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.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.
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.
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 had been spitting, so the beer went down very well. Rachel and I both had delicious lamb stew over mashed potatoes.
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.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.
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.
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.
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.
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.Here are the tasting notes from the 180 or so wines that we tried:
12 Ranch Wines - Small winery near Klammath Falls with pretty decent wines.
- 06 Viogner - good palate, but somewhat weak
- 07 Chardonnay - nice, crisp, lightly oaked
- 06 Merlot - nice
- 06 Cabernet Sauvignon - Thick and tannic, but good
- 06 Syrah - Dark, rich, and tannic
- 08 Gewurztraminer - good and crisp, not that spicy
- 08 Muller-Thurgau - crisp and slightly sweet
- 08 Sauv. Blanc - very good
- 07 Roussanne/Marsanne - fairly bland and flabby.
- 08 Viogner - barrel fermented, was OK but had a slightly unpleasant taste on the finish
- 07 Primativo - "old-world style" more subtle that most Zins. Good.
- 06 Syrah - good but nothing special
- 07 Cab. Sauv - very nice example of an OR cab.
- 07 Pinot Blanc - spectacular. Crisp and light with plenty of fruit.
- 07 Riesling - not bad
- 07 Sunnyside Pinot Noir - good but not great
- Brut - very dry and subtle, clean with a hint of yeast
- 08 NZ Sauv. Blanc - crisp with lots of green bell pepper.
- 08 NZ Pinot Noir - light with red fruits. Similar to a good OR '07 PN
- Sweet Riesling - very well balanced and tasty
- 08 Dolcino - Wow, sweet and smooth and very well balanced. Yum!
- 07 Pinot Gris - nice, off sweet
- 07 Pinot Noir Estate - nice red fruit with a lingering finish
- 07 Reserve Pinot Noir - rich and full
- 08 Pinot Noir Estate - light fruits, strawberry
- Riesling and Gewurztraminer (2 separate wines) - nice fruit, but not enough acid
- Brut - nice and yeasty, but maybe too fruity (7up?)
- 2000 Pinot Noir - smooth, but past its prime
- 07 Pinot Noir - good
- Syrah - structured, but no spice or pepper
- Marachal Foch - nice but subdued
- 07 Reserve Merlot - very good, smooth with good fruit
- 06 Durif (Petite Sirah) - just OK, nothing special
- 06 Baco Noir - big and tannic
- 06 Marachal Foch - very good, fruity and assertive
- 06 Cab Sauv - young and tannic, but with potential
- 07 Chardonnay - very nice, lightly oaked
- 06 Pinot Noir Rosé - slightly bitter
- 06 Pinot Noir - too big and fruity and over the top
- Port (Aventura) - good, but not deep enough
- 07 Estate Pinot Noir - earthy
- 08 Estate Pinot Noir - subtle but structured
- 06 Reserve Pinot Noir - big and fruity, but not over the top. Nice.
- 05 Reserve Pinot Noir - very nice. Smooth tannins with some earthiness
- 07 Reserve Pinot Noir - pretty good, light, strawberry
- 07 Malbec (Mendoza) - very nice, tannic, should age a year or 2 before drinking
- 3 wines: Heritage Red, Claret, Tempranillo - It was all fine, but pretty much tasted like generic red wine.
- 08 Chardonnay - nice and crisp, lightly oaked
- 07 Pinot Noir - nice, bright red fruits
- 07 Avelina Pinot Noir - good, notes of leather and earth
- 08 Riesling - slightly sweet but well balanced
- 08 Pinot Gris - OK, slightly bitter
- Syrah and Zin - both had offensive, gamy flavors
Girardet
- Riesling - too much extraction, slightly bitter
- 08 Baco Noir - best in a few years, nice and smooth
- 08 Zinfandel - OK but nothing special
- 05 Cab Sauv - very nicely done Oregon Cab, very smooth
- 07 Pinot Noir - good, but not his strength
- Cav Sauv Fini - Great structure and flavor, a CA-style Cab from Oregon
- Della Terra 15 Syrah blend - big red with good acid
- Old Vine Zinafandel - intense fruit
- Orsatian Riesling - crisp and wonderful, floral
- 08 Chadonnay - flinty and crisp, but not quite enough acid for us
- Sangiovese - not great
- Barbera - old, vinegar?
- Syrah - strong notes of anise. Very strange.
- 06 Chardonnay - over-oaked and sharp
- 06 Pinot Noir - OK
- 07 Pinot Gris - forgettable
- 07 Marechal Foch - nice and fruity
- 07 Leon Milot - gamy
- 06 Reserve Pinot Noir - fruity, jammy, without character
- Pinot Noir Blanc - clean, but little character
- 06 Pinot Noir Reserve - slightly bitter fruit bomb
- 07 Pinot Noir - nice, but nothing special
- 05 Barrel Select Pinot Noir - big and fruity, could have been an '06
- 07 Pinot Noir - good, nothing special
- 06 Merlot - good varietal representation
- 06 Syrah - good, not over fruity, no pepper
- 07 Baco Noir - big and rough
- 06 Equinox - smooth but not very interesting
- Riesling - good, but should have been served colder. Not quite enough acid
- 06 Syrah - OK
- 07 Cab Sauv - typical WA Cab, needs more age
- 07 Pinot Blanc - very nice, touch of oak
- 08 Pinot Gris - off dry, not bad
- 06 Pinot Noir - not bad for a southern Oregon Pinot.
- 06 Gobbler's Knob - nice red blend
- 07 Gobbler's Knob - refined and structured
- Several nice whites - dry Riesling, off-dry Gewurztraminer
- 07 Prosperity Pinot Noir - bitter and forced
- 07 Reserve Pinot Noir - nice but over oaked
- 07 Riesling - not good at all
- 07 Merlot - OK, varietally correct
- 06 Syrah - decent southern OR Syrah
- 06 Cab Sauv. - OK
- Bella Bianca - crisp, acidic, food-friendly wine
- Pinot Noir - good, but nothing special
- Lots of really great reds - Bull's Blood: big red blend, Dolcetto: lighter, good pizza wine, Arany Szarvas, Attila: bolder blend, Syrah: very nice warm climate Syrah, Baco Noir: well made and fruity.
- 06 Pinot Noir Reserve - big, fruity 06
- 06 Cab Suav - average WA cab. OK.
- 06 Syrah - big fruit bomb
- 08 Siegerrebe - great, crisp and light
- 08 Muscat - a little bitter. 07 was better.
- 07 Kelsey Pinot Noir - drinking well
- 07 Gabriela red blend - Wow, peppery with good fruit
- 05 Elena Tempranillo - good
- 06 Tempranillo reserve - warm, rich, yummy fruit.
- 07 Teraldago - big and tannic, will be great in a few years
- 07 Gewurztraminer - Standout! Crisp, acidic, floral. Excellent.
- 09 Viognier - slightly sweet, great balance, good with spicy food.
- 07 Pinot Noir Stormy Morning - OK
- 06 Merlot - OK
- 08 semi-sweet Gewurztraminer - good, not that well balanced, but nice
- 08 dry Gewurztraminer - good, solid, well-balanced
- 07 Barrel select Pinot Noir - very good, earthy, smoky
- 07 Chardonnay - ok
- 07 Riesling - very nice, slightly sweet
- 07 Foch - nice, not overly fruity
- 03 Cab Sauv. - light, no intensity
- Cab blend - bad
- Syrah - not bad, structured, no pepper
- Early Muscat - sweet and sparkly, similar to Tualatin Estates Frizante, but not as much acid
- 09 Gewurztraminer - slightly sweet, nothing special
- 08 Pinot Noir - OK
- 06 PN Reserve - nice, but nothing special
- Viognier - not enough strength of flavor
- 05 Reserve Pinot Noir - smooth, good value at $32
- 08 Tempranillo - young and tannic
- 09 Riesling - very good, maybe a bit too sweet
- Rosé - yuck, too sweet
- Blanc de Noir - good sipper
- 06 Riesling - quite sweet but pretty well balanced
- 07 Pinot Noir - weak
- 06 Stone's Throw PN - big and fruity, not really Pinot-like
- Kubli Cab Sauv - good fruit and tannin, nice
- Kubli Zinfandel - Zin-character but not enough fruit
- Meritage - good, but nothing special
- Reserve Cab Sauv - very smooth, good fruit
- Reserve Zin - young, but with good Zin fruit
- V2 - 4 vintage blend of cab, fruity and complex
- Port - nice but not as "deep" as I'd like
- 07 Viognier - good but not spectacular
- 07 Chardonnay - very nice, lightly oaked
- 04 Merlot - very good
- 06 Tempranillo - good flavor but a bit harsh
- 06 Cab Sauv - intense and complex
- 06 Cab Franc - delightful, simple but tasty
- 06 Syrah - exceptional warm climate syrah
- 08 Port - fruity, even R likes it
- Sparkling Riesling - sweet and tasty
- Gewurztraminer - slightly sweet with an "off" taste
- Mixed Berry - very sweet.
- Riesling - 6% RS but well-balanced
- Edelweiss - too sweet
- 07 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir - harsh and bitter
- 07 Griffin Creek Merlot - not bad
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