and it seems that Brother Juniper has updated information about this in his latest book, indicating the need to add some acid to the starter. We'll see.<br />
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Next up was an attempt at some whole grain breads. As Micheal Pollan says, "The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead"!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07tS2qiyH0APzONCZ25mHaUHASIfc8QzQwfM1LuDa3GON19MJ3aNV-vMm4RoF-30c8_MzQSZ90OEgp1syGRnm8fRLDS2z85poBKhwhdLAruLh0W8rMm_l_beVZGFIXmlzg3sCscvPBvHO/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07tS2qiyH0APzONCZ25mHaUHASIfc8QzQwfM1LuDa3GON19MJ3aNV-vMm4RoF-30c8_MzQSZ90OEgp1syGRnm8fRLDS2z85poBKhwhdLAruLh0W8rMm_l_beVZGFIXmlzg3sCscvPBvHO/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Dec 30th: I went all out and made 2 different breads - Everyday 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, and 100% Whole Wheat Hearth Bread, both from Artisan Breads Every Day. These are very wet doughs, and use his new "Stretch and Fold" method rather than traditional kneading. The results were spectacular for the sandwich bread, and not too bad for the hearth loaf. The problem is that while the whole wheat bread is better for you, it just doesn't work with pasta or other things where you've gotten used to white French bread. That said, the hearth bread was really quite good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuBRKkZgwLEGnQH5K8LV_b2v7kAMmRylPz-GAmFmylBw3ra_pfcKMCEMKAk-JUYOvXhig0H1K99HaROBI3CNkgOSGLRjln3EkCVPXh-YI3b4hXCk1vNK8i1Q2B6DLmEVD5vRPqm_sLUtX/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuBRKkZgwLEGnQH5K8LV_b2v7kAMmRylPz-GAmFmylBw3ra_pfcKMCEMKAk-JUYOvXhig0H1K99HaROBI3CNkgOSGLRjln3EkCVPXh-YI3b4hXCk1vNK8i1Q2B6DLmEVD5vRPqm_sLUtX/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>I was also able to use my new food slicer to make perfect sandwich slices out of the sandwich bread! There's nothing to note here, other than that I hope the next batch turns out as well as the first. I used the dark metal loaf pans and followed the directions. For the sugar option, I used plain old granulated sugar. Rachel and I agree that this is the best WW sandwich bread we've found so far.<br />
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Next up was an attempt to make a better french loaf using the overnight method...<br />
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Jan 25th: Made Classic French Bread from Artisan Breads Every Day. This is a dryer dough, and Brother Juniper says that this requires a "light but firm touch" whatever that means. It uses traditional kneading rather than stretch and fold. I made 4 small batards and baked them all together on the stone. They ended up being somewhat underdone and the taste wasn't all that interesting. Also, the crumb was tight and even - not something you want in a rustic bread. All in all, not as good as the previous effort. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuFBRKERI6-Vza1XcbHXs_YBesw-CV2HPYdTWACVHc1tgaa7fkLYZ_odjzBiXtSvOTjZgF-WMVxWZY1yJEXnkFJlxYxJG-TCEWpoN-JjRE-oAcL_b-bkhNDAQbzv0uwdF_SMdxtZN6DMy/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuFBRKERI6-Vza1XcbHXs_YBesw-CV2HPYdTWACVHc1tgaa7fkLYZ_odjzBiXtSvOTjZgF-WMVxWZY1yJEXnkFJlxYxJG-TCEWpoN-JjRE-oAcL_b-bkhNDAQbzv0uwdF_SMdxtZN6DMy/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>I also made rye sandwich bread using a recipe from the Smitten Kitchen website: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/01/new-york-deli-rye-bread It uses an interesting sponge pre-ferment where you add the rest of the dry ingredients on top of the sponge. I used dark whole grain rye flour from Bob's Red Mill instead of the standard light rye that the recipe calls for. I used honey instead of malt. It was a beautiful loaf, and it tastes pretty good. Again, I fear that it is slightly underdone, but maybe not. I ended up slicing it and freezing it all for pastrami sandwiches (using home made pastrami that I just finished today!). I'll report back on the rye bread after we've had a chance to make sandwiches out of it. <br />
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Jan 26th: Made Lean Bread from Artisan Breads Every Day. This is another wet overnight dough using the stretch and fold method. Again, I made 4 smaller batards and again baked them all together on the stone, and again the center was underdone. Rachel pointed out that the problem is likely that they are just too close together. Given that the side crusts are not golden brown and delicious, I think she may be right. The top crust is certainly as done as I'd like it, so next time I'll just bake 2 at a time (or get a bigger stone!). That said, this bread is delicious and has a larger more uneven crumb. This is the best so far. I also left it in the fridge for about 20 hours rather than 12, and I think that helped with the flavor development as well.<br />
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Ah, one other thing: pizza crust. I'm looking for a) the perfect pizza crust, and b) a whole wheat version that isn't awful. On the second point, I tried this recipe: http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/100-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/a1b4fa8d-1f67-4955-8fe7-96649a7186e7 and was quite happy with the results. For whole wheat, it wasn't bad. Maybe next time I should try it with about half white flour...<br />
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So, that gets us up to date. Lessons learned so far:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Don't be afraid to get a deep brown crust</li>
<li>Don't crowd the loaves on the stone. Bake in smaller batches if needed.</li>
<li>The whole wheat sandwich loaf is a winner.</li>
<li>Remove the parchment paper from between the stone and the bread when you turn it. I suspect that it's causing the underside of the bread to burn a bit.</li>
</ul>
<br />Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-29403561677779808622011-10-30T19:08:00.000-07:002011-10-30T19:14:15.914-07:00Hawaii Cruise - Day<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame- color:rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Today started early when the room service steward knocked on the door 15 minutes early. Fortunately we were already awake and I answered the door and brought in my breakfast. I had decided to order breakfast in the room to save time since we had to be ashore at 8:15 to catch our tour. I had ordered "Mueslix"' thinking that it was the Kellog's cereal. It was actually Swedish Muesli that had been soaking overnight. It was good, but not quite what I had expected. Rachel had gone up to the Lido to get breakfast and then on to her morning stretch class. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>The advantage to staying in the room is that I get to see us pull into port, which I always enjoy. Today we are in Nawiliwili on the island of Kauai. This was yet another huge contrast with yesterday's docking in Honolulu. Instead of urban sprawl, we pulled into a small harbor surrounded by mountains covered in lush green. It is a spectacular place! </div><div><br /></div><div>We went ashore and quickly found the sign for today's tour: the Zipline Adventure Iki Mua. We had done ziplines in Mexico on our last cruise, and we certainly didn't believe that this could even come close to that. So, rather than compare the 2, we both decided that they were different, and that we were determined to have a great time on this one. There were 12 people on this tour, including a very nice couple from Austin - Paula and Parker (it was Paula's 60th birthday), and a couple of Rondas. They both thought it funny that there were 2 Rondas, and each assumed that the other had an "h" in her name, but neither did. After loading us into a 15 passenger van, we headed up the road to the Kipu Ranch, It had, of course, been a sugar plantation, but was now a cattle ranch. The short drive to the ranch was beautiful, and Rachel and I agreed that we'll come back and spend more time on Kauai in the future. </div><div><br /></div><div>After getting outfitted with helmets and harnesses, we took a short walk to the first zipline. In Puerto Vallarta, we had only a waist/seat harness, but today they added a shoulder harness for reasons that will become clear.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cory, one of the guides, gave us the safety briefing at the first line. He told us that he really, really needed our full attention, as he was about to push us off a cliff! In Mexico, thee ziplines were a double rope, while here they were a single cable. We were given gloves in Mexico and could control our speed by pulling down on the top rope. Here, we were further from the cable and told not to touch it - just enjoy the ride. And, we did. It was a fairly short zip over a canyon, and we landed up a hill on the other side. We then hiked back up to do the same line again. This was actually kind of nice since you knew what to expect the second time and could relax and enjoy it a bit more. It was a blast!</div><div><br /></div><div>We then moved on to the "Zippel", a cross between a zipline and a rappel. After rappelling down some steep stairs, we were suspended by the zip line, and were able to control our speed to the bottom using the rappel line. It was OK, but I prefer real rappelling down a cliff face. The final zip was a tandem line with a lot of slack so that you shot down the first side, and then up the second side. You'd then slide back and forth a couple of times and come to rest at the lowest point. It was here that the guides would push a very tall orchard ladder up to you, and unhook you so that you can climb down. Because there was no actual landing, they encouraged us to fly inverted (hence the full harness). I did it the first time and it was great. The second time, I shot video as I went down (Rachel went next to me on the other line). I stayed upright, but got great footage or Rachel flying upside down.</div><div><br /></div><div>After this, we got out of our gear and made the short (but very bumpy) ride back to the ship. We got back around 11:30, and had our usual sit-down lunch in the dinning room. We ate with a very nice older couple from Wisconsin. The husband had some memory problems, and his wife had ordered for him. She told him what he was getting, but every time the food arrived, he'd ask "did I order this?" She took very good care of him, and they were fun to eat with.</div><div><br /></div><div>After lunch we got off again and walked over to Nawiliwili Park. We walked out to the end of the breakwater across from the ship and enjoyed the view. Just as we were getting read to leave, a huge tour bus pulled up and people started getting off. We were getting ready to walk back when both Mama and Aunt Merna got off the bus! There were on a quick 5 minute photo stop. We chatted briefly and took their picture with the ship in the background. They re-boarded their bus, and we walked over toward the beach. We sat and watched the surfers for a while. We also enjoyed watching a small catamaran sailing around. Finally, the cat joined the surfers, and caught a wave into the shore - it looked like quite a ride!</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, we walked to the shopping area and bought a couple of souvenirs before heading back to the ship. It was great to get out and walk for a while.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ship departed slightly early, so Rachel and I got to watch us sail out of the harbor from our vantage point on deck 9 forward,We passed by the breakwater and past a couple of picturesque lighthouses before heading for a clear horizon. How I love the feeling of setting out onto the open ocean!</div><div><br /></div><div>At dinner, they were serving liver and onions, so Rachel ordered that and ate it all. It's one of the few foods that she really likes that I don't, so she has it whenever she gets the chance. I had a tasty bit of haddock - the fish as been consistently great so far. The 4 of us shared a delicious bottle of Conundrum - a Napa Valley white wine blend.</div><div><br /></div><div>After dinner we went topside to enjoy the amazing clear skies. The crescent moon was sinking in the west, shining on the water. The problem was that the wind was blowing at about 35 mph, so we didn't stay long. After a quick trip back to our cabin to recover from the wind in our hair, we parked ourselves in the Crow's lounge to listen to Chris for about an hour and a half. He was great, as usual. At about 10:00 we went to hear a virtuoso harmonica performance. It was Bernie Fields backed by the Halcats (6 piece stage band). I thought he was magnificent, but Rachel had to leave in the middle because she couldn't stand it. Oh well.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the show I enjoyed the stars for a few minutes more from our verandah before retiring. Tomorrow is our last port of call, so this may be my last blog post until the end of the trip since we're going away from our home (free) internet. Radio silence will probably last until Saturday. Tune in then for more...</div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-8023464205860082922011-10-29T18:50:00.000-07:002011-10-29T18:51:53.047-07:00Hawaii Cruise - day 7<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Almost at the halfway mark! Today we woke up early again and watched us come into Honolulu on the island of Oahu. What a contrast with Hilo - instead of green hills and low buildings, the Honolulu skyline is marked by skyscrapers and settlements cascading down the hillside as if the houses flowed from a fissure on the hillside above the city. We docked next to the Aloha Tower right in downtown. Our tour didn't leave until 10:00, so we had a nice leisurely breakfast in the main dinning room before disembarking. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Today's shore excursion was the Atlantis submarine. We had done this once before in the Caribbean and were looking forward to it again. After standing in line in the terminal building, we boarded a trolly to head toward the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort. This is where one catches the shuttle boat out to the sub. </div><div><br /></div><div>A few thoughts before continuing, however. First, Honolulu doesn't hold a candle to the big island. It's a big city with bad traffic and a real tourist feel to it. There's an ABC store on every corner (cheap souvenirs), and no real authenticity to it. This is the second time we've been here, and I really tried to like it the first time, but it's just not for me. Second, the next time we're in Hawaii, whether on a cruise or just on vacation, I think it makes sense to just rent a car and drive out of the city to see that parts of the island that interest us, rather than taking the shore excursions. Finally, I'm sitting on our verandah at about 8:45 writing this, and there's loud pounding music from the party happening on the dock. Perhaps I'm just old...</div><div><br /></div><div>OK, back to our day. We arrived at the Hilton and walked out to the pier where the sub tours leave from (or "from which the sub tours leave" if you want to be grammatically correct). We had to wait about 15 minutes for the boat to arrive, but it was warm and (mostly) sunny and we were surrounded by clear water, so it wasn't too bad. They loaded up 2 subs worth of people on the boat and we took the 10 minute ride out to where we'd meet the subs. After we arrived at the drop zone, we were told to watch for a burst of bubbles on the surface. This would indicate where the sub was going to come up. Sure enough, Rachel saw it, and about a minute later the larger of the 2 subs surfaced. Our boat pulled alongside and the passengers got off the sub and onto the boat, and the next group moved from the boat to the sub. we got to see the sub go down and then waited for the next sub to surface. After the same routine, we boarded our sub. One of the crew members said that he often tells reluctant passengers that there are a lot more airplanes at the bottom of the sea than there are subs up in the air, so everything was going to be fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>The seats on the sub are arranged in 2 rows, back to back down the length of the sub so that each person is facing a window on the side of the sub. After everyone was loaded, the crew closed the hatches and we went down. Our first stop was at about 50 feet where we saw many small fish, sea urchins and some coral. We then headed further down the slope to deeper waters. The sub company had sunk 2 ships and 2 airplanes as artificial reefs, as well as several other structures to attract coral and other sea creatures. Sure enough, the vast majority of sea critters that we saw were near these structures. We saw lots of small fish, but also saw parrot fish, a black tip shark, a spotted manta ray, 2 huge sea turtles, a school of barracuda, and a moray eel. We went down to over 100 feet, and it was much darker and bluer down there. They had given us a guide to help us identify the fish we saw, and the native Hawaiian fish had a red start next to them. However, once we got to about 30 feet, the stars looked black because all of the red light had been filtered out. </div><div><br /></div><div>We remained down for nearly an hour, and then surfaced after the big sub had swapped its passengers again. It was a short boat ride back to the Hilton, and then a longer trolly ride through traffic back to the ship. We re-boarded about 1:30, and after a quick stop in our room grabbed a quick lunch on the Lido. We had planned to get back off the ship and walk around a bit, but we decided to just stay on board and relax. Rachel went up to the gym around 4:14, and I went to visit Mama and Aunt Merna for a while. That had been to lunch with one of my mom's former students and then went for a short drive around town. </div><div><br /></div><div>We elected to stay on board for dinner, and the dinning room was quite empty. Lots of people ate in town, and I suspect that lots of folks were at the big Luau on the Lido deck. Our usual tablemates were not there, and one poor woman was the only person at her table, so she joined us.</div><div><br /></div><div>After dinner, Rachel and I went ashore briefly to walk around the shops, but really didn't see anything worth a second look. We got back on the ship in time to see a beautiful crescent moon sinking into the harbor, and then caught the last 15 minutes of Chris playing guitar on the Lido deck before heading to Hooters for some wings. </div><div><br /></div><div>We were tired from our day so we decided to retire early. I was going to read for a while, but ended up falling asleep. About 10:30 I woke up briefly and heard the loud music outside, so I knew that we hadn't left port yet. Later a awoke briefly to silence and the gentle rocking of the ship - at sea again! Tomorrow: Kauai. </div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-24908604104778155932011-10-28T18:22:00.000-07:002011-10-28T18:27:57.369-07:00Hawaii Cruise - Day 6<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Yes, I skipped day 5. We just got too busy for me to blog, but I may go back and fill it in later. Today was our first port of call in Hilo on the big island. We were both up early as we approached the island, and it was fairly clear so we could see the huge gentle curve of Mauna Kea in the distance. We also were pleased to see a good strong AT&T cell signal after 4 days of radio silence. We had brought along our Clear hotspot in hopes of getting good Internet access also. There was still no signal as we approached Hilo, however. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Just before entering the breakwater, a small pilot boat dropped off a harbor pilot who literally jumped onto a ladder on the side of our ship to board. About 20 minutes later we were docked. Fortunatly the ship rotated about 100 degrees before docking and we went from no internet signal to full, so we were back online!</div><div><br /></div><div> The port in Hilo is a few miles from downtown and is quite industrial. We had booked an 8:30 tour, so we were among the first off the ship. As we were waiting in the terminal building, we noticed that several people ( including myself) were gently swaying back and forth as if the ground were still rolling slowly. </div><div><br /></div><div>We met our tour guide, Kana, who appeared to be an old hippie with a pony tail, wearing shorts, white socks and black shoes. Fortunately, he turned out to be a great guide. There were 12 of us, and we loaded up into a small bus and he drove us around to some of his favorite spots around Hilo while giving us a running commentary about history, culture and architecture. For example, did you know that most older homes in Hilo have outer walls which are only the thickness of the boards? The window frames are thicker than the walls, so they stick out like little boxes, and the plumbing runs along the outside of the house since there is no space inside the walls. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our first stop was along a narrow road in the hills above Hilo where we took a short walk along the road to an old concrete bridge. Our first waterfall was visible from the bridge. It's amazing how green and lush everything is - like home only warmer! We then loaded back into the van and stopped at Rainbow Falls. The sun angle didn't really allow us to see the rainbow, but we did come down the trail to the side of the falls and saw some wonderful Banyan trees. After a little more driving around, we took a rest stop at the Boiling Pots. No, they don't really boil, but supposedly the rushing water looks like it's boiling (no, it didn't to us). However, it was time for snacks, and we had the choice of several interesting fruit drinks (green tea, coconut water with pineapple, passion fruit, etc.). Kana also found some bananas and guavas in the park and let us try them. The bananas were about half the size of what we get in the stores, and tasted a bit more intense, but not terribly different. The guava was wonderful and juicy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our next stop was the Kaumana caves. This is a long (several mile) lava tube system. It reminded us a lot of the lava tubes that we explore in central Oregon and Northern California, except that it was much wetter. There were also these amazing long roots coming through the cave roof and hanging down to the floor. These are from whatever plants are the first to colonize new lava flows. Sadly, we only went in about 100 feet, and didn't get into anything close to full darkness. We thought that maybe someone should offer a 2 hour cave exploration tour with knee pads, helmets, etc. We'd be there. On the other hand, how many people would come to Hawaii to spend several hours underground? </div><div><br /></div><div>Our final stop was a black sand cove on the other side of the ship from Hilo. These was actually very little beach to speak of, but a very nice sheltered cove with lots of lava rocks and some coral. After Rachel went in swimming, she finally talked me into braving the cold water. It actually got much warmer as one swam out of the shallows and into slightly deeper water. Alas, after only a while it was time to get out, dry off, and head back to the van. Overall, it was not the tour we were expecting, but was a lot of fun anyway. I guess we were expecting more hiking and wilderness, but we ended up with a great tour of the Hilo area.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a quick lunch back on the ship, we boarded the shuttle for Hilo Hattie's - the landmark shopping experience in Hawaii where I got a couple more aloha shirts. We also stopped at Walgreen's for a few forgotten items. Interestingly, both Hilo Hattie's and the Walmart across the street have free shuttles from the ship. Hilo Hattie's is a 15 passenger van while Walmart's is a 50 passenger bus. Since there were at least 35 people already in line for the Hilo Hattie shuttle, we thought we'd cross the street and try our luck with the bigger Walmart bus. However, after spending a few minutes in that line, we opted to take a taxi driver up on his offer to take 5 of us back to the ship for $2 each. Money well spent!</div><div><br /></div><div>Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill for Le Cirque night for the 4 of us. This is where they recreate parts of the menu from the famous Le Cirque restaurant in New York. They do this once a week in the Pinnacle, and it usually sells out, although we saw a few empty tables. The food was incredible. The highlight of my meal was an amazing deconstructed Cesar salad: whole leaves of Romaine lettuce with a basic Cesar dressing topped with anchovies, served with a round 3 inch diameter crouton topped with a barely cooked poached egg. Marvelous! We also had an amazing deep and rich butternut squash soup served with huckleberries. The deep rich roasted flavor of the squash was accented by just a bit of maple syrup. We also had the wine pairing which consisted of a glass of prosecco, Chardonnay, and Merlot served with the various courses. We all just rolled back to our cabins after dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>But wait, we weren't done yet. J Neal, the magician that we'd seen a couple of times earlier was going to do his full show. We attended the 10:00 performance and were not disappointed. He did a lot of sleight of hand tricks, and was just masterful. Some tricks were done to music, while others were done with very engaging patter. Sadly, he's getting off the ship tomorrow, but we enjoyed all 4 times we saw him in various capacities. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the show we decided to call it a night. Tomorrow is Honolulu, although we do get to sleep in a bit.</div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-15470311458429350582011-10-28T10:23:00.000-07:002011-10-28T10:25:53.997-07:00Hawaii Cruise - Day 4<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Rachel woke up about 6am and I was up just after that. Given the time change, we got about 8 hours of sleep which was plenty. I found her out on the Verandah working on her blog and decided to join her. It was overcast, but there were streaks of blue showing through the clouds, so I'm expecting another beautiful day. The air is warm and pleasant, so I really do believe that we're going to Hawaii now. Amazingly, we still have 2 days at sea before we arrive!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Hmm, where to start? We got to breakfast at our usual time in the main dining room and ate fairly lightly. Rachel went off to her various exercise classes after breakfast while I had a shower and relaxed with a bit of Sudoku. At 11:00 it was time for our hands-on cooking class. When we arrived at the Queen's Lounge, it was full of old mariners. Apparently they had double booked the room, and the 200+ days mariners were having their party. However, because this was the only kitchen setting, we were able to kick them out and move in. After they cleared away the ice sculpture, we thought we were ready to go, but there was no power to the kitchen. This eventually was remedied, and we started the class. Our teacher was once again chef Pablo, and he was really great. We divided into 3 teams to make the soup (5 onion soup), entrée (steak Diane), and desert (bread pudding). Rachel and I were on the soup team - I made the croutons and she diced onions. Most of the people in the class weren't experienced cooks, but it all got done, and we ate our creations in the Pinnacle Grill accompanied by some pretty nice Chilean wine. Chef Pablo plated our bread pudding so that it was much more elegant than we thought it would be.</div><div><br /></div><div>The cooking class lasted nearly 3 hours, so it was a bit before 2pm when we finally got out. We had a short break and then Rachel went for her sports massage and I sat on our verandah and read. Not bad, not bad. She came back looking totally relaxed just in time for dinner. I had a decent lamb osso buco, but it wasn't anything to write home about. After dinner we came back to the cabin for a while, and realized that it was clear for the first time on the cruise. We headed up to the observation deck and enjoyed seeing Polaris at 23 degrees above the horizon (as opposed to 45 degrees from home). Jupiter was rising in the east, and Sagittarius was completely poured out, but still very far above the horizon. Very cool!</div><div><br /></div><div>After that we headed up to the Crow's Nest to listen to Chris for a while. He always takes a break from n:45 to the top of the hour, so we thought we were safe getting there at 8:00. However, he had altered his schedule slightly and was still on break when we got there. No matter, he was back at his guitar soon enough. It is important to note that there is an invisibility cloak in the Crow's Nest, and we always seem to be in the middle of it. The spot where we sit is in full view of the bar, but the waiters completely ignore us even though we always order a club soda. Tonight was no different, but we finally did manage to place an order. A few minutes later, the waiter came out and started heading in the wrong direction with our drinks. He eventually realized that we weren't where he was going, and changed course to serve us. Very strange!</div><div><br /></div><div>After listening to Chris for a while, we headed down to the Queen's Lounge for karaoke (to listen, not sing!). Our tablemate John was going to sing so we came out to support him. It turns out that it was really fun. There were some very good singers, and some very bad singers, but DL Brett made everyone feel like a winner and they sang "one of his favorite songs." After karaoke we popped into the piano bar briefly, but Rachel didn't really like the piano man's voice. We left after he went to take a break, and called it a night. Tomorrow is our last day at sea before Hawaii! </div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-33227054477951786712011-10-28T09:47:00.000-07:002011-10-28T09:54:29.255-07:00Hawaii Cruise - Day 3<div>Clocks were set back an hour last night, so even getting up at 7:45, I had a good sleep. The rocking motion of the boat is great for sleeping! Although the sky was uniformly gray all day yesterday, there were signs of the clouds breaking up this morning, so we had high hopes for some better weather. </div><div><br /></div><div>We got dressed and headed down for breakfast quickly, since Rachel had a full morning planned. We shared a table at breakfast with a couple from California who were on their 3rd cruise. I decided to go lighter from breakfast this morning and had a bagel and lox - yum! Rachel had her usual stewed prunes and oatmeal, only the oatmeal never came. I shared some of my breakfast, and it was enough for both of us. She then headed off to her water aerobics class, while I changed into my gym clothes. I really didn't want to exercise, but I knew I would feel good if I did. Actually, we get our leg workout in constantly since we're taking the stairs everywhere. This is especially fun when traversing the 8 flights of stairs to go from the Queen's Lounge on deck 2 up to the Crow's Nest on deck 10, which I seem to have done a lot today!</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I had a good workout in the gym - the elliptical trainers that had bothered me last cruise seemed to work fine this time, and I did my lifting on the machines. Just as I was finishing, Rachel showed up to to start her Boot Camp class, and I headed to the showers. I just barely had time to shower and dress before needing to be back in 10 Forward (aka the Crow's Nest) for Cha Cha lessons. Yes, she convinced my to attend this. Rachel was running late from her class in the gym, so I started without her. She did eventually show up, and we "danced" for about 20 minutes. We're not very good, but it was fun. We met John and Carol there, and while they certainly didn't need lessons, they figured they'd just dance the Cha Cha for fun (along with helping us a bit).</div><div><br /></div><div>After that, we took a short break and then met Mama and Aunt Merna for lunch. The service was quite slow today as they seemed especially busy. One thing we have noticed is that with all of the elderlies on this ship, it's easier to get into the gym and other classes, harder find room in the bars where the dance music is playing (they *love* to dance) and the dining room is more crowded for breakfast and lunch. At any rate, our food did eventually arrive, and it was well worth it. I had a very spicy lamb taquito (probably made from last night's lamb), and corn and green chile chowder, and a very well prepared fish in traditional lemon/butter/caper sauce. Mmm, the fish is good!</div><div><br /></div><div>After lunch Rachel went to a "memory class" while I sat on our verandah and wrote yesterday's blog. I wandered the ship for a while and picked up the daily sudoku puzzle in the library (also on deck 10). Oh, did I mention that it's sunny and warm?? After the dance class, we came out on deck and reveled in the sunshine. So I spent quite a bit of time hanging out on the observation deck aft of 10 Forward.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rachel and I then headed to the front office to look into a future cruise. We've decided that we'd like to take an Alaska cruise during the summer of 2013 to celebrate our 25th anniversary, and we know that you can get a good deal if you book on the ship. Sadly, they didn't have sailing dates determined past April of 2013, so we'll have to wait a few more months before booking.</div><div><br /></div><div>At 4:00, the ladies were all planning to play bingo, so at a little after 3 I went to Mama's room to start my audio history recording. She was worried that she wouldn't have anything to say, but once I got them going, she and Merna seemed to have a good time talking about their parents and grandparents. We didn't spend more than about 15 or 20 minutes recording this time as I didn't want to make them late to bingo. </div><div><br /></div><div>About 5pm, as I was getting ready for dinner, Rachel came back to the room very excited. She had won at bingo. No, not the $10,000 jackpot, but about $280 - that's not bad! That'll pay for a spa treatment or two. It was then off to dinner. Our table seems to be gelling well, and we all sat in slightly different seats just to keep it interesting. Mama had told Putu, our waiter, that she couldn't eat garlic the night before, so he had her pre-order her meal for the next night as a special meal that they'd prepare special with no garlic. The rest of us ordered and the food started to come fairly quickly. Rachel won hands-down tonight, and in fact it was the first time on the ship that I was disappointed with the food. Her tuna carpaccio beat my duck quesadilla (although mine was good), her italian wedding soup beat my mulligatawny stew, and my steak was really plain and boring. Oh well, I did have a delightful brownie sundae with ice cream. We finally ordered the Carmenère tonight it it did not disappoint. Hopefully we'll be ready if they through it at us in the blind taste test later this week.</div><div><br /></div><div>After dinner we headed back to our cabin to relax for a while, and watched the water go by from our verandah. Normally on channel 40 of the TV, they have he "navigation channel" which shows the ships speed, heading, position, weather conditions, sea depth (15,000 feet tonight!), etc. However, someone had decided to use the PC that normally displays these things to edit a slide show of the ship's officers. So, we watched him search the file system for various photos, add metadata to an XML file, etc. Very strange! After we got bored with that, we went up to see our friend Chris the guitarist in 10 Forward, and listened to him for about an hour. At 9:00 the Halcats were going to play jazz and big band standards, and Rachel figured that the elderlies would flock there to dance, so we'd best get there early (which we did). It was a good thing, since she was right. We enjoyed the music and the dancers, but as they never played a Cha Cha, we didn't dance ourselves (just as well!). The band took their usual break at 9:45 and we headed to the Vista Lounge for the comedian. He was quite funny, and sang silly songs about cruising, especially with the elderly. Songs like "it's a small room after all" and one about getting behind slow people in the halls (old coots are just a walking, that's just what they do. One of these days those coots are going to walk in front of you...). We thought it was great, but I wonder how the elderly felt about it? </div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to call it a night after the show, although we still haven't gotten to the piano bar. Maybe tomorrow night. We set our clocks forward yet again, so it was only a bit after 10:00 in the new timezone, but we were tired.</div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-24540134856145329862011-10-28T09:44:00.000-07:002011-10-28T09:47:15.898-07:00Hawaii Cruise - Day 2<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Unfortunately, the day dawn cold and cloudy. We both slept fairly well and got up shortly after 7am. Not bad, actually. We got down to breakfast at 8, and were seated with 2 other couples. I had remembered the corned beef hash and eggs as having been pretty good last time, so I ordered it this morning. There were 2 problems with this - one I should have remembered and one new one. It seems that eggs are a long lead time item, and it can take quite a while for an egg order to come out. We had observed that on our last cruise. The new thing was that the hash just wasn't very good. Too much fat and gristle. Oh well. Rachel was then off to her Zumba and Boot Camp classes, so I had a quite morning writing up yesterday's blog entry. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Just before 11:00, I headed down to the room to meet Rachel. She had finished her 2 workouts, and was finishing her shower. We then headed down to the Queen's Lounge for our first cooking demo by chef Pablo. Today he made Creme Brûlée and an interesting looking lobster salad. Both recipes were from Le Cirque and would be featured at the Pinnacle Grill on Le Cirque nights. They had mini creme brûlée cups available to sample, and it was some of the best I've ever had. Chef Pablo is also very engaging and is a great teacher - much better than the chef on the last cruise. He told of being very careful not to waste any food. In fact, at home he has a bunny to whom he feeds a lot of the veggie scraps. He then went on to say that when the bunny is nice a fat... Hmm.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the cooking demo is was, yes, you guessed it, time to eat again. We went down to the dining room, hoping to find Mama and Aunt Merna. We didn't see them, so we checked in and went to be seated. As they were taking us to a table, we saw Mama waving us over to a table for 4 that they had already gotten. Lunch was very good, and included wonderful talapia. I've beein ordering a lot of fish because the chefs here really do seem to do a great job with it. Rachel has been ordering the cold soups and enjoying them also.</div><div><br /></div><div>After lunch, we got to relax for a few minutes before it was time for our first wine tasting. Our master sommelier, Bernie, was the same guy as on the last cruise, and was really quite good. He led us through a tasting of a Mondavi Riesling (bright and crisp, good florals), an over-oaked Toasted Head Chardonnay, a decent Vin du Pays Pinot Noir from Burgundy, and a very nice California Cab from "Three Blind Moose". We enjoyed it, but had to duck out slightly early for, wait for it, more food. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was the Royal Dutch High Tea, and we met Mama and Aunt Merna outside the dining room. There was quite a line to get in, mainly because it was actually a buffet line to get the little canapés and other assorted snackage. I restrained myself to just a few, and had a nice cup of decaf tea.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I mentioned yesterday, we had been assigned "open seating" for dinner, and had requested a change to the early seating. At one point during the day today, we found a note in our mailbox telling us that we'd been moved to early seating - yay! So at 5:30 we all showed up at the dining room in our formals to meet our new table mates. Apparently they had all just been changed to early seating also, so it was everyone's first night at the table. We are at a table of 8 with 2 other couples: Gus and Rita from Sarasota FL, and John and Carol from the LA area. John and Carol are quite the dancers and we ended up seeing them later in the evening on the dance floor (they were, we weren't). Anyway, dinner was great again. I started with steamed mussels in a garlic veggie broth and then had some very competent potato leek soup. For the main course, I had some fabulous lamb chops. Wow, that's one disadvantage of writing this the next day - I don't remember what else I had, but it certainly was good. We had a bottle of Perrin et Fis Cote du Rhone (complete with a screw top). Bernie says that at least it won't be corked, although it could be screwed.</div><div><br /></div><div>After dinner we headed up to the Crow's Nest to hear Chris on guitar. He was wonderful again, and at least at the beginning, had a slightly larger audience than last night. We listened to him until about 8:45, and then went down to hear Elvis hour in the Ocean Bar. The jazz trio was playing Elvis tunes, with the piano player in full costume, including a wig! They were pretty good, and the bar and dance floor were packed with elderlies enjoying the musing and dancing. It was SRO. We stayed for about 45 minutes, enjoying everything they played. They it was back to the Queen's Lounge for Vivienne and the Halcats. There were more dancers there, including John and Carol, as well as an older couple who were amazing dancers. They were so much fun to watch. The Halcats were good too, but Vivienne seemed about 1/4 tone flat on her sustained notes - yuck! They took a break at about 10:45, and we decided to call it a night. We wandered back to our room, set the clocks back an hour, and went to bed, ready for another exciting day tomorrow. </div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-49634092698807605272011-10-28T09:39:00.000-07:002011-10-28T09:44:13.440-07:00Hawaii Cruise - Day 1<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Well, the day finally arrived. He had flown into San Diego on Friday, and spent the night at the Holiday Inn San Diego on The Bay. This hotel is quite literally directly across the street from the cruise ship terminal. At about 6:30 on Saturday morning, we looked out of our balcony window and saw the Oosterdam heading directly for us. It finally docked directly out of our window, and we could hear all of the announcements from the ships speakers. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>We ended up in the south tower (the closest to the ship) on the 7th floor in a balcony room with the bay view. This is the way to go. Although they offered a shuttle service to the terminal, apparently one had to bid on a time, and then be in the lobby to catch the shuttle at your appointed time. Since the ship terminal was probably closer to the south tower than was the lobby, the shuttle didn't make any sense at all. </div><div><br /></div><div>Around 11:00, Rachel and I schlepped our bags across the street and checked them in - amazingly painless. We then went back to the hotel for Mama and Aunt Merna. We checked their bags while they went to get a wheel chair for Merna. At this point, the check in process went very smoothly for us, although it turns out that they didn't have enough wheel chairs available, and Mama and Aunt Merna had to sit around waiting for about an hour. After we got checked in at the terminal, there was about a 10-15 minute wait until they called our boarding group to get on the ship. Fortunately, one of the wine stewards was there and we signed up for all 3 wine tasting sessions on the cruise. Time well spent!</div><div><br /></div><div>When they finally called our number, it seemed like 2/3 of those in the waiting room got up to board. We got on at about 11:50, and went straight to the front office. There we got signed up for one of the hands-on cooking classes. We then went to the dining room representatives in the Explorer's Lounge and put in a request for the early dinner seating. It had been full when we booked the cruise, and we ended up with "open seating" which means that one either needs to make reservations each night, or take your chance and wait for a table. We then headed up to the spa where Rachel got signed up for Body Sculpting Boot Camp. I hope she doesn't over do it with that, and Zumba and water aerobics, and ...</div><div><br /></div><div>Just as we were finished at the spa, Mama called from the Lido Restaurant saying that there were aboard. Since we were there too, we quickly found them and headed down to the Mariner's lunch in the dinning room. The food was surprisingly good. Last cruise we had been slightly disappointed at first because we had our expectations set too high. This time we seem to have set our expectations perfectly, and were not disappointed.</div><div><br /></div><div>After lunch we went to our cabin and watched the longshoremen loading food, luggage, and carpet rolls. Apparently Holland America does listen to its customers: Rachel left feedback on the last cruise that the carpets were somewhat worn, and in fact we'd found a note in our cabin today saying that on our last cruise we had pointed out areas for improvements, and that they hoped they would do better this time. Wow, talk about service! Apparently the forklift drivers where having some sort of competition, because we saw a dropped, split watermelon that they were passing around to eat. Then, they balanced 3 watermelons on top of boxes on a palate, and the guy lifted the whole thing up, drove to the ship, and inserted the palate into the ship without the watermelons rolling off. Very impressive!</div><div><br /></div><div>Our luggage arrived shortly after we got into the cabin, so we had a very relaxed unpacking (unlike last cruise where the luggage arrived just before dinner time!). We then explored the ship, taking the stairs everywhere. I'm either going to be in great shape or a complete wreck before the end of the cruise.</div><div><br /></div><div>At 4:15 we did the lifeboat drill, although it's much less exciting now that they don't let you wear your life vests anymore. Our lifeboat is on the opposite side of the ship, and it appeared that it would be hard to get to. However, there is a crew-only door through the galley that we're supposed to use during an emergency, so it looks like we'll get to our lifeboat after all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rachel and I then went topside to watch us cast off and depart. Of course the Dutch are known for their punctuality, but not this time. There seemed to be some delay, and they were finally casting off the ropes by the time we had to head down for dinner. We had made reservations for 5:30 after lunch, and were quickly seated (I hate waiting!). Mama and Aunt Merna joined us shortly. The food was again quite good. I had a fishcake and shrimp appetizer which had a nice kick to it, and Rachel had a scallop ceviche that was also good, but with a bit too much creamy sauce. I then had a "tres frijoles" bean soup and Rachel had a pear gaspacho - both very nice. Mama and Aunt Merna both had salads. For the main course, Mama and I had a tasty veal chop over polenta with sautéed chard, Rachel had a delightful fish filet (can't remember what it was), and Aunt Merna had a good looking eggplant parmesan. We all had desert, including a wonderful cheese plate. For the wine, we had a 2010 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir (whole cluster). It was light and slightly spritzy - perfect for our food.</div><div><br /></div><div>After dinner we played a round of culinary trivia. On our last cruise, Rachel was the grand champ, but sadly this time, our team could do no better than 2nd place. Licking our wounds, we next headed up to the Crow's Nest to listen to Chris, the guitar player. He was very good and played a variety of styles including Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Mark Knopfler, and others. He quit at 9:00, and we headed down to the Queen's Lounge to hear Vivienne and the Halcats. They were good, but not excellent, playing dance tunes from the 70s on up. After about 10 minutes, it was time to go to the Vista Lounge for the welcome-aboard show - a sampler of the singers and dancers, and a chance to meet the cruise director and his staff. J Neal also came out and did about 10 minutes of his magic routine. He was excellent, and we'll be watching for his show later in the cruise. He's also going to give a lecture on magic too. Double excellent! Finally, we went back to hear a bit more of Vivienne and the Halcats before returning to our room just before 11:00. A nice full first night!</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow, we look forward to the first wine tasting and culinary demo. And of course more food!</div><div><br /></div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-28264161071991487852011-06-05T11:33:00.000-07:002011-06-05T20:17:08.685-07:00Memorial Day Weekend 2011 (Day 1)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMYm52eOE1OtSZjNlDkQxr0szz-WMYvfUzr9vdjw9k_TyUkE2vmdrfJ8qbrokjgPDNFJHsFWEnoH77lHiATToTbmM02KaswKygoQUb6oeXANuB2MNuMBaS5iKFk5V_Fq287acVr7xY8aQ/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMYm52eOE1OtSZjNlDkQxr0szz-WMYvfUzr9vdjw9k_TyUkE2vmdrfJ8qbrokjgPDNFJHsFWEnoH77lHiATToTbmM02KaswKygoQUb6oeXANuB2MNuMBaS5iKFk5V_Fq287acVr7xY8aQ/s320/IMG_1294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614851211221317954" border="0" /></a>We trained for it all year. We researched and developed our plans for a month in advance. We created our spreadsheets and custom maps. Yes, it must be Memorial Day weekend in the Willamette valley once again.<div><br /></div><div>After visiting many of our favorite once-a-year wineries the previous weekend (Shea, Patricia Green, Dukes Family, Penner-Ash, etc.) we thought we might revisit a few places that we hadn't been to for a few years, as well as some of the usual suspects. I'd been building our spreadsheet for about a month that describes the possible wineries to visit along with their address, hours, and anything special that might be going on. Although we have many, many wineries that we like to visit, we give preference over Memorial Day to those that are only open a few times a year. We also had such a great time staying at the Allison Inn for a night last year, we decided to spend 2 nights there this year.</div><br /><div>On Saturday morning we loaded up the Expedition with our suitcases, an empty wine shipping box, GPS, notebook PC, spit cups, and tasting notebook. We discovered last year that the Expo is a much better vehicle for wine tasting over a long weekend since it handles the gravel roads well and has a ton of room for us and our stuff (and any wine we might buy!).</div><div><br /></div><div>Brick House</div><div>Our first stop was Brick House. This is a winery that has a very good reputation, and we'd stopped there about 3 years ago but hadn't been all that impressed. Of course as we learn more about wine, our tastes tend to change, so we thought we'd try it again. Besides, the winery itself is in a beautiful old barn right next to the eponymous brick house. They had a couple of 2009 Chardonnays which were good, but undistinguished. We actually liked the non-reserve better than the reserve which seems to have been made so smooth that it lost most of its character. We also had a couple of 2009 Pinot Noirs which were also good (earthy and smooth), but nothing special. Finally, they were barrel tasting and selling futures of the 2010 Gamay Noir which was light, bright and peppery. But selling futures on a Gamay Noir? Really? It's a wine that is ready to drink quickly and doesn't last long. Why didn't they just bottle it and sell it? Or wait a few months? It seemed pretentious to be selling futures. Brick House also had this horrible ticket system where they gave you tickets as you came it, and then you had to pay one ticket per wine taste, and one more ticket for the cheese table. This seemed petty and inconvenient (juggling my wine glass, spit cup, and tasting notebook made it nearly impossible to get a ticket out at each wine station). We did finally put their location in perspective when we looked across the vineyards and fields to the next ridge and saw some buildings. Rachel recognized it as Bergstrom, so we knew where Calkins Ln was, and put it all in perspective. All in all, I'm glad we went, but we can probably leave them off our list for another few years.</div><div><br /></div><div>Utopia</div><div>We planned to head south toward Amity for our next few stops and started in that direction. However, shortly after leaving Brick House we saw the signs for Utopia. We had visited them about a year ago, and really enjoyed both the wine and the quaint little tasting room. Well, the tasting room has since been expanded and remodeled, but the wine is still good, and the winemaker<span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">, Dan Warnshuis, still pours behind the counter. He has a killer Pinot Blanc and a very good Rosé. But he specializes in Pinot Noir and we had several very nice ones today spanning the vintages from 2006 thought 2009. H</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">e's in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, and has a poster hanging in the tasting room called "Welcome to the Neighborhood" showing a bottle of his wine alongside those of some of his famous neighbors: Archery Summit, Adelsheim, Bergstrom, etc.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Calamity Hill</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Back on t</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">he road, we headed south toward Amity and our next stop at Calamity Hill Vineyard. You may recall that we first tasted at Calamity Hill 2 years ago at their first public tasting. We had just come from a very snobby and horrible experience at Hawk's View and when we arrived at Calamity Hill, Tom and Marion Vail were incredibly friendly and welcoming to us. Our visit last year was similarly great, and they didn't disappoint this year either. They claim that they are Oregon's smallest legal vineyard and they m</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">ake under 100 cases. Their wine used to be made my Michael Stevenson at Panther Creek, but now they've moved their production to nearby Methven Family, and the first wine up was Methven's crisp and balanced 08 dry Reisling. They then poured their new 2010 Starlight White (Pinot Gris) which was bright and crisp and just slightly sweet. Great wine, but could use just a touch more acid. Finally, we sampled the 07 and 08 vintages of their Garden Shed Red Pinot Noir. We remember the 07 fondly as a light bright summer Pinot and it' still exactly that, although developing a bit more character in the past 2 years. The 08 is great too, but still a bit tight. Tom opened a bottle of the 09 even though Marion keeps telling him to wait, so we could get </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">a preview of it. It's great; still a light summer wine that brings in notes of cherry to complement the strawberry. It'll be released in November.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Brooks</span></span></div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwT775PUS_rBOH7cA-mBY5KHQm9vh1H-WYxWybNKXE7rZSLc2yewRty6GuEqKcIbonynOHzDP0fkd9I4rJ8B5dHLjEAgjA_qvXuZjlPQhFt8MvDyEPbdDM_COQHqsVSiWvdLsF4p6BelOh/s1600/IMG_1295.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwT775PUS_rBOH7cA-mBY5KHQm9vh1H-WYxWybNKXE7rZSLc2yewRty6GuEqKcIbonynOHzDP0fkd9I4rJ8B5dHLjEAgjA_qvXuZjlPQhFt8MvDyEPbdDM_COQHqsVSiWvdLsF4p6BelOh/s320/IMG_1295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614851927858138082" border="0" /></a></div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Our next stop was Brooks, another winery we visited 2 years ago. They had a large number of whites, including Pinot Blanc, Gewurztra</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">miner, Muscat, and lots of Riesling. We love Riesling, but none of these were good. There was an unpleasant taste present in most of these wines. Moving on to the Pinot Noirs, we noticed gaminess in the wines, and just a lack of finesse. We wondered if the unpleasant taste was a quality of the Brooks vineyard</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">s, especially in the Rieslings. We would find out later than it was not. Anyway, probably not someplace we need to go back to again.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Methven Family Vineyards</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Although Methven has regular tasting room hours, we always like to visit them on Memorial Day weekend. They usually have risotto from Joel Palmer House along with a lot of other great food, and hey, what </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">would Memorial Day weekend be without seeing Will Kobyluck (former sales manager at David Hill). After accidentally coming in through the back door, we eventually found where we were supposed to be and started tasting. Methven wines are generally quite good, but not spectacular. We started with a couple of their crisp 09 whites (Riesling and Pinot Gris), and then moved back into the winery itself where Allen Methven was pouring a couple of their 2006 Pinot Noirs. Both were very nice - big and fruity (typical for 06), but well balanced. Allen (a trained sommelier) then showed us how the bouquet of a wine changes depending on how deeply you get your nose into the glass - floral aromatics above the glass, fruit just inside the glass, and earthiness deep in the glass. I'm not quite sure I get it yet, but I'll keep trying it. Finally, we went back into the tasting room to taste their current releases of Pinot Noir. Will poured and entertained, and we enjoyed the three 2007 Pinots that he was pouring. On our way out, we saw Will talking to a limo driver parked outside. He keeps wanting to send a limo up to the tiny tasting room at Calamity Hill just to overwhelm them, and I wonder if he was trying to work something out!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Eyrie/BlackCap</span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqlLhNugOgurVfwYrPnto4AchDwJ-3ZdTPCBROyqSzlCaC3guy4CC7N9NNhrwflZH3exdqxx6FjTZqS5rdZ8b5KmHfN5zEYKgUg6uO7c5TlIwhcIMmf-dx3j1ZDJAhm94wRdaqezqyyrs/s1600/IMG_0544.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqlLhNugOgurVfwYrPnto4AchDwJ-3ZdTPCBROyqSzlCaC3guy4CC7N9NNhrwflZH3exdqxx6FjTZqS5rdZ8b5KmHfN5zEYKgUg6uO7c5TlIwhcIMmf-dx3j1ZDJAhm94wRdaqezqyyrs/s320/IMG_0544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614852329075878370" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">We had tasted at The Eyrie during Memorial Day a couple years ago and not been t</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">hat impressed. We then tasted again sometime within the past year, and been more favorable. Eyrie of course was started by David Lett in the mid to late 60's and claims to have been the first Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. He was followed closely (or perhaps preceded by) Charles Coury in Forest Grove (now the site of David Hill winery). There's been no small amount of acrimony over Forest Grove's current effort to brand itself as "The birthplace of Oregon Pinot Noir" based on Coury's plantings. Actually, it was Richard Sommers who planted the first Pinot Noir in Oregon in 1961 in the Rogue Valley. Jason Lett (David's son) has taken over as winemaker and was tasting his BlackCap label alongside Eyrie wines. When we arrived at the winery in McMinnville, we saw that they were also offering a taste of some of their library wines. Normally here in Oregon, "library" means maybe 5 or 6 years old. In this case, however, it meant wines from 1980, 1985, and 1999! How could we pass that up? We started with the whites (Pinot Gris, P</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">inot Blanc, and 2 Chards). The Gris and the Blanc were OK, but the 09 Eyrie reserve Chardonnay was absolutely wonderful - crisp and fruity, and very clean. We then moved on to the reds, starting with the South Block library Pinot Noirs. 1999 was a classic Oregon Pinot Noir vintage, and my first Pinot Noir love was a 99 David Hill Reserve. The 99 Eyrie was structured and elegant, and still had great fruit. The 85 had a brick color and definitely tasted older. The 80 was less structured than the 99 but was still vibrant with plenty of fruit. We also had a nice chat with Jason as he was pouring the library wines, and while very gracious, he explained that Charles Coury had his original Pinot Noir vines planted in the Lett's nursery before transferring them to his vineyard, so he couldn't have planted first. We then moved on to their current release and enjoyed them all, especially the 09 BlackCap Pinot Noir with a very nice hint of anise on the palate. We left quite pleasantly surprised. We had gone primarily to try the BlackCap, and left having enjoyed all of the wine very much.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Et Fille</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-r6kmS87Vbth2woXTCsCqekiCEFvcPWfvuJyWvlthKC-_ie9MQDOkquAEFAD5WPjE4s_pP2Wy5usnLHS2KXkwBiljGsEJYBwdONN14SNfzsntIbQXmKqern3hlsjWxbBsxmirDxQYbkfL/s1600/IMG_0545.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-r6kmS87Vbth2woXTCsCqekiCEFvcPWfvuJyWvlthKC-_ie9MQDOkquAEFAD5WPjE4s_pP2Wy5usnLHS2KXkwBiljGsEJYBwdONN14SNfzsntIbQXmKqern3hlsjWxbBsxmirDxQYbkfL/s320/IMG_0545.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614852759854343298" border="0" /></a>We got back into the truck to figure out where to go next. If we had remembered our plan, we would have headed up to Carlton Hill, but we didn't. It wasn't on the map we were using (which showed all the wineries open on both Saturday and Sunday), so we didn't think about it. Instead we drove over toward Parrot Mountain and up to Et Fille. This is a father/daughter team and they make absolutely delightful Pinot Noir, along with Viognier and Rosé. They purchase fruit from various vineyards around the Willamette valley, but also maintain a very small test vineyard at the father's home so that they can keep in touch with each vintage. We tasted through their lineup and enjoyed each one. I had tasted most of them on Valentine's weekend, but the 09 Maresh was new (lively, fruity, and like many 09s, drinking well now).</div><div><br /></div><div>By this time, it was about 4:20 and we thought maybe we had time for one more winery. We headed toward Natalie's Estate which is near the Allison. However, as we got closer, we realized that we were going to only have about 15 minutes and decided not to rush it. Instead we headed directly to the hotel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Often, the second time you do something or go somewhere that was wonderful the first time, it suffers from "second time syndrome" and doesn't live up to our memories. Fortunately, this was NOT the case at the Allison. Allison herself checked is in, much to Rachel's delight. No, not <i>the</i> Allison, but it was the same woman who had showed us to our room last year when Rachel had been so pleased at the name coincidence. The room was just as delightful as we remembered it - the huge soaking tub with a view out the window, the fireplace, and wonderful view. Our dinner reservations weren't until 6:30, so Rachel had time for a soak in the tub while I prepared for a short nap. Unfortunately it was at this point that I finally realized that we had missed Carlton Hill completely. They were tasting at their old barn along with Z'Ivo and Roots on Saturday only. We've always enjoyed our time there, and were quite depressed at having missed them. We should have gone there right after The Eyrie, but didn't remember. Next year.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We had made reservations at Farm to Fork in Dundee about a month earlier and we were looking forward to trying it again since the inn and restaurant had been sold, and I believe they have a new chef as well. We arrived a couple minutes early and were shown to our table. Well, it was sort of a table. Actually, it was a low coffee table that they had put up against a bench and set as a table. It was really too low to eat at, and we asked for a real table. The hostess informed us that there were no other tables available since they had all been reserved. I explained that we had reservations also, and couldn't eat at this table. She then informed us that because we had booked online using OpenTable, "that system just puts you anywhere and that's why you have this table."!! Hmm, that's a new one. In hindsight, we should have called the concierge at the Allison to ask for help finding somewhere else to eat, but at the time we figured that there wouldn't be anywhere else with an opening, and ended up eating at the bar at Farm to Fork. The food was fine, I'm sure, but we were rather peeved at the whole thing and I really don't remember the food. We did have a very nice bottle of Kelley Fox 07 Pinot Noir (winemaker for Scott Paul).</div><div><br /></div><div>I later sent an email to the new owners and they were very apologetic and offered to treat us to another dinner at some point, but I suspect we won't be back.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, other than a disappointing dinner, the weekend had started very well: the wines at the Eyrie were unexpectedly good, especially the library tasting, and the Allison absolutely met expectations so far. More tomorrow.</div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-54784031925427818832011-02-27T19:42:00.000-08:002011-03-06T13:14:58.057-08:00Newport Seafood and Wine Festival 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvBON6UwqoJiwqme8YU3Wa1yuXaep6fhae3VBi8d3XDh_k1q9cGmCuYbLG43cRkyN7OElKzZYuQzPY31bfwIx3b7Flbs8afIiwBFFWfOr36aeulbeHBv8Ei6zLspr6igpHBWdec19ppNR/s1600/IMG_0522.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578610616923449506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvBON6UwqoJiwqme8YU3Wa1yuXaep6fhae3VBi8d3XDh_k1q9cGmCuYbLG43cRkyN7OElKzZYuQzPY31bfwIx3b7Flbs8afIiwBFFWfOr36aeulbeHBv8Ei6zLspr6igpHBWdec19ppNR/s320/IMG_0522.JPG" /></a>Every year we say "This is going to be our last year here" and every year we have a great time and look forward to next year. Last year, we thought that we had the routine worked out and that we'd just repeat the usual pattern. Little did we know that this year was not going to follow the script. We'd reserved our room at the Waves of Newport a few months back. We like this motel because it's well-placed on the bus route that goes between the motels and the festival, it usually has fewer drunks than the Shilo Inn, and it has a nice ocean view. This year it had 2 out of 3 points going for it. Not only have they moved the bus stop from just in front of The Waves to a block away, but they'd changed the frequency of the bus from every 15-20 minutes to every 45-60 minutes. But I'm getting ahead of myself.<br /><br />We left home about 10 am on Friday morning, and after having to return to fix my sunglasses and grab some forgotten items, we were finally on the road at 10:15. Although it was cold (about 28 degrees the entire way), it was a beautiful sunny day for a drive to the coast. We decided that rather than our usual lunch stop at the Side Track Tap (aka the Side Door Café in Gleneden Beach), we'd have lunch at the Black Fish Café in Lincoln City. We'd eaten dinner there a few years back and really enjoyed it. Besides, the service at the Side Track is often slow and I wanted to get to Newport in plenty of time. We were quickly seated and I ordered the fish tacos (one of my new favorites) and Rachel had a pulled pork sandwich. I also ordered a glass of Biggio Hamina Melon de Bourgogne. Todd sources these grapes from Mike and Patty Green at Deux Vert, and both Scott Macindoe and Chris Berg make great wine from them, so we wanted to taste this wine also. We were quite disappointed - the wine was weak and lacked enough acid. I'm wondering if the bottle had been open too long since this just wasn't what we were expecting. We'll stop by the tasting room and see if we can taste a fresh bottle sometime. The food was nothing to write home about either. Rachel's pork sandwich was fine, but wasn't that interesting, and my fish tacos lacked zing. Fortunately the service was fast and we were on our way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazxKpNUthlcKlWsF7Ry9gSHaxSWYwgVk06v7tD76q3e8osXUhFayoltW72hiFVqLS0nx1aa6QbDquldbtxAF0Gp7Mhxn9t7qRA4MNpjzQx8TfVzlBKpKaCa05iWk_AEuFBKAGJTFAAt6X/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578610915190929106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazxKpNUthlcKlWsF7Ry9gSHaxSWYwgVk06v7tD76q3e8osXUhFayoltW72hiFVqLS0nx1aa6QbDquldbtxAF0Gp7Mhxn9t7qRA4MNpjzQx8TfVzlBKpKaCa05iWk_AEuFBKAGJTFAAt6X/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" /></a>It looked like our timing would work out well until we had to stop about 15 miles north of Newport while they cleared an accident. We were delayed by about 20 minutes. We made it to the motel at about 1:40 and had time to change clothes and pack the backpack. We went down and walked about a block to the bus stop and waited. And waited. And waited. That's when I checked the festival website and saw that the bus schedule had been changed. After waiting about 40 minutes, we gave up and walked back to the car and drove. If the organizers want people to take the bus, they can't space them out at 45-60 minute intervals; that just dumb. On the drive there, we saw several mostly empty buses. Fortunately there was plenty of parking at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. After a short walk to the tent and a very short line, we were inside by 2:30 - about 1/2 hour later than planned. We did our usual walk-through before tasting anything just to see who was here, and then started tasting in earnest. I'll transcribe my tasting notes and put them at the end of this blog in a few days. We tasted at 11 wineries on Friday. The highlights were Pudding River's Riesling and Chardonnay and Macindoe's 2008 Melon. We had drunk through our supply of Melon last year and were pleasantly surprised that Scott still had some left. Yum! We also got to taste A Blooming Hill's 2010 Riesling which was just marvelous, although not for sale yet. Jim had sold me some of his grapes for my Riesling last fall, so it was nice to see what those grapes could do in the right hands. It's clearly time for me to check on my Riesling and see if it's ready to bottle.<br /><br />Our usual Friday dinner takes place at Nana's Irish Pub. Usually we take the bus back to the motel and walk the 3 blocks to the pub, but because it was below freezing, we decided to just stop there directly on the drive back from the festival. We usually order their shepherd's pie and chicken pot pie (along with an imperial pint of Guinness, or course), but this year I went for a seafood platter (beer battered cod and oysters) and Rachel went for the Irish sausages wrapped in puff pastry with peas. Both were very tasty dishes, and I had a pint of Smithwick's Red Ale rather than the Guinness. I'll not likely do that again, since it was mostly "Guinness Lite."<br /><br />We stopped at Freddies on the way home to look for gloves. Rachel found a pair, but I was out of luck. We did find some "Little Hotties" chemical hand warmers that we were eager to try. Unfortunately, we forgot to buy cereal and milk for the next morning. Oops. Upon returning to the motel, we checked for wifi, and found that there wasn't any. Fortunately, we'd brought an old access point from home and plugged it into the wired Ethernet that they did provide. It all worked, and we had great internet access for all our wifi devices. The only strange thing was that the wifi location service on my iPad got confused since it thought that our access point was in Forest Grove, not Newport. It ended up placing us somewhere near Grand Ronde on the map!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfC0tWqmAdt9a686vPx2JHogo09lGCiroGhWen3VUhKHE7g-QXISibKZzGDnUTQVhDPT_H5us68U-7OIQJWiLH_T_H-wt9f5MVR2PgDCs-upnNNe6ECOiNKO-NdvR5Lv8ppuFQEpDj0Vx/s1600/IMG_0520.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578611280172368978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfC0tWqmAdt9a686vPx2JHogo09lGCiroGhWen3VUhKHE7g-QXISibKZzGDnUTQVhDPT_H5us68U-7OIQJWiLH_T_H-wt9f5MVR2PgDCs-upnNNe6ECOiNKO-NdvR5Lv8ppuFQEpDj0Vx/s320/IMG_0520.JPG" /></a>Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny and about 23 degrees. We bundled up in our long underwear and jackets and activated our hand warmers. Within about 5 minutes, they were definitely getting hot. Apparently they work using exothermic oxidation of iron powder - basically fast rusting! Because of the new stupid bus schedule, we drove again and ended up parking in the Rogue Brewing parking lot. It cost us $5, but we got a $5 discount coupon at the Rogue restaurant, where we had already planned to eat lunch. Not bad! We were in the tent shortly after things opened up at 10:00. We managed to taste through about 8 wineries before things got too crowded and loud around 12:45. We were just getting ready to leave when our friend John Olson at Palotai waved us over for a sample of his new Barbera. It's a beautiful wine and we promised him that we'd be back tomorrow to taste through his lineup. The wine highlights of the day were Ray Walsh's (Capitello Wines) 09 New Zealand Sauv Blanc and his late Riesling. Agate Ridge's Primativo and Girardet's Pinot Gris were also standouts. The technology highlight was the hand warmers. We kept them in our jacket pockets, and every time I put my hands in, it was a warm and pleasant surprise on a cold day.<br /><br />After making a few purchases, we walked over to the Rogue Brewery and dropped the wine off at the car. Parking onsite has its advantages! We then had a nice lunch at the brewery restaurant and drove back to the motel. We thought about taking a walk downtown or going down to the beach, but it was just too darned cold, so we took a nap instead.<br /><br />We had our usual dinner reservations at the Bay House in Lincoln City, and we were on the road by 6:00. We had gone about 10 minutes when we saw flares by the side of the road, and shortly thereafter got stuck in a long line of stopped cars. We'd inch forward every few minutes, and we saw cars coming the other direction, so we hoped that this wouldn't take long. Unfortunately after 45 minutes of this, we discovered that there was a police car turning people around. There had been a wreck that was going to take about 3 hours to clear, so we were out of luck. All those cars that we had seen coming from the other direction had been people who had been turned back. Why did they let us all wait in line for 45 minutes before turning us around!?! So, no dinner at Bay House. We both had visions of the McDonald's drive-thru on the way back into town, but fortunately Rachel started calling around and ended up getting us a reservation at April's in Newport for 8:00. Apparently they'd had cancellations from folks up north who couldn't make it past the wreck either.<br /><br />We had eaten at April's a few years back and hadn't been that impressed, so our expectations were low, but at least it was better than McDonalds! We were seated right away and noticed that several other winemakers were having dinner there as well. We recognized the folks from Pudding River and also Jason, Sean, and Scott from David Hill. We let our server know that the David Hill crew were troublemakers and to watch out for them! The 3 of them had brought some bottles from their own cellars, and Jason and Scott both wandered over to let us sample some of their great wines. We ended up ordering a 2005 Heitz Cellars Cab that was really nice too. Partway through our salad course, Jim and Holly from A Blooming Hill Vineyard came in and we had a nice chat with them, after Jim gave me a hard time for wearing a tie!<br /><br />I had a really nice ribeye steak and Rachel had the most tender duck she'd ever eaten. We finished off with a delicious brownie ice cream sundae. Between the food and seeing our winemaker friends, it was a very memorable meal, and I'd certainly eat at April's again. We got back to the motel and I dropped Rachel off near the room before parking the car. As I walked up toward the room, she shouted out "hola!" to me across the parking lot. Didn't I say there were fewer drunks at this motel??<br /><br />We woke up on Sunday to wind and rain, but fortunately the temperature was in the upper 30's to lower 40's so it was more like we're used to at the coast in February. We packed up and checked out and were at the festival shortly before 10:00. Sunday is my favorite day of the festival because it's far less crowded, and the attendees are mostly older and not so crazy. We usually save our favorite wineries until Sunday so we can get a chance to chat with people in a less hurried atmosphere. Our first stop was to see Dyson Demara at Hillcrest. Faithful readers may recall that Hillcrest was planted by Richard Sommer in 1961 and is Oregon's oldest modern winery. Dyson has kept the operation small enough to be completely run by him and his family, allowing him to tune the winemaking to the peculiarities of any given vintage. The result is an ever changing range of styles and some very good wine. Dyson has seemingly done it all and seen it all in his years of working in the wine industry at some well-known California wineries and now Hillcrest, and we ended up chatting with him for nearly an hour.<br /><br />Our next stop was back at Palotai (now called Tesoaria) to see John Olson. John took over the winery from Gabor Palotai about 6 years ago and is producing consistently good wines using a wide range of grape varieties. He's also one of the friendliest people you'd ever want to meet. He has a wonderful bright white blend called Bella Bianca that is very similar to our beloved Mingle from A Blooming Hill. He also has a fun Rosé of Merlot that is perfect for sipping on a warm summer day. I already mentioned the great Barbera, and he has a whole lineup of other great wines that range from a pure simple Dolcetto to a powerful Bordeaux blend.<br /><br />Usually we finish our Sunday tasting shortly after noon and head home, stopping for lunch along the way. This year, we were on a roll and decided to stay longer and eat at the festival. Rachel found some excellent sushi (although we have yet to find a wine that works with sushi) and I had a nice (and very warm) crab and asparagus chile relleno. We finished up a bit more tasting and were on the road around 2:00. It was pouring rain as we went through the coast range, but fortunately the temp never dropped below about 38, so there was no snow or ice. We got home around 4:00.<br /><br />So, another excellent year. A lot of so-so wine, but also some very good wine. We had a great time chatting with the winemakers, and had a really nice time at April's (both the food and the company). So, even though the general level of wine at this event isn't all that great, there are enough high points that we'll be back next year. After all, what's winter on the Oregon coast without the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival?<div><br /></div><div>Tasting Notes:</div><div><br /></div><div>Seufert:</div><div>Woven White - A nice, slightly sweet white table wine. Nothing special, but good.</div><div>06 Pinot-licious - Nice 06 Pinot. Good fruit, but not overly fruity as some entry level 2006s can be.</div><div>Syrah - Decent WA Syrah, nothing special.</div><div>06 Barrel select Pinot Noir - More structured, but not all that interesting.</div><div>07 Johan Vineyard Pinot Noir - Good 07, nice structure and extraction.</div><div>Late Harvest wine - mostly Chardonnay(!) Sweet but well-balanced.</div><div><br /></div><div>South Stage Cellars:</div><div>09 Serendipity Marsanne/Roussanne blend. Good varietal representation, not bad.</div><div>07 Alchemy - Tempranillo, Camenere, Cab Sauv. Meh, nice fruit but slightly bitter.</div><div>09 Early Muscat - crisp and clean, 1.5% RS, not quite enough acid to balance the sugar.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pudding River:</div><div>09 Riesling - Bright and acidic with a touch of sweetness. Very nice.</div><div>09 Pinot Gris - crisp, nice fruit with a touch of RS (0.6%)</div><div>07 Viognier - crisp and acidic with a bit of spice. Very nice.</div><div>08 Willamette Valley Chardonnay - 100% new French oak, very nice oaking, still crisp.</div><div>07 Reserve Chardonnay - Neutral oak and sur lies, gentle oaking but still present.</div><div>06 Pinot Noir - Warm, structured, slightly smokey.</div><div>08 Pinot Noir Pommard clone - Bright strawberry fruits, very short finish but quite interesting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mark's Ridge Winery:</div><div>09 Gewurztraminer - Sweet with a bit of spice. Not enough acid.</div><div>09 Riesling - Sweet, fairly thin, not enough acid.</div><div>07 Pinot Noir - some structure, not bad.</div><div>08 Pinot Noir - bright fruit, very smooth, not much structure.</div><div>09 Ladybug Rosé of Pinot Noir - fizzy, bright, and dry. Not bad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cubanisimo:</div><div>09 Rosato - Interesting, some yeastiness, not bad.</div><div>08 Willamette Valley PN - Thin and forgettable. May have been the cold temps.</div><div>09 Pinot Noir Rumba - Thin and forgettable.</div><div>08 Pinot Noir Estate - Thin and forgettable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Macindoe:</div><div>08 Melon de Bourgogne - Wow, we thought this was sold out. Beautiful crisp, dry and fruity white wine. Goes with everything.</div><div>09 Rousanne - very smooth mouth feel, but not enough acid.</div><div>08 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley - too cold to taste much</div><div>08 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity - too cold to taste much, seemed to have nice fruit and structure.</div><div>Sweet Gewurztraminer - Ice wine style, slightly too sweet but very nice and interesting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Slagle Creek:</div><div>08 Chardonnay - nicely oaked with rich mouth feel, maybe slightly sweet?</div><div>07 Claret (Best of Show) - Fruity and smooth, but really wasn't showing well in the cold temps.</div><div>08 Merlot - smooth, very varietal.</div><div>07 Tempranillo/Cab Sauv blend (a Super Rioja?) - a bit rough but tasty.</div><div>07 Syrah - very nice, not over fruity, N. Rhone style.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bowlus Hills (Zerba 2nd label):</div><div>07 Syrah - nice WA syrah, warm and "burnt"</div><div>07 Cab Sauv - reasonably good WA cab, decent fruit.</div><div><br /></div><div>J Scott Cellars:</div><div>10 Pinot Blanc - very nice, crisp with good fruit.</div><div>09 Viognier - not much spice, ok</div><div>09 Pinot Noir - too cold to tell</div><div>08 Syrah - nice fruit, warm climate syrah w/o bitterness.</div><div>09 Petite Sirah - Dark color, good fruit.</div><div>09 Petite Sirah Port - Warm, rich, chocolate notes</div><div><br /></div><div>Noble Estate:</div><div>10 Riesling - too sweet, not enough acid</div><div>10 Sparkling Muscat - nice sweet easy drinker, Like Kramer Celebrate, but slightly too sweet.</div><div>08 Syrah - nice fruit, smooth, not a fruit bomb</div><div>07 Merlot - smooth with good varietal characteristics</div><div>08 Cab Sauv - typical So. Oregon cab, nothing special.</div><div><br /></div><div>Milbrant:</div><div>09 Riesling - not enough acid, fairly thin.</div><div><br /></div><div>Capitello:</div><div>NV Brut - Dry, crisp, very slightly yeasty, quite good.</div><div>09 Pinot Gris (NZ) - silky with yeastiness, crisp.</div><div>09 Sauv Blanc - Ripe bell pepper, spicy, very aromatic. Great.</div><div>08 Pinot Noir (NZ) - Good and structured.</div><div>08 Pinot Noir (OR) - Classic OR 08, very nice but too young at this point.</div><div>08 Succession Pinot Noir - Warm, spicy, long finish, dark fruits.</div><div>09 Riesling (late) - Not too sweet, very drinkable, not just a dessert wine, 6.5% RS, would pair well with spicy food.</div><div>09 Dolcino - very good, maybe a bit too heavy and sweet, but not cloying.</div><div><br /></div><div>Melrose:</div><div>09 Sauv Blanc - nice floral notes, somewhat thin.</div><div>09 Riesling - off dry (~2% RS), nice fruit but a bit thin</div><div>07 Pinotage - warm, simple, with a long finish</div><div>09 Dolcetto - simple, very nice example of a Dolcetto</div><div>06 Merlot - smooth older Merlot, somewhat subdued fruit.</div><div>06 Syrah - nice smooth warm climate Syrah</div><div>07 Equinox - very interesting blend, warm, long finish, some complexity.</div><div>07 Baco Noir - nice big, simple, fruity Baco.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stangeland:</div><div>09 Tempranillo Rosé - deep and interesting for a rosé, not bitter, quite nice.</div><div>08 Gewurztraminer - a bit weak but nice spice and flavor</div><div>08 Tempranillo - nice fruit but a bit of a harsh edge</div><div><br /></div><div>Agate Ridge:</div><div>09 Sauv Blanc - good fruit, floral aromatics, but not quite "there"</div><div>09 Viognier - very nice, varietally correct, a bit of spice.</div><div>Sweet Semillon - 12% RS but very well balanced. A nice wine.</div><div>08 Primativo - smooth and easy, warm, nice finish, not over the top fruit</div><div>08 Cascade Terrace Red - nice red table wine.</div><div>07 Petite Sirah - dark inky color, smooth, no bitterness, medium long finish</div><div><br /></div><div>Silvan Ridge:</div><div>08 Riesling - OK, not great.</div><div>09 Sparkling Muscat - crisp, less sweet than some</div><div>07 Rogue Red - smooth smoky blend of cab, merlot, and syrah</div><div>07 Syrah - very nice So. Oregon Syrah, warm fruits, not bitter</div><div><br /></div><div>Pyrenees:</div><div>09 Gewurztraminer - nice and spicy</div><div>06 Pinot Gris - smooth, lightly oaked</div><div>09 Chardonnay - crisp with nice oak, nice acid</div><div>08 Syrah - very nice, pepper, clean, good fruit</div><div>06 Cab Sauv - Typical So. OR cab, nice but nothing special from the wine lake</div><div>09 Meritage - Simple, not that well integrated</div><div><br /></div><div>Purple Cow:</div><div>09 Muscat - Crisp and clean with a bit of sweetness, better than the 08.</div><div>0? Primativo - fruity like a good Zin, maybe a bit hot.</div><div>0? Teroldego - big, warm, and fruity with a nice finish</div><div><br /></div><div>Girardet:</div><div>09 Pinot Gris - excellent fruit, crisp and clean</div><div>0? Chadonnay - fruity but a bit over oaked for me</div><div>14 Vines - field blend, ok, but without much character. Basic red wine.</div><div>09 Zinfandel - fruity, but not opulent like a big CA Zin</div><div>08 Pinot Noir - OK, pretty typical So. OR Pinot</div><div>09 Baco Noir - Some fruit but a bit harsh and bitter. Disappointing.</div><div>0? Cab Suav - very nice example of a So. OR cab, some fruit, smooth</div><div>Ice Gewurztraminer - nice. not quite enough acid, but not overly sweet</div><div><br /></div><div>Hillcrest:</div><div>We tasted through all of Dyson's lineup during the hour we chatted, and I didn't take detauled notes. They're all good, and here are a few notes:</div><div>06 Right Bank - nice cab/merlot Bdx blend</div><div>07 Phenom - Nice, warm and structured Cab Sauv.</div><div>07 Gabor - Petite Sirah named after Dyson's friend Gabor Palotai who has moved to Ecuador with a woman he met online. What a character! Deep and rich Petite Sirah.</div><div>06 Zinfandel 1888 - Nice fruity Zin.</div><div>07 Cab Franc NONIHC - "Chinon backwards, this is a good smooth, rich Cab Franc</div><div>08 Chardonnay Les Charmes - crisp, minerals, almost a Chablis style.</div><div>08 Riesling Bone Dry - crisp, but could use a little sweetness</div><div>09 Late Harvest Riesling - perhaps a bit too sweet or not enough acid for us.</div><div>Can't remember the name, but it was made to go well with Fois Gras. Very nice sweet wine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crate Lake Cellars:</div><div>Merlot 29 - Amarone-style Merlot, rich.</div><div>09 Grenache - nice rich Grenache, only 12.5% ABV, nice fruit.</div><div>08 Syrah - smooth, good fruit, tastes like cool climate Syrah (but isn't), clean.</div><div><br /></div><div>Emerson:</div><div>09 Riesling - slightly sweet, nice fruit, not quite enough acid</div><div>09 White Pinot Noir - clean, but slightly bitter.</div><div>09 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley - Good well executed</div><div>09 Pinot Noir Avelina - Earthiness, forest floor, complex</div><div>NV Brother Red - Good basic table wine, but more interesting than some due to the multiple variety of grapes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Palotai/Tesoaria:</div><div>We tasted through most of John's lineup and again I didn't take great notes - too busy enjoying our chat. Here are a few notes:</div><div>10 Bella Bianca - white blend that tastes bright and clean, similar to Mingle.</div><div>10 Bella Rosa - Fun slightly sparkling Rosé of Merlot</div><div>09 Attila - Barbera, great fruit with an interesting finish</div><div>06 Attila - Merlot, Cab, and Malbec, nice and smooth</div><div>09 Bull's Blood - Didn't write notes, but remember it as very good.</div><div>05 Syrah - no notes</div><div><br /></div><div>Cardwell Hill:</div><div>Their Pinot Noir has gotten consistently good scores over the past couple of years, but I've not been all that excited about it. This time, it was too cold to really tell much about it.</div><div>10 Pinot Gris - Not bad, but not enough acid</div><div>07 Pinot Noir Reserve - Nice structure, some smokiness</div><div>08 Pinot Noir Reserve - Lots of oak, nice fruit but somewhat restrained</div><div>08 Pinot Noir Estate - Good fruit, light, nice</div><div>09 Pinot Noir Estate - Really too cold to tell, young, subtle fruit</div><div><br /></div><div>Misty Oaks:</div><div>08 Pinot Blanc - crisp, flavorful, fruity, some oak.</div><div>09 Pinot Gris - crisp, slightly bitter</div><div>07 Gobbler's Knob - Very tannic, ok but nothing special</div><div>08 Malbec - very tannic but with good fruit, black pepper</div><div><br /></div><div>Valley View:</div><div>06 Syrah - good but not exceptional, Didn't jump out at us.</div><div>0? Tempranillo - fruity but with a bitter edge</div><div>0? Cab Sauv - Typical So. OR cab, nothing special</div><div><br /></div><div>Methven:</div><div>Always great to talk to Will.</div><div>09 Riesling - crisp, but not quite as intense as we remembered (too cold?)</div><div>07 Pinot Noir Estate - Nice, with dark fruit and good extraction</div><div>0? Pinot Gris - nice, crisp</div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-84912938743535713992010-11-29T09:20:00.001-08:002010-11-29T11:26:12.507-08:00Fallen Behind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWjIPYSl3pQZfTXgK_Sertn81b-xLIvSFifRMUFbkboVns8v-cOl2xHHnlCBBG8KnPMWnyw044c6tyAmBzwHGrXLvyPBTxrbwZdRvt3pFizNx25PiUjuUN4OZLtEDlo3D5nTZAoPskZmn/s1600/Title.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWjIPYSl3pQZfTXgK_Sertn81b-xLIvSFifRMUFbkboVns8v-cOl2xHHnlCBBG8KnPMWnyw044c6tyAmBzwHGrXLvyPBTxrbwZdRvt3pFizNx25PiUjuUN4OZLtEDlo3D5nTZAoPskZmn/s320/Title.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545054479439666514" border="0" /></a>Wow, I just looked at the drafts folder for this blog and realize that I've started 10 blog entries since April and published exactly one. We've had a great year so far, full of wonderful food and wine, but I don't seem to have had the motivation to write about it. I don't know if I'm going to every get around to writing up full posts for all of these, but maybe I'll summarize here just for memory's sake.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winemaker Dinner</span><br /><br />In April we attended a wonderful winemaker's dinner at Farm to Fork restaurant in Dundee. This is the restaurant within the Inn at Red Hills, one of several relatively new upscale lodging options in Oregon wine country. It's owned by Kendall Bergstrom and Paul deLancellotti, local winegrowers and winemakers, so they know wine. We had eaten there once before (for my birthday, I believe) and had a very nice meal. They hosted a series of winemaker dinners throughout the year, and we chose to attend the dinner featuring the wines of Bergstrom and deLancellotti. Winemaker Josh Bergstrom (Kendall's brother) and Paul were both there to share and talk about several wines. Josh even previewed their 2008 Bergstrom Vineyard Pinot Noir - an amazing deep, dark and muscular wine. Paul brought his 2007 and 2008 estate Pinots which were both amazing. The food was good, but not spectacular, and we ended up sharing a table with some delightful people which made the entire evening memorable. Notes: apparently Farm to Fork has a new chef, so we need to go back to see how the food has changed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Riedel Milk glasses?</span><br /><br />In the world of wine glasses, size and shape <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> matter. We've demonstrated this to ourselves a couple of times by trying the same wine in different Riedel glasses. Yes, Pinot Noir tastes better in a Pinot Noir glass, while Bordeaux varietals are flat. They taste better in (you guessed it) a glass made for them. The boyz of course think this is all non-sense however. That is, until we brought home a couple of Riedel O glasses from this year's McMinnville Food and Wine Classic. The Riedel O glasses are stemless tumblers which I generally don't like for wine, so we decided to let Tim try some milk in one. Although we regularly drink skim milk, it tasted richer and creamier out of the Riedel glass. The next night Josh was home for dinner, and we gave him some skim milk in one of the glasses and asked him "what's different?" Thinking himself clever, he replied "Oh, you got whole milk. Big deal." Yes, it was a big deal because it was skim milk. I wonder if Riedel knows that it has a milk glass?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AVA Events</span><br /><br />In May we attended a couple of AVA sponsored tastings. These events bring together producers from a specific sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley to showcase their wines and show off what their AVA can offer. The first was the annual Yamhill-Carlton spring tasting event which was held this year at the Anne Amie winery near Carlton on May 1st. Rachel had a conflict so I went by myself. The wine was great, and I ran into several friends and favorites (Trudy Kramer of Kramer, Chris Berg of Roots, and Stag Hollow) as well as some relative newcomers or new discoveries for me with nice wine (Ghost Hill, Atticus, and Alexana).<br /><br />The second event was "Pinot in the Pearl" on May 6th sponsored by the Chehalem Mountain AVA. This was a much more upscale event held in the Pearl District in Portland. Lots of great wine paired with wonderful food from local restaurants. Favorites here included Alloro, Arborbrook, Barking Frog, Blakeslee, deLancellotti, Et Fille, and Utopia). We ran into lots of winemakers we knew, and really enjoyed the event.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dinner at Jory</span><br /><br />Another relatively new hotel in the area is the Allison Inn near Newberg. It's an incredibly upscale Inn with all the amenities including a day spa. The restaurant at the Inn, called Jory, had gotten great reviews, so we decided to check it out.<br /><br /><div>It's off the beaten path and there are several ways to get there, but we discovered for us, the best way is to come down Zimri Dr. off of North Valley/Bell Rd. We were slightly early for our reservation, so we walked around the grounds for a while. They've tried to make it very "green", so the landscaping is clover mixed into the grass, and many native plants. It also has a growing roof, and priority parking for electric and hybrid cars.<br /><br />When we went in, we discovered that Dick Shea (of Shea Vineyard and Shea Wine Cellars) was there for a tasting. He was pouring his 08 Chardonnay (fruity, lightly oaked, nice finish) and 08 estate PN (young, slightly restrained, very elegant). On to dinner:<br /></div><br /><div>Appetizers - Steak Tartar (good, but not enough garlic) and muchroom duxell with warm goat cheese mousse (wow, goat cheese was great and mushrooms very nice. Went well with the Shea PN)</div><br /><div>Wine - 2006 Telegramme Chateauneuf du Pape. somewhat earthy and spicy, went very well with our meals.</div><div>Dave - Lamb 3 ways - loin in a reduction sauce, mergez sausage, and braised shoulder a la pulled pork. Roasted carrots and fennel bulb.</div><br /><div>Rachel - Gnochi with lamb and beef ragu and a salad with blue cheese and walnuts (nicely salted)</div><br /><div>Desserts - 3 cheeses, creme brulee, chocolate cake thing. 2000 Vintage Port.<br /><br />In all, a wonderful dining experience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big One - Memorial Day weekend (and the weekend before)</span><br /><br />Rachel and I ventured out on both weekends, visiting over 30 wineries and tasting hundreds of wines. I'm hoping to publish full blog entries for both of these weekends, so I'll not write anything more here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quick Bay Area Trip</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvk1iykC6brK8AE3OQsqNQM7opZH-XTBSB3r4Nm4PsOPefBFyAcLJ6TsgBqA6-Qh1MIXqMGERBHJkaiiM54Ms6rY0IlNqlzEVf36Y93wxpdImpsEvi4_i5hWTcCNd-K_Z3aBn-ehyphenhyphenXJOX/s1600/Sonoma+Airport.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvk1iykC6brK8AE3OQsqNQM7opZH-XTBSB3r4Nm4PsOPefBFyAcLJ6TsgBqA6-Qh1MIXqMGERBHJkaiiM54Ms6rY0IlNqlzEVf36Y93wxpdImpsEvi4_i5hWTcCNd-K_Z3aBn-ehyphenhyphenXJOX/s320/Sonoma+Airport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545054632239684738" border="0" /></a>As much as I usually dislike inter-league baseball during the regular season, it offered us a rare opportunity to see both the Red Sox and Dodgers in action against the Giants in back to back games on June 27th and 28th.<br /><br />We flew into Santa Rosa (my favorite airport in the world) on Friday the 25th for an afternoon of wine tasting. Ben was training for a bike race, so he met us there with his bike. We took his car for wine tasting while he was out riding the Sonoma County back roads. The first thing we discovered is that all of my usual meticulous planning is worth it. I didn't plan much this time, assuming that we'd easily find 4 or 5 wineries that we could stop at. The problem was too many options. We headed off in one direction, not realizing that the winery we had targeted was about an hour away. After driving through heavy traffic for about 20 minutes, we decided to turn around and just stick to wineries closer to the airport (where we would be meeting Ben again after his ride). We ended up visiting Iron Horse (so-so sparkling wine), Porter Creek (nice small family winery), Arista (very nice Cab Franc, Sauv Blanc, and Russian River Pinot), Hop Kiln (not very good wines, in spite of the reputation), and Martinelli (rushed and impersonal. Can't remember the wines).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVnVc6mS7ArMVI-Oz5gn-8ayf3sLmC60m6rMH_ataGWOmxXStAnsiEw4OHSJyfWlXzNv8arXzUg6mz79mqYw1Gk3xAnMikXi0kMgIKB-Gfq8l15_nwBiTSbMEduIiXH4-0vweX0P3oyPX/s1600/Zazu.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVnVc6mS7ArMVI-Oz5gn-8ayf3sLmC60m6rMH_ataGWOmxXStAnsiEw4OHSJyfWlXzNv8arXzUg6mz79mqYw1Gk3xAnMikXi0kMgIKB-Gfq8l15_nwBiTSbMEduIiXH4-0vweX0P3oyPX/s320/Zazu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545054837892403426" border="0" /></a>We then met Ben after his ride and drove him to the local 24 Hour Fitness so he could take a shower. The three of us then headed off for dinner at Zazu. Unknown to us at the time, this is the restaurant owned and run by Duskie Estes, one of the contestants on The Next Iron Chef. The food was good - well prepared homestyle cooking.<br /><br />After dinner we headed into the city while listening to the Red Sox/Giants game on the radio. I can't remember all we did the next day and a half, but I remember that it included a great drive and walk up Mt. Tam and a visit to the Basement of Sports where I purchased a nice fleece jacket. On Saturday night Rachel, Ben, Joan and I had a fabulous dinner at Bix. It was so dark in the restaurant that the wait staff offered flashlights to read the menu. The food and wine were fantastic, including Dr. Loosen Riesling, ceviche, corn/clam chowder, steak and mashed, fromage blanc and strawberry sorbet among other delights. As we were finishing, a great jazz trio started playing; I could have stayed and listened all night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcbkOCnB5maFRgHdzDm3HChVd4JPlxH91XXIwpodJPBbG77DxMeXWSFaQ6aCdLjGZSzi82V18QGGmjwS71qRIECdvRB7J7dX68-ws-iRX_dxRpjIHym_D35Feml7YONK7eHvfbSXp9s6R/s1600/Baseball.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcbkOCnB5maFRgHdzDm3HChVd4JPlxH91XXIwpodJPBbG77DxMeXWSFaQ6aCdLjGZSzi82V18QGGmjwS71qRIECdvRB7J7dX68-ws-iRX_dxRpjIHym_D35Feml7YONK7eHvfbSXp9s6R/s320/Baseball.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545055042581931666" border="0" /></a>The baseball games themselves were great - we watched Jon Lester pitch a complete game as the Red Sox won, and had unbelievable good seats for the Dodgers game the next night. The Giants were great hosts and graciously lost both games. Interesting note: because we attended those two games, I got to know the Giants players better, and ended up rooting for them against the Rangers in the world series.<br /><br /></div>That pretty much gets me caught up to October. I still need to write some posts about our 3 day trip to Sonoma, as well as pre-Thanksgiving weekend wine tasting.Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-41298915108674818012010-08-07T11:55:00.000-07:002010-08-07T14:15:04.422-07:00Bite of Oregon 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVijBYnnylH793_23vJBFgUS9A1HOCulBsMlDWPILUOwQ8xPwzf__wWUW0G0L7QMrsEJ4_NUuM-AXHDR2USN5yAXjxfu-vc9kFf5FvL9Z6Ogu7CYwQKVom1atUPOj9gcRv-couylCEQZR/s1600/photo.PNG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVijBYnnylH793_23vJBFgUS9A1HOCulBsMlDWPILUOwQ8xPwzf__wWUW0G0L7QMrsEJ4_NUuM-AXHDR2USN5yAXjxfu-vc9kFf5FvL9Z6Ogu7CYwQKVom1atUPOj9gcRv-couylCEQZR/s320/photo.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502756276261669250" border="0" /></a>Every year restaurants, breweries and wineries from around Oregon show off their wares at Riverfront Park in downtown Portland. In addition to food and drinks, there is entertainment, chef demonstrations and of course the Iron Chef Oregon competition. This year Rachel and Tim were off at a swim meet, so I decided to leave work early on Friday afternoon and head to the festival.<br /><br />I made my usual first pass through the wine area, but noticed something strange. Unlike last year where all the wineries had their own booths and determined their own tasting fees, it looked like more than half of them were in common booths staffed with volunteers rather than winery staff. Those wineries in the common booths were also charging $2/taste. What's with that? Maybe a charity fundraiser? Don't know, but I wasn't interested in finding out. Half the fun of wine tasting is talking to the winemaker or at least someone who works for the winery. Bad idea. Because of this, I visited far fewer wineries than in past years. It also seemed to me that there was not as much high quality wine there either - more like Newport than the McMinnville festival. Fortunately Dyson Demara was there from Hillcrest and had some great new wines, and John Olson from Palotai was there, also with some great new wines. These are my 2 favorite southern Oregon wineries, and I always enjoy talking with Dyson and John. I also had a nice chat with Ray Walsh from Capitello who has some nice new Sauv Blancs from both Oregon and New Zealand. A few other favorites were there (David Hill) but I've tasted recently enough that I didn't taste at the Bite. My full tasting notes are at the end of this post.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRgym99_SH4I3N72hiKk_FpQs9I69qJ7u-PkHxu2Ley7YD_JNbnCC5FBl9RdUHoEYYphtXMm3OoG6GqG-ujvlbN63gCUWpS73Bwn6BYdxdO1MiQLIgnllTk8mZ99XTt08bgR5qie6JTz0/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRgym99_SH4I3N72hiKk_FpQs9I69qJ7u-PkHxu2Ley7YD_JNbnCC5FBl9RdUHoEYYphtXMm3OoG6GqG-ujvlbN63gCUWpS73Bwn6BYdxdO1MiQLIgnllTk8mZ99XTt08bgR5qie6JTz0/s320/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502756457858525970" border="0" /></a>In between wine tastings, I took in a little music (a rock band called Hello Morning), a chef demonstration (Pascal Sauton from Carafe Bistro in Portland), and the first round of Iron Chef Oregon (Franco Console vs. Gabriel Gil). The great thing about Friday afternoon at the Bite is that it's not very crowded, and I had no trouble getting good seating for any of the entertainment.<br /><br />Of course I also had to eat while I was there! In addition to Oregon restaurants, there were several food trucks from Portland's exploding street food scene, and I tried 2 of them. I had incredible Korean BBQ tacos from Koi fusion, and a pretty good meatball Parmesan Slider from Garden State. I washed that down with a nice Red Ale from Hopworks Urban Brewery.<br /><br />I had a good time as usual, and it was fun to chat with the winemakers, but this isn't a "knock your socks off" experience in terms of either the food or (most of) the wine. Will I be back next year? Of course, but I hope Rachel can come with me.<br /><br />Girardet:<br />08 Chardonnay - Lightly oaked, crisp and fruty. Really very nice, but not quite enough acid.<br />08 Riesling - off dry, not enough acid.<br />08 Zinfandel - Tastes young and rough. Needs more time, not as fruity as a Zin should be.<br />09 Baco Noir - Young and a bit rough.<br />08 Cab Sauv - Nice, but nothing special.<br /><br />Capitello:<br />09 New Zealand Sauv Blanc - very crisp and clean, but a bit too much bell pepper for my taste. Some nice tropical notes.<br />08 Oregon Sauv Blanc - Smooth mouth feel, luscious.<br />09 New Zealand Pinot Noir - Big, warm and complex. Like the best OR 06's<br />07 Oregon Pinot Noir - solid 2007, with complexity and good fruit.<br />09 Late Riesling - well balanced, not too sweet<br /><br />Seufert:<br />09 Pinot Gris - nice and crisp, not as much depth of flavor as I'd like.<br />NV White Blend - OK, nothing special<br />06 "Pinot-Licious" Pinot Noir - sold as an everyday Pinot ($20) it was OK, fairly simple.<br />07 Syrah - Nice example of a WA Syrah - not over the top fruit bomb, no pepper<br />Late Harvest blend - OK, not great.<br /><br />Palotai:<br />OK, too many good wines and I forgot to take detailed notes. Here's what I remember:<br />09 Bull's Blood - Lighter bodied red, good fruit and acid.<br />NV Dolcetto - blend of 07 and 08, this is a rounder more polished wine than the 07 alone. Just bottled, so it showed a shorter finish than I'd like, but this may come back with time. Good warm fruity mid-palate.<br />08 Arany Szarvas - Syrah-Cab blend. Easy drinking red.<br />07 Syrah - finally, a nice peppery Rhone-style Syrah! Very nice.<br />?? Attila - a bigger, bolder Bdx blend. Full and nice.<br /><br />Hillcrest:<br />Again, too busy enjoying my discussion with Dyson to take detailed notes. Here's what I remember:<br />Up Under 15 - Syrah/Zin/Cab blend, good subtle fruit.<br />07 "Phenom" Cab Sauv - same vineyard as Massimo, good deep Cab with complexity.<br />06 "San Roc" Syrah- Very nice deep northern Rhone style (San Roc = Cornas backwards!).<br />?? White Pinot Noir - this is the first white Pinot that I liked. Fruity, good acid, no bitterness<br />Very nice Hungarian-style Rosé<br />08 "Bone Dry" Riesling - great clean dry Rielsing<br />Late Riesling - off-sweet well balanced wine.Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-56384511635268002582010-04-11T10:31:00.000-07:002010-05-28T22:01:22.414-07:00North Willamette Vintners Wine Trail Weekend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQtERCeFCo4rEsD3SSDgTVd5AuTfozOEXCTtop_QuQwaVRxidFQ1b4EuZinRDxhPlQbNzt89qrWGozetYpMb-g9tKTosCLt0NhRqkLwi0d_reVSPNSzRNyVHFD5st3E7A3IhDh0J-p73d/s1600/IMG_1163.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQtERCeFCo4rEsD3SSDgTVd5AuTfozOEXCTtop_QuQwaVRxidFQ1b4EuZinRDxhPlQbNzt89qrWGozetYpMb-g9tKTosCLt0NhRqkLwi0d_reVSPNSzRNyVHFD5st3E7A3IhDh0J-p73d/s320/IMG_1163.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476550272145668290" border="0" /></a>It's finally spring in the Willamette Valley and winery events are coming fast and furious. The weekend of April 10th was full-up with events and we had to make some choices. The North Willamette Vintners was holding its wine trail weekend where member wineries offer wine tasting, snacks, and activities or tours for a single ticket purchase. Saturday was also the 3rd annual Calkins Lane event, an open house of the 5 wineries on Calkins Lane, home to some of the best Pinot Noir in Oregon. Finally, we were invited to a party at Deux Vert vineyard. Decisions, decisions! In previous years we've really enjoyed the Calkins Lane event, but this year they changed the format a bit so that you paid a separate tasting fee at each winery rather than one price for all 5. So, rather than seeming to be a single coordinated event, it was just as if a few of the wineries that didn't have regular tasting room hours were open for the day.<div><br />We finally decided to focus on the north Willamette event, but drop in at Deux Vert and visit one of the Calkins Lane wineries. We brought along our recording GPS unit, and after running it through my Automatic Memories software, it gave us a detailed record of our weekend:<br /><br />4/10/2010 11:06:46 AM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at David Hill Winery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw70RkUPOBS8yC_G5an-uusE-K43q8z5qauJsQ_pzPgXwjiU931lJobrDePPLWIpBjTsfuwXPVB_U0WomzP-j0r3cONNTpM4ze02HpoO8zYj2630LBv7ig4P3uEbBKkkoSmR_p69e3ZQL/s1600/IMG_1137.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw70RkUPOBS8yC_G5an-uusE-K43q8z5qauJsQ_pzPgXwjiU931lJobrDePPLWIpBjTsfuwXPVB_U0WomzP-j0r3cONNTpM4ze02HpoO8zYj2630LBv7ig4P3uEbBKkkoSmR_p69e3ZQL/s320/IMG_1137.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476545407914759778" border="0" /></a>We left the house just before 11am on Saturday and headed toward David Hill Winery, a short 6 minute drive up the hill from us. They were ready for us in the tasting room and we picked up our wrist bands, wine glasses, maps and schedules. The tasting was going to be across the parking lot in the actual winery, but as we entered, Sean the assistant winemaker was frantically trying to get things ready. It seems that Jason had overslept and things weren't quite ready for us. Fortunately Jason walked in and they quickly started pouring. We tasted some barrel samples of the 09 Chardonnay - one from a neutral oak barrel and one from a stainless steel tank. Both were nice with a hint of oak in the barrel version. We then sampled the 08 Blackjack Pinot Noir from 2 different French barrels. One had a longer finish, while the other had a much better mid-palate. Both were very nice.<br /><br />4/10/2010 11:51:26 AM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Patton Valley Winery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-QYI13SEBCFk78x0FzK6nZ-4UG5pJ5ffPKb3U6xZB-mDTBhSjadITFGsh4TdtGNmky2MYKoodjfXp2KFTqA2M7dgsmSUYeaZt9EYWjn9F-4UP648jSCVHl4Vmk_6n6DFjBXvIpVSB5YU/s1600/IMG_1139.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-QYI13SEBCFk78x0FzK6nZ-4UG5pJ5ffPKb3U6xZB-mDTBhSjadITFGsh4TdtGNmky2MYKoodjfXp2KFTqA2M7dgsmSUYeaZt9EYWjn9F-4UP648jSCVHl4Vmk_6n6DFjBXvIpVSB5YU/s320/IMG_1139.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476546670567622818" border="0" /></a>We have visited Patton Valley once before and also tasted their wines when they've come to Forest Grove First Wednesday. Today they were tasting a PN Rosé (crisp and not too sweet), their 07 Estate Pinot Noir (nice), and their 07 West Block PN (darker and earthier). They were also doing smellavision where they had samples of odors that one was supposed to identify. Personally, I thought all of them smelled synthetic, not like the real thing, and the only one I correctly identified was cat pee (Sauvignon Blanc, anyone?).<br /><br />4/10/2010 12:02:46 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JS5AnUlh3dGdKpYW4uQK1M9EfHwdAwDCzH1GZtrTNm9AgPN_xg-12u8bl38vqUkifniJFhBcC4LKH2B3hz2BIkUEEWhQ5Zw738zeZhkNtIyCCiq5AkFuQbssr7ovwxs9WSo-nK0BaMHt/s1600/IMG_1142.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JS5AnUlh3dGdKpYW4uQK1M9EfHwdAwDCzH1GZtrTNm9AgPN_xg-12u8bl38vqUkifniJFhBcC4LKH2B3hz2BIkUEEWhQ5Zw738zeZhkNtIyCCiq5AkFuQbssr7ovwxs9WSo-nK0BaMHt/s320/IMG_1142.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476546989276804786" border="0" /></a>We headed back down the hill past a house with a cool castle and chicken coops in their yard.<br /><br />4/10/2010 12:17:21 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Kramer Winery.<br /><br />We arrived at Kramer and found Trudy pouring Pinot Gris. She looked up at us and said "Finally, a friendly face!" I thought everyone tasting wine was a friendly face, but perhaps she just meant that she was glad to see someone she knew. We tasted through the Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Heritage Pinot Noir (one my favorites) and got to barrel sample the 08 and 09 Rebecca's Reserve PN and the released 06 Rebecca's Reserve. It was fun to taste the variations in the years and barrel times.<br /><br />4/10/2010 12:46:21 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We next headed out toward Hillsboro.<br /><br />4/10/2010 1:11:01 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at J. Albin Winery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzZ6HKHJcwh-VpxBqNo1qen_JRFgrIXLG-2MjzcmMOQzBW37D3o3TtCvJOHaonEGDSQz9d-xjQJKZ5IOLGnOO2eiWq30I9DazPArFJSwvHASD7zm2rxAT1xn_hn06GRjWG8eeAC-kmJux/s1600/IMG_1144.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzZ6HKHJcwh-VpxBqNo1qen_JRFgrIXLG-2MjzcmMOQzBW37D3o3TtCvJOHaonEGDSQz9d-xjQJKZ5IOLGnOO2eiWq30I9DazPArFJSwvHASD7zm2rxAT1xn_hn06GRjWG8eeAC-kmJux/s320/IMG_1144.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476547344669007410" border="0" /></a>We've wanted to try J. Albin wines for a while, but since they aren't usually open, we hadn't had the chance. They taste from their house right next to their vineyard. Along with the wine, they had food catered in from a Lake Oswego restaurant that was very good (too bad I can't remember the name of the restaurant!). We tasted a sparkling PN Rosé (nice and crisp, interesting and not too demanding), a Pinot Gris (nice, simple, but not enough acid), their 07 estate Pinot Noir (very smooth, complex, and structured, good nose, earl grey tea), and a Pinot Noir dessert wine (wow, very nice and balanced, good acid, depth of flavor. 18% RS, 10% abv).<br /><br />4/10/2010 1:32:31 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We kept heading east to pick up a couple more wineries that were tasting at Smith's Berry Barn.<br /><br />4/10/2010 1:48:46 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Smith's Berry Barn.<br /><br />Neil Frederickson owns a vineyard very close to Purple Cow and Apolloni north of Forest Grove, and I've gotten to know him as we picked grapes together in Jon's vineyard. He now has his own label, Provincial Vineyards. The wine is made by Alfredo Apolloni. We'd just tasted his wine at Urban Decanter the week before, but thought we'd drop in again. We tried his Pinot Gris (nice) and his 07 Pinot Noir (good, but with a slightly bitter edge).<br /><br />Also tasting at the Berry Barn was Gresser, a label out of Forest Grove that we hadn't tried before. They were tasting their 06 and 07 Pinot Noir.<br /><br />4/10/2010 1:56:16 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We next left the North Willamette Vintner's tour and took a side trip onto Calkins Lane<br /><br />4/10/2010 2:23:01 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at DeLancellotti Vineyard.<br /><br />Paul de Lancellotti is Josh Bergstrom's brother in law and farms a vineyard right next to the Bergstrom winery. He makes just a single wine, his estate Pinot Noir and it is VERY good. We tasted his 07 Pinot Noir and were impressed by the dark and earthy notes. It tasted like Calkins Lane.<br /><br />4/10/2010 2:47:16 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/10/2010 3:02:01 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Deux Vert Vineyard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJujbdLLM9Kj04VxxFtwrGTcNUfCB97HrL-C8r6i3RdJDfG6gL3S0bP4PjGdtO4AMugOL0TyhbE3a0o1nTh-GlLkTTu4FZQfIfV72_wp0WZuVwCUlIPGlSLUIaun1m3h4kXtCLmqN7HAR5/s1600/IMG_1146.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJujbdLLM9Kj04VxxFtwrGTcNUfCB97HrL-C8r6i3RdJDfG6gL3S0bP4PjGdtO4AMugOL0TyhbE3a0o1nTh-GlLkTTu4FZQfIfV72_wp0WZuVwCUlIPGlSLUIaun1m3h4kXtCLmqN7HAR5/s320/IMG_1146.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476547603181901138" border="0" /></a>We first met Mike and Patty Green at Crumbled Rock winery over the Valentine's Day weekend and took an instant liking to both them and their wines. They had invited us to a Tapas in the Vineyard party, and we arrived not knowing quite what to expect.<br /><br />They have a beautiful house right next to the vineyard and we felt very welcome as we entered. Mike met us with a glass of Macindoe Family Cellars Melon made from his grapes, along with a salmon appetizer. We mingled for a while and enjoyed both the wine and the food, as well as the vineyard view from their deck. Patty was pouring her Tempranillo which is also very nice (especially the 2008). We would have liked to have stayed longer, but we still had other wineries to visit, so wethanked our hosts and headed off again.<br /><br />4/10/2010 3:34:16 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/10/2010 3:47:01 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Adea Wine Co.<br /><br />We were hoping that Marcus Goodfellow would be pouring at Adea, so we stopped in. Sadly he wasn't, but we did taste through a vertical of "Deano's Pinot" from Adea - 05, 06, 07, and 08. All were pretty good; we thought the 07 was the best.<br /><br />4/10/2010 4:02:01 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/10/2010 4:14:16 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Montinore Winery.<br /><br />Montinore was on the way home, so we thought we'd stop here too. Sadly, while the main tasting room was still open, they had finished with the North Willamette Vintner's event at 4:00. We decided that we'd return tomorrow.<br /><br />4/10/2010 4:17:31 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/10/2010 4:34:01 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Dave's House.<br /><br />Sunday:<br /><br />4/11/2010 10:47:26 AM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We decided to start out day by heading north.<br /><br />4/11/2010 11:01:36 AM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Tualatin Estate Vineyards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oV590Bt4TSKWZuHzxfJh4LV-VTOENiNX_5oJ5EhoJZFM8lMyo-kTZ773Pc3xyBVEq3uDWFw0hSFAaOSLUxkz1othQA40EmkjZuvIBv2tqdwZdEerDjRj4Gb6ojq7rR0Wrj6Y6UnEF4Xm/s1600/IMG_1150.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oV590Bt4TSKWZuHzxfJh4LV-VTOENiNX_5oJ5EhoJZFM8lMyo-kTZ773Pc3xyBVEq3uDWFw0hSFAaOSLUxkz1othQA40EmkjZuvIBv2tqdwZdEerDjRj4Gb6ojq7rR0Wrj6Y6UnEF4Xm/s320/IMG_1150.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476548050492887842" border="0" /></a>We arrived at Tualatin Estate Vineyards just as they opened and were greeting in the parking lot by someone who seemed familiar. It was Rob Herb whom I'd gotten to know at Purple Cow. It's funny how you don't recognize someone at first when you see them in a different environment than you're used too. He and his wife Renee are now working at Tualatin Estate - pretty cool.<br /><br />Sadly, I didn't take any notes on Sunday, but I do remember they poured some very nice semi-sparkling Muscat and several nice Pinot Noirs.<br /><br />4/11/2010 11:19:21 AM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We left Tualatin Estate and took the back roads north toward highway 6.<br /><br />4/11/2010 11:31:26 AM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Purple Cow Vineyards.<br /><br />We arrived at Purple Cow and it was great to see Jon, Wendy, Matt, and Cheryl. Jon was tasting the new Muscat (just a hint of RS) along with one of his 07 Pinot Noirs, Gabriella red blend, and a couple of his trademark Tempranillos. He also took us out to show us a little about field grafting.<br /><br />4/11/2010 11:57:21 AM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We made the very short drive across the road to Apolloni Vineyards.<br /><br />4/11/2010 12:00:36 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Apolloni Vineyards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDSm1lf1Bz02Q9EZiolDqsV6XhjgYVES5fCkoTgbZL9lTFaYYfQB7KR76y7bF3FiFPW9Pv6c3qxmjwIF7WOzgaKnv4dTqRv_BpUC3jzarDS8iKXCSjl5LkjP06m0mxVRBK6aofV93SYQ1/s1600/IMG_1152.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDSm1lf1Bz02Q9EZiolDqsV6XhjgYVES5fCkoTgbZL9lTFaYYfQB7KR76y7bF3FiFPW9Pv6c3qxmjwIF7WOzgaKnv4dTqRv_BpUC3jzarDS8iKXCSjl5LkjP06m0mxVRBK6aofV93SYQ1/s320/IMG_1152.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476548503068483442" border="0" /></a>Again, no notes today, but we tasted their Pinot Grigio and then headed back into the winery where Chuck barrel sampled several Pinot Noirs by clone. It was interesting to taste the difference the various clones make in the nose, finish, fruit level, etc. We finished up with a tasty super-Tuscan blend.<br /><br />4/11/2010 12:22:36 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/11/2010 12:32:06 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Banks Chevron.<br /><br />Time to gas up!<br /><br />4/11/2010 12:33:51 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/11/2010 12:54:36 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Helvetia Winery Tasting Room.<br /><br />We'd tried Helvetia wines at Newport but never been to the winery itself. The first stop was at their house to try a couple of their finished wines. I remember at least a Gewurztraminer among them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4sUE5ioO-3BksjYyO03cFWRLRxIKudRJXsi_mxJ3vwefJuqFNclNcRGN4D8Dpd6ywqKSV1_z8QFSd6GwvwM31VI3-lNlq5nYY9hPo98srfNNM2e0yGBBe8zGAxOnpPzXKQNJNhhAwvtQ/s1600/IMG_1156.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4sUE5ioO-3BksjYyO03cFWRLRxIKudRJXsi_mxJ3vwefJuqFNclNcRGN4D8Dpd6ywqKSV1_z8QFSd6GwvwM31VI3-lNlq5nYY9hPo98srfNNM2e0yGBBe8zGAxOnpPzXKQNJNhhAwvtQ/s320/IMG_1156.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476548876881061362" border="0" /></a>4/11/2010 1:02:51 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We then made the short drive down the road to the actual winery.<br /><br />4/11/2010 1:05:51 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Helvetia Winery.<br /><br />Here, they were tasting barrel samples of Pinot Gris (very crisp and nice) which was about to be bottled, as well as several Pinot Noirs. We also got to sample fresh caught salmon prepared in a variety of tasty ways.<br /><br />4/11/2010 1:26:21 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/11/2010 1:40:51 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Garden Vineyards.<br /><br />North of highway 26 and further east, we came to Garden Vineyards. This is a huge, well-manicured property with quite a mansion on it. The owners, a younger couple, were tasting wine in the house itself. The wine was very nice, and included a sparkling wine made in the traditional method, a very interesting white table wine, and a couple of enjoyable Pinot Noirs. The food was excellent and we had a nice chat with the owners.<br /><br />4/11/2010 2:05:04 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />We headed back on the long drive toward Forest Grove.<br /><br />4/11/2010 2:43:04 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at A Blooming Hill Vineyard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcZ6bgvx6ph96H3dDcSvuSlTU0BBcIpzxhBH2oabzkYfAeIRORBH2stZEx_JZYka56fKJx9ljb-y_dKccATBvGVuyrpVAIc9b_jR8hlFGcnY-l8Gg9hF4puQmuQe45xAkqAT3mR1FILvz/s1600/IMG_1160.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcZ6bgvx6ph96H3dDcSvuSlTU0BBcIpzxhBH2oabzkYfAeIRORBH2stZEx_JZYka56fKJx9ljb-y_dKccATBvGVuyrpVAIc9b_jR8hlFGcnY-l8Gg9hF4puQmuQe45xAkqAT3mR1FILvz/s320/IMG_1160.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476549391606675938" border="0" /></a>Our next stop was A Blooming Hill Vineyard. We'd met Holly and Jim at several events in Forest Grove and really liked their wine. They have a white blend called Mingle that is a blend of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris that really tastes like summer. The 08 Pinot Noir is quite good and is better every time we taste it. Jim gave us a quick tour of the winery itself - a very small facility in his barn. It's exactly the size I'd like to have some day. He also sampled his 09 whites - the same varietals that are in the Mingle, but they will be bottled separately this time. All are crisp and floral - good examples of their varietal. Can't wait to get some after they've been bottled.<br /><br />4/11/2010 3:15:34 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/11/2010 3:27:34 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Montinore Winery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnXW0v1ibyUC-A8wF2_-DTVPyMaHtJxu2V9zDHmfNnayswSCqruJS8jWAZJdwH1h56lvbkhJIWnpOY8PyAzrLRl7sSipvdpZ2MAsC5NRCz_sEG5HamRg2EV5gW_-KnBV-2BOrQQa3lzaW/s1600/IMG_1162.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnXW0v1ibyUC-A8wF2_-DTVPyMaHtJxu2V9zDHmfNnayswSCqruJS8jWAZJdwH1h56lvbkhJIWnpOY8PyAzrLRl7sSipvdpZ2MAsC5NRCz_sEG5HamRg2EV5gW_-KnBV-2BOrQQa3lzaW/s320/IMG_1162.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476549808161371186" border="0" /></a>Our final stop of the day was Montinore. We've had such mixed reaction to them over the years, although recently they've been pretty consistently good. They were tasting in a little building away from the main tasting room. It wasn't hard to find if you followed the sound of the jazz group that was playing. They're food was some of the best of the weekend, made by their hospitality director. We sampled a couple of very nice Pinot Noirs also, before one of the winemakers walked in and asked if anyone wanted a cellar tour. Um, yes!<br /><br />The tour was led by the 2 main winemakers: Ben Thomas and Stephen Webber. It was interesting and informative. While down there, we tasted a vertical of their reserve Pinot Noir, and I was honestly quite impressed. Rich, deep flavors with a nice finish on all of them. We were especially taken with the 2008 and bought a couple of bottles.<br /><br />4/11/2010 4:15:04 PM<br />Dave and Rachel started driving.<br /><br />4/11/2010 4:33:04 PM<br />Dave and Rachel arrived at Dave's House.<br /><br />It was really fun to re-visit old friends close to home as well as try a couple of new places. We usually just head south to the Carlton and/or Dundee area, but this event reminded us that we have some really nice wine close to home too. I wish I had taken notes on Sunday, but perhaps I was just enjoying the wine too much!<br /><br /></div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-7236890039167450322010-03-28T09:04:00.000-07:002010-05-02T20:59:29.311-07:00Dobbes Family Event<div>About a year ago I wrote a post about the Joe Dobbes empire. He makes great wine under his Dobbes Family label, a line of value wines under his Wine By Joe label, and does custom crush work for many small Oregon wineries. On Sunday March 28th eight of his clients joined Dobbes in the winery for an open house to showcase their wines. As with last year's event, this one was very well organized and the staff did a great job keeping the food table stocked, emptying the dump buckets, and making sure there was plenty of water available. It was also really fun to taste both the diversity of wine varieties and the differences in wines made from the same grape variety by the same wine maker using grapes from very different vineyards.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baron-Wahl</span> - They were tasting a vertical of the Pinot Noir from 06, 07, and 08. The 06 had a big warm nose and a thick mouth feel. Vines were still somewhat young. The 07 had a huge nose and was smoky with a long finish. Slightly bitter and dilute. The 08 was light and fruity with no smoke on the finish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cliff Creek</span> has been a favorite for a few years, but we came away from this tasting somewhat disappointed. The 07 Red Red Wine tasted pretty much like grape juice, almost candy-like. The 06 Merlot was slightly bitter and thin, and the 06 Cab Sauv lacked sufficient fruit. Fortunately the 04 Claret was still pretty interesting, although a bit tannic. The 05 Syrah was not too fruity and had almost a burned taste. What was going on? Wrong glass shape? Maybe our trip to Washington spoiled us for southern Oregon reds? We'll certainly give them another chance, but we were disappointed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joe Dobbes</span> was tasting wines from both his labels, starting with his 09 Wine By Joe Rosé - not too sweet, not too bitter, very nice. The 07 Grand Assemblage Pinot Noir was nice and light but fairly plain. The 06 Griffin Cuveé Pinot Noir was interesting with a lot going on and a long finish. The 06 Nuestro Sueno Pinot was very smokey and earthy, well made and balanced, but not much going on. Their late harvest Viognier was good but slightly flabby. Not too sweet however.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elstrom</span> was a back again this year and was pouring their 07 Pinot Gris which was delightfully crisp, like biting into an apple. The 08 Pinot Gris had good flavor but not enough acid. The 05 Pinot Noir that we liked last year was still good with earthy fruit and somewhat restrained. The 07 Pinot Noir was very good with earthy fruit, but more of it than the 05. The 06 Pinot Noir was boring and forgettable.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fox Farm</span> - We had a nice conversation with the Fox Farm owner who has recently opened a tasting room in Newberg for small wineries that were too small for their own tasting room including some of our favorites. They were tasting their 09 Pinot Blanc which was nice but not enough acid. The 08 Pinot Noir was light and smooth with nice fruit. The 07 Syrah was somewhat restrained with good fruit. The 09 Pinot Gris was very floral and almost had a Riesling nose. Not enough acid.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">South Stage</span> was a winery that we hadn't tasted before from further south in Oregon. Their 08 Chardonnay was nice and crisp, lightly oaked. The 08 Viognier was crisp and spicy. The 07 Alchemy was a blend of Tempranillo, Carmenere and Cab Sauv. It was OK but a little light. Their 08 Sauv Blanc/Semillon sweet blend was just too sweet and syrupy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quailhurst</span> - We had visited them over Labor Day weekend last year and certainly enjoyed their beautiful horse arena and barns as well as their food. I recall the wine being just OK, which as confirmed today. Their 06 Virtuoso as an interesting white blend of 6 grapes - nutty with decent acid. Their 03 Pinot Noir was old and hot without much fruit left. The 06 Pinot Noir tasted like rotten meat. Seriously, although it may have just been a bad bottle. The 08 Pinot Noir was fine, light with strawberry notes. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vitae Springs</span> was also a winery that I don't believe we've tasted before. They had a self-made 08 Riesling that was nice and bright with good acid. Their 06 Pinot Noir was deep with dark fruits and good balance. The 07 Pinot Noir was good but very light, almost watery.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Youngberg Hill</span> was there again, and we'd also tasted their very good Pinot Noir at McMinnville recently. The 07 Natasha Pinot Noir was good, but we'd just had salami that didn't work well with the wine. The 07 Jordan was very nice - earthy with dark fruits. The 08 Jordan barrel sample had good fruit and smooth tannins.<br /><br />Another excellent event at Dobbes with lots of good Pinot Noir. I think our trip to Washington may have made us a little pickier about warm climate reds from Southern Oregon, we'll have to see. I definitely need to give Cliff Creek another try. Maybe a day in Carlton soon...<br /><br /><br /></div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-75448708905214203382010-03-23T06:42:00.001-07:002010-05-01T21:45:45.908-07:00Woodinville Wine Coutnry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu6e4cfHPHOK0GcGFrNxXNE7A5MtnOBq5zFB7R_fXTbGMENfMJs3U7c2-Ks86k5BqSNtzE9dTleZD4mrbqOYwGN6FRTqm9o3BNt_7KaBbeI_Tcd31qzuvcUpy1JYYpabNLjGHY8iDdJjM/s1600/IMG_1030sm.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu6e4cfHPHOK0GcGFrNxXNE7A5MtnOBq5zFB7R_fXTbGMENfMJs3U7c2-Ks86k5BqSNtzE9dTleZD4mrbqOYwGN6FRTqm9o3BNt_7KaBbeI_Tcd31qzuvcUpy1JYYpabNLjGHY8iDdJjM/s320/IMG_1030sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466527813966631874" border="0" /></a>One of the realities of farming, whether it's produce or wine grapes, is that crops are usually grown away from the population centers that consume them. This normally isn't a big problem since one can always truck the product from farm to consumer (although faithful readers will recall that I'm a big proponent of eating and drinking as locally as possible). However, in the case of eastern Washington wineries that want to make connections with their potential customers and have people try their wines, it was difficult to get folks from the Seattle area to drive several hundred miles to visit the wineries and tasting rooms. The solution - if the consumers won't go to the wineries, bring the wineries to the consumers. This is exactly what has happened in Woodinville.<br /><br />Rachel and I had planned a trip up to the Woodinville area a few years ago, but ended up not being able to go. This year, Tim was going to be swimming at the age group sectionals in Federal Way during the weekend of March 20th, so even though he didn't particularly want his parents with him, we figured it was as good a time as any to drive up for wine tasting. Actually, Tim posted a Facebook status from the meet that read something like "I'm at the swim meet and my parents are 100 miles away - life is good." Rachel popped his bubble by replying that we were actually only 36 miles away!<br /><br />Chateau Ste. Michelle was the first winery to set up shop in Woodinville when they built the french-style chateau in 1976. All of the grapes for the winery were trucked in from various vineyards in eastern Washington. As the US wine industry started growing in the 70s and 80s, many other wineries and vineyards were established in the Yakima Valley and near Walla Walla. Many of these wineries made great wine, but didn't get a lot of traffic through their tasting rooms. As wine tourism has become more important, both older wineries as well as folks looking to get into the industry looked to Chateau Ste. Michelle's example and started moving into Woodinville. The result is an amazingly strange situation where you have industrial parks in the city full of tasting rooms and small working wineries along with small independent tasting rooms and several larger stand-alone wineries such as Ste. Michelle and Columbia. The strangest thing about them is the lack of vineyards. With very few exceptions, the wine is either made in eastern Washington and brought to the tasting rooms, or the grapes themselves are trucked from the vineyards to the wineries in Woodinville.<br /><br />Saturday<br /><br />We left home early on Saturday morning so that we'd arrive in time to get a full day of tasting in. It's a loooong drive up I-5, but after stopping at the pool in Federal Way to drop off a forgotten item to one of the swim team members, we arrived in Woodinville. After getting confused the first time we went through the newly build rotaries in town and failing to find anyplace that looked good for lunch, we were a tad disappointed. We first stopped at Columbia Winery because they had a sign out that they were serving flatbread. Upon entering, they didn't seem to have any restrooms, and no one seemed willing to tell us where we could get the flatbread. We left, disgusted. Now, let me just say that although some people get crabby when they're hungry, this has never been a problem for me. What? Disagreement? OK, I was crabby. We ended up eating at Quizno's (yuk, but at least it was food) and felt better afterwords.<br /><br />Our first real wine tasting stop was Northwest Totem Cellars. They are a small Mom and Pop winery that produces about 2000 cases a year. Both their winery and "tasting room" are actually part of their house, and it was obvious that they made do with what they had - next to the house were large plastic fermentation tanks that had been outfitted with window air conditioners to keep the temperature down on the must inside the tanks. Pretty clever. We were warmly greeted inside the house and tasted through 6 wines. They were not bad, but nothing special - well made, but simple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C8_U20zVoP_RtG1uvYoHaT46apVGpdt59kUna8k2W75ppnmlSBwl0Bw7F-6aVHq_ctMdaLd7UB1LFyBC74qWT6hXQZf5xKanYARAcGElKuiCa7QZTm0LS44_29N1B1EN8hDfBCbq_HnM/s1600/IMG_0237.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C8_U20zVoP_RtG1uvYoHaT46apVGpdt59kUna8k2W75ppnmlSBwl0Bw7F-6aVHq_ctMdaLd7UB1LFyBC74qWT6hXQZf5xKanYARAcGElKuiCa7QZTm0LS44_29N1B1EN8hDfBCbq_HnM/s320/IMG_0237.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466527974430356226" border="0" /></a>Next, it was off to one of Woodinville's warehouse districts. As I mentioned above, many wineries have their tasting rooms (and sometimes the wineries themselves) in these industrial parks, so you drive in past little electronics companies and auto body shops and find all these tasting rooms. We spent most of the afternoon here and visited the following wineries:<br /><br />Hestia (decent wine, nothing special)<br />Stevens (OK, would have been better with food)<br />Baer (very disappointing)<br />Red Sky (very nice Bordeaux blends)<br />Cuillin Hills (very good Syrah)<br />Smasne/Gard/Alma Terra (more wines than you've ever seen in one place along with food. Mostly very good wine, including a nice Carmenere. We also got to taste a collection of 3 Syrahs grown in 3 vineyards with very different climates but vinified using exactly the same process by the same winemaker. The differences were amazing.)<br /><br />After Smasne, our palates were shot so we headed for the motel. We stayed at the Comfort Inn in nearby Kirkland. It was nothing special but was clean, quiet and relatively inexpensive. We relaxed for about an hour and watched part of a Mariners game on the TV. We really didn't feel like going anywhere fancy, so we walked across the parking lot to Pizza Hut. While we generally go for fancy high-end food, Pizza Hut has a special place in our hearts from our days working at Zenith in Michigan when our team would go out to lunch at Pizza Hut at least once a week. That was a long time ago, and for the past 10 or 15 years, every Pizza Hut we've been to anywhere in the country has been understaffed and the service was just awful. Sadly, this was no exception and while we were able to get our food in a reasonable amount of time, they wouldn't bring the check and then wouldn't come back to collect the money. We finally decided that we had enough cash to pay, and just left it on the table and walked out.<br /><br />Sunday<br /><br />I'd been getting over a nasty cold before we drove up, but fortunately I was able to taste. Unfortunately when I woke up on Sunday morning, my ears were congested and I was having trouble hearing anything. What? After breakfast, we prepared to head out for another full day of wine tasting. Most Woodinville wineries don't open until noon, although a few open at 11:00 and the Woodinville Wineries Association's website said that Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia opened at 10:00. So, after sitting around the motel reading for a while, we decided we'd head out to the early openers. We arrived at Chateau Ste. Michelle around 10:30, and drove through the one open gate at the head of the driveway. There didn't appear to be anyone around, and when we tried the tasting room door, it was locked. So much for an early start. We drove around a little to see where some of the other wineries were until 11:00 when a few more wineries were open.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjsxnZ0aquNj4z2N_VRVZ3qn1H8OYV5bJFRofCvWRcv9EWLjTz33WleC_qRBcUr0mHeHHEQkpbp3I24v34LE-pRsEwVOUYXvx3qyHG99iume1ALodBeDhrTF2-10vS45Ze9f9fO8Q8YK_/s1600/IMG_1029sm.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjsxnZ0aquNj4z2N_VRVZ3qn1H8OYV5bJFRofCvWRcv9EWLjTz33WleC_qRBcUr0mHeHHEQkpbp3I24v34LE-pRsEwVOUYXvx3qyHG99iume1ALodBeDhrTF2-10vS45Ze9f9fO8Q8YK_/s320/IMG_1029sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466528206370279234" border="0" /></a>Our first stop was Januik/Novelty Hill, a large modern winery with a great tasting room. We tasted through 14 different wines from the 2 labels, most of which were quite good. Our next stop was Brian Carter Cellars whose tasting room is housed in a cute little cottage near the center of town. They had an eclectic collection of wines that included a super-Tuscan, a Spanish blend, a Rhone blend and a Bordeaux blend. The wine was OK, but not great. We then headed across the street to a small yellow house where Hollywood Hill has their tasting room. They specialize in Rhone-style wines, and had some very nice Viognier and Syrah. A quick trip around the rotary (I was getting good at it by now) brought us to DeLille tasting room. They had some of the best wine we tasted on this trip with some great Rhone and Bordeaux varietal wines.<br /><br />We were determined to have better food today than yesterday, so we had lunch at the Purple Café and Wine Bar. I had a very nice lamb pasta dish along with a glass of Cote du Rhone. The food was quite good and it sure beat Quizno's.<br /><br />After lunch we went to Mark Ryan Cellars just across the rotary from the restaurant. Interestingly, he had a Pinot Noir made from Lachini fruit that tasted like it came from Calkins Lane. He also had a lot of pretty good warm climate blends, but nothing knocked our socks off. We then headed back to the warehouse district to catch a few more wineries that we didn't get to on Saturday. Our first stop was Guardian where they were having a release party for one of their wines. I've never seen so many brand-new oak barrels at a small winery and the wine tasted mostly of oak and alcohol - not good. We then stopped at William Church where the wine was overly tannic and pretty disappointing. The weather wasn't nearly as nice as it had been yesterday, so we decided not to spend any more time walking around the warehouse district and drove to DiStefano where they were barrel tasting some of their Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was OK and it was interesting to hear how the winemaker approaches his blending program. All in all, a successful morning of tasting, but the afternoon was somewhat disappointing.<br /><br />We headed back to the motel for a bit of rest before dinner, then drove back into Woodinville for our dinner at Barking Frog restaurant at the Willows Lodge. We ordered a bottle of Antinori Chianti Classico to go with dinner. We also ordered way too much food, starting with our appetizers - seared fois gras and sous vide porke belly. We then each had a salad (roasted beet salad and crab Timbale). The portions were too large and by the time the main courses arrived, we were already getting full. Had had a pretty nice lamb and pasta dish (wait, didn't I have that for lunch too?), and Rachel had duck breast with Huckleberry Risotto, Cipollini Onions, Wild Mushrooms, and Duck Confit. We had desert too (along with a glass of Port for me) and had to be rolled out. Rachel drove back to the motel. The food was quite good, but not spectacular. There were flaws with some of the dishes - the crab was too sweet, the pork belly was somewhat dry, and the portions were just too big.<br /><br />Monday<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnE0y5ligNM8I_fpFFi2yV59xshAHrMLHK-JeggJiKknzltJDpThUVsuDZLOXWrRs6OFab_x4fN4cz9ppiiTrOqkvD-3trCb6lWGzIkaLsNpW3xR34XoIGBOY3m8sIbWAw6Tv5XjuRDsp_/s1600/IMG_1028sm.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnE0y5ligNM8I_fpFFi2yV59xshAHrMLHK-JeggJiKknzltJDpThUVsuDZLOXWrRs6OFab_x4fN4cz9ppiiTrOqkvD-3trCb6lWGzIkaLsNpW3xR34XoIGBOY3m8sIbWAw6Tv5XjuRDsp_/s320/IMG_1028sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466528635062674946" border="0" /></a>Our first stop on Monday was Chateau Ste. Michelle. We signed up for the free tour where we went though the winery while hearing some of the history behind it. Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest producer of Riesling in the country and it's all made in Woodinville along with their other whites. The red wines are made in a separate facility in eastern Washington closer to the vineyards. At the end of the tour we tasted a few of their mass-produced wines which weren't too bad. We had also signed up for a reserve tasting that we would come back for in about 40 minutes. In the mean time, we popped across the street to give Columbia another try. They weren't so crowded this time (and we weren't starving either) and had a pleasant enough experience tasting through about 10 of their wines. They were all OK, but pretty pedestrian. We then went back over to CSM and walked around their grounds for a while until it was time for our tasting.<br /><br />The tasting itself was in a nice space off the main lobby where we sat down at a long table. We tried a sparkling wine, 06 Ethos Chardonnay, 06 Canoe Ridge Syrah, 06 Ethos Syrah, and the 06 Ethos Cab. All were very good, and extremely good values.<br /><br />After CSM, we stopped for lunch at the Red Hook Brewery which is between Columbia Winery and the Willows Lodge. Pretty typical pub fare - I had a bacon cheeseburger and a pint of porter. We ended up sucking our lunch down very fast so that we could catch the brewery tour that was leaving about 8 minutes after we got our food. The tour was OK, but mostly geared for the 20-something Newport crowd. I didn't particularly care for most of the beers they sampled either.<br /><br />After the tour, we decided we had time and palate for a few more wineries before heading home. We first stopped at Silver Lake winery where we had micro-pours of mediocre wine. We then went back to the little strip mall where the Quizno's and Purple Café were to visit a couple more small tasting rooms - Gifford Hirlinger (a very nice small family winery with pretty good wine) and Dusted Valley (another small family winery with very nice wines).<br /><br />By then we'd had enough and started the long drive back home. The traffic was pretty bad south of Seattle, but we were able to use the carpool lane for some of it. Once we cleared Tacoma, it was pretty smooth driving, just a long way. We had go-fever and drove straight home.<br /><br />It was a very fun weekend, and there were even some pretty good wines. Again we were reminded that you need to go through a lot of so-so wine to find the good stuff. I'd go again, but not until we've visited some of the other nearby wine regions like Walla Walla and the Rogue Valley.Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-73012279358202715212010-03-14T14:58:00.000-07:002010-04-19T22:27:45.959-07:00Sip - McMinnville Wine and Food Classic<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgGZLfPlKJVM9OTlAEnXNUXbmTa3NxQ4HnHwG0D6Vt5ZWgCU_kt7q73G8H6A1CPENtA7uBitCsPPIsF6kc0BaqJLTWlD1yts5phsnudTkbIqUcs02e5Ovfu1G8pQOzQ88fYeKCYYNBRZz/s1600/IMG_0213sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461878935669974610" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 240px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgGZLfPlKJVM9OTlAEnXNUXbmTa3NxQ4HnHwG0D6Vt5ZWgCU_kt7q73G8H6A1CPENtA7uBitCsPPIsF6kc0BaqJLTWlD1yts5phsnudTkbIqUcs02e5Ovfu1G8pQOzQ88fYeKCYYNBRZz/s320/IMG_0213sm.jpg" border="0" /></a> The McMinnville Wine and Food Classic is one of my favorite single-site wine events during the year. It's held at the Evergreen Space Museum and features nearly 70 wineries and 25 restaurants and catering companies from the Northwest. They also feature guest chef demonstrations with the opportunity to sample what they've made. We've been museum members for the past couple of years, so we get in to the wine event for just 4 dollars, with free parking - you can't beat that.<br /><br />Rachel had a swim meet this weekend, but was able to come with me on Friday. We arrived shortly after they opened at 3pm, and after paying our $4 each we picked up our glasses (stemless - yuk), we did our usual walk through to see who was here. As at Newport, we were warmly greeted by John Olson at Palotai, Dyson Demara at Hillcrest, Amy at David Hill, and several others. Although it happens every time, it's still so cool that the Oregon wine industry is small enough that you can get to know the wine makers, owners and tasting room staff of your favorite wineries. We then started in tasting (tasting notes at the end). We had skipped a few wineries at Newport that we knew were going to be at McMinnville, so we made sure to visit most of those. We also went to one of the guest chef demonstrations where Robert Young of Spirit Mountain Casino made a cold seafood salad and oyster stew. Not bad for buffet food. We also ran into one of the boys' former piano teachers, Dana Libonati who was playing some nice piano jazz at the event.<br /><br />Saturday I was on my own, and timed my trip down so that I went through Carlton at noon so that I could stop at Scott Paul for the release party for his new D122 Pinot Noir. Named after the 2-lane road that runs through many Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy, this is a barrel selection of some of Scott's best fruit from Ribbon Ridge vineyard that he blended. It was subtle and refined with good red and black fruit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBdZgOsL_a77vDFhLHLjXaxR4_6JzuYIo5_reCJAk0PYAqMH6VoFd-HrXT_7Jonr7afHUUi9Zy9WZ1L7uJnzE9oJKyAD7DhVL76MrdLCazNIr3yCCnxOQsCjwCeBL0GjAJzsNsu48XHVI/s1600/IMG_0214sm.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBdZgOsL_a77vDFhLHLjXaxR4_6JzuYIo5_reCJAk0PYAqMH6VoFd-HrXT_7Jonr7afHUUi9Zy9WZ1L7uJnzE9oJKyAD7DhVL76MrdLCazNIr3yCCnxOQsCjwCeBL0GjAJzsNsu48XHVI/s320/IMG_0214sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462086277428043282" border="0" /></a>Next, it was off to the space museum for more wine tasting. I tasted through quite a few more wineries, and attended a sausage making demo from Brian Potts, the chef at Tina's in Dundee. I had hoped to stick around until at least 6 so I could hear the Ellen Whyte trio perform (I know the drummer), but was just worn out so I headed home. I missed talking to some of our favorite wine makers and growers (Trudy and Keith Kramer among them), but just ran out of time and energy. </div><br /><div>Overall, a great event, but the quality of wine (other than a few notable exceptions) was just not what I'd remembered from last year. I suspect that the wine was just as good, but we're getting a lot pickier about what we actually buy. I'm definitely planning to go again next year - the combination of a great venue, good wine, good food, cooking demos and good music make it a very worthwhile event. As I said last year, it's Newport for more serious wine tasters.<br /><br />Tasting notes:<br /><br /><strong>Viento</strong> - southern Oregon winery we hadn't tasted before. Met the winemaker who said I looked just like Dave Whitehouse, the winemaker at Trefethen. Maybe in a few years...<br /><br />07 Verona white - generic white blend<br />06 Voigner - not enough acid, OK to sip, but would be overwhelmed by most food.<br />08 Riesling - very nice sipper, not enough acid<br />06 Pinot Noir - not bad for a warmer climate Pinot Noir.<br />05 Sangiovese - warm and fruity<br />07 Barbera - smooth and well integrated. Not overly fruity or big<br />?? Syrah - Dark, good example of warm climate Syrah<br />07 Rieswling select harvest - OK but kind of thick<br /><br /><strong>Angel Vine</strong> - a small producer who started out with Pinot Noir, but fell in love with Zinfandel<br /><br />08 Zin - Nice and fruity but too young<br />08 Zin Horse Heaven Hills - Young and a bit rough<br />08 Primativo - Less wood, also too young.<br /><br /><strong>Cathedral Ridge</strong><br /><br />Chardonnay - don't remember, didn't write anything about it.<br />Riesling - not enough acid<br />Necessity Red - fun, spritzy blend<br />06 Cab - smooth and spicy<br />07 Merlot - very similar to my Merlot - fruity, simple<br />07 Cab/Merlot - smooth, slightly spicy<br />07 Syrah - spicy, pepper, very nice<br />07 Syrah Reserve - velvet mouth feel, maybe too smooth.<br /><br /><strong>Marsh Anne Landing</strong> - OK, so what's with the UFO and alien theme? Oh, I get it - Marsh Anne Landing, Martian Landing... Anyway, a small family vineyard who makes there own (pretty good) wine. We very much enjoyed talking with the owners and tasting through their wines. All were very well made.<br /><br />07 Caballo - Tempranillo/Grenache blend with interesting fruit, mellow tempranillo<br />07 Cab Franc - gentle, but varietally correct<br />05 Red Planet - B'dx blend. Good, but not a standout.<br />05 Merlot - fruit with structure<br />05 Syrah - Good, but not a standout.<br /><br /><strong>Bradley</strong> - Another farm family making wine from their vineyards, I'd met them last year and again enjoyed their wines. They were using a very cool bulb aerator pouring spout on their bottles that was endlessly fascinating.<br /><br />Dry Riesling - pretty good, but not enough acid<br />Off-dry Riesling - OK. Milky. Not enough acid<br />08 Baco Noir - very nice, fruity and slightly complex (for a Baco)<br />Sugar-n-Spice - Port-style Gewurztraminer. Strong with notes of melon and mango.<br /><br /><strong>Johan</strong> - Another small Pinot Noir producer whose wines I'd tried last year and liked.<br /><br />07 Estate PN - very nice, slightly earthy and smoky.<br />07 Estate Reserve PN - less interesting. Smoother, but slightly bitter<br /><br /><strong>Emerson</strong> - we tried some of these wines at Newport and were favorably impressed<br /><br />08 Pinot Noir - Big smoke and earth, good fruit, not over the top. Simple mid-palate with a long finish. A real bargain at $20.<br /><br /><strong>Youngberg Hill</strong> - Tried their wine last year and thought it was pretty good. Made by Joe Dobbes<br /><br />09 Pinot Blanc - good acid, nice<br />09 Pinot Gris - kind of flat<br />07 Pinot Gris - slightly oaked. Meh...<br />07 Natasha Block Pinot Noir - wow, smooth and dark, smoky, and earthy.<br />07 Jordan Block Pinot Noir - very nice, elegant smoky, but more delicate than the Natasha<br /><br /><strong>Crater Lake</strong> - We've had their wine a couple of times at Greatest of the Grape and at Newport. Lots of good red wine, but didn't take detailed notes here.<br /><br />Syrah/Grenache blend - very nice<br />Recioto-style Merlot - excellent.<br />Cab - OK<br />Merlot 29 - big and bold<br />Merlot - OK<br />Grenache - nice and fruity<br />Syrah - nice warm-climate Syrah<br /><br /><strong>Illahe</strong><br /><br />08 Pinot Gris - crisp, good<br />07 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir - Wow, very nice for $20, smooth, fruity, long finish<br />07 Reserve PN - a barrel selection, elegant and smooth<br /><br /><strong>Wild Aire</strong><br /><br />06 Pinot Noir - nicely balanced, not over-fruity<br />08 Pinot Noir 'Timothy' - light with a good strawberry finish<br />08 Tempranillo - smooth, but slightly bitter at the end<br /><br /><strong>Séjourné</strong> - Another local favorite new winery owned by one of the winemakers at Zenas along with his wife.<br /><br />08 no-oak Chardonnay - very nice, crisp and fruity. Certainly not sterile.<br />09 Pinot Gris - good, crisp, and fruity<br />08 Pinot Noir - light, bright, nice<br />07 Pinot Noir reserve - light with strawberry and some depth. Not too big </div><br /><div><strong>Quenette</strong> - Tasted through their wines last year and liked them. Lots of big reds, all varietally correct.</div><br /><div>Chard, Pinot Gris, Viogner (3 different wines) - all had pretty good acid, but were not that interesting.</div>Sangiovese - good, fruity<br /><div>Barbera - warm and fruity, pretty typical WA Barbera</div>Cab - OK, not a standout<br /><div>Zinfandel - nice peppery Zin</div>Syrah - nice, slightly peppery<br /><br /><div> </div><strong>Abacela</strong> - Southern Oregon tempranillo pioneer, they make lots of nice wine.<br /><br /><div>08 Viognier - crisp, slightly bitter</div>08 Rosado - nice, bright and light<br /><div>07 Garancha - dark fruit, very smooth</div>06 Malbec - subtle, not tons of fruit, nice<br /><div>07 Tempranillo Umpqua Cuveé - big and slightly tannic</div>05 Tempranillo Reserve - big, fruity, and structured, but not all that "warm"<br /><div>00 Port style - nice traditional port-style wine. Smooth and warm.</div><br /><div><strong>Stone Wolf</strong> - We used to buy this label of Pinot Noir from the grocery store before we really got into wine.</div><br /><div>08 Chardonnay - all stainless. Not enough acid.</div>08 Muller-Thurgau - off sweet, not bad<br /><div>05 Cab Suav - pretty typical southern Oregon cab. slightly bitter.</div><br /><div><strong>Vitis Ridge</strong> - I like their wine, but Rachel won't taste them because she doesn't like their label design. Foch has been consistently good, but they weren't tasting it today.</div><br /><div>Chardonnay - stainless, fairly forgettable</div>Riesling - crisp, but not quite enough acid<br /><div>Merlot - very good, smooth tannins</div>Malbec - very nice and fruity<br /><div>Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Reserve - not bad, but nothing special</div>Cab Franc - very smooth and fruity, not bitter as Cab Franc can be.<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Barking Frog</strong> - We first met Ron and his wife at a First Wednesday in Forest Grove, and have been enjoying his wine ever since. He's a meticulous winemaker and lets the grapes and vintage speak.</div><br /><div>07 Pinot Noir (all Wädenswil) - very nice, subtle and earthy</div>07 Pinot Noir Blakeslee - more structured, fruit and earth.<br /><div>08 Sangiovese Elerding - light and bright with good fruit</div>08 Barbera - fruity and warm. 16.3% ABV but well balanced<br /><div>07 Syrah - wonderful. Some pepper, but not as much as the 05, chocolate notes</div>06 Cab Sauv - warm and very smooth<br /><div>08 Syrah Ice Wine - wow, smooth and sweet but very well balanced</div><br /><div><strong>Dukes Family Vineyard</strong> - Another winery we met at First Wednesday, they have a vineyard and have just finished building an on-site winery (currently making their wine at 12th and Maple). Their first few vintages were made by Gary Andrus who passed away in Jan 2009. They make some really great Pinot Noir, but since we'd just tasted it over the pre-Thanksgiving weekend, I decided just to try their new offering:</div><br />09 Rosé - very light, bright and pleasant<br /><div></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Biggio Hamina</span> - We had tried their wine once before, at last year's Yamhill-Carlton tasting event in Portland.<br /><br />07 Pinot Noir Deux Vert Vineyard - very nice, dark and deep<br />08 Pinot Noir Zenith - good, but not a lot behind it<br />07 Syrah Deux Vert - spicy, but slightly bitter or "pinched"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">River's Edge</span><br /><br />Semi-sweet Gewurztraminer - good flavor, floral, but not enough acid<br />07 Pinot Noir barrel select - smoky, complex, and very nice. We've had this one several times from different vintages and consistently like it.<br />08 Pinot Noir - smoky, fairly simple. Good, but not all that interesting.<br /><div></div>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-38430476570929542252010-03-04T20:08:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:44:18.595-07:00Newport Seafood and Wine Festival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJruRaGHM1NNIsgx5fJqPymX9pvUSsLyUzCvzWgD2qhdcOPp5rsgAh7utjS-5gBDL0eQr6c3pt9WDtzY_rcWKKZj8-WUcAhJPkCV4lrxezW2fIH4_W0eZwoUMDDh4vJPc1GbYBK6BLJrh/s1600-h/IMG_1010sm.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJruRaGHM1NNIsgx5fJqPymX9pvUSsLyUzCvzWgD2qhdcOPp5rsgAh7utjS-5gBDL0eQr6c3pt9WDtzY_rcWKKZj8-WUcAhJPkCV4lrxezW2fIH4_W0eZwoUMDDh4vJPc1GbYBK6BLJrh/s320/IMG_1010sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448370410238029810" border="0" /></a>Once again, it was time for that great Oregon Bacchanalia known as the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival. As faithful readers may recall, we finally got our routine down last year, and pretty much repeated it this year. We had made reservations at The Waves of Newport several months in advance, and arrived around 1:15 pm on Friday afternoon. Our room was ready, so we had a few minutes to unpack and relax before it was time to head down to catch the bus. The theme this year was "The Grape Wild West" so we brought just enough cowboy garb to look festive without looking ridiculous (we hoped). At about 1:45 we headed down to the street to wait for the bus. It was raining, but this year I had a hat - in fact I had re-shaped the brim of my rain hat to resemble a cowboy hat. This motel is well-situated on the shuttle route so that the buses are usually not too full when they arrive, and after about a 10 minute wait, our bus arrived. We stopped at a couple other hotels before filling up, and then headed straight to the festival site.<br /><br />We had again pre-purchased e-tickets and the line for us was nearly non-existent. We had our bags checked, our ID checked (gray hair doesn't cut it at this venue), our hands stamped, and we were in! We didn't buy glasses this time because we have a bunch, so we brought our glasses from a couple years ago. It was just a little sad to think that we'd be missing the 2010 version from our vertical of glasses, but we moved on and turned our thoughts to wine tasting.<br /><br />Our usual M.O. at big wine shows like this is to do a full walk-through to see who's here. While we rarely meet anyone we know who is tasting at the show, we've been doing this long enough that we got waves and greetings from many of the people behind the tables. John Olson of Palotai gave us his usual warm greeting, as did Dyson Demara at Hillcrest. We waved at Jason Bull, the winemaker at David Hill, and stopped for a short chat with Jon and the gang at Purple Cow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN35GHqzxyOb8Xwwsh9IfAI4UwE1eoTR0UbSx3kKqR7vFYhBdXehVWJNUk7OrZwoj0KPHmPU0D5eVrGxdBrHqX98iEuH9puIMfYVxUfsQz72uXGR-6hF_wDD0bnV-Yt72AIN_AWG8jtJVw/s1600-h/IMG_1013sm.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN35GHqzxyOb8Xwwsh9IfAI4UwE1eoTR0UbSx3kKqR7vFYhBdXehVWJNUk7OrZwoj0KPHmPU0D5eVrGxdBrHqX98iEuH9puIMfYVxUfsQz72uXGR-6hF_wDD0bnV-Yt72AIN_AWG8jtJVw/s320/IMG_1013sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448371251955851122" border="0" /></a>After our walk-through, it was time to start tasting. Nerd that I am, I had printed out an alphabetical list of the wineries that were there, along with room for notes next to each one. These notes can all be seen at the end of this post. We tasted until about 6:00 when our palates were getting tired. As during Memorial Day weekend tasting, we spit at Newport, so although our palates were tired, we were still quite sober. If you're going to taste 180 wines in 3 days, it's just plain irresponsible not to spit. We went through and purchased a few wines and boarded the drunk bus (that's the return shuttle) back to our motel. We dropped off our purchases in the room, and then walked down to the Nye Beach area of town for dinner at Nana's Irish Pub. It appears that we again timed it just right since we got the last table in the place, and shortly after we sat down, there was a steady stream of people coming in looking for a table. Readers may recall that last year I hadn't been spitting on Friday, but felt compelled to get an imperial pint of Guinness anyway. Hmm, that wasn't a great idea, but this year I <span style="font-style: italic;">had</span> been spitting, so the beer went down very well. Rachel and I both had delicious lamb stew over mashed potatoes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCtQL6HCfZhIF07Pm27TzNUQcOIEcueIf5AC_72PG9kt2ujvutkfA1sCwj6AQ0jn9ZK1VwJmqeFlDxKKm0caXOqzctsnLAt8Fuf96jJyG3_hzlK3AG4uyoTnWdRPwBDKtFS5zDmmRP4EQ/s1600-h/IMG_1008sm.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCtQL6HCfZhIF07Pm27TzNUQcOIEcueIf5AC_72PG9kt2ujvutkfA1sCwj6AQ0jn9ZK1VwJmqeFlDxKKm0caXOqzctsnLAt8Fuf96jJyG3_hzlK3AG4uyoTnWdRPwBDKtFS5zDmmRP4EQ/s320/IMG_1008sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448371566501090898" border="0" /></a>The next morning we slept in for a while, and when I finally got up I looked at last year's Newport blog and added notes to my printout of wineries. It had also become clear from our progress through the wineries the previous day, that we weren't going to get through all of them in 3 days. So I checked to see which wineries would also be at the McMinnville festival in March so we could skip them here in Newport. After this research, Rachel got up and we had our showers and breakfast. We brought along some Cacklin' Oat Bran (one of our favorite cereals) and V8 and just had a quick breakfast in the room. Then it was down to wait for the bus again, and get my annual picture with Capt. Ahab. Although I finally got the pose correct, the sign that said "Capt. Ahab says 'Stay Here'" was sadly missing.<br /><br />Once again the line for e-tickets was very short and we resumed our wine tasting. Saturday is the day on which Newport's reputation as a Bacchanalia is built. Saturday morning is fine, and we got some good tasting in. However, after about 1pm the 20-something crowd comes in, intent on getting plastered. We usually bail out around 12:30, get some lunch, and then re-enter for a short time to purchase anything we'd liked that morning. We had a very nice lunch at Rogue Brewing (just across the parking lot) and headed back. Now, when we'd left the tent, there was very little line. Just 45 minutes later when we got back, the line was longer than we'd ever seen it. Apparently the fire marshal had declared the tent full, and they'd only let someone in after someone else left. People in line were being warned that it would probably be another 2 hours before they could get in. Wuh, we didn't need to buy wine that badly! So we rode the drunk bus back to our hotel and napped and read and generally relaxed until dinner time.<br /><br />Like last year, we made reservations for dinner at the Bay House in Lincoln City. You may recall that the food was good (although the beef was a little strange) and the wine was fantastic. During the afternoon I'd looked for the menu on the website and discovered that they served "Piedmontese" beef. A little more research revealed that Piedmontese beef is a variety of cattle that is much leaner than traditional American cattle breeds, and has a "tender texture." This would explain the sponginess of the meat last time - there wasn't anything wrong with it, it was just Piedmontese. Armed with this knowledge, I thought I might try the beef again.<br /><br />We arrived at the restaurant a minute or two late, having gotten behind a slow-moving drunk bus for most of the 20 mile drive. We were seated and given the several hundred page wine list. Our waiter asked if we would like to order wine, but we hadn't yet seen the food menu, so we didn't know quite what to get. We then asked for some advice on the wine list, and our waiter sent the sommelier over to talk to us. We told him what we'd be eating and that we were interested in a Rhone of some sort. After a strange dance in which he didn't actually offer much advice, left the table for about 5 minutes and finally returned, we chose a 2005 Gigondas from Chateau de Saint Cosme to pair with the main course (rack of lamb for Rachel, Piedmontese beef filet for me), and shared a glass of Eyrie Pinot Blanc to go with our tuna tartare appetizer. The amuse bouche was a spoonful of wonderful asparagus soup with creme fraiche, and we had a romaine salad with fried polenta croutons in between the appetizer and the main course. Dessert? Of course! I had a cheese plate and an unbelievably good glass of PX sherry. Needless to say, Rachel drove back to the motel. It was a wonderful dinner, and actually exceeded expectations. The service at Bay House is just a little creepy, but the food and wine make it completely worthwhile.<br /><br />Sunday morning we got up, got packed and ready to go, and checked out. Because of all the heavy partying on Saturday night, the 20-somethings are all hung over, and Sunday morning is a great time at the festival - attendance is low, and it's mostly folks like us with gray hair. We drove the car over and found an easy parking spot fairly near the tent. The e-ticket line was again non-existent and as we were heading into the tent, someone yelled at us to come get glasses. They were giving away this year's glasses on Sunday morning, so we continue to have a complete set of Newport glasses - yay! Most of the folks in the wine booth are glad to have Saturday over with and look pretty tired. One person we talked to told us that he had several people slosh up to his booth and ask for a full glass of whatever his highest alcohol wine was - real connoisseurs! But now it was Sunday - less crowded and easier to talk to the winemakers and pourers. We ended up tasting a bit longer than we usually do on Sunday, and didn't head home until around 2pm. Rachel slept and I drove, and we ended up getting home shortly after 4:00.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc4PC-x2KvYybQ_hXAk58y0al1FCwn9OMFnjqQgNHhE80awzjTzGg9ZgLLr7FbnzbRLs2hxqVnZuQxyJr4hEj8Vzf0ASSDokTksLmFxjRAevxcFrxCNJj66pedcKVm86JG0ex5SfXmvUv/s1600-h/IMG_1014sm.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc4PC-x2KvYybQ_hXAk58y0al1FCwn9OMFnjqQgNHhE80awzjTzGg9ZgLLr7FbnzbRLs2hxqVnZuQxyJr4hEj8Vzf0ASSDokTksLmFxjRAevxcFrxCNJj66pedcKVm86JG0ex5SfXmvUv/s320/IMG_1014sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448371828652056962" border="0" /></a>It was a great time as usual, but every year we wonder if we'll go again next year. It's fun, and we usually find a few surprisingly good wines, but most of it is pretty average. There's a lot of mediocre wine out there! The attendance was way up this year, which meant that the tent was more crowded with 20-somethings, and it was noisy. I was guessing that the recession would keep attendance down, especially after seeing so many vacancy signs on the motels (usually they're completely booked for weeks in advance). We finally figured that many folks probably just drove in from Portland, Salem, etc. for the day on Saturday, all arriving around 1pm.<br /><br />Here are the tasting notes from the 180 or so wines that we tried:<br /><br />12 Ranch Wines - Small winery near Klammath Falls with pretty decent wines.<br /><ul><li>06 Viogner - good palate, but somewhat weak</li><li>07 Chardonnay - nice, crisp, lightly oaked</li><li>06 Merlot - nice</li><li>06 Cabernet Sauvignon - Thick and tannic, but good</li><li>06 Syrah - Dark, rich, and tannic</li></ul>Abiqua Wind Vineyard:<br /><ul><li>08 Gewurztraminer - good and crisp, not that spicy</li><li>08 Muller-Thurgau - crisp and slightly sweet</li></ul>Agate Ridge Winery:<br /><ul><li>08 Sauv. Blanc - very good</li><li>07 Roussanne/Marsanne - fairly bland and flabby.</li><li>08 Viogner - barrel fermented, was OK but had a slightly unpleasant taste on the finish</li><li>07 Primativo - "old-world style" more subtle that most Zins. Good.</li><li>06 Syrah - good but nothing special</li><li>07 Cab. Sauv - very nice example of an OR cab.</li></ul>Amity Vineyards:<br /><ul><li>07 Pinot Blanc - spectacular. Crisp and light with plenty of fruit.</li><li>07 Riesling - not bad</li><li>07 Sunnyside Pinot Noir - good but not great</li></ul>Capitello Wines - Always fun to visit New Zealand winemaker Ray Walsh who always has some great wines:<br /><ul><li>Brut - very dry and subtle, clean with a hint of yeast</li><li>08 NZ Sauv. Blanc - crisp with lots of green bell pepper.</li><li>08 NZ Pinot Noir - light with red fruits. Similar to a good OR '07 PN</li><li>Sweet Riesling - very well balanced and tasty</li><li>08 Dolcino - Wow, sweet and smooth and very well balanced. Yum!</li></ul>Cardwell Hills Cellars - A winery that's gotten some very good scores from Wine Spectator recently that I've wanted to try.<br /><ul><li>07 Pinot Gris - nice, off sweet</li><li>07 Pinot Noir Estate - nice red fruit with a lingering finish</li><li>07 Reserve Pinot Noir - rich and full</li><li>08 Pinot Noir Estate - light fruits, strawberry</li></ul>Chateau Bianca<br /><ul><li>Riesling and Gewurztraminer (2 separate wines) - nice fruit, but not enough acid</li><li>Brut - nice and yeasty, but maybe too fruity (7up?)</li><li>2000 Pinot Noir - smooth, but past its prime</li><li>07 Pinot Noir - good</li><li>Syrah - structured, but no spice or pepper</li><li>Marachal Foch - nice but subdued</li></ul>Chateau Lorane - 2 years ago we loved them; last year not so much<br /><ul><li>07 Reserve Merlot - very good, smooth with good fruit</li><li>06 Durif (Petite Sirah) - just OK, nothing special</li><li>06 Baco Noir - big and tannic</li><li>06 Marachal Foch - very good, fruity and assertive</li></ul>Cliff Creek Cellars - a favorite of ours for big reds from the Rogue Valley. They weren't tasting much that we hadn't tried before, so we didn't try much.<br /><ul><li>06 Cab Sauv - young and tannic, but with potential</li></ul>Coelho Winery - Portuguese-influenced wine. We have visited them in Amity and liked most of what they had.<br /><ul><li>07 Chardonnay - very nice, lightly oaked</li><li>06 Pinot Noir Rosé - slightly bitter</li><li>06 Pinot Noir - too big and fruity and over the top</li><li>Port (Aventura) - good, but not deep enough</li></ul>Coleman Vineyards<br /><ul><li>07 Estate Pinot Noir - earthy</li><li>08 Estate Pinot Noir - subtle but structured</li><li>06 Reserve Pinot Noir - big and fruity, but not over the top. Nice.</li><li>05 Reserve Pinot Noir - very nice. Smooth tannins with some earthiness</li></ul>Cooper Mountain Vineyards<br /><ul><li>07 Reserve Pinot Noir - pretty good, light, strawberry</li><li>07 Malbec (Mendoza) - very nice, tannic, should age a year or 2 before drinking</li></ul>Eden Vale Winery<br /><ul><li>3 wines: Heritage Red, Claret, Tempranillo - It was all fine, but pretty much tasted like generic red wine.</li></ul>Emerson Vineyards - A pleasant surprise, all the wines were well made and interesting.<br /><ul><li>08 Chardonnay - nice and crisp, lightly oaked</li><li>07 Pinot Noir - nice, bright red fruits</li><li>07 Avelina Pinot Noir - good, notes of leather and earth</li><li>08 Riesling - slightly sweet but well balanced</li><li>08 Pinot Gris - OK, slightly bitter</li></ul>Eola Hills Winery<br /><ul><li>Syrah and Zin - both had offensive, gamy flavors<br /></li></ul>Flying Dutchman - a winery on the Oregon coast that we've wanted to try. All the wines were OK, but not good varietal representations. All were somewhat weak but not unpleasant. We tasted: white blend, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, red blend, Cab Sauv, blackberry port<br /><br />Girardet<br /><ul><li>Riesling - too much extraction, slightly bitter</li><li>08 Baco Noir - best in a few years, nice and smooth</li><li>08 Zinfandel - OK but nothing special</li><li>05 Cab Sauv - very nicely done Oregon Cab, very smooth</li></ul>Hillcrest Vineyards - Dyson Demara makes great wine and is always fun to talk with. Sadly, he forgot to bring the bottles of Chardonnay that we had ordered, but he promises to bring them to McMinnville.<br /><ul><li>07 Pinot Noir - good, but not his strength</li><li>Cav Sauv Fini - Great structure and flavor, a CA-style Cab from Oregon</li><li>Della Terra 15 Syrah blend - big red with good acid</li><li>Old Vine Zinafandel - intense fruit</li><li>Orsatian Riesling - crisp and wonderful, floral</li><li>08 Chadonnay - flinty and crisp, but not quite enough acid for us</li></ul>Hood River Vineyards - They have had good simple wine in the past that we've liked, but there was something off about it this time.<br /><ul><li>Sangiovese - not great</li><li>Barbera - old, vinegar?</li></ul>HV Cellars<br /><ul><li>Syrah - strong notes of anise. Very strange.</li></ul>K & M Wines - Fairly new small vineyard. They make their wine at David Hill<br /><ul><li>06 Chardonnay - over-oaked and sharp</li><li>06 Pinot Noir - OK</li></ul>King's Raven Winery<br /><ul><li>07 Pinot Gris - forgettable</li><li>07 Marechal Foch - nice and fruity</li><li>07 Leon Milot - gamy</li><li>06 Reserve Pinot Noir - fruity, jammy, without character</li></ul>Lone Oak Vineyards<br /><ul><li>Pinot Noir Blanc - clean, but little character</li><li>06 Pinot Noir Reserve - slightly bitter fruit bomb</li><li>07 Pinot Noir - nice, but nothing special</li></ul>Melrose Vineyards<br /><ul><li>05 Barrel Select Pinot Noir - big and fruity, could have been an '06</li><li>07 Pinot Noir - good, nothing special</li><li>06 Merlot - good varietal representation</li><li>06 Syrah - good, not over fruity, no pepper</li><li>07 Baco Noir - big and rough</li><li>06 Equinox - smooth but not very interesting</li></ul>Milbrandt Vineyards<br /><ul><li>Riesling - good, but should have been served colder. Not quite enough acid</li><li>06 Syrah - OK</li><li>07 Cab Sauv - typical WA Cab, needs more age</li></ul>Misty Oaks<br /><ul><li>07 Pinot Blanc - very nice, touch of oak</li><li>08 Pinot Gris - off dry, not bad</li><li>06 Pinot Noir - not bad for a southern Oregon Pinot.</li><li>06 Gobbler's Knob - nice red blend</li><li>07 Gobbler's Knob - refined and structured</li></ul>Namaste Vineyards<br /><ul><li>Several nice whites - dry Riesling, off-dry Gewurztraminer</li><li>07 Prosperity Pinot Noir - bitter and forced</li><li>07 Reserve Pinot Noir - nice but over oaked</li></ul>Orchard Heights<br /><ul><li>07 Riesling - not good at all</li><li>07 Merlot - OK, varietally correct</li><li>06 Syrah - decent southern OR Syrah</li><li>06 Cab Sauv. - OK</li></ul>Palotai - Reliably good wines. John Olson is always fun to talk to as well.<br /><ul><li>Bella Bianca - crisp, acidic, food-friendly wine</li><li>Pinot Noir - good, but nothing special</li><li>Lots of really great reds - Bull's Blood: big red blend, Dolcetto: lighter, good pizza wine, <strong style="font-weight: normal;">Arany Szarvas, Attila: bolder blend, Syrah: very nice warm climate Syrah, Baco Noir: well made and fruity.</strong></li></ul>Pheasant Valley<br /><ul><li>06 Pinot Noir Reserve - big, fruity 06</li><li>06 Cab Suav - average WA cab. OK.</li><li>06 Syrah - big fruit bomb</li></ul>Purple Cow - One of my favorite wineries and wine people. Innovative varieties, and a killer Tempranillo.<br /><ul><li>08 Siegerrebe - great, crisp and light</li><li>08 Muscat - a little bitter. 07 was better.<br /></li><li>07 Kelsey Pinot Noir - drinking well</li><li>07 Gabriela red blend - Wow, peppery with good fruit<br /></li><li>05 Elena Tempranillo - good</li><li>06 Tempranillo reserve - warm, rich, yummy fruit.</li><li>07 Teraldago - big and tannic, will be great in a few years</li></ul>Pyranese Vineyards and Cellars - OK, this was amazing and I didn't write much down. They had at least 20 different wines under 2 labels to taste, all for $5 (no kidding). All ranged from good to very good. Reminds us a bit of David Hill. When we were there, there was just one woman pouring for about 10 different people. She did the most amazing job of multitasking I'd ever seen, keeping track of where everyone was on the flight of 20 wines.<br /><ul><li>07 Gewurztraminer - Standout! Crisp, acidic, floral. Excellent.<br /></li></ul>Ribera Vineyards<br /><ul><li>09 Viognier - slightly sweet, great balance, good with spicy food.</li><li>07 Pinot Noir Stormy Morning - OK</li><li>06 Merlot - OK</li></ul>Rivers Edge<br /><ul><li>08 semi-sweet Gewurztraminer - good, not that well balanced, but nice</li><li>08 dry Gewurztraminer - good, solid, well-balanced</li><li>07 Barrel select Pinot Noir - very good, earthy, smoky</li></ul>Saginaw Vineyards<br /><ul><li>07 Chardonnay - ok</li><li>07 Riesling - very nice, slightly sweet</li><li>07 Foch - nice, not overly fruity</li></ul>Sienna Ridge<br /><ul><li>03 Cab Sauv. - light, no intensity</li></ul>Silvan Ridge-Hinman Vineyards<br /><ul><li>Cab blend - bad</li><li>Syrah - not bad, structured, no pepper</li><li>Early Muscat - sweet and sparkly, similar to Tualatin Estates Frizante, but not as much acid</li></ul>Spindrift Cellars<br /><ul><li>09 Gewurztraminer - slightly sweet, nothing special</li><li>08 Pinot Noir - OK</li><li>06 PN Reserve - nice, but nothing special<br /></li></ul>Stangland Vineyards<br /><ul><li>Viognier - not enough strength of flavor</li><li>05 Reserve Pinot Noir - smooth, good value at $32</li><li>08 Tempranillo - young and tannic</li></ul>Sweet Cheeks Winery<br /><ul><li>09 Riesling - very good, maybe a bit too sweet</li><li>Rosé - yuck, too sweet</li><li>Blanc de Noir - good sipper</li></ul>Territorial Vineyards<br /><ul><li>06 Riesling - quite sweet but pretty well balanced</li><li>07 Pinot Noir - weak</li><li>06 Stone's Throw PN - big and fruity, not really Pinot-like</li></ul>Troon Vineyards<br /><ul><li>Kubli Cab Sauv - good fruit and tannin, nice</li><li>Kubli Zinfandel - Zin-character but not enough fruit</li><li>Meritage - good, but nothing special</li><li>Reserve Cab Sauv - very smooth, good fruit</li><li>Reserve Zin - young, but with good Zin fruit</li><li>V2 - 4 vintage blend of cab, fruity and complex</li><li>Port - nice but not as "deep" as I'd like</li></ul>Valley View Winery<br /><ul><li>07 Viognier - good but not spectacular</li><li>07 Chardonnay - very nice, lightly oaked</li><li>04 Merlot - very good</li><li>06 Tempranillo - good flavor but a bit harsh</li><li>06 Cab Sauv - intense and complex</li><li>06 Cab Franc - delightful, simple but tasty</li><li>06 Syrah - exceptional warm climate syrah</li><li>08 Port - fruity, even R likes it</li></ul>Wasson Brothers Winery<br /><ul><li>Sparkling Riesling - sweet and tasty</li><li>Gewurztraminer - slightly sweet with an "off" taste</li><li>Mixed Berry - very sweet.</li></ul>Willamette Valley Vineyards<br /><ul><li>Riesling - 6% RS but well-balanced</li><li>Edelweiss - too sweet</li><li>07 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir - harsh and bitter</li><li>07 Griffin Creek Merlot - not bad</li></ul>Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-79913295641046930182010-02-20T11:23:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:42:15.216-07:00Valentine's Day Weekend Wine Tasting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX9TaJwvezDwJpokF71DIaVEq14CxZivZqXNN7FOEZgsZ6sEpW5EqatxvDCsQj0JEIx2XfzBXyEFfFwBkPqJ0U7sdl-fNg5txL_X0XEa_UqYOgJdcP-E5rPMWaB_J287vZj_XVMyhhyphenhyphenZw/s1600-h/Barrels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX9TaJwvezDwJpokF71DIaVEq14CxZivZqXNN7FOEZgsZ6sEpW5EqatxvDCsQj0JEIx2XfzBXyEFfFwBkPqJ0U7sdl-fNg5txL_X0XEa_UqYOgJdcP-E5rPMWaB_J287vZj_XVMyhhyphenhyphenZw/s320/Barrels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445981748605136370" border="0" /></a>Valentine's Day weekend has turned into somewhat of a big tasting weekend among Oregon wineries - not as big as Memorial Day or Thanksgiving, but many wineries open their doors to the public or hold special events. On Saturday, Rachel was officiating at a high school district swim meet (Tim was swimming), so I headed out on my own. It's less fun going wine tasting by yourself, but a lot better than not going at all.<br /><br />My first stop was a port and chocolate tasting at a new restaurant in Dundee - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Farm to Fork</span>. We've not yet eaten there, but certainly plan to soon. The menu features fresh local ingredients and an extensive wine list. Today however, a representative from Kopke was there to sample Port. Each port was paired with chocolate made by Cocoa Velvet, a Portland-based chocolate maker. The Ports ranged from a ruby and a tawny, to a 10 year vintage-style port to an amazing "Century Port" made using a solera system over 100 years old. It was very good, but very expensive.<br /><br />I then headed back north into Carlton to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Scott Paul Wines</span> where Scott Wright was pouring Burgundy from cult wine superstar Lucien Le Moine. It's rare to even find this wine available for sale, much less open for a tasting, so I wasn't going to miss it. All the wines were from the 2007 vintage. We started out with a (white) Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru which was sharp, crisp and very minerally. I really enjoy white Burgundy with it's often austere fruit and great acid. Next it was a Chambolle-Musigny les Charmes 1er Cru with darker fruit and earther, toasty tones. The Vosne-Romanée Beaux Monts 1er Cru was brighter and fresher with more light fruits, while the Pommard Grands Epinots 1er Cru was fruitier and riper. Finally, the Echézeaux Grand Cru was amazingly earthy and complex. Scott said it would be much better in a few years, but I thought it was drinking pretty well now. All the wines except 1 were over $100 a bottle, so while it was wonderful to taste them, I didn't get anything. Scott was also tasting through his own wine and a few Burgundies from his normal lineup, and I ended up going home with a couple bottles of the newly released 2007 vintage of his flagship Pinot Noir La Paulée. It's a great restrained and elegant Oregon Pinot. Interestingly, the Lucien Le Moine wines were sold out before I left, so anyone who came later in the day missed out on the tasting.<br /><br />Next it was off to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Penner-Ash</span> for a vertical tasting of their Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Penner-Ash makes some very nice wines, and they also have some of the best events at their winery, usually paired with some really nice food. I started out with their 2008 Viognier which Rachel and I tried at Thanksgiving. It is an excellent example of a Viognier with good acidity and a spicy finish. Next it was on to the 3 vintage vertical - 2006, 2007, and 2008. The 2006 was of course the biggest and ripest of the bunch, while the 2007 was more restrained and elegant. The 2008 was a surprise since I had been expecting more fruit than the '07. It was also fairly light with bright strawberry and not quite the earthiness of the 2007. Of the 3, the '07 was my favorite. Finally, their 2006 Syrah. They source the fruit for this wine from the Rogue and Columbia valleys and it's a fine example of warm climate Syrah, although I much prefer the pepper and spice of cool climate Syrah myself.<br /><br />My last stop of the day was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Styring</span>, a family-owned winery that Rachel and I had been to over Memorial Day weekend a couple of years ago. Our impression at the time was very nice people, pretty average wine, and today's visit reinforced that impression. The Styring family and their staff are all very nice people and made me feel very welcome. They were serving 5 wines, each paired with a snack. The first was their 2008 Pinot Gris paired with Prosciutto and melon (the fruit, not the varietal). The Gris was well made with pretty good acidity. Next was their 2006 "Signature" Pinot Noir with Italian Truffle cheese, and then the 2006 "WIT" Pinot Noir with black truffle oil and bread. This PN was pretty good, although a bit too big and fruity for my taste. They then poured their new 2007 Cab Sauv from the Columbia Valley and paired that with Champignon cheese and chocolates (always a nice pairing!). The wine was tannic and slightly bitter, but that may soften over time. Finally, they poured the 2004 "Afterglow" dessert wine - a wonderfully balanced sweet Riesling. This was paired with assorted tea cakes and was the best wine of the bunch.<br /><br />On Sunday Rachel joined me after church as we headed out to some old friends and something new. We started with our own local winery, <span style="font-weight: bold;">David Hill</span>, which is literally about a 5 minute drive up the hill from our house. Every year they do a chocolate, Pinot and Port tasting featuring hand made chocolates by the tasting room manager Michele, and of course their great wines. This year they paired different chocolate offerings with one of their 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir, the wonderful 2006 Merlot, Jason's new Ruby port and the usual muscat port. All were excellent, although I thought that the muscat was slightly bitter by itself. However, it was an amazing pairing with Michele's chocolate with Grand Marnier.<br /><br />We weren't sure where we wanted to go next, so we headed south toward the Dundee Hills (there's always good wine there!). We had tried <span style="font-weight: bold;">Winderlea</span> wines a couple of years ago just after they'd bought the old Goldschmidt vineyard and built their tasting room. At the time, we weren't very impressed, but wanted to go back and try them again since we know that great wine can come from that vineyard. Today they were pairing gourmet cupcakes with the Pinot and the tasting room was quite crowded. We found a spot at the bar that turned out to be right next to some swim parents that Rachel knew from another swim club. They were out tasting also, and we had a nice chat with them while we tasted. We started out with a wonderful 2007 Chardonnay - lightly oaked with great fruit (apple and tropical fruit) and good acidity - yum! This was followed by 3 Pinot Noirs, all of which were really quite nice. Either our palates had changed since we last tasted their wines, or the wine has improved. The 2007 Ana vineyard PN was earthy with red fruit, the 2007 Winderlea Estate PN was fairly light with subtle fruit, and the 2008 Dundee Hills PN had a hint of earthiness and bright red fruits. We discovered that their winemaker is Robert Brittan, whose own label PN we had tasted and liked at the Carlton Winemaker's Studio in January (oops, I forgot to write a blog entry about that!). All in all, a very pleasant surprise. By the way, we saved the cupcakes for the boys.<br /><br />Just down Worden Hill Road from Winderlea is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crumbled Rock Winery</span>, a relatively new kid on the block. The Juliard Vineyard has been producing great Pinot grapes for years and had been under contract to Dick Erath, but in 2007, the owners decided to build a small winery and start making wine commercially. 2007 was their first vintage under their own label, and it was pretty good. We also got to barrel taste the 2008, and I think it's going to be excellent. We'll be back once they've released it. Because they only had the one wine, they invited 2 other vineyard owners to come taste with them - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deux Vert</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cleo's Hill</span>. We've been drinking wine made from Deux Vert grapes for years (Elemental Cellars and Roots to name a couple) and it was fun to meet the vineyard owners Mike and Patty Green. Mike was tasting a Melon de Bourgogne made by Macindoe Family Cellars, and was looking for the usual confusion on our faces when he mentioned the grape variety. Instead, we looked pleased, and said "OK, great." "You are familiar with Melon??" he said incredulously. We explained that we very much enjoyed Melon, and had tried various wines from Elemental Cellars, De Ponte, Panther Creek, and Roots. He was floored and took an instant liking to us. He meets one person every few months who has ever even heard of the grape, much less fans. Anyway, the wine was fantastic - crisp and acidic with nice clean fruit. His wife was also making Tempranillo from grapes on their property (another of our favorite varietals) and we tried both the 2007 and 2008. Both were great, but the 2008 was a standout with spice and pepper. We'll definitely make it a point to attend any upcoming events at their vineyard (they promised tapas in the vineyard this summer - how cool would that be!). The other vineyard making their own wine was Cleo's Hill. I could swear we've tasted them before, maybe at 12th and Maple, or somewhere else, but I couldn't remember. The vineyard owner said that we looked familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where either. They had a couple of very nice Pinot Noirs also. It's always so much fun to talk to the grape growers themselves, and we had a fantastic time here.<br /><br />Our last stop of the day was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vista Hills</span> - one of the most beautiful tasting rooms in the Willamette Valley. We've has their wine a couple of times, and it was good, but not great. They have their wine made by several different winemakers including Laurent Montalieu, Michael Stevenson of Panther Creek, and Isabelle Dutartre of De Ponte. Most of their Pinot Noirs that we've tasted made by Laurent have an incredible nose, nice mid-palate, and almost no finish (where did it go?), although today they had a bit longer finish. Michael's wines were all very good, but the surprise of the day was the last wine that wasn't even on the tasting list. We can usually build a pretty good rapport with the pourer if he or she knows anything about wine, and we had a great talk with the guy here. He told us he had one more wine that wasn't on the list that he'd be happy to let us try. It was their 2007 Saga Hills Pinot Noir, and it was wonderful - big and fruity for an '07, but very structured and well balanced with a long finish. We figured it was another of Michael's wines, but it turned out to have been made by Isabelle from De Ponte. This was surprising because we just haven't been all that impressed by De Ponte wines in the past, so we may need to go back and taste again sometime. With a trunk full of wine and smiles on our faces, we headed home.<br /><br />Today was a day of pleasant surprises. We had expected David Hill to be good, and it was, but the other wineries all turned out better than expected. Winderlea and Vista Hills were places that we had visited in the past and had come away with our socks still on our feet, but today both exceeded expectations, and we'll no doubt be back again. Crumbled Rock, however, was easily the high point of the day - friendly people who are passionate about what they do, and some really nice wine. It was such a pleasure to talk with the Greens from Deux Vert, and we're really looking forward to Crumbled Rock's 2008 PN.Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886139543630919018.post-43084797652672781862010-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:002010-03-14T15:43:21.358-07:00Mid-Winter Wine TastingRachel and I went out for a quick wine tasting on Jan 9th and had our usual good time. I didn't take any notes, so I'll just give a quick rundown of where we went.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Argyle:</span><br />We haven't been here for a while, but with our new-found enjoyment of sparkling wine, we thought it was time to go back. Argyle has received acclaim recently for their sparkling wines, and we've enjoyed their still wines in the past. Again, I didn't take notes, but recall that we tasted several sparklers and a couple of Pinot Noirs. They don't seem to make the Merlot that we liked so much anymore, which is too bad. We liked most of the sparkling wines, and ended up buying a Brut rosé (yeah, who would have thought that?) and their 07 Pinot Noir reserve which should be very good in a couple of years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Graces:</span><br />Just up the road from Argyle is the Four Graces tasting room. We tried their wine last year at the Bite of Oregon and thought it was pretty good. It's owned by absentee California owners and the wine is made by Laurent Montelieu. Again, can't remember exactly what we tasted, but I recall that we tried a couple of Pinot Noirs that were pretty good, along with a Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. The Pinot Blanc was OK, but the Pinot Gris was quite nice, and we bought a bottle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Walnut City Wineworks:</span><br />We then swung south to McMinnville and stopped at one of our favorite urban wineries - Walnut City Wineworks. It is home to at least 3 or 4 winemakers and the tasting room tastes them all. We always enjoy talking to Jennifer, the tasting room manager, who is always wearing excellent scarves. We tasted through a long lineup of their wines, and had forgotten that pretty much everything they pour is quite good. We also met a couple there who owned a local catering company - Ribslayer. They were planning a dinner of some sort and were checking out wines. Apparently they are famous for their lamburgers and mentioned that they'll be cooking at the McMinnville wine event in March. I'll definitely keep an eye out for them. We ended up buying Pinot Noirs from Z'ivo, Walnut City, Robinson, and Carlton Hill.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carlton Winemakers' Studio:</span><br />Our last stop on the way home was the Carlton Winemaker's Studio in (where else) Carlton. We'd been there once before but had been put off by an inattentive pourer who seemed to want to ignore us as much as possible, and it's taken us a couple of years to summon the will to go back. Like Walnut City, the CWS is home to many winemakers, but the tasting room doesn't pour them all the time. Rather, it rotates through the clients, so you never know what you're going to be tasting on any given day. Our pourer today was a little more attentive, but just wasn't all that engaging. We tried wines from Andrew Rich, Robert Brittan, and Montebruno. As much as I try to like Andrew Rich's wine, I guess it just doesn't push my button. It seems well-made, but just doesn't do it for me. Robert Brittan is the winemaker for Winderlea and also has his own label. His 06 Pinot Noir is big, warm, and fruity - everything I don't like about 2006 Oregon PN. However, I liked this one for some reason and we bought a bottle. We also picked up a lovely floral Gewurztraminer from Montebruno.<br /><br />Another nice day wine tasting, and while we enjoyed it, it all felt somewhat sterile. All four places we visited had good wine, but all 4 tasting rooms are run by staff, not the owners, growers or winemakers. To be fair, Jennifer at Walnut City is great - she knows the wines and is happy to talk to you about them. But at the other 3 places, the pourers all felt like employees, not wine enthusiasts. I guess we've gotten spoiled here in Oregon, being able to meet and talk with the growers and winemakers themselves- people who are passionate about what they do and the product they make. In the end, they are the best ambassadors for Oregon wine I can possibly think of, and we always come away from our discussions with them with smiles on our faces and lots of enthusiasm for their wine.Twoboneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391500614900947388noreply@blogger.com0