Hunting with Sole

Every year we take a group of Swirl guest on a wine, culinary and cultural trip in Tuscany and Umbria.  This year our visit included a truffle hunting excursion in Umbria...

Sunflowers in full bloom in Tuscany & Umbria

Driving the twisting narrow roads with seemingly endless switchbacks we go up and over the mountains that seamlessly join Tuscany and Umbria.  Even those who don't get car sick feel effect of the last 6 days on our stomachs.  Plunging down into the valleys we ride through the very rural small villages, peaceful land layered in a patchwork of color with brilliant yellow sunflowers, the silvery leaves of olive trees, golden wheat fields, and endless deep green tobacco.

View from the top of the mountain

Of course we make a few wrong turns but finally find the steep windy road that takes us up to the top of the tallest mountain yet.  Climbing higher and higher the forest changes from slender birch, ash and maple trees to thick trunks of oak and pine until finally reaching the top.  The GPS tells us we've arrived but all we see is a sleepy little hamlet of old stone dwellings and not a soul in sight.  As I try to find the phone number to get directions, a little white truck appears - our host out looking to see if we are lost.  We follow him further up the mountain road to his farm greeted by the breathtaking view of the villages below with the mountains of the Marche, Umbria and Tuscany stretched out before us.

Our host, the personable and soft spoken Matteo, brings us to one of the wood buildings on the property where we are greeted by his mother, father and two cats with their four young kittens.  Matteo and his family live here in this remote area of north west Umbria. They work the land as farmers, hunters and gatherers, living harmoniously with nature on their 30 acres of property.  It's not game or fowl that they hunt, but treasure in the form of elusive and mysterious funghi, truffles!  

We sit and spend some time talking first.  Matteo tells us that his passion and skill for truffle hunting was passed down from his father Carlos and he in turn wants to share his knowledge with others. He educates us on the fascinating world of truffles - what they are, the different types, colors, where they grown, how the animals find them, ripening, maturing and of course, the amazing dogs.

Walking to the forest to begin the hunt

Armed with our new found knowledge, we walk a short distance up the hill with kittens following close behind.  It's time to meet Sole, his dog.  As he talks about Sole, telling us stories of his training and first hunt, it's evident in his voice how much Matteo loves  his dog.  He releases him from the pen and the enthusiastic Sole bounds up the hill to greet us. Running, jumping, darting, constantly putting his nose to the ground and then the air, his energy seems endless.  Matteo softly commands and Sole obediently follows; their symbiotic relationship and mutual respect is the key to their success.

Into the woods we all traipse, Matteo leads us to one of his favorite spots. "Vai, vai Sole" Matteo says and Sole takes off, frantically searching, sniffing - you can actually hear his rapid breathing as he puffs his cheeks and puts his nose to the ground.  He hons in on a smell and frantically begins to dig.  "Piano, piano" slowly, slowly, Matteo softly calls and Sole tries to slow down but he's so excited, tearing at roots, flinging dirt behind him. Reaching down Matteo gently takes him at the neck and Sole immediately goes limp and lies beside his hole awaiting his next command. Matteo digs into the hole first using his vanghetto, a shovel like tool, and then his hands to see what Sole has found.  Out comes a black truffle about the size of a large plum with its dark knobby skin.  Matteo smiles, shows us all the treasure and then puts it into the pocket of his vest. Sole is generously rewarded with treats and affection.

Sole's first find

The ritual repeats, over and over in this spot and then another.  Matteo and Sole hunt each morning for several hours.  They are fortunate to live in an area where different types of truffles are available year round. And the reward can be great; the jewel of Italian gastronomy, white truffles, retail for over $3000/lb., the black for around $1200/lb. The black summer truffles that we found sell for around $500/lb.  Each type of truffle is available only certain months of the year.  Some days are plentiful but others might not yield a single truffle; it's a roll of the dice.

Today is a good day for Sole and Matteo.  In about an hours time Matteo has a pocketful of truffles and we head back to reception area where the delicious smells from the kitchen tell us lunch is almost ready!   Matteo shows us how to clean and store truffles as we sip on Prosecco in the courtyard.  We move into the dining area, beautifully and humbly set for our lunch. The intoxicating smell of fresh truffles permeates the air. Matteo sits with us but goes into the kitchen with each course to help his mother. Crostini with many different types of truffle sauces, carafes of local wine, fresh pasta shaved with our catch of the day, Matteo's fennel roasted pork with rosemary potatoes followed by dessert and of course espresso; we are served a simple, rustic family meal with local fresh ingredients, prepared with the utmost care.

The fruits of Sole's labor

Our fresh pasta with his catch of the day

Matteo's generousity,calm demeanor and infectious smile gives the experience an incredibly intimate feeling - his spirit, love of the land, his relationship with Sole are expressed throughout the visit.  Matteo is a young farmer dedicated to his trade and enthusiastic about sharing it with others.  We will be back...And so with full bellies and warm hearts we load back into our cars, with a new found understanding and appreciation for the now not so mysterious funghi and the people and dogs who bring them from the mountains of Italy to our tables.

If you'd like to visit with Matteo and Sole email him at bartolini.matteo@gmail.com or check out his website at Ca' Solare Agriturismo.  Please tell him Beth from New Orleans sent you :)

Temperature Matters

Serving wine at the proper temperature is something we all struggle with here in New Orleans.  It's really an issue in the US in general; we drink our reds to warm and our whites too cold.  Especially here in the sub tropics - our reds suffer severely from the idea that they are best served at "room temperature".

The beautiful underground cellars at Antonio Caggiano's winery in Campania

The whole room temperature red wine thing came out of Europe where those lovely stone castles and chateaus, lacking in central heat,  remain a constant 60 some degrees. Then there are those cool underground cellars at where their whites rest at a perfect 55 degrees.  That is a far cry from our poorly insulated below sea level homes in our stifling humidity and 90+ degree temperatures!

So what's the big deal?  What does it really matter what temperature you serve your wines?  I guess that all depends on the drinking experience you are looking to have.  If your goal is to guzzle down a big high alcohol red so you can get a quick buzz to start your weekend, then chances are you don't really care how it's showing.  But if you really want to experience a wine at it's best, temperature matters.

When we pour a white wine directly from our frosty 35 degree refrigerators to our glass, the aromatics and flavors are suppressed. The cold brings out greater astringency, which means the wine can  tastes sharp and tart.  And our room temperature average of 72 degrees for reds?  They lose all their finesse and freshness to an overpowering sensation of alcohol and tannin.  They're flabby, out of balance and not as enjoyable as they could be with a little help.

But you don't need to have an fancy wine cellar to serve/drink your wines at the proper temperature.  If you store white wine in the refrigerator, take it out 20 minutes before you want to pour it. To cool down reds (or room-temperature whites), all you need is an ice bucket filled half with ice and half with water. If you’re in a hurry, throw in a cup of salt.  You can get to the right temperature in 10 minutes in an ice bath; or you can put reds in the fridge for about 45 minutes if you are thinking ahead, with whites, 2 hours in the fridge should be perfect.  That’s all it takes.

Kerry is more of a stickler about the red wine thing than I am - I'm usually impatient and just want a glass of wine.  Sometimes I think she waits too long and the wine gets too cold!  With whites, I like them a bit warmer, Kerry- super cold! So to help us both out, I got these little wine bottle digital temperature cuffs. You put them on a bottle, give it a few minutes and it reads the temperature of the bottle.  

So I  put one of the digital thermometers ($16 at swirl) on a bottle that is down in the dark corner where we store our wine at home and got this: 72 degrees.  Upstairs in the kitchen while we are making dinner? Yikes! 75 degrees! In the fridge 30 minutes? A perfect 63!  

Here's what we should be shooting for:  Typical temperature for serving red wine ranges from 52ºF - 65ºF, and 45ºF- 50ºF for white wines.  If you really want to get picky about this, there are different temperature suggestions for different varieties (see chart below).  But I think if we just shoot for the averages for now, we'll all be happier wine drinkers!  

Cheers!

Aperol Spritz, a Classic Italian Beverage

While you can order an Aperol Spritz just about anywhere in Italy, its beginnings are in the north.  It is particularly popular in Venice and Verona where it is the aperitivo drink of choice.  It's bright orange color is unmistakable and while it is served in a variety of different glassware, the recipe remains the same.  This is the classic recipe from Aperol, the company who has produced this low alcohol spirit since 1919.  We'll be serving these at our first Aperitivo Thursday this week at Swirl.  Come over and try one with a complimentary plate of snack from our friends at Good Eggs!

Aperol Spritz

3 parts Proscecco

2 parts Aperol

Splash of club soda

Fill a wine glass with ice. Add the above ingredients and garnish with half an orange slice. Insert straw, close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting in a lively piazza it Italy! 

Aperitivo, The Happiest of Hours

Verona from Lamberti Tower in Piazza Erbe

It's somewhere around 5pm.  The sonar sound coming from my ipad tells me it's time to wake up from my very brief nap.  I hear Kerry rustling around in the livingroom as I slowly try to focus my eyes and will my self from the bed.   After an exhausting 3 days sampling hundreds of wines at Vinitaly in Verona, we only have a few more hours left to explore this beautiful city and I need to perk up.

The Adige River in Verona

Out of the apartment we take a right and walk the few blocks toward the Adige River which winds around in a crescent shape with the historic center of the town nestled inside.  A city that dates back to the Romans, the ancient cobblestone streets are lined with Medieval palaces, elegant churches and bars and restaurants with small terraces perched over the banks of the river.  We duck inside one for a much needed espresso and the icy orange drinks being prepared at the bar can mean only one thing - it's aperitivo time in Verona. A trend that started once upon a time in Milan and can now be found all over Italy, an aperitivo is a glorious couple of hours, a little something before dinner; an aperol spritz or maybe a prosecco or a glass of wine, accompanied by a small snack, great people watching and lively conversation.

Bars and cafes line the piazza.

Continuing our walk, we contact James for a meeting time in Piazza Bra for our last aperitivo of the trip.  We get there early and I start perusing the perimeter of the square checking out the cafes to see who has the best offerings. Some simply provide olives and chips, others get a bit more elaborate with a plate of small nibbles like bruschetta, focaccia, or even meats and cheeses.  I of course chose the latter and James appears just as we are about to sit down.

A round of "spreetzs", the beckoning bright orange drink, for all as we settle in to take in the scene around the piazza while nibbling on our snacks.  The bars and cafes are buzzing with activity, the evening passeggiata is in full swing as the locals enter the marble lined Via Mazzini and stroll to nearby Piazza Erbe.  The coliseum towers mystically over the square reminding all of ancient beginnings of this beautiful place.  There is a joyfulness here that is hard to capture in words, a lightness in the people, an energy in the air that is positively enchanting.

Hoping to recreate that special feeling, we're excitedly starting our own aperitivo at Swirl on Thursdays. There will be a special drink menu for the evening, all Italian of course.  Your first drink will be accompanied by little something extra; a small plate of nibbles, local fare provided this week by our friends at Good Eggs.

So please join us this Thursday, May 8th anytime  between 5:30 - 7:30 for our first aperitivo, a joyful couple of hours after work to relax with friends, take in the lively scene around Faubourg St. John while sipping on a delicious Italian beverage.

Ciao!

Coravin, Drinking High End Wines and Never Popping the Cork!

It's Sunday night and I've cooked a really nice piece of crispy skin salmon.  For some ridiculous reason, Kerry wants to drink a beer.  I, of course, want wine.  Digging through the wood boxes stuck in the dark corner of the downstairs hallway, I'm in search of something for me to drink with my meal.  I realize I have a dilemma - the only appropriate wine, in my mind, to have with my fish is the 2008 Moises Holmes Hill Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and at almost $40 a bottle, it's not the one to pop open on a whim, drink a glass or two and put in the frig hoping it holds until the next time I'm at home and looking for something to drink.  But now my mouth is watering thinking about drinking this wine and how lovely it will pair with my salmon....

Enter Coravin, the solution to my problem!  I had brought home our new gadget and this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.  Unwrapping the box, I'm a bit nervous - it looks like a cross between a microscope, a drill press and one of those silly rabbit wine bottle openers.  I take my time, read the directions and follow the steps to readying  the "device" - take the yellow safety piece off of the needle, insert the gas capsule and test the gas.  Ok. looks like we're good to go.  

Clamping it on the bottle, it's time to insert the needle. Making sure everything is lined up properly, it goes in with an easy push from the palm of my hand, right through the foil and into the cork. I pull out one of my awesome Reidel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses and get ready to pour.  Tilting the bottle above the glass I give the trigger a quick press, release, and out it comes - the translucent but deeply tinted perfect shade of garnet lovely Pinot Noir. Into my glass it flows until the bowl fills to my desired amount.  Turning the bottle upright, I hear the quick hiss of the argon gas being released into the bottle.  Out comes the needle, the bottle goes back in its resting place until its services are required on another day, the perfect pairing just a pour away... After a glass and a half I thought about having a little Barolo, but then realized I was just being greedy :)

The top of the bottle - you can see where the needle pierced the foil.

Coravin offers a revolutionary way to drink or serve high end wines without worrying about oxidation - the cork is never pulled and the instant insertion of gas means that it never sees air.  For more info on how it works, check out the Coravin site or sign up for our Special Coravin Flite Nite this week where we'll be offering the following wines to chose from.  A flite of 3 will be $25.  Reservations are recommended as we are only pouring 12 flites.  You can reserve here with a credit card, Coravin Flite.  

2007 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino, $85

Winemaker's Notes

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is ruby red tending to garnet. It's very intense, with a persistent nose with red fruit notes. There is a warm, balanced flavor with velvet-smooth tannins and long-lasting aroma. A beautiful Brunello made in the traditional style, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from vines at least 20 years old.

Critical Acclaim

"The estate’s 2007 Brunello di Montalcino has developed beautifully over the last year. Freshly cut flowers, dark raspberries, spices and mint all take shape in a 2007 that impresses for its freshness and pure energy. Sweet roses and violets linger on the finish. I imagine the 2007 will enjoy a very broad drinking window. Today it is drop-dead gorgeous. The combination of dry extract above 34 and acidity north of 6% is exceedingly rare and suggests the wine will age for several decades. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2047."

95 Points The Wine Advocate

"Medium red. Reticent nose hints at red berries, marzipan and nutty oak. Fine-grained, fleshy and highly concentrated, without any undue impression of weight. Lovely sappy sweetness accentuates the wine's inner-mouth perfume. Really builds on the very long, even, sweetly tannic back end, which stains the palate with red fruits, flowers and complex soil tones. This strikes me as more typical perfumed sangiovese than the darker, more locked-up, more obviously structured 2006 riserva."

95 Points International Wine Cellar

"A wine with roasted meats and dark fruits on the nose and palate. Full body, with soft and velvety tannins and a juicy and fruity aftertaste. So delicious and seductive. Drink now or hold."

94 Points James Suckling

2008 Fisher Coach Insignia, $87

Winemaker's Notes

The Coach Insignia honors our family's tradition of craftsmanship, first represented in fine automobiles of the 20th century with Body by Fisher and now in Fisher Vineyards' wines of the 21st century. The Coach Insignia Cabernet represents the pinnacle of our winemaking craft, comprised of the finest selected lots of Bordeaux varietals from our Napa Valley Estate.

Critical Acclaim

"Deep ruby. Highly fragrant aromas of red and blackcurrant, dried cherry, anise and herbs, with sexy oak spice and floral qualities adding complexity. Sappy and expansive in the mouth, offering sweet cherry and dark berry flavors. Turns spicier with air and finishes quite long, with fine-grained tannins and a late note of black cardamom. "

93 Points International Wine Cellar

"The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Coach Insignia is a gorgeous, refined wine laced with expressive red fruit, flowers, mint and licorice. The elegant, feminine side of Cabernet comes through, along with a hint of mocha and spice from the presence of 8% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Hints of sweet herbs and licorice reappear on the finish. Today the 2008 looks to be a fairly early-maturing wine, but I don’t think that will be much of an issue based on how delicious it is."

92 Points The Wine Advocate

2010 M. Chapoutier "Les Granits" Saint-Joseph Rouge, $76.99 

Notes:

In Saint Joseph, as in Hermitage, elevated soils of high granite composition give Syrah a unique style. Made from 60-80 year old vines this rich and expressive Syrah is dark garnet in color and features aromas of black fruit jams (blackberry) and mineral overtones. Smoky, peppered notes, with a long persistency in the mouth.

Chapoutier owns some of the most famous plots in the Rhône, including 34 hectares within the tiny Hermitage appellation. This collection of highly sought after wines is coined "Selections Parcellaires".

Critical Acclaim

"Most of the fruit comes from hillside vineyards in Larnage. The 2010 St.-Joseph Les Granits (870 cases produced) is a more flowery, elegant, feminine-styled effort than Les Varonnieres. A deep purple color is followed by sweet aromas of Chinese black tea, graphite, blueberries and black raspberries. With a flowery character, superb purity, full body and a precise, crisp finish with plenty of wet rock and powdered stone-like notes, this 2010 should age well for 15-20 years. "  

94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Bright purple. Potent aromas of black and blue fruits, incense, licorice and black olive, with a bright mineral topnote. Sappy and precise, offering deeply pitched blueberry and cassis flavors and an exotic floral pastille nuance. The mineral quality comes back strong on the finish, which lingers with outstanding tenacity and clarity. There's a tension to this wine that suggests it will be a long-distance runner."

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

2010 Gaja Ca'Marcanda Magari, $79.99

Winemaker's Notes

The word "Magari" has several meanings: "if only," "would that it were true," "perhaps." Ca'Marcanda's unique combination of terre brune (dark soils: loam and clay) and terre blanche (white soils: stones and pebbles) is reflected in Magari. Deep garnet with blue tinges. Lush Merlot fruit and spicy Cabernet aromas. Magari showcases the essence of the upper Maremma. It's a full, rich, well-rounded wine with an elegant, silky finish.

Critical Acclaim

"Showing spectacular traits of the vintage, the 2010 Magari (50% Merlot and 25% each Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc) is a dark and modern wine with a thick fabric of dark fruit, blackberry preserves, spice and tobacco woven tightly together. The mouthfeel is exceedingly plush and there’s a sweet oak note of toasted almond or Spanish cedar on the close. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2026. "

94 Points The Wine Advocate

"Fresh and bursting with black cherry and plum fruit, this red has density and a well-integrated structure. Builds to a long finish of fruit, spice and mineral. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc."

90 Points Wine Spectator

10 Reason to Visit Swirl During Jazz Fest 2014!

This is one crazy time in Faubourg St. John and the fact that the entrance to this grand party is right around the corner from us, it makes Swirl a popular place to stop before, after and during Jazz Fest 2014.  And while we don't hold our free tastings or happy hour over the weekend, we're giving you lots of reasons to come by and shop for party beverages, check out all of the local art and fun t-shirts, have a drink at the bar and bring your out of town guests in for a taste of the local culture.

10 Reasons to Visit Us During the Fest

Fat Falafel Food Truck, Tuesdays from 6-8pm

1. Check out one of New Orleans Own Famed Food Trucks - Trying to figure out how to feed all of those out of town guests?  Bring them over on Tuesday as our favorite food truck, the Fat Falafel, pulls up to Swirl from 6-8pm. They dish out delicious Mediterranean food ($5-$10) that you can bring into the shop and let us pair it with our favorite specials by the glass.  6-8pm

Vending Machine Wines made by some pretty awesome locals!

2. Wine by Local Producers - People are always looking for "local" wines and we feel these great labels produced by some of our favorite New Orleanians fit the bill and deliver a whole lot of quality.  We've got James Moises' 2008 Holmes Hills Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and his 2013 Pinot Gris in stock from Oregon and the entire lineup of Vending Machine Wines from Napa including the brand new relase of Horror Show IV! Open a bottle in house, take a few home, or we can ship!

Get some vitamin c for your walk to the Fest!

3. Refreshing Mimosas to Kick off Your Day at the Fest - Join us on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week from 10:00-2:00 for our $5 mimosas - a Jazz Fest Swirl tradition. Relax  with us in the air conditioning for a bit or we'll serve 'em to go!

Shaun Aleman; 1 of 5 local artists we show

 4. Great Local Art on the Walls - Check out the really cool New Orleans themed work with local art from "in nola words" and Shaun Aleman, Lizano’s Glass Haus, Carnival Sculptures, Jeanne Catahula Vidrine and Julia Stefanski! Their original works start at just $20!!

Italian wines are our favs, but we have an adventurous international selection.

5.  Quality Selection of Wine and Beer - Besides stocking 300+ labels of interesting and adventurous wines from all over the world, we serve over 25 wines by glass.   How about picking up a nice cold rosé to sit on the bayou with in evening, or having a glass at the bar while you are waiting for the taxi cab line to ease up? The perfect end to a wonderful day at the fest!

Small selection but mighty good!

6.  Artisan Cheese, Chocolates and Breads - Fresh breads from Bellegarde Bakery, a nice selection of imported cheeses, olives, cured meats and local chocolates from Bittersweet confections await!  Cheeses are cut into perfect cheese plate sized chunks and breads are delivered fresh on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

7. Try a Wine Flite at the Bar -  Stop by on Wednesday for a special flite nite this week when we hold our first rose' tasting of the season!   Flites feature 4-2oz pours of really great juice and while reservations are not required we do limit the number of flites we pour so you may want to be sure to get a spot by prepaying here:  '13 Rose' Round 1! Selections for the flite are posted on our Facebook page on Wednesday. $15

A few of our 2013 selections from Provence

8. Rosé! Rosé! Rosé! -  Did I mention that we have one of the best rose' selections in the city?  The perfect wine to pair with New Orleans food, porch sitting, picnics in the park, canoeing on the bayou or sitting at the shop and watching the festers go by; we have lots of 2013 rose' from all over the world.  And this Wednesday we'll hold our first rose' flite nite of the season!

Great gifts or "festive" wear!

9. Citizen Nola Tees  - We're stocked up with those cleverly designed tees from our friends at Citizen NOLA so come over and check out the new designs coming in on Tuesday! They make great gifts and "festive" wear!

10.  More than 25 Wines by the Glass - Have a drink at the bar or sit outside with a cheese plate and watch the festers go by! I am putting a new list together this week with lots of adventurous, crowd pleasing glass pours!

Artisan Oregon Wine & Culinary Travel 2014

Alloro Vineyards, 2013 Tour

Join Swirl Wines and James Moises of Bizou Wines October 8th - 12th  for a unique, hands-on experience of small production, artisanal winemaking at its best!  We'll take you to the stunningly beautiful Pacific Northwest where the lush foothills of Oregon's Willamette Valley await.  Nestled between the Oregon Coast mountain range and the snow-capped Cascades, the many different terroirs and microclimates makes this one of the most distinctive places on earth for grape growing.

On this five day tour you will visit small, off the beaten path wineries and vineyards; meet, taste and dine with winemakers and witness one of the most exciting times of the year in wine country, the harvest!  You will get an exclusive, insiders look into what goes on behind the scenes as you'll have the opportunity to pick grapes, sort fruit and see many aspects of the grape harvest and early stages of production first hand.

Our home away from home for the week will be a lovely bed and breakfast located in the heart of one of the Willamette Valley AVAs.  McMinnville is a beautiful town with treelined streets, restaurants, shops and of course, tasting rooms! Bon Appetit magazine, in its annual feature on Best Foodie Towns in America, rated McMinnville number two giving us many superb restaurants to choose from for both lunch and dinner.  And for breakfast?  We'll take over the entire Tuscan Estates B&B and have our very own French trained chef on site to cook us the most amazing gourmet meals. Our base in McMinnville also puts us in close proximity to Carlton, Yamhill and Eola Hills as well as the new winemaking facility at the Holmes Hill Vineyard site.  

So, have we gotten your attention yet?  Then keep reading and check out the daily itinerary!

Wednesday, October 8 

We will await your arrival at the Portland International Airport and whisk you off down Highway 99 through the heart of the Willamette Valley as we head towards the charming town of McMinnville.   We’ll get you off to a good start as we stop at a surprise winery and make a toast to a fantastic trip.  After checking into the B&B we'll turn you loose to explore the tasting rooms that line the streets.  Eyrie Vineyards, Panther Creek, R. Stuart, Willamette Valley Vineyards and more are all within walking distance and will give you many opportunities to taste a variety of wines from the McMinnville AVA.   Tonight we'll walk to dinner at a local restaurant for our first of four winemaker dinners.  Tonight's guest will be presenting his biodynamic wines to pair with the food.

Thursday, October 9

Following a lovely gourmet breakfast at the B&B we'll meet up with our winemaker from last night again at the old granary where he makes wine and have a lesson in natural and biodynamic winemaking.  Afterwards we’ll drive over to the Yamhill Carlton to a larger producer where you will see their state of the art facility that focuses on gentle winemaking through gravity flow. We’ll tour the winery and vineyards and taste through their lineup of wines.  Next we’re off to the charming community of Carlton where we’ll spend the day exploring, tasting and eating around the town.   After a quick lunch at one of our favorite cafes  we’ll turn you loose on Main Street where you’ll find great tasting rooms and shops to explore at your leisure.  Scott Paul, Ken Wright/Tyrus Evans, Omero Cellars,  WildAire, Carlton Vineyards and more are all within a few blocks.  Just when you think you’ve had your fill, we’ll meet up with one of our winemakers at the Carlton Studios, an eco-friendly, recycled-material-using and cooperative winemaking facility where a group of top-notch Oregon winemakers all share equipment to turn out award winning whites, roses, reds, sparklings and dessert wines. We’ll tour the facility and see what it takes for all of these personalities to exist under one roof!  Tonight will be an early dinner in a wonderful French restaurant in Carlton, accompanied by wines from one of our favorite producers in the Chehalem Mountains presented by the owner of the winery.

Friday, October 10

After our breakfast at the B&B we'll take a beautiful drive to the Chehalem Mountain AVA. With panoramic views of Bald Peak and the sweeping valley below, the producer we will visit is said to have one of the most beautiful views in the entire Willamette Valley. Following our tour and tasting there, we’ll stop at the Red Hills Market for to pick up our picnic lunch while we head into the Dundee Hills AVA to visit a small producer and have lunch on the property. And just to make sure you are getting your fill of Oregon wines, tonight’s dinner will be at the home of a winemaking team located in the Eola-Amity AVA.

Saturday, October 11

After breakfast at the B&B we’ll head over to the Holmes Hill Vineyard where James and his partner/winemaker Mark Wahle have built their new winery. You'll take a tour of the property with James and have the opportunity to spend some time in the vineyards picking grapes.  Weather permitting we'll set up a late lunch in the vineyard where James and winemaker Mark Wahle will treat us to their lovely wines. After lunch we'll head back to McMinnville and  you'll have a little time to yourself before a very special dinner at  a new wine hotspot opened by our friends at Nick’s Italian Cafe, where one of our favorite winemakers will join us for dinner and present his lineup of Chehalem Mountain wines.

Sunday, October 12

Following a hearty send-off breakfast with our French chef at the B&B we’ll pack up and head back to the Portland airport and sadly say good-bye to the beautiful Willamette Valley.

Reservation Information:

Total trip cost is $1700 per person, double occupancy only, and does not include airfare.  Cost include all scheduled meals and tastings as listed above and transportation to and from Portland Airport as well as transportation to all sites listed above. Basically we take care of everything.  The only thing you have to think about is which tasting rooms you want to visit during your free time!

A $500 deposit by cash or check and a completed registration form are required to book your spot.  The balance of $1200 is due 90 days from trip start date.

Our trips book very quickly!  If you are interested in more information, please contact me at 504.304.0635

To view photos from our previous trip:  Artisan Oregon 2013

Bizou Wines and Blue Dot Donuts Team Up For Unique Tasting Event!

Wine and donuts? Why not! Local winemaker James Moises of Bizou Wines has teamed up with the donut making experts at Blue Dot Donuts to create a tasting experience like no other — A savory donut and wine pairing. The unique tasting experience will be held on Wednesday, April 16 from 6-8pm at Swirl Wines (3143 Ponce de Leon St.) Guests will sample four savory donuts paired with four fine wines, including Moises Pinot Noir, for $25 per person. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Companion Pet Adoption, a small non-profit animal rescue group based around foster homes. Purchase tickets at 

Savory Donuts and Wine

Savory donuts include:

-Fresh Fig wrapped in Prosciutto created by of Blue Dot Donuts

Italian Sausage with Red Sauce and Mozzarrella created by Chef William Mauk of New Orleans Tomato Company

Chorizo Dulce and Manchego created by Chef Glen Hogh of Vega Tapas Café

Mocha Cappuccino with Mascarpone created by Jessica DeVay of Saint James Cheese Company

 

 

ABOUT MOISES WINES:

A reflection of his celebrated Lebanese heritage, Dr. James Moises has been producing a premium line of limited production pinot noir and pinot gris wines from Willamette Valley, Oregon since 2009.  The part-time ER doctor turned part-time winemaker is firmly committed to the practice of sustainable farming and strongly believes that minimal handling in the cellar produces wines of depth, grace and character. Moises’ wines are available exclusively in the New Orleans area (at top retail wine shops and restaurants.) Moises wines are made in a Burgundian style: elegant and supple with rich, ripe fruit flavors impeccably balanced by the careful use of oak.

 

ABOUT BLUE DOT DONUTS:

Blue Dot Donuts, founded by three New Orleans policemen —Ronnie Laporte, Dennis Gibliant and Brandon Singleton — is a boutique bakery offering uniquely flavored gourmet donuts. The first location opened on Canal Blvd on April Fool’s Day in 2011 and a second shop, a franchise operated by Singleton, recently opened Uptown.

Eating, Drinking, Sleeping in Barolo

View from La Morra of the Boiolo vineyards of Barolo

Your two weary travelers arrived in Milano early this morning here in Italia, around midnight in New Orleans. While most of you were sleeping we got a quick cappuccino and went in search of the bright yellow Hertz desk to pick up our brand new 4 door Fiat 500. The two hour drive to La Morra was pretty uneventful until the polizotti decided to pull us over for no reason at all, just to check our documents and have some polite conversation. Giving us more of a jolt than the caffeine, it definitely helped to clear our jet lagged brains!

Village of La Morra in Barolo

As we drove closer to the Alps the landscape changed from low lying plains to endlessly rolling hills with tiny villages perched on the highest peaks. We made the steep climb into our own little hilltop town of La Morra where with only a few wrong turns, found our apartment. After a quick introduction from Emmanuela we went in search of a few places she recommended for a light lunch. We chose the tiny traditional cafe over the more Americanized one, ordered a few local wines and a plate of regional cheeses and meats. At first we were the only ones in this six table bar, but slowly the locals started drifting in for a espresso here or a panino there, but mainly for friendly conversation. Very little English was spoken which is intimidating and exciting at the same time as I struggle to understand their rapid fire speech and hand gestures. But with our limited Italian we managed to have a conversation with one of the men who worked at a local winery. His pride, love and knowledge about that particular sub region and its wines spoken through his passionate delivery needed no common language to understand.

 

I am so happy to be here! It's hard for me to explain my connection with Italy and its people because I don't really understand it myself. All I can say is that there's a sense of comfort that comes over me as soon as I get off the plane. Their passionate nature helps me focus on what is important, their slower way of living life on what is real. As my friend Vincenzo once said, "life, there is only one"...more to come.

The Best Roasted Cauliflower

I had always found cauliflower to be one of those odd vegetables that I had a hard time figuring out what to do with it...until now.  I bought a huge head from one of our local farmers at the market awhile ago and started looking up recipes for roasting. I tried a few of them out, but they just didn't seem to have a whole lot of flavor.  So I started playing around with a few things I had in the frig and came up with this, which has now become a delicious weekly habit in our house!

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, broken into medium-size florets 

Big handful of  grape tomatoes, halved

3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pitted olives sliced into rounds 

2 tablespoons of pine nuts

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Good size pinch of peperoncino

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Put your oven rack on the top position and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Toss together the cauliflower, tomatoes,olives, olive oil, pinenuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and the garlic in a bowl until the florets are evenly coated.  Put the contents of the bowl on a baking sheet and roast until the cauliflower browns in some spots and is tender, tossing about halfway through, about 20 minutes. Toss with a squeeze of lemon and the parsley. Serve warm.

Andrew Rich, Innovation in the Pacific Northwest

Like most of us in the wine industry, Andrew Rich had a former career. Needing a change from the hectic pace his life had taken on as a successful magazine editor, he decided to follow his passions and learn how to make wine.  Andrew trained in Burgundy, and afterwards his love of Rhone varieties led him to Randall Graham of Bonny Doon where he worked for five vintages.

A connection with another Oregon winemaker brought him north where he decided to start his own label, Andrew Rich Vintner in 1994. He quickly became a noted pioneer at creating Rhone-driven wines with a Northwest spin and works with some of the most respected vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Washington. With 20 years experience behind him, he has access to choice fruit and his his highly regarded Syrahs and his Coup D'Etat (Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes to Washington!) are a testament to his success.   And with his base in Carlton Oregon, he makes really delicious Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley too!

Dinner w/Andrew @ Cuvee

Andrew produces his wine at the state-of-the-art Carlton Winemaker's Studio, the nation's first "green" cooperative winemaking facility, which is where James Moises currently makes his wine and hence the connection between the two. James introduced us to Andrew when we visited in 2012 and the most recent meeting included a wine dinner that I arranged for our group of New Orleans travelers as part of our Artisan Oregon wine and culinary tour of the Willamette Valley.

We are excited to have him in the shop this week to host our Wednesday Nite Flites where we'll be showing a range of wines from a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and 3 of his Washington State wines!  The tasting is part of our Wednesday Nite Flite Series and is $15.  You can book your spot here:  Andrew Rich

2010 Andrew Rich Wines Pinot Noir The Knife Edge Willamette Valley

Bright ruby-red.  Intense black raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by notes of smoked meat, licorice and dried flowers.  Smooth and succulent on the palate, offering powerful dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors and a touch of candied rose.  Finishes on a smoky note, with slow-building tannins, a jolt of peppery spices and very good length. ST 91pts, RP 91pts, $50

2011 Andrew Rich Wines Roussanne Columbia Valley

Bright, full yellow.  Musky aromas of pear, apple, honey and nuts.  Broad, dry and pliant, with good definition to the flavors of apple, menthol and flowers.  Nicely done, rather suave roussanne with a firm finish. ST 88pts, $22

2009 Andrew Rich Wines Mesalliance Red Wine Columbia Valley

(48% merlot, 24% cabernet franc, 20% syrah and 8% malbec):  Bright medium ruby.  Slightly candied aromas of black cherry liqueur, licorice, bitter chocolate and violet.  Sweet and smooth but a bit youthfully stunted; not a thick wine but densely packed and fine-grained, with firm acidity keeping the dark berry flavors under wraps today.  Finishes with firm, suave tannins and good subtle length.  I'd hold this for two or three years before pulling the cork. ST 90, $24

2010 Andrew Rich Wines Cabernet Franc Red Willow

Its Burgundy-shaped bottle hinting at a possible kinship with Loire exemplars that is borne out in the glass, Andrew Rich’s 2010 Cabernet Franc Red Willow – from two-decade-old vines on this iconic property – leads with scents of dark cherry, beet root, and fennel, which re-merge in the context of an infectiously juicy palate that utterly believes its (per the label, anyway) 14.1% alcohol. Positively herbal, subtly bitter and saline notes of sea oats, dried herbs, walnut, maple syrup and dark chocolate add interest en route to a succulently lingering finish tinged with saliva-liberating salinity. There is a fine diffusion of tannin that, along with the wine’s reservoir of primary juiciness, likely guarantees that its fascinations will persist for at least 3-5 years in bottle. RP 90pts, $27

Pasta for Breakfast...Again!

Way back when, before Cat opened Faubourg Wines, before Neil & Monica launched their Vending Machine Wines label, a small group of us started a pretty amazing dinner club. There were wacky themes, super creative food, great beverages, fun conversation and good times for all involved.  But as things tend to go in this world, lives changed, babies were born, relationships ended, people moved and the DC 10 was no more.

One of our last get togethers with the entire group was a DC10 brunch and really a highlight for all of us; the Saints were in the middle of the playoffs of their historic 2009 season, Mardi Gras was right around the corner and the entire city was on one big collective high.  Our contribution that day was a pretty complicated pasta dish where we made large ravioli stuffed with the usual ricotta and herb filling, but then topped it off with a fresh egg yoke before covering it with the 2nd sheet of pasta. We boiled them, just like you do regular ravioli and then plated them drizzled in melted butter and a little pancetta. Sunnyside up with a side of bacon, Italian style and our first pasta for breakfast!

So after a long bike ride yesterday, I was craving eggs and wanted to make a traditional Italian Frittata.  I searched 4 or 5 of my favorite cookbooks until I can across this one with a little twist in Frances and Edward Mayes Under the Tuscan Sun; Pasta Frittata.  A quick note on the book itself - it's a great compilation of recipes from their friends and neighbors in our favorite little Tuscan town of Cortona.  I've made quite a few of the dishes in the book and find them simple, fresh and really delicious, as traditional Italian food should be.  

So here is a much less complicated but really flavorful dish using plain, leftover pasta.  I've changed things just slightly from the original and added comments when I did so.  Kerry and I ate the whole thing with the best bacon we've ever had made by our friend Steve.  And for a pairing?  I had too much to do yesterday to have alcohol with breakfast but a dry, full bodied Italian sparkling like the Berlucchi Brut or Ferrari Brut would have been heavenly. 

Pasta Frittata

1 onion finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup milk

6 eggs (I used 5)

+ 2 cups whole brown beech mushrooms (I added these and used the whole pack from wholefoods)

1 cup leftover cooked pasta (I used farfalle)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

1 large tomato sliced

1 handful of parsley chopped

In an oven proof skillet, over medium heat add oil and sauté the onion and mushrooms until onions are translucent about 3 minutes.  

In a bowl beat the milk into the eggs.  Stir the pasta, seasonings and cheese into the eggs and pour into the pan.  Arrange the tomato slices on top of the egg mixture and cook for about 8 minutes over medium low heat until it is semi-set.  (this was not enough time on my stove, we added an extra 3 minutes)

Sprinkle the parsley and put under a preheated broiler for 1 minute.  Make sure it doesn't burn on the top.

Annual Staff Dinner, Wine and Food From our Favorite Places on Earth

We love our staff!  What's not to love about passionate, socially conscious people who adore wine, food and fun people to share it with.  And did I mention that they are unpretentious, interesting, cool and just downright nice people?  So Kerry and I like to show our appreciation for all of their hard work by cooking an annual, multi-coursed and paired dinner for them at our house.  Here's a run down of the menus, recipes and pairings we put together to show them some love for everything they do for us and you!

Apertivi

~Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and Fresh Louisiana Mandarin Juice

I love a really good vermouth before dinner and the freshness of the juice with the vanilla, caramel and clove notes of the Cocchi were the perfect start to our Italian dinner.  As part of Cocchi's 120th birthday celebrations a few years ago they restarted production of this, their original recipe Vermouth di Torino, first produced back in 1891. It is delicious and couldn't be easier to make...

Equal parts freshly squeezed mandarin juice and Cocchi, shaken and served over ice with a slice of the peel for garnish.

Antipasti

~Roasted Tomato and Burrata Bruschetta

click here for recipe

Ca'Vittoria Brut Rose 

~Lemon and Garlic Gulf Shrimp Bruschetta

This is normally served on top of the bread, but I had a ton of shrimp so I served it individual small bowls

click here for the recipe

2012 Taburno Greco Benevento

~Bresaola and Arugula w/Fresh Shaved Parmigiano

click here for recipe

2012 Ceretto Arneis Blange

~Shaved Fennel and Blood Orange Salad w/Fresh Pecorino di Toscana

click here for the recipe

2012 Dominio IV Sunrise Setting Viognier/Syrah

Primo

~Piemontese Tajarin Pasta w/Fresh Shaved Truffles

click here for the recipe

2008 Einaudi Barolo Terlo

Secondo

~Bistecca Tagliata with Fried Sage & Rosemary

click here for the recipe

2001 Bertani Amarone delle Valpolicella

Dolce

~Meyer Lemon & Cardamom Ice Cream

click here for recipe

Giama Limoncello Positano

Tajarin, The Most Decadent Pasta I've Ever Made, Eater or Served!

In doing research for our upcoming trip to Piemonte, it's not surprising that I've come across many recipes that feature their most prized food, the aromatic and highly flavorful white truffle.  And since Barolo is definitely one of our favorite wines on earth, I decided that I needed to cook something from the region for our annual staff dinner and ran across this decadent recipe from Lidia Bastianich.

The problem was in getting a truffle in a very short amount of time that I could use for the dish.  After a few days of  phone calls, texts and internet searches, our friend Jeff Talbot over at Ancora came through with a nice chunk of black truffle.  Although the recipe called for the traditional white truffle from Alba (upwards of $2000 per lb!) I figure the black truffle at half the price would have a similar, although not nearly as flavorful, effect.

Tajarin is different from regular pasta in the amount of egg yolks used that give it a beautiful saffron yellow color.  It is a handcut pasta that takes some time to make, but if you are going to the trouble of fresh truffles, why not?  I used the best ingredients possible - fresh organic egg yolks, Panini organic Parmigiano and the best butter ever made, the Delitia Burro di Parma.  How can you go wrong?

We served the 2008 Einaudi Barolo Terlo that was not nearly ready to drink but was still beautiful with the rich, butter ladden dish!  

From Lidia's Italy:

For the Pasta

The black truffle from Jeff at Ancora

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working

9 large egg yolks, (about 2/3 cup)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed

For cooking and dressing the pasta

1 tablespoon Coarse sea salt, or kosher salt

½ pound butter, (2 sticks)

1 ounce white truffle butter, or more, brushed cleans

1 cup Grana Padano, or Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

Equipment

Pasta-Rolling Machine;

Directions

To mix the tajarin dough, put the 2 cups flour in the food processor, fitted with the metal blade, and process for a few seconds to aerate. Mix together the egg yolks, olive oil and 3 tablespoons water in a measuring cup or other spouted container. Start the food processor running and pour in the liquids through the feed tube (scrape in all the drippings). Process for 30 to 40 seconds until a dough forms and gathers on the blade. If the dough does not gather on the blade or process easily, it is too wet or too dry. Feel the dough, then work in either more flour or ice water, in small amounts, using the machine or kneading by hand. 

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a minute until it's smooth, soft and stretchy. Press it into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for a half hour. (Refrigerate the dough for up to a day or freeze it for a month or more. Defrost in the refrigerator and return to room temperature before rolling.) 

Cut the dough in 4 equal pieces. Keeping the dough lightly floured, roll each piece through a pasta machine at progressively narrower settings into sheets that are 5-inches wide (or as wide as your machine allows) and 20-inches or longer. Cut each strip crosswise in three shorter rectangles, each about 7-inches long. 

Flour each of these rectangles and roll them up the long way, into a loose cylinder, like a fat cigar. With a sharp knife, cut cleanly through the rolled dough crosswise at 1/8 to 1/4-inch intervals. Shake and unroll the cut pieces, opening them into tajarin ribbons, each about 7-inches long and 1/4-inch wide. Dust them liberally with flour and set them on a floured towel or tray. 

To cook the tajarin, bring to the boil 6 quarts of water with the tablespoon salt. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the large skillet and dilute it with 1/3 cup of the hot pasta water. Heat until barely simmering. 

When the water is at a rolling boil, shake the tajarin in a colander to remove excess flour and drop them all at once into the pot. Stir well to separate the ribbons and bring back to the boil. Cook for only a minute or until the pasta is just al dente, then lift it from the water with a spider, drain briefly, and drop it into the skillet. 

Over low heat toss the tajarin until well coated with butter. Turn off the heat and toss in half the grated cheese. Shave coin-sized flakes of truffle-using half the piece-over the pasta and toss in. 

Heap individual portions of pasta into warm bowls. Quickly shave the remaining truffle, in equal shares, on top of each mound of tajarin and serve immediately.

Shaved Fennel Salad

Sicilia is where the wine and travel bug started for us.  In 2009 we worked together with the our friends Cynthia and Elisabetta of the Farmhouse Table to take a group of New Orleanians on our first wine and culinary tour of the island.  The food was exquisite, truly some of the best we've ever eaten, combined with a diverse, distinct wine culture that is unlike anywhere else in the world.  This dish is a traditional Sicilian style insalata with a few added twists like pomegranate and Kerry's microgreens.  It is quick and simple except for the segmenting of the citrus (instructions below).And the pairing?  We brought back a really cool bottle from our Oregon (another of our favorite places featured in our annual staff dinner) tour last year that I knew would be perfect, a 2012 Dominio IV Viognier/Syrah blend Rose' and it was amazing with the dish!

Ingredients

2 large round fennel bulbs, trimmed, and several fennel fronds set aside

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large blood oranges, peeled and segmented

1 cup pomegranate seeds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

microgreens for garnish

An 8-ounce chunk hard pecorino, such as sardo or toscano, for shaving

Directions

Using a mandolin or other vegetable slicer, shave the fennel crosswise into thin slices. Place in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the blood orange segments, pomegranate seeds, and fennel fronds and toss gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Arrange the fennel salad on four individual plates. Shave the pecorino in long shards over each plate, and serve.

Notes

SEGMENTING CITRUS

Using a paring knife, cut off the top and bottom of the fruit to expose the flesh. Stand the fruit upright on the work surface and, with your knife, carefully remove the skin and bitter white pith, working vertically from top to bottom and following the natural round shape of the fruit, turning it as you go. Carefully trim away any remaining pith.

To segment, hold the fruit over a bowl to catch the juices, and cut down along either side of the membrane to free each section of fruit. Then, if the recipe also calls for the juices, squeeze the membranes over the bowl to extract the remaining juices.

Gulf Shrimp da Zaccaria

Positano, definitely one of our favorite places on earth!

The theme for our annual staff dinner this year was "Food and Wine from Our Favorite Places on Earth" so you know that the Amalfi Coast had to be represented.  I found this great recipe from Mario Batali that he took from a restaurant in Atrani that overlooks the sea called "da Zaccaria".  However, I had a lot of shrimp so I served it in individual bowls with toasted bread instead of as bruschetta.  And of course we paired it with a local wine and the 2012 Taburno Greco Benveneto was truly fantastic!

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 ounces Limoncello

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 slices of Italian bread

1 bunch chives, chopped

Salt and pepper

Pour the oil into a large saute pan over high heat. When just starting to smoke, toss in the garlic. Cook until it turns light brown.  Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the shrimp.

Pour in the the limoncello, lemon juice, and wine. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.

Toast the bread. When sauce is done, turn off the heat, sprinkle in the chives and season with salt and pepper. Place a few shrimp atop each piece of bread, and top with the sauce and lemon zest.

Raptor Ridge Winery, Great Wine with a Conscious

It was a foggy October morning as our two minivans full of Oregon wine  obsessed New Orleanians made their way up into the Dundee Hills to the top of the ridge.  Stomachs full from our French butter, cream and pastry ladden breakfast, all were ready for a some wine to kick off the day's events. 

The Tuscowallame Vineyard, Dundee Hills

Nestled on the northeast side of the Chehalem Mountains, Raptor Ridge Winery awaits with views of the lush, green valley below and their beautiful Tuscowallame vineyard.  Founded in 1995 by Scott Shull, Raptor Ridge Winery gets its name from the many families of raptors—red-tailed hawks, kestrels, sharp-shinned hawks and owls—that share the winery’s 27-acre estate.

Kevin Wiles, our wonderful host

Our host, assistant winemaker Kevin Wiles, meets us in the tasting room with platters of local cheeses and meats and indulges us with a lineup of 6 wines before we take our glasses and a few bottles to the winery below.  Taking us through the facility and cellar below, Kevin is a wonderful guide.  We talk about the process, the people, the raptors and the land that are all involved in making Raptor Ridge Winery what it is - a beautiful place with socially and environmentally conscious people making great wine.

Early stages of fermentation, 2013 harvest

Katie looking at sugar levels through the refractometer.

Besides Kevin and elegance of their wines, there are many things I like about Raptor Ridge.  One is diversity; approximately nine different cuvées are made here, including Pinot gris, Grüner Veltliner, Rosé, Tempranillo, several distinct vineyard designates, and consistent blends of Willamette Valley Pinot noir and Reserve Pinot noir.  Another is quality; they produce a total of 7,500 cases per vintage at the winery and the winemaking team regularly tastes through and segregates every barrel into these select cuvées. Uncompromised quality is the focus, not quantity.  Another is their respect for the land and its human as well as nonhuman occupants - they serve as a release site for birds following rehabilitative treatment by local raptor rescue foundations plus a portion of the proceeds from every bottle the sell supports iSalud!, a non-profit healthcare program for vineyard workers and their families.

Join winemaker Kevin Wiles on Thursday for a tasting of 6 wines from Raptor Ridge, including a few from the exciting 2012 vintage, accompanied by a selection of Oregon cheeses and meats presented by Casey Foote of St. James Cheese.  The lineup of wines is listed below and you can click here to reserve your seat. Raptor Ridge Tasting

2013 Raptor Ridge Rose                                

2013 Raptor Ridge Pinot Gris                          

2012 Raptor Ridge Grüner Veltliner 

2012 Raptor Ridge Willamette Valley Pinot Noir                  

2011 Raptor Ridge Estate Pinot Noir                    

2012 Raptor Ridge Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir     

What We're Drinking, Staff Favs for 2014!

One of the downfalls of being in this business is that I get bored quickly.  With a constant parade of wine reps at the bar on a daily basis, sampling and selling their liquid wares, I'm always on the hunt for something that excites my palate.  There is so much amazing wine out there I have a hard time sticking with the same selections month after month.  The pros or cons of this, depending on how you view it, means that our inventory is rotating constantly. 

But what I also have to remember is that every one's tastes and passions are different and it is that diversity that makes all of this so interesting.  So in putting together our new wine menu I asked the staff what they are particularly excited about drinking right now and their enthusiastic response has resulted in one of our best menus yet! Here are some of their comments and be sure to come in for a drink at the bar as we have over 25 wines by the glass and more than 300 options by the bottle for you to choose from.

Casey Foote - My Brother caught a ton of fish from the Gulf before Christmas, froze them and gave me a bunch so oddly have been drinking a lot of whites this winter.  Loire Valley whites and Assyrtiko from around Greece goes great with those lovely fishes!  On the list:  2011 Montintin Sancerre and the 2012 Sigalas Aa, Assyrtiko/Athiri Blend

Kimi Kiviranna - I've been really into Loire Cab Francs lately and had one at August that I fell in love with! And even though it's not technically rose' season, I like seeing something interesting on the list for our year round fans.  On the list:  2010 Château du Hureau Tuffe Saumur Champigny and the D'Oupia Minervois Rose'

Matt Snyder - We were cooking gumbo the other night and I needed a bottle to pair with it.  I took home a Cotes du Rhone that was gorgeous with or without the food and highly recommend it!  I'm also really happy to see some of our Greek wine favorites back on the shelf and that Xinamavro is always a hit.  On the list:  2010 Terres d'Avignon Armoiries Cotes du Rhone and the 2012 Thymiopoulus Young Vine Xinomavro.

Adam Tustin - I took home a bottle of Montepulciano D'Abruzzo last night and think it would be a great, inexpensive by the glass pick!  On the list:  Farnese Fantini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo.

Erin Rhoads -  We've got so many great wines in our "cheap & tasty" section that would make delicious glass pours at good price points. Plus the Regaleali white from Sicily is always lovely and a nice introduction to Sicilian whites.   On the list:  2012 Amalaya White; 2012 Juan Gil Honoro Vera Monastrell plus the 2012 Tasca D'Almerita Regaleali Bianco

 

And me?  Even in the winter I find myself reaching for refreshing delicious whites most of the time unless I'm having a meal that demands a red.  If I'm eating a meat based dish or having some of those great Olli Salumi, I always reach first for an Italian red!  On the list: The 2012 Albert Mann Pinot Blanc and the 2012 Zabu Grillo and the 2010 Corsini Birillo from the Maremma in Tuscany

Sake & Small Plates Pairing Event

Join local culinary talent Chef Dan Esses, Sake Specialist Kimi Kiviranna and Winebow Import's Chris Noyse for this exciting sake and food pairing evening.  Learn about how sake is made, the different levels of quality and get a new perspective on saké and food pairing with this presentation of premium sake.  The quality, complexity and individuality of these wines inspired Chef Dan to come up with an amazing menu of non traditional pairings.  Click here for reservations:  Sake and Small Plates

Sake and Small Plates

Where:  Three Muses

When: January 28, 7pm

Cost:  $70 includes tax and tip

Tempura shrimp with blood orange ponzu sauce 

Ichishima Silk Deluxe Junmai

Hamachi tuna Meyer lemon granite and rice cracker 

Hideyoshi Namacho Honjozo

Swordfish escabeche 

Manabito Ginjo

Braised pork belly, mustard greens , scallion pancake

Dewatsuru Kimoto Junmai 

Black pepper crusted New York strip, rutabaga, turnip, blue d'auvergne gratain

Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo

"What's Your Favorite Wine?"

Picking grapes in Yamhill Carlton

...is a question you get asked a lot in this business.  My standard answer is that there is no one answer!  It's all about what is happening during a particular moment  in time - what I'm eating or doing, who I'm with and where I am. When Kerry and I grilled steaks at home a few weeks ago my answer would probably have been that 2005 Bongiovanni Barolo Pernanno.  Hanging out in Portland and salivating over plank roasted salmon?  My answer would be the 2010 Alloro Riservata Pinot Noir from Oregon.  Sitting at a seaside restaurant with friends on the Amalfi Coast?  The inexpensive house Falanghina served in a ceramic carafe tastes like the best wine on earth!

But what is an easy thing for me to talk about is my favorite red varieties, all of which will be featured in one event or another this month at the shop.  Because while I credit Sangiovese as the grape that got me into the wine business, it's my love of these 3 reds that keeps me here.

Volcanic Soils of the Etna

Nerello Mascalese

The first time I tasted a wine from the Etna, I knew that something very special was happening in the eastern part of Sicily.  We were in New York in late January 2009 for an Italian Trade Commission wine event and we needed a bottle of wine for our friend Lisa's birthday party. I had become intrigued by the region while researching the wine producing areas of the island for our first wine and culinary tour later that year with Cynthia Nicholson and The Farmhouse Table.  But there was nothing from the Etna in any of our wholesaler's portfolios because, like me, most had never really heard much about the region until I started inquiring about the wines.  

So, needing a bottle of wine to take with us to a little party, we popped into a shop in the East Village, that actually had a decent selection of Sicilian wines and there on the shelf was a wine by one of the producers I had been researching, Terre Nere.  The 2006 Etna Rosso was under $20, which was very reasonable for anything coming from the area, so I was really excited to try it.  And needless to say we were all impressed as it was lush (a prominent quality in the 2006 vintage) and easy drinking, with a purity of fruit and hints of dark cherries, tobacco and wild herbs, it had an earthiness and texture reminiscent of Burgundy but is distinctly Sicilian. Made with Nerello Mascalese, a native grape to the region, I was now completely obsessed  and have been ever since.  

Holmes Hill in Eola-Amity

Pinot Noir

Oregon Pinot Noir had been slowly, subtly, seeping its way into my wine consciousness since I met James Moises in the summer of 2009.  Wrongfully lumping it into my not so favorite category of new world wines, it has always been lurking just a bit under the radar for me.  And even though our wine reps have been bringing me Oregon Pinots for years, it was my personal relationship with James that made me want to learn more about this place that was drawing him away from his lifelong medial career and home town of New Orleans to make wine.  

So when James asked us to visit him in Oregon we got to experience first hand the really special things that are happening in the Willamette Valley. While there are a handful of big money, fancy wineries in the area, the majority of the producers are small and passionately making artisan wine from tiny, individual plots of land that they are farming themselves or from carefully selected purchased fruit. Fantastic wines without pretense where quality over quantity is the rule, sustainability is a lifestyle and where visitors always feel welcome and the winemaker is never far away… I have to admit, I thought I would get bored with drinking Pinot for 5 days straight, but I didn't, not in the least.  The wines are the the perfect blending of the old and new world; subtle, elegant, higher acidity levels but still with beautiful, intoxicating fruit.  The different vineyard sites and vintages offered such unique expressions of the grape that I just couldn't, and still can't, get enough.  

Nebbiolo

It seems that anyone in this business who loves old world wines, tastes and drinks wines from all over the planet, eventually end up in either the Burgundy or Piemonte camp or both.  For me and my love of Italian wine it is Piemonte and the Nebbiolo grape that currently have my full attention. How can you not get completely intoxicated just on the perfumey aromatics alone of a good Barolo or Barbaresco? With their hedonistic mix of sweet and savory flavors of leather, spice, tar, rose petals and dried red fruit on the nose combined with an array of flavors that explodes across the palate - they are the stuff that wine enthusiasts' dreams are made of!

But the difficult thing with these wines is having the patience to wait until they are ready to drink.  Even the production standards alone for Barbaresco and Barolo require it; 2-3 years between oak and bottle for the DOCG and the riserva wines require up to 4-5 years of total aging respectively.  Young nebbiolo from these regions can be fiercely tannic, which then allows you to explore Piemonte's other regions like Gattinara, Ghemme, Roero and Langhe for younger wines that are softer and more accessible. 

So in following suit with my first two favorites, I now find my self planning a trip to Piemonte this spring.  And through researching this trip, I have again reached that turning point where interest becomes obsession.  I tend to immerse myself fully in that place; learning the history, cooking the food and of course drinking the wine as I patiently wait for April to arrive.  Because when you visit the region itself, there is nothing quite like the connection to its people, its land and its culture that solidifies that place in your heart, mind and palate.  So I'm quite sure you'll be hearing a lot about Piemonte in the coming months...

But in the meantime I've scheduled some events to help curb my appetite a little; a seated Nebbiolo and cheese pairing with Italian Wine Specialist Antonio Molesini & St. James Cheese; a seated wine and cheese session with winemaker Kevin Wiles of Raptor Ridge in Oregon and St. James Cheese; and fun Wednesday Nite Flite this week featuring the wines of Sicily!  

If you are interested in attending any of these click on the links below for more information!

-Wednesday Nite Flites - Sicilia!  January 8, 6-8pm.  $15, reservations are not required but you are sure to get a spot if you do!

-Nebbiolo, The Noble Grape of Piemonte, January 23rd, 6-8pm.  $33, reservations are required.  Limited seating

-Raptor Ridge Wines with Kevin Wiles, January 30th 6-8pm, $28 reservations are required.  Limited seating