Willamette Valley Vineyards

A Warm Summer Memory for a Cool Winter Day

2011-12-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

I am truly amazed by the fact that so many people visit us from all over the country, the point of their travels being to see Oregon's beautiful wine country! We live in a small world, which makes what I do when I meet people very special and exciting.

Beth Bering
Winery Ambassador

A particularly memorable experience that I had recently was when I met one of my customers in person for the first time. Her name is Barbara, she's from Tennessee, and her very favorite WVV wine is our 2010 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir. I contacted Barbara for the first time in July and she welcomed my call graciously, even from her desk at work. I introduced myself and explained how I can help her as her personal Winery Ambassador. She remembered Willamette Valley Vineyards and was delighted about the idea of ordering her Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, however, she did not have her credit card with her at that moment. Barbara even went so far as to place me on hold as she called her credit card company to obtain her credit card number, however, this particular company has strict security policies and would not provide her with her own number over the phone. Barbara ensured me that she would call me back that same day when she got home from work to place her order. As I talked more with Barbara, I learned that she would be visiting Oregon during August for a class reunion. I told her that I would love the opportunity to host her for a complimentary tour and tasting at the Estate when she visited Oregon. She loved that idea and accepted my invitation.

At the end of the day Barbara did call me back (as she promised) to place her order, and we further discussed her upcoming visit.When I finally met Barbara and her friend in person, it happened to be a beautiful day in mid August, perfect for our scheduled tour. I set them up for a tasting outside on the deck so they could enjoy the gorgeous view and took several pictures of the two of them. They had a great experience tasting the wines together and Barbara even joined our wine club. As I talked with Barbara and her friend during the tour, I learned that she at one time lived in Kirkland, Washington in the early nineties. Interestingly enough, I also lived in Kirkland, Washington during that same time period that she lived there. Which makes my point... we do live in a small world!

-Beth

Face to Face

2011-11-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

Caitlin Rich, Lead Winery Ambassador

During the three years I have been at the winery, I have had the pleasure of working with many of Willamette Valley Vineyards' customers and wine lovers outside of the state of Oregon. It is wonderful hearing stories from those that love our wine that are all across the United States, stories of how our wines were shared at the most recent family gathering, how a glass of WVV Pinot Noir was enjoyed while sitting outside during the summer months (while it is likely still raining here in Oregon), or stories of how our wine simply made a summer dinner that much better.

Over the years I’ve built friendships with many WVV wine lovers that I have never even met face to face. Many of our conversations are over the phone catching up on what we’ve been up to that season, what wines we’re enjoying and/or releasing at the winery, and what the weather is like where they are compared to Oregon. I can tell you right now, Oregon weather is not typically favored during those conversations.

Caitlin with The Peters Visiting from Colorado

There is absolutely nothing better than the moment you finally get to meet someone face to face that you’ve spoken with over the phone numerous times. This past summer I was able to spend time with customers, and more importantly friends, from Nevada, Texas, Colorado, California, Ohio, Arizona, South Carolina, and more, many of whom came out to visit Oregon and the winery! It was those moments, sitting outside on the patio, wandering around the winery, or having lunch together, that make up my favorite memories from this past summer at Willamette Valley Vineyards. Now, when calling with wine specials or just simply to say hello from all the way over here in Oregon, I will get to put a face to a voice.

Caitlin Rich

Lead Winery Ambassador

Governors' Gold Awards - Oh What a Night!

2011-11-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

The night of the Governer’s Gold Awards, Portland’s beautiful Convention center was aglow with the smiling faces of the participants of Oregon’s Special Olympics. Participants, citizens, and Governors, of past and present, from the great State of Oregon were there on hand to honor the recipients of the 2011 Governors Gold Awards.

Winery Ambassador Wende Bennette

This wonderful program helps raise money for Oregon’s Special Olympics, whose mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports. For children and adults with intellectual disabilities, this program provides continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. Margaret Hunt, CEO of SOOR (Special Olympics of Oregon) brought me to tears and smiles with heartfelt stories of courage and perseverance from the athletes and their families. With close to 7,000 participants throughout the state, nearly 70,000 people with intellectual disabilities could benefit from participating in Special Olympics. Willamette Valley Vineyards filled glasses with exquisite 2008 South Block Pinot Noir,2008 Elton Vineyards Pinot Noir, 2008 Estate Pinot Noir, and 2009 Pinot Gris while the event opened up their Live Auction to raise funds for Oregon Special Olympics. Among the packages was a day with Governor Barbara Roberts touring Oregon’s Wine Country, with Willamette Valley Vineyards Winery being one of the destinations.

Governor Kitzhaber

Our Founder, Jim Bernau, received the Governors Gold Award last year and had this to say about the event... ”How lucky are we that we make a product that we can share to help raise money for programs like this. For these kids, just to participate in a sport or race builds confidence which in turn lifts the individual spirit with dignity and self-respect. ”We hope to continue supporting such an incredible cause and are looking forward to the 2011 Winter Games!!! For more information on Oregon Special Olympics and/or the Governors Gold awards please follow link to websites: http://www.governorsgoldawards.com/

http://www.soor.org/.

Wende Bennette

Winery Ambassador

Willamette Valley Vineyards Named Winery of the Year!

2011-10-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

This October, Wine & Spirits magazine held its 8th annual “Top 100 Wineries of the Year” awards, highlighting producers as the top performers in their respective regions, from legendary names in Napa Valley and Burgundy to newcomers in New Zealand and Spain. Willamette Valley Vineyards was among the recipients!

Wine & Spirits Editor, Joshua Greene says, "Each year, our panels and critics blind taste more than 10,000 wines, selecting the best for recommendation in the magazine. Our "Top 100 Wineries of the Year Award" highlight brands with a range of wines our critics have scored at the top of their categories. Willamette Valley Vineyards' performance makes it a great ambassador for wines of Oregon."

The “Winery of the Year” honor is a highlight for a year of recognition for Willamette Valley Vineyards. Earlier this year, the winery was recognized by Wine Press Northwest magazine as their “Oregon Winery of the Year.”

Click here to visit the Wine & Spirits website to view our award profile and leave a comment.

We’re absolutely honored.

Grapestomp : Wende's Incredible Weekend!

2011-10-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings Grape Stompers,

Wow- what an incredible time we had! The weekend of Grapestomp proved to be one of the best I have ever experienced.

The weekend started off on a high note with some unbelievable weather, sunshine and clear skies. The sunny weather was reflected in our guests attitudes, as we saw people dressed in bright costumes, hosted a large, giddy bridal party, and had an 80 year old Grandma (of the bride-to-be) stomp out the competition in her heat. Although she won her heat, the grand winner of the day went to "The Harlem Grape Trotters" with an impressive 201 ounces, sending these first-timers to the finals on Sunday.

After a good nights sleep, we came out on Sunday morning to get ready for another round of stomping and found the weather to be classic for Oregon; wet. Being native Oregonians, we rolled with the punches and moved the entire operation undercover in our Breezeway, protected from the dripping rain. I have to say that this move was a bit tight, but created a terrific energy that resonated all day. With bull horn in hand we approached the finals. Grapes were weighed out to ensure fairness and each Barrel cleaned and ready to go. Stompers were ready, swabbies were set, and the whistle was blown. Cheering from the crowd were family and friends of the teams, all hoping their favorites would win. At the end of each 3 minute heat we weighed out what was captured and got our winners. In the end, we sent Soraida Cross and Kristi Reed to the World Grape Stomp Competition in Santa Rosa, CA where they competed this last weekend. We received this tweet from Soraida after their California stomping,“The grape stomping was a blast, we lost our heat, memories priceless. Thanks for all the well wishes #SalemOR”.

I absolutely can't wait till next year!

-Wende Bennette

Founder, Jim Bernau swabbed for Mrs. Portland!

Winery Ambassador

Me and the winners! Next stop, Santa Rosa, CA!

Chilling With Whole Cluster

2011-08-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally arrived and the heat is starting to set in. Our vines are basking in the sun rays and our tasting room guests are swarming our decks with glasses of our Pinot Gris, Dry Rosé, and Riesling. These are some of our crisp, cool wines that really quench your thirst on these hot summer days.

Something often overlooked and actually a really great idea is to chill, our specialty, a Pinot. Our Whole Cluster Pinot Noir happens to lend itself perfectly to chilling due to its unique and delicious styling. In fact, in a recent CNN.com article, Ray Isle asked, "Why don't people drink red wine cold?"

"Some Pinots don’t chill well—more robust versions, for instance a good percentage of what California produces. But find a delicate, lighter style, and Pinot tastes great chilled down. Oregon’s a good place to look; among the best choices there is the floral 2010 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir."

Here's a quick link to the whole CNN.com article, it's a pretty "cool" write-up... pun intended. :) Chilled Reds

Cheers to keeping it cool this summer!

"Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir" Contest Winner Announced!

2011-07-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

We've just concluded our annual “Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir” contest. We asked Pinot Noir lovers from around the country to tell us “Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir.” The most touching entry was chosen to win an all-expense-paid trip to Oregon Wine Country and Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Contest Winner, Catherine Wilkinson of AZ.

After sifting through dozens of photos, poems and stories, a small committee within the winery chose the winning entry. The winner, Catherine Wilkinson of Dewey, Arizona wrote:

A long hot day in a car with four young kids with hand puppets. We’re on our way to Yellowstone Park, stopping for a night in Jackson, Wyoming. Hauling luggage, sleeping bags, kids, a stinky dog, empty French fry containers, and my questionable sanity into a motel room. Begging husband to run to nearby market to find a bottle of wine. I bathe the kids all together in a questionably clean bathtub, aching for a glass of wine. Husband returns with a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. Husband back to market for corkscrew while I coerce the kids into their pajamas and freaked out dog into kennel. Four kids asleep at last, we open that beautiful bottle. With delicious relief, we sit on the floor in a cheap motel, sipping wine from Ninja Turtle plastic cups and I fall in love with Oregon Pinot Noir forever.

"I'm beyond excited!” said Catherine, “To be coming to Oregon to visit Willamette Valley Vineyards this fall to enjoy not only the delicious wine, but the glorious Oregon weather, the fabulous food, and the once-a-year celebration of the grape harvest. What a great trip and I am READY for a big glass of Oregon Pinot Noir!"

Entries for next years “Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir” contest will be accepted on May 1st through June 30th, 2012.

Cheers to Oregon Pinot and everyone who entered the contest!

Blind Tasting Competition Results!

2011-06-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Heidi Moran for winning our 2011 Annual “Pinots from Around the World” Blind Tasting Competition!

The tasting took place during our Memorial Day Weekend Open House. Guests were given a Pinot Noir lesson from our Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Mandie Silver. Mandie is a Certified Wine Specialist and flew over 3,000 miles to share her knowledge and expertise. Guests and industry partners sipped, swirled, and sniffed trying to match four Pinot Noirs to their respective regions, including Willamette Valley, California, New Zealand, and France. Of the 400 who participated, only 5 contestants matched all four wines. Heidi was drawn at random selection for the grand prize and has now won an afternoon with our Winemaker, Forrest Klaffke, followed by a Winemakers dinner for 10 guests at our Estate Winery in Turner, Oregon. Debra Welter, Paul Welch, and Christie Lathrop are the runners up and have received a special three pack of our award winning Pinot Noir.

The competition happens annually during Memorial Day Weekend, mark your calendar for next year, you could be the next winner!

Michelle Jaymot - Our Employee of the Month

2011-05-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Michelle Jaymot for going above and beyond

every day here at WVV!

May marks our very first 'Employee of the Month' at WVV. When nominations were made, Michelle stood out as a natural choice to receive the brand new award.

Steve Caldwell, CFO said, "This commendation is for the outstanding work performed by Ms. Jaymot who, with a minimum of guidance, took the initiative to improve and simplify the purchasing process of wine for our distribution division, Bacchus Fine Wines. The process she created will greatly improve accuracy of the ordering process to minimize 'out of stocks' while maintaining the maximum profit margins. Ms. Jaymot shows a dedication to her tasks on a daily basis that are quite often above and beyond my expectation. I am very pleased that she was selected by the management team as Employee of the Month for May."

Michelle taking a break to smile for the camera...her favorite!

Name: Michelle Anne Jaymot
Residence: Salem, OR
Years of Service at WVV: 2 years, 7 months
Position: Accountant/Accounts Receivable

What do you like best about your day to day work at WVV? The daily variety. Every day I get to solve a new puzzle and that keeps it interesting.

How did you come to work for WVV? My car brought me here...HA! I moved up to Oregon from Napa, California were I was born and raised. WVV was the first company to take a chance on this native Californian......or as we like to be called in Napa, 'Napkins'.

What is your role here at WVV? I am a staff accountant doing mostly A/R work but also have a hand in Inventory, Fixed Assets, & Compliance.

How do you turn a hard day into a great day? During baseball season I go home and watch my Giants win (hopefully). I like to read or do crafts. Right now I have undertaken painting the entire interior of my house. Thanks to the fumes I am now down about 10 brain cells.

What's your favorite beverage of choice? Dr. Pepper followed closely behind by water......I am a woman of sophisticated tastes.

What do you listen to on your headphones at work? Almost anything and everything except for rap and country.

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook! I don't really get the tweet thing yet.

Tell us your favorite quote? Hmmm, I don't really have one.

Do you have any animals? Two cats (Mew & Mia) who walk a tight line between love and absolute frustration on a daily basis.

What's your favorite restaurant? Red Hen Cantina down in Napa. Best... Mexican...Food...EVER!!!

Who is your favorite co-worker and why? No favorites here... I love all my co-workers. Each person I work with brings a smile to my face in one way or another on a daily basis. As we spend most of our waking hours at work, it helps to have a fun environment to come to each day.

In recognition of Michelle's hard working efforts, she has chosen to enjoy lunch or dinner at a Salem favorite, The Best Little Roadhouse.

Cheers to you and all you do Michelle! We appreciate you!

What Would You Do With 2.5 Million All Natural Corks?

2011-05-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

International fashion and lifestyle retailer Anthropologie and the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance (CFCA) have paired together with all 153 Anthropologie stores in the US and UK in an effort to increase awareness and promote the preservation of one of the planet's most important ecosystems, the Mediterranean cork forests.

With the help of CFCA, over 1.75 million corks were donated to the project. WVV donated the time of our warehouse staff and volunteers to sort and package more than 400,000 corks for the promotion. Kendall-Jackson, well known Napa Valley winery sponsored the shipment of more than 1.5 million corks to the retail stores. WVV is proud and encouraged that this video will help spread the word about natural cork and the commitment that Anthropologie has made to our planet.

Below is a video of the Anthropologie visual team at three Anthropologie stores sharing a behind the scenes video of how the creative, beautiful window displays from some of the 2.5 million corks were created for the 153 locations. The three retail locations featured in this video are Rockefeller Center in New York City, Washington DC, and Portland, OR.

“We are honored that for the first time in Anthropologie’s history they have devoted window display space to a partner organization, philanthropic or otherwise,” CFCA executive director Patrick Spencer said. “Anthopologie’s customers tend to be creative, environmentally and socially responsible—it’s a great fit for us.”

WVV was the first winery in the world to use cork certified through the Rainforest Alliance to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) standards. All cork collected here at the winery is recycled into high value products like our shippers which are used to ship wine out to customers. Please consider recycling your corks by dropping them off in any of our 4 tasting rooms or to find other recycling locations, visit: http://www.corkforest.org/.

Uncorked Wine Auction May 14th - Benefiting Family Building Blocks

2011-05-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Pinot Noir is ready to pour, the Chef's are gearing up to deliver some decadent delights, the auction lots are enticing, and there are still a few tickets left for purchase to attend the 4th annual Uncorked Wine Auction. The event, which will be held next weekend, aims to bring hope and opportunities to more than 650 children who are in need.

After months of planning the big event is almost here. Anticipation of sunny weather is on all our minds for Saturday's dinner but more importantly, it's about the money raised to help keep families together. The evening will begin with a Silent Auction and Wine Tasting Reception with delicious appetizers prepared by guest Chef's including: Chef Melbie Smith - Roth's Fresh Markets, Chef Bernard Malherbe - The Crooked House Bistro, Chef Christopher Rayburn - Jonathan's, Chef J. Steven Brockman - Salvador Mollys and Chef Steve B. Morton - Morton's. Following the close of the Silent Auction, the gourmet multi-course dinner will be served. WVV is proud to be the wine sponsor for this event which will feature our 2008 Founders' Reserve Pinot Noir paired with the dinner. We'll also be pouring our 2008 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir, 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir and our 2009 Pinot Gris. Following dinner the live auction will begin.

The auction lots are fabulous this year including a trip for 6 to the 2012 Kentucky Derby; a fly fishing get-away; a condo stay on the island of Kona, HI; and a spa weekend at the Allison Inn & Spa - just to name a few. Of course no evening is complete without music and dancing to help with the celebration. The Dusty 45's will keep the night alive as we all get our groove on and enjoy this fabulous evening.

Uncorked Wine Auction
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Zenith Vineyard
5:00 PM

Tickets & Info: Uncorked Wine Auction
Individual tickets and tables of 10 are available for purchase.

The Evening's Program
5:00 PM
Wine Tasting Reception with Featured Winemakers, Guest Chefs & Silent Auction
6:25 PM
Silent Auction Closes
6:30 PM
Gourmet, Multi-Course Dinner Paired with Premier Wines
7:30 PM
Live Auction featuring World Class Wines & Luxury Adventures
8:30 PM . . . until Your Mom Calls Post-Auction Celebration & Dancing - The Dusty 45's

We look forward to this amazing event and hope you'll join us for an evening dedicated to children and keeping families together!

Salmon-Safe Recognizes Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards with the First Ever “Hero of Salmon” Award

2011-05-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Salmon-Safe recognized Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards with the very first “Hero of Salmon” design award for the implementation of his high impact Salmon-Safe SIP•SAVE campaign in print, retail, web, and vehicle wraps. The award was first announced on April 15th at the LIVE (Low Input Viticulture Enology) Annual Meeting at the Northwest Viticulture Center in Salem, OR.

The physical award is a unique and one-of-a-kind, wall mountable, salmon sculpture created from recycled Oregon highway sign material.

Dan Kent, Executive Director of Salmon-Safe recalls, “The first time I saw one of those billboard-sized Willamette Valley Vineyards Salmon-Safe truck wraps on I-5 near Portland, I knew that we were reaching a new audience with a message about how wine growers our helping restore our salmon watersheds. Willamette Valley Vineyards has been a pioneer in moving the Oregon vineyard industry towards greater ecological sustainability over the past decade. The "Hero of Salmon" award recognizes their commitment to communicating their Salmon-Safe leadership to inspire even more agricultural and urban landowners to do their part to restore wild salmon.“

Founded by Pacific Rivers Council in 1995, Salmon-Safe is an independent environmental certification nonprofit. Salmon-Safe has joined with LIVE to become a leading U.S. certifier of ecologically sustainable viticulture with more than 250 Oregon and Washington vineyards achieving certification. Salmon-Safe works to keep our urban and agricultural watersheds clean for native salmon to spawn and thrive.

We look forward to showcasing this very special award for all to see when they visit the winery. Cheers to Salmon-Safe!

'Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir' Contest has Officially Begun

2011-05-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

The time has arrived! The "Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir" contest has officially begun and will run through June 30th.

We’re asking Oregon Pinot Noir lovers from around the country to tell us when, where or how you fell in love with Oregon Pinot Noir. Our favorite entry will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Oregon Wine Country and Willamette Valley Vineyards. Submissions can include a short essay, photo(s), paintings, crafty arts, or even a video! Your imagination can lead to great things. Visit http://www.wvv.com/contest/ for more information and contest rules.

Thank you for participating and we look forward to seeing the entries flow in. Be sure to fill out the entire form and include your file upload or feel free to snail mail your entry to:

Willamette Valley Vineyards
Attn: Matt or Leslie (WILOPN)
8800 Enchanted Way SE
Turner, OR 97392

Cheers to Oregon Pinot Noir~

Long Awaited Raptor Project Coming to Life

2011-04-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last week marked the beginning of a new journey for WVV as we hung the first of 6 barn owl nesting boxes and 6 kestrel nesting boxes around the vineyard. Talks of adding these special feathered friends has been a long time coming and a dream of Jim Bernau's for a very long time. After a visit from Louise Shimmel, Executive Director, Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, things really started to come together and a plan was formulated for future owl and kestrel homes around the vineyard.

Randy Hillyer and Joe Perez shake hands after the
successful installation of a kestral nest box.

Joe Perez, one of our all-star volunteers, agreed to build the 6 owl and kestrel boxes. As of this week, 2 owl nesting boxes and 2 kestrel boxes have been built and placed around the property. The program has received such positive feedback from employees and guests alike we are now in planning-mode to possibly add nesting boxes at our Tualatin Estate and Elton Vineyards. Thank you Joe for all your hard work. You are truly a master of woodworking.

The kestrel weighs around just 4 ounces and is the smallest falcon in North America. A kestrels typical hunting behaviour is to hover at a height of around 30-60ft over open country and swoop down on prey consisting typically of mice, bats and large insects. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species which is one reason they have adapted well to nest box programs. We are eager to watch these beautiful animals flourish here at the vineyard.

To learn more about the Americal Kestrel visit: Click Here

The Barn Owl is pale, long winged, long legged and bares a short squarish tail. A healthy female weighs in around 19 ounces while the males are often about 10% lighter in weight. The face is light in color and resembles a heart shape with black eyes giving the flying bird an odd yet startling appearance. The owl is nocturnal but often becomes active shortly before dusk. It is not uncommon to see a Barn owl during the day but this is only the case when looking for a new home. These owls prefer to hunt by flying slow and low over an area of open ground, hovering over spots that conceal potential prey. They may also use fence posts or perches in trees to ambush prey. On average an individual Barn Owl will eat 1-2 rodents per night. A pair of owls and their young typically will consume more than 1,000 rodents per year.

To learn more about the Barn Owl visit: Click Here

The grand idea for the WVV raptor project started as a means to keep rodent populations down within the vineyard. Rodents will sometimes dig down around the vines which can cause root damage. With the effort to keep our vines healthy, we are finding that people are both interested and supportive of adding more wildlife in and around the vineyard for sheer enjoyment so this project is a win-win for everyone.

There have been a number of people involved in this very special project and WVV wants you to know how much we appreciate you!

We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to Louise Shimmel from the Cascade Raptor Center for her guidance and continued support in helping us get off on the right foot with our project. Her contact information is listed below if you have questions regarding a raptor project.

Louise Shimmel
Executive Director, Cascades Raptor Center
Eugene OR
541-485-1320
www.eRaptors.org

Stay in touch with Cascades Raptor Center:
On our Blog - the Talon: http://eraptors.wordpress.com/
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/raptortweets
Become a CRC fan on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/eRaptors

Kudos and a big THANK YOU to Joe Perez, our amazing friend and volunteer at WVV. He is truly talented and gifted in the art of woodworking and we could not have done this without him. The nesting boxes he has built are beautiful.

If you'd like to build your own Barn Owl nesting box visit: Click Here
If you'd like to build your own kestrel nesting box visit: Click Here

We hope to have our new feathered friends in their homes sometime in late spring or early summer. Stay tuned for more updates as the WVV raptor project unfolds.

Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendars!

2011-04-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine & Truffle Tasting with Extreme Chocolates - Saturday, April 23rd

Be the first to experience Extreme Chocolates Oregon Flagship Truffle, "Wine Country" comprised of dark chocolate, blackberry, and Brandy. Join us for this festive event on Saturday, April 23rd from 12:00 p.m. - 5 p.m. and take part in the release of Carrie Wong's newest truffle creation.

Wong, a Chocolatier and Owner of Extreme Chocolates, will be available to chat about everything chocolate and wine in addition to giving whole truffles to each of the first 400 guests to arrive.

As you head out wine tasting for the weekend be sure to stop and visit the Wine Center to enjoy the wonderful array of chocolates & wines, available to take home for the holiday weekend. Pick up a special treat to gift, share or selfishly indulge.

Where: Willamette Valley Vineyards - Wine Center

300 NE Third Street McMinnville

When: Saturday, April 23rd, 2011

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Phone: 503-883-9012

Extreme Chocolates, LLC began its journey in 2001, with the sole purpose of providing superb desserts and confections to the discriminating clientele of fine restaurants and luxury hotels in the Willamette Valley and greater Portland Metro Area. Extreme Chocolates provides hand craft gourmet desserts and fine chocolates to wholesale clients. Chocolates, Spices, Extracts and Sauces are available through their website Extreme Chocolates.

TUALATIN VINE 2 WINE - Saturday, April 23rd

Attendees will sample Pinot Noir and other fine wines from vineyards located in the North-Central Willamette Valley, as well as gourmet foods, desserts, and fine chocolates from local-area venues. All guests will receive a complimentary restaurant Riedel wine glass. Guests can also purchase a bottle of wine from our 'Wall of Wine' or buy a raffle ticket for fabulous gifts.

Our guest speaker is noted Geologist and Professor of Geology at Portland State University, Dr. Scott Burns. He will explore how powerful prehistoric floods shaped the Pacific Northwest and provided the Willamette Valley with the perfect landscape for today's wines.

The $35 entrance fee will go to support and enrich the capabilities, resources, and services of the Tualatin Public Library.

Event Date & Time:
Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
7:00pm - 9:30pm

Location:
The Tualatin Public Library
18880 SW Martinazzi Ave
Tualatin, OR 97062

Purchase tickets locally at:
The Tualatin Chamber of Commerce
Umpqua Bank-Tualatin Branch
West Coast Bank-Tualatin Branch

Purchase tickets online at:
Vine 2 Wine Tickets or
Tualatin Library Foundation

ASTORIA CRAB, SEAFOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
Friday, April 29th - Sunday, May 1st

You'll enjoy a great spread of northwest cuisine, myriad arts and crafts, a selection of Oregon and Washington's finest wineries, a fantastic beer garden and fun entertainment The Rotary Club of Astoria will be serving its traditional crab dinner all weekend long (price TBD based on Market Value) in the exhibit hall where you can enjoy live music all weekend.

Limited parking is available near the Fairgrounds and costs $5 a car.

Festival Date & Time:
Friday, April 29th, 4:00 pm - 9:00pm
Saturday, April 30th, 10:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday, May 1st, 11:00am - 4:00pm

Admission Rates:
Friday: $8.00
Saturday: $10.00
Sunday: $5.00

Children under the age of 12 are free. However, we recommend that families enjoy the quieter times at the Festival on Saturday morning and Sunday.

Location Info:
Clatsop County Fairgrounds - Astoria, Oregon

For more event information:
Astoria Crab, Seafood & Wine Online Information

Wine Fact of the Day~

2011-04-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

In an effort to share interesting facts about wine, we'll be bringing you fun factoids you may or may not know about wine and the history behind it. Enjoy~

Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.

Do you have some interesting facts to share about a favorite varietal? Send them our way!

FYI- We don't use this technique for our Quinta Reserva Port Style Pinot Noir:) but we sure have fun at Grape Stomp...coming September 2011!

To order your Quinta Reserva Port Style Pinot Noir Click Here.

Wine Press Northwest names WVV "Oregon Winery of the Year"

2011-03-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a great couple of weeks here at WVV as we continue to celebrate our most recent accolade - being named "Oregon Winery of the Year" by Wine Press Northwest.

Andy Perdue, Editor-in-chief of Wine Press Northwest noted, "With over 350 possible candidates in Oregon, we make sure we are careful in our selection and that the winery is worth the award. This was an easy decision this year as Willamette Valley Vineyards has been a leader in the industry for decades with their sustainability efforts and high quality Pinot Noir."

The "Oregon Winery of the Year" honor is a culmination for a year of recognition for WVV. The Rainforest Alliance presented our Founder Jim Bernau the Sustainable Standard-Setter Award this past June for the winery's long-time support of conservation work. This past October, Governors Atiyeh, Roberts, Kulongoski and Kitzhaber presented Jim Bernau with the 2010 Governors' Gold Award for the winery's achievement and support for Special Olympics.

Recognition for our sustainability practices and world class Pinot Noir is finally coming full circle. We look forward to the future of continuing to craft delicious classic, cool-climate wines...especially our finicky favorite - Pinot Noir.

To view the 2011 Spring article on "Oregon Winery of the Year" click here.

James Beard Event Held in Portland

2011-03-23T16:20:00.001-07:00

James Beard Awards 2011

Willamette Valley Vineyards was one of 4 wineries to attend and pour at the James Beard dinner held in James Beard's hometown, Portland, OR on the evening of March 20th. The Multnomah Athletic Club hosted the event that drew food savvy folks from near and far. The dinner was a kick-off event for the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation's most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industry.

The event kicked off at 4pm with folks lining up to enter the ballroom where the delicious, beautifully prepared foods were offered. There was something for everyone including meat dishes, vegetarian specialities and of course desserts to make your mouth water.No detail was left undone, making the presentation of each dish absolutely perfect.

WVV was proud to be serving our delicious sips along with Widmer Bros, House Spirits, Sokol Blosser, Hawks View Cellars and Anne Amie Vineyards for the crowd of about 650 attendees.

Click here for the official press release: 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominees Announced

ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION:
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City's Greenwich Village as a "performance space" for visiting chefs.

2011 Wine, Pear & Cheese Jubilee

2011-03-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Delicious wine, an abundance of amazing cheeses and perfect Oregon pears await you at this year’s Wine, Pear & Cheese Jubilee. Join us here at the winery on Saturday and Sunday, March 12th and 13th from 11am to 6pm. Enjoy live music by Andrew Kendoll and decadent treats sure to make your mouth water.

Experience the art of cheese making from the people at Willamette Valley Cheese Company, Rogue Valley Creamery, Rivers Edge Chevre, Fraga Farms, Juniper Grove Farms and more. The Oregon Pear Bureau will be showing off fun recipes and sharing tastes of a variety of pears. Bring your friends and enjoy a relaxing afternoon exploring the nuances of these special pairings. Try a smoked Gouda or garlic herbed Brie with any of our Pinor Noir wines. Check out this great website for Pinot & cheese pairings, Oregon Wine & Cheese Pairing. Our friendly, wine savvy staff will pour, swirl and share some sips with you as you find the perfect wine to compliment your favorite pear and cheese choices.

A peek at the good times had by all last year...

For more information on details of the event visit our website at Wine, Pear & Cheese Jubilee.

We hope to see you here next weekend for a truly wonderful experience~
Cheers from your friends here at the winery

Newport Seafood & Wine Festival

2011-02-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

We've waited an entire year for the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival and finally...finally it's here! Tomorrow at 2pm, the doors will open for this festive event featuring some of the area’s finest chefs, restaurants and amazing Northwest wines. Kudos to Sarah Kammerer, our Off-Site Events Coordinator and her staff for hosting our fabulous booth that will include wine tastings and photos by Spotlight Photography.

Three of our Pinot Noir wines will be available for tastes and bottle purchase along with our other varietals. For those of you who requested we bring them along, we listened and will have in tow our oh-so-cool "Willamette Dammit" T-shirts for purchase. So drop by and say hello!
Details about the event, parking and more are available on the website listed below:

http://www.newportseafoodandwinefestival.com/

Theme: "Hollywood & Vine – Take 34"

Day Festival Hours Admission Fee
Friday, Feb 25 2 pm - 9 pm $10
Saturday, Feb 26 10 am - 6 pm $15
Sunday, Feb 27 10 am - 4 pm $5

Safe travels and hope to see you in Newport!

WVV Takes BEST OF SHOW at the 2011 Portland Seafood & Wine Fest

2011-02-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

We have a lot to celebrate here at Willamette Valley Vineyards and today is no exception. While we are known for our great Pinot Noirs, we are excited to receive the BEST OF SHOW for our 2009 Riesling in the Portland Seafood & Wine Festival Wine Competition.

Managing our booth for the event is Sarah Kammerer, Off-Site Events Coordinator.

Held at the Oregon Convention Center, nearly 100,000 square feet of vendor space is dedicated to all things Oregon, but mostly our wonderful seafood and wine. A portion of every $10 ticket sold is donated to the Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society.

While January is known as "Oregon Crab Month", we think February is also a great month to celebrate this bounty. Recipes are endless for pairing our 2009 Riesling with delicious seafood. Pairing garlic scampi or crab cakes with this Riesling is sure to please the palate.

We are fortunate to live and work among so many exceptional wineries within the Willamette Valley and are honored to have received this Best of Show Award for our 2009 Riesling. Thanks to a generous 2009 Harvest we were able to choose only the best clusters from the vine.

For more information about the winners of this year's event, please visit:

2011 Portland Seafood & Wine Festival Wine Competition Winners

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

New Year’s Eve Blood Drive: A chance to make a difference

2010-12-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Red Cross and Willamette Valley Vineyards are teaming up for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day blood drive beginning Friday, December 31, 2010 and continuing on Saturday, January 1, 2011. All presenting donors will be offered a coupon for a ‘Reserve Tasting’ from Willamette Valley Vineyards.

The New Year’s Eve event will be held from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and the New Year’s Day event will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Both drives will be held at the Salem Donor Center, located at 475 Cottage Street NE (corner of Cottage and Marion).

Presenting blood donors can redeem their coupon at Willamette Valley Vineyards estate winery, located at 8800 Enchanted Way SE in Turner, Oregon. Coupons will provide access to taste “top flight” wines and to enter for a chance to win a free "tour and tasting for ten people.” The winner will enjoy a tour of the winery and a reserve tasting for up to ten people, which will include a fruit and cheese tray and a Riedel wine glass for each person to take home.

To participate, here’s how it works:

Call (503) 585-5416 to register as a donor for the New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day blood drives on December 31, 2010 or January 1, 2011. Donor appointments are not required, but are preferred.

All interested participants can also register online by visiting www.redcrossblood.org.

Presenting donors will receive the coupon from Willamette Valley Vineyards at the blood drive location. No prior action is necessary.

Make donating blood with the American Red Cross your first New Year’s resolution!

Cheers to a safe and happy New Year.

Willamette Valley Vineyards introduces "Bio-Cask" featured at El Gaucho in Portland, Oregon

2010-12-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

El Gaucho Portland Introduces Willamette Valley Vintners Bio-Cask System
Sophisticated Technology Keeps Premium Wines Perfect from the First Glass to the Last Drop

PORTLAND, Ore.— El Gaucho is raising a glass to an exciting development that is poised to revolutionize the wine industry.

Willamette Valley Vineyards has launched “Bio-Cask,” and El Gaucho Portland is the first restaurant anywhere to feature the winery’s new wine-casking technology. A stainless steel cask that contains the equivalent of 26 (750 ml.) bottles, the wine-preserving Bio-Cask is designed to connect with a restaurant’s tap system to provide high-quality wines by the glass to the customer at an approachable price. The technology keeps each successive glass as fresh as the first.

Bio-Cask benefits the guest, the restaurant, the winery and the planet:
• Increases quality and consistency of the wine
• Is a simple system that utilizes existing tap technology and widely
  available gasses
• Is waste-free
• Is ecologically friendly

Says Chad Mackay, president and CEO of Mackay Restaurants, “This is an exciting development, because it drives down the cost of wine for everybody involved by eliminated the extra materials. We’re introducing Willamette Valley Vineyards Bio-Cask in El Gaucho Portland, but we have plans to expand the technology into our other locations.”

Oregon is a famously “green” state, and Willamette Valley Vineyards is a participant in the Oregon winery Carbon Neutral Challenge. President Jim Bernau came up with the concept of the Bio-Cask during the winery’s early efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, in 2009.

Over its estimated 10-year lifespan, each slim, sleek Bio-Cask will replace 327 cases of traditionally packaged wine, thereby eliminating the need for: 3,924 glass bottles, corks and metal cork caps; 7,848 labels and adhesive; cardboard boxes; wooden pallets; and the plastic wrap to secure packed boxes for transport. Not only does the Bio-Cask virtually eliminate materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or require recycling, but the reduced per-unit weight translates to a markedly smaller carbon transportation footprint, the single most significant impact on the environment for the wine industry as a whole.

The selections currently being served at El Gaucho Portland on Tap include:
Willamette Valley Vineyards, Bio Cask Pinot Noir 2008 (Willamette Valley), $14 per glass
Troon Vineyard, Trifecta Red 2008 (Oregon), $10 per glass

“These highly food-friendly wines are on the menu right now and are pouring beautifully. Our guests know we’d only offer them the best, and they’ve embraced both the wines and the concept. Perceptions are changing rapidly about wine packaged in non-traditional ways. What’s so terrific about Bio Cask is that it offers significant ecological benefits without sacrificing a fraction of an ounce of quality,” says El Gaucho Portland Wine Director Leann Loveland, “and who can’t drink to that?”

About El Gaucho
Open since 2000, El Gaucho® is the Northwest's steakhouse legacy focused on elegant, old-school, tableside service for people celebrating their lives. The menu highlights 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Beef® Prime steaks, cutting edge fresh seafood selections from sustainable sources, and extensive wine and malt scotch lists. El Gaucho’s swanky bar was recently featured in Continental Airlines magazine and given the “Gold Standard” by Portland Monthly magazine. Located at 319 S.W. Broadway, El Gaucho is open Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. Happy hour is available 5 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close Monday through Friday and all day Sunday. For more information, visit www.elgaucho.com or call (503) 227-8794.

About Willamette Valley Vineyards
We have been producing high-quality, sustainably grown Pinot Noir and other cool-climate varieties for more than 27 years – earning the distinction as “One of America’s Great Pinot Noir Producers” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Our mission is to create elegant, classic Oregon wines from the Willamette Valley Appellation while serving as stewards of the land. Founder Jim Bernau believes we are rewarded with wines that taste better when made from naturally grown wine grapes. Willamette Valley Vineyards wines have been served at the White House, the James Beard House and even been served on the NBC sitcom FRIENDS! For more information, call 1-800-344-9463.

14th Annual Mo's Crab Festival just around the corner

2010-12-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

Join us at Willamette Valley Vineyards for a rollicking event filled with fine Oregon wine and Mo's world famous clam chowder. January is "Oregon Crab Month" and Mo's will have their steaming chowder bowls, fresh Oregon coast crab and other seafood available for purchase. Sample the vineyard's acclaimed Pinot Gris perfect for pairing with seafood. Bring your friends and family and join us on the dance floor where we'll be getting down to the rock n' roll sounds of JT & the Tourists.

Admission is $10. Admission for Wine Club Members is $5 and includes reserved seating. All admissions include a Riedel wine glass. Additional cost for Mo's menu items.

*** Now Featuring ***

Friday night kick-off event with live music from JT & the Tourists, delicious wine and of course Mo's famous clam chowder and crab!

Admission on January 21st is $10 and includes Riedel wine glass.

This event is a favorite for many so don't miss out. Save the date on your calendars today.

Ty Curtis Concert & Holiday Celebration

2010-12-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't need a break from shopping and planning for the upcoming holiday? Join us and The Ty Curtis Band for an afternoon of blues, relaxation, and wine. We'll be featuring last minute holiday specials and exclusive library wine releases. The show will begin at 3:00 PM with a VIP Party for Wine Club Members beginning at 1:00 PM. This is an evening you surely won't want to miss. Save the date and start planning for a great evening with friends.

Date: Sunday, December 19, 2010

Time: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Location: Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Room

8800 Enchanted Way SE

Turner, OR 97392

503.588.9463

Website: http://www.wvv.com/whatsnew/#events237

Admission is $15 and includes a Riedel glass. Admission for Wine Club Members is $10, includes a Riedel glass and VIP party.

Tickets will be sold at the door, no advanced purchase required.

Cheers to a beautiful holiday season.

Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, Thanksgiving has been thought of as a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Today, Thanksgiving is often viewed as a holiday of over-indulgence, spent with family, friends and loved ones; our tastbuds and bellies expecting nothing short of greatness.

Tomorrow, my family will gather around our table to share in the goodness of the world and the things that bring us together. Great food, cheerful smiles, delicious wine and very special people will complete my table.

Although turkey is going to be our main course, there will be several dishes other friends and family will contribute. Many of us like to add our own twist on recipes and then share among friends. This season, I am working on trying several new recipes and expanding my cooking horizons. Wish me luck!

Stuffing was never my favorite part of the holiday meal until I tried this one from a dear friend. Thank you Rosi Green for this perfect addition to our turkey dinner! As always, it will continue to be my favorite part of the meal which is why I am posting the recipe. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Artichoke Sausage Stuffing

INGREDIENTS
15 cups 1/2-inch cubes crustless sourdough bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sweet sausages, casings removed
2 cups chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 8-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 5 oz)
1 to 1 1/2cups low-salt chicken broth

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread between 2 baking sheets. I use glass.
Bake until cubes are dry but not hard, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until cooked through, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté until celery is soft, about 10 minutes. Mix in artichokes, thyme, and mint; sauté 2 minutes longer. Transfer sausage mixture to large bowl. (Bread and sausage mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately. Store bread at room temperature. Refrigerate sausage mixture and reheat to lukewarm before continuing.) Add bread to sausage mixture; toss to blend well. Mix in cheese, then 1 cup broth. Add more if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To bake stuffing in turkey:
Loosely fill main cavity and neck cavity of turkey with stuffing. Add enough broth to remaining stuffing to moisten slightly (1/4 cup to 3/4 cup, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Generously butter baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish — alongside turkey or while turkey is resting — until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing in dish. Bake until top of stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

To bake stuffing in dish:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add enough extra broth to stuffing to moisten (3/4 cup to 1 1/4 cups). Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer.

Along with the turkey, I will complete our holiday meal by serving our very own 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir. For more information on pairing wines for your special feast, check out the following link: http://blog.vintagecellars.com/2010/11/great-wines-for-thanksgiving/.

As we embark on the festivities of the holiday season, take a moment and remember what you are thankful for. I am grateful for our freedom, for my friends and family, and for the little unexpected things. I hope you'll share the things you are thankful for this season as well as a new or old favorite recipe.

Wishing you a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Gobble Gobble

To all those that have served and continue to serve, THANK YOU!

2010-11-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

What does Veteran's Day mean to you? We welcome you to add your comments and thoughts about Veteran's Day, about those who have served and those who are currently serving in the U.S. Military.

Here at the winery, we are proud to work side by side with some amazing individuals who have served our country and each of us. Today we honor and thank our own WVV veterans.

LeRoy Helton, IT Administrator

When asked what Veteran's Day means to him, LeRoy smiled and says, "Today honors our country, my friends, my grandfather who served in the Navy during WWII, my father who served in the Army including three tours in Vietnam, and so many others who have given of themselves." LeRoy served in the Unites States Air Force from 1987 to 2001 while stationed in Germany and England.

Denise Brown, Winery Ambassador at our WVV Wine Center in McMinnville, says, "I would like to say ‘Thank You’ to all the men and women who have served our country so that my family and I could live the ‘Life of the Free’! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!"

Wine Advocate Reviews Make Us Smile

2010-11-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Wine Advocate reviews Oregon wines only once a year. Each August, all Oregon producers submit samples of the newly released vintage to be tasted by Wine Advocate’s Oregon reviewer Dr. Jay Miller.

In the October 31st issue several of our 2008 Pinot Noirs were reviewed at 90 points or above.

91 pts The 2008 Signature Cuvée spent 14 months in 50% new oak. It offers up an inviting nose of balsam wood, earth/underbrush, cherry blossom, spice box, strawberry and raspberry. This leads to a plush, friendly, layered wine with good depth of flavor, excellent volume, and good balance. It has enough structure to evolve for another 2-3 years and will offer prime drinking from 2012 to 2020.

91 pts The single vineyard Pinot Noirs begin with the 2008 Pinot Noir Elton Vineyard which was aged in 62% new oak. It surrenders an alluring bouquet of smoke, cedar, mineral, exotic spices, cherry, and raspberry. Elegant on the palate with an abundance of racy red fruits, it is densely packed in the style of the vintage, structured, fresh and lively. It deftly combines finesse and power. Give this stylish effort 3-4 years to reveal its full potential and drink it from 2013 to 2023.

90 pts The 2008 Pinot Noir Hannah Vineyard was aged in 50% new oak. Dark ruby red, it proffers an excellent bouquet of earth/underbrush, spice box, floral notes, red licorice, black cherry, and black raspberry. Medium-bodied, layered, intensely flavored, and structured, it manages to retain a sense of elegance. Drink it from 2012 to 2020.

90 pts The 2008 Pinot Noir Tualatin Estate was aged in 60% new oak. Medium ruby red, it displays an expressive nose of pain grillé, red licorice, cinnamon, clove, cherry and raspberry. Racy on the palate with an elegant personality, it has intense flavors backed by lively acidity, good volume, and a lengthy, seamless finish. It, too, can be enjoyed from 2012 to 2020.

92 pts The 2008 Pinot Noir Fuller comes from a block of the Tualatin Estate Vineyard and was aged in 63% new oak. Dark ruby in color with an arresting nose of sandalwood, earth/underbrush, spice box, floral notes, black cherry, and plum, on the palate it is layered, dense and intensely flavored. Mouth-filling, powerful, yet light on its feet, it will offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2023.

94 pts The 2008 Pinot Noir O’Brien was sourced from a block of the Elton Vineyard planted in 1983. It spent 14 months in 88% new oak. It displays a seductive bouquet of sandalwood, earth/underbrush, exotic spices, incense, cherry blossom, black cherry and black raspberry. On the palate it is plush, bordering on opulent, already complex, satin textured, and packed with flavor. Given its size and precision balance, it is a likely candidate to see its 20th birthday in fine form.

Some of you may not be familiar with the Fuller and O’Brien as 2008 is the first vintage these wines have been produced. The Fuller is the crème of the crop bottling from Tualatin Estate, named in honor of Bill Fuller who planted that vineyard. Only 66 cases produced. The O’Brien is the crème of the crop bottling from Elton Vineyard, named in honor of Dick and Betty O’Brien, vineyard owners. Only 93 cases produced. Both of these wines, along with the Elton, Hannah and Tualatin, will be debuting during Thanksgiving weekend. The Signature Cuvée is currently available in our Tasting Room.

Harvest Series - 5th Installment

2010-10-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Its All About The Grapes

Harvest Series - 4th Installment

2010-10-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Harvest, Harvest As Fast As You Can!

Harvest Series - 3rd Installment

2010-10-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

In Preparation of the Grapes:

Check out this super cool barrel! Its European cherry, which has a tendency to leak, hence the shiny varnish. Our Winemaker Forrest will have each of our southern Oregon Griffin Creek wines spend about a month each in this barrel to help develop complexity in the wines.

One-ton fermenters being cleaned out. In the coming weeks every square inch of available space in the winery will be filled with bins of fermenting grapes!

Winemaker Forrest Klaffke. He looks way too happy. I think he thrives on the energy of Harvest.

Most of our fermentation tanks are small one-tons. Except for these big guys dominating the Production floor.

Production guru Aaron is making things happen.

A Toast to Partnership! Travel Salem One Year Anniversary

2010-10-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

CNBC - Jim Bernau on Truffles

2010-10-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Harvest Series - 2nd Installment

2010-10-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

Observations from a Novice Picker AKA wine saleswoman

Meet Sarah. A busy bee, Sarah is normally bouncing between our offices at the winery and Travel Salem's downtown Travel Cafe, where she runs our downtown tasting room location. Yesterday morning however, Sarah was in the vineyard for Harvest. Here is what she learned:

Sarah Kammerer, our community liaison and off-site events coordinator, poses with a successfully harvested bin of Pinot Noir grapes at Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills.

1.) 6:50 am is EARLY, but it apparently is the best time for picking.

2.) Elton Vineyard is beautiful! It has a breathtaking view of Mt. Hood and the valley.

3.) The grape pickers are not really picking, but more like playing a game. They each receive a punch card for picking grapes. Once they come back to the bin with bucket(s) filled with grapes, a supervisor punches their punch card. One bucket = one punch. The pickers work really hard and really fast to fill their cards. They are literally running to the bins with three filled buckets of grapes. I was so impressed with their enthusiasm and endurance. I wonder who won…?

4. You do not want leaves, twigs, unripe grapes or moldy grapes in your bins. It was my job to take out all the bad stuff. We want “clean grapes.” The leaves add acidity to the wine, which we don’t want. No hojas, por favor. I tasted an unripe grape and believe me, you don’t want that used in your winemaking. Sour!

5. Grapes are heavy. Buckets filled with grapes are heavy to lift and they also are heavy when thrown on your hands, arms, hair, and head. I have some new bruises from the eager pickers emptying their heavy buckets into the bins.

6. Grapes are sticky. My face, hands, arms, jeans, and jacket were all sticky after touching grapes all morning.

7. Running is involved in grape “cleaning”. We had to run across the vineyard to catch up to the tractors pulling the empty bins. Once the bins were empty, the pickers start emptying their buckets so they can fill them up again (and get another punch on their punch card). If we are not there fast enough, we couldn’t get all the leaves out of the bins.

8. If you’re hungry, munch on some pinot noir grapes. They’re delicious!

9. If you hear a whistle, get off the bins. Its’ time to reload. Now.

10. Teamwork makes it all happen. It was great to see people helping each other carry buckets and dig out leaves.

Harvest Series - 1st Installment

2010-10-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Why We Do What We Do:

Viticulture Vocabulary

Degree Days: A rough measure of the functional heat experienced by grapevines during a growing season defined as April 1st through October 31st in the Northern Hemisphere. This determines how many days the vines will experience growth. Degree days are determined by subtracting 50° from the average daily temperature and calculating the sum of degrees throughout the growing season. 50° is used because almost no shoot growth occurs below this temperature. Using this index, five climatic regions for wine production are defined. Region 1 has less than 2,500 degree-days and region 5 has more than 4,000 degree-days. The Willamette Valley ranges from 1,900 to 2,200 degree days.

Botrytis: Fungus which grows on the skins of certain grapes as they ripen on the vine under extreme weather conditions (especially wet). The fungus removes water from the grapes, leaving behind a higher percent of solids, such as sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This is not good for most dry grapes because it results in rotten bunches which then can’t be used for winemaking, but Botrytis can be a good thing sometimes. The fungus which is also known as the "noble rot" can turn ordinary grapes into the foundation of great dessert wines.

Fruiting Zone: The fruiting zone is where on the trellis system that the grapes grow and ripen. The exposure of bunches is an important factor in determining fruit quality. Depending on the climate, it will be necessary to expose the fruit to the sun or to shade it. The flow of air around the ripening bunches is also of key importance as the grapes need to be well ventilated. If moisture is allowed to accumulate in the fruiting zone, the pressure of various fungal outbreaks can compromise fruit quality and that of the finished wine. At Willamette Valley Vineyards our fruiting zone is at the average height of someone’s upper chest so that vineyard workers don’t have to bend down and strain their backs.

Green Harvest: A green harvest is the removal of immature grape bunches, typically for the purpose of decreasing yield, while increasing the quality. By removing the tiny, immature grapes while they are still green, the vine will put all its energy into developing the remaining grapes. This will typically result in better ripening as well as the development of more mature flavor compounds. Without a green harvest, a strong, healthy vine can produce weak and unripe grapes.

Pine Cone: The word Pinot which also means Pine Cone in French comes from the suggestion that a cluster or bunch of grapes look like a pinecone.

Wing/Shoulder: A wing or shoulder as part of viticulture relates to the smaller cluster that offshoots from the main, larger cluster of grapes. Sometimes the shoulder of a cluster is pruned off so that the main cluster may gain more sunlight and nutrients.

2010-10-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Travel Salem’s One-year Anniversary Party. Come Sip New Release Wine and Drop Off your Corks!

It started with a romping grape stomp outside the front doors of Travel Salem last year, and this year we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Travel Salem’s partnership with Willamette Valley Vineyards to create a downtown Travel Café where visitors come to sip some of the valley’s most delicious wines!

Join us next Thursday, October 14th for a wine tasting party from 5 to 7 p.m., Oct. 14 at the Travel Café on 181 High St. NE.

Enjoy new releases of Willamette Valley Vineyards delicious and sustainable wines, including the 2008 Pinot Noir, 2008 Winemaker’s Signature Cuvee Pinot Noir, 2008 Estate Chardonnay, and 2007 Syrah from our Griffin Creek line. A unique, one-time release of some of our most treasured Library wines will also be featured.

We’re also trying to collect a massive pile of corks to send to the cork recycler, so bring your corks, by the load if you have ‘em! Whoever brings the most corks wins a prize! Learn all about the consumer cork recycling program Cork ReHarvest and what an amazing natural resource cork is. The party will be catered by Wild Pear restaurant, a favorite of locavores. www.wildpearcatering.com

The first 25 guests will receive a complimentary “It’s Willamette, Dammit!” T-shirt.

General Admission: $10.00 includes Riedel wine glass
Wine Club Members: $5.00 includes Riedel wine glass

Weekly tastings are available from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Travel Café, 181 High St. NE in Salem, Oregon.

Forrest Klaffke - Winemaker Extraordinaire

2010-10-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Jim Gullo at OregonWine.com consistently turns out high-quality, insightful information on the Oregon wine industry, the delicious wines produced in our region and the people behind the magic. Recently Jim sat down with Willamette Valley Vineyards' Head Winemaker Forrest Klaffke, and spoke with him about his fight with throat cancer. Forrest is currently cancer-free.

Head Winemaker Forrest Klaffke and son and Cellar Master Daniel Shepherd

FORREST'S STORY

By Jim Gullo

In retrospect, Forrest says over a beer at a Salem tavern, it was a good thing that he caught a wicked case of poison oak on that January day in 2009. When he went in to get it treated, he mentioned to his doctor that he had a little, marble-sized lump on his neck below his right ear. "I don't like that bump," the doctor said, and then the whole thing started.

It was squamos cell carcinoma: Cancer. The lump on his neck was a lymph node that had been inhabited by a mass on his tongue that he hadn't known existed. And over the next year and a half, Forrest Klaffke -- who has been making wine at Willamette Valley Vineyards since 1993 and was known not only for his winemaking skills but for the sheer hours and dedication he put into the job - would face down a winemaker's worst nightmare. His life was at stake, sure, but so was his palette. "I told the doctor that I'm a winemaker," he says, pulling on his beer. "What's this going to do to my taste buds? They told me I might lose my sense of taste entirely. Some people have some taste left; some people have none. Let's see what happens." He was 53 years old, married, two kids, a mortgage, and making wine was the only thing he'd ever done since growing up in California and working as a teenager at Italian Swiss Colony.

They cut him open from ear to throat but couldn't take out the cancer, which was wrapped around his jugular vein. So they closed him up and told him the next option: Intense, daily radiation therapy for seven-weeks interspersed with three bouts of chemotherapy. In mid-February, he began the regimen: A half-hour drive every morning to Corvallis for a 15-minute session that bathed the right side of his head, from his brain to his shoulder in radiation. By the end of two weeks, everything in his mouth tasted like either metal or salt. At work, he could smell the barrel samples, but he left the tasting and blending up to assistant winemaker Don Crank. He wondered if he'd ever be able to do his job again, and if he should go to owner Jim Bernau and offer his resignation: "I based my whole life on my palette," says Forrest.

He hung in there. On March 1st, the chemotherapy began, and Forrest knew within ten minutes that something was wrong. They had told him that the new generation of chemo drugs were a lot easier to tolerate, but "I had a tightness in my stomach, and it turned out that I was allergic to the anti-nausea drugs." He had to use the older kinds of chemo drugs, and they made him sick for four straight days afterwards. And then he couldn't tolerate anything in his mouth. "Every swallow felt like a really bad strep throat," he recalls. "There was a lot of pain."

But he kept going to radiation therapy every day, and he kept going to work. Forrest shrugs off the treatment as an inconvenience, but his co-workers saw what it was doing to him. "To witness that violent illness…he looked like he was near death," recalls Jim Bernau, who promoted Forrest to head winemaker in 1995 when WVV's founding winemaker, Dean Cox, died suddenly in his sleep. "It was shocking. The chemo and the radiation damn near killed him. Forrest is one tough S.O.B. A major factor [in his recovery] was just how mentally tough he is."

Two weeks went by and the second round of chemo was more hellish than the first. Forrest couldn't swallow, he couldn't eat and his throat was raw from stomach acids that kept coming up. He was in and out of the hospital for eleven days and lost thirty pounds. Smells were so intense that he couldn't even bear to be around flowers. "Flowers drove me crazy," he says with a smile, remembering. "And I could smell an alcoholic from twenty yards." For the third round of chemo, he just stayed in the hospital and toughed it out. By then he had not only lost his ability to taste, but to eat.

"I had to learn how to eat again," says Forrest. He had to go on a 24-hour machine that fed him in tiny increments, all day long. He took two months off of work, but he didn't miss a paycheck. "Jim was very understanding; I thought that was great."

In fact, says Bernau, it was the job in general and winemaking in particular that kept Forrest going. "He would come to staff meetings choking and coughing," he recalled. "But his status here never changed, and our interest in him coming to work never changed. If there was anything we could do for Forrest, it was helping to maintain that picture of himself. And every person in the company was on the same page."

Forrest came back to the job full-time in July; he knew that there were great wines in the cellar - he could smell them, but he could barely taste a thing. He forced himself to take rests, and to delegate more work to assistants like Crank. Harvest and crush came around in the fall and Forrest worked eight hour days, and then ten. "I got through it," he says with a shrug. "It was one of the toughest I've ever worked. I had to push myself."

And along the way, he found that his ability to taste was coming back. A little bit, and then a lot. The smells of the ferments unlocked something in him that he had always had. Speech therapy helped, too. He figures he regained 80 percent of his taste by the end of the year. "The docs were surprised at how much taste I got back," he says, smiling.

And now the harvest of 2010 is almost here and Forrest is back to working full-time. He is cancer-free and he has gained back some of the 50 pounds that he lost. Parts of his hairline are gone, and he'll never grow back the full beard he once had - the radiation guaranteed that. He eats a lot slower now: He had to have his throat stretched five times to regain its function. And his attitude has changed, too. "I think it's important to not work your ass off, get cancer and die," he says, finishing the beer. "No more 60-hour weeks for me. I'll take more time to smell the roses." He wants to get back to skiing this winter, and he found time in the summer for camping trips.

"It's hard to imagine Forrest stopping to smell the roses," laughs Bernau. "He's a bulldog when it comes to vineyard practice, or winemaking. He's tenacious and can be abrupt and direct… but I've seen a softening."

Now there is a pre- and a post-cancer Forrest. "There's no being normal," he says. "This is a new you. You won't be able to talk like you talked, or taste like you tasted. It's a new normal."

The normal that remains the same lies in winemaking. This fall will mark his thirty-third consecutive crush. And when the cuvees are lined up for blending, Forrest will once again be able to taste them, and make his wines the best they can be.

Check out other wonderful wine stories at OregonWine.com

Camp Willamette Valley

2010-10-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Though rainy, many brave souls made it out to help us celebrate Camp Willamette Valley in support of our local Boy Scouts. Former Boy Scout, Founder Jim Bernau was honored with the 2010 Distinguished Citizen award. The honor was celebrated in true Boy Scout style:

First Wednesday - Oregon Days of Culture

2010-10-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sip pink wine, get a mini-massage and learn more about local Oregon history as you celebrate with us in Oregon Days of Culture with a sampling of fun activities, exhibitions and cultural expressions held inside and outside the Travel Café.

Travel Salem
181 High St. NE
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

• Willamette Valley Vineyards – Sip delicious pink wines in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Cost is $6.00 for wine tasting and a Riedel wine glass. Take home a bottle of your favorite wine and receive a 20% discount on all bottles purchased at the Travel Café.

• Salem Cinema – Catch a sneak peek of which heart-warming "pink"-themed movies the Cinema will offer this month as a way to raise cancer awareness.

• Zeeba Salon – Enjoy a rejuvenating chair massage as well as beauty and spa consultations from massage therapists and estheticians on hand.

• Croissant & Company – Enjoy sampling sweet pastries and savory snacks made locally.

• Jensen Arctic Museum – Check out the Arctic Adventures of Oregon Authors, sign up to participate in the arctic pen pal postcard program or just enjoy the touching table with artifacts.

• Mission Mill Museum (part of the Willamette Heritage Center) – Enjoy the costumed representatives that will be sharing the many facets of the museum and heritage center.

• Antique Powerland Museum – Learn about the 15 independent museums at Antique Powerland and their family events.

• Keizer Chamber of Commerce – Learn more about local history from a dynamic interpretive display featuring several new points of interest in the Keizer area.

• Willamette University Theatre – Get the low-down on WU Theater's list of exciting performances for this fall and into 2011 including the Oregon premier of Aquitania.

• Willamette Art Center – Learn details about which Art Center class to participate in, such as glass blowing, wheel-thrown pottery, Raku firing, ceramic sculpture and even one called Kid's Adventures in Clays.

Contribute to Travel Salem's "Absolutely Giving Back" program and help Family Building Blocks by dropping off new school supplies (crayons, colored pencils, watercolors, glue sticks, pencils, pens, scissors, construction paper, white glue, non-toxic white washable paint, or felt-tip markers). Let's make their day! Thank you for your generosity.

Chefs' Nite Out 2010 - Help End Hunger

2010-09-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Come join us at the winery this weekend for Chefs' Nite Out. This anticipated annual event brings together dozens of local chefs and wineries, all with the goal of ending hunger in Marion and Polk counties. Take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a lovely fall evening with friends and fabulous food.

Tickets do have to be purchased in advance. Find more information here: Chefs' Nite Out 2010

To get your mouth watering, here's a sneak peek from last year's event.

2010-09-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

2010 Grapestomp Winners!

2010-09-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jay Schwandt and Sheena Darling, winners of the 2010 Grape Stomp Competition. This was their first time participating in the event and they are looking forward to representing Willamette Valley Vineyards in the World Competition in Santa Rosa, CA on October 2nd and 3rd.
...
Good Luck!

Mrs. Oregon Stomps! Stomp for Yourself this Sept. 11-12th!

2010-09-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Oregon 2009, Joelle, (stomper) teamed up with our Founder/President, Jim Bernau, (swabbie) at last year's Oregon Grape Stomp. We were all very impressed with her stomping abilities and think she should add a new act to her talent segment- Grape Stomping!

Stomp for yourself this weekend September 11-12th from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.!

Beautiful...

2010-09-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Denis Newman who took this beautiful photo from from our Estate Tasting Room deck over Labor Day weekend. Keep your fingers crossed that this good weather continues for Grape Stomp this weekend...

Kids Stomp! Come see it live Sept. 12th!

2010-09-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

The first ever Kids Stomp took place at last year's Grape Stomp and Harvest Celebration. Watch how hard these adorable kids worked to make grape juice and come see the action live at this year's event. Kid Stomp will take place Saturday the 11th at 4 p.m. and Sunday the 12th at 3 p.m. Reservations are encouraged for Kid Stomp (503-588-9463) but some spots will be kept for walk-ins. Get there early to get your name on the list! Suitable for kids ages 5 to 15. Adults may partner with kids.

Grape Stomp runs all weekend from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

From Vine to Wine - Coming Soon!

2010-09-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

First Wednesday - Back to School!

2010-08-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Please join us this upcoming Wednesday, September 1st for First Wednesday at Travel Salem (181 High Street in downtown Salem) from 5- 8 p.m. We welcome children of all ages back to school with activities inside and outside the Travel Café. Don’t worry parents – we have special treats for you too.

• Salem Public Library’s master storyteller will be reading stories inside a special story tent.

• Trexler Farm & Cafe will be serving food samples and showing an array of their gift items.

• Hey Handyman will present preventive home maintenance tips and visitors can enter a drawing for a multi-purpose fire extinguisher for their home.

• Willamette Humane Society (WHS) will be sharing information for spay and neuter clinics. Visitors can enter a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Davenport's Den - the WHS pet products store.

• Tigress Books (formerly Tea Party Bookshop) - book signing by Jessica Maxwell for her book "Roll Around Heaven: An All True Accidental Spiritual Adventure.” Books $15 at signing.

• Rogue will be promoting a selection of their locally made beers.

• Willamette Valley Vineyards will be showcasing their wonderful sustainable wines. Wine tasting and Riedel wine glass for only $5.00. Also, receive 20% discount on all bottles purchased at the Travel Café. (Tasting fee waived for purchases over $30. Stemware not included.)

181 High St. NE
Salem, Oregon 97301
503-581-4325

Le Tour de Pinot visits WVV

2010-08-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Wine Blog organized a Le Tour de Pinot this summer and held their final stage

Last Saturday, August 21, was Stage 5 of The Oregon Wine Blog's Le Tour de Pinot!

They road a challenging course up the winery (including our massive hill) and were greeted by Wende for a tour and wine tasting.

It's time for the Oregon Grape Stomp Championship and Harvest Celebration!

2010-08-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

It's our 20th Annual Oregon Grape Stomp Championships and Harvest Celebration this September 11th & 12th, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Make a reservation for a stomping time for your team of two: one stomper and one swabbie. Battle it out together- the team who produces the most juice wins a trip for two to compete in the World Grape Stomping Championship in Santa Rosa, California!

This is surely one of our most fun events of the year with live music, food, and wine. There will be a children's stomp each day as well as a costume contest for all ages.

Adult admission is $5 and includes a free Riedel wine glass and tasting. Admission is complimentary for Wine Club members and children. Additional $10 per team to stomp. Please call to make your reservation today 1-800-344-9463.

Spend Labor Day at the Wine Center

2010-08-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Come join us Labor Day Weekend at the Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center in historic McMinnville:

Creamy Chardonnay Mushroom Soup

2010-08-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

Ginger Sanders no longer needs an introduction. The creative recipes incorporating our wines speak for themselves. Here is her latest one featuring our 2008 Dijon Clone Chardonnay. More of her recipes are linked to at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Introduction:

Soup in the middle of the summer that isn't a cold soup seems a little nuts but I was looking for something to make with a really nice Chardonnay sent to me by Willamette Valley Vineyards to play with. This struck me as perfect and it was.

My husband and I ate the whole batch, which was supposed to be the appetizer, for dinner. We were stuffed and happy.

Creamy mushroom soups have a long history in America. The Campbell Soup Company began producing its "Cream of Mushroom Soup" in 1934, the same year that they introduced "Chicken with Noodles", however, soups based on Italian and French cream sauces have been around for hundreds of years.

If you have never made your own creamy mushroom soup from scratch, I highly recommend it. It's much better than the canned version. If you live in Oregon you can even hunt your own mushrooms (but only if you know what you are doing.)

Creamy Chardonnay Mushroom Soup

4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms

4 ounces Portobello mushrooms

6 cups of water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup onion-chopped

1/2 carrot, chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 tsp minced thyme leaves, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chardonnay wine

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

*****

Start by cleaning the mushrooms. Don't wash them. Wipe them with a dry paper towel or use a soft brush.

Separate the stems. Don’t toss them as these will go into making the stock. Trim off any bad parts and coarsely chop the stems.

Slice the mushroom caps into to bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Now to make the stock. Put the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot and heat it up.

Add the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme and the chopped mushroom stems, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the vegetables nice and translucent.

To the pot, add 6 cups water and bring to a boil then reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Next strain, keeping the liquid. This should leave you with about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some more water.

In another large pot, heat the stick of butter and add the leeks.

Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks start to brown.

Add the mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes or so until they are brown and tender.

Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.

Next add the wine and stir for another minute or so scraping the bottom of the pot.

Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper, smoked paprika and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley.

Stir and set aside to cool a little.

Take about 1/3 of the soup and put it in the blender and puree.

Return it to the pot with the rest of the soup and reheat but do not let it boil.

Here are more of Ginger's recipes from 365 Days of Cooking with Alcohol:

Griffin Creek gets better with age

2010-08-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Our Griffin Creek Wines got a nice feature in today's Medford Mail Tribune. Due to the popularity of the wines, most of them are only available in our Wine Club, but as you'll read, we plan to increase production of them in future vintages.

Griffin Creek gets better with age

August 18, 2010 By Cleve Twitchell

I still remember that evening in Jacksonville. Attending Vintage, the wine-and-food event held for a number of years on the Britt stage, I encountered a wonderful merlot.

Pouring it was Joe Dobbes, winemaker at Willamette Valley Vineyards near Salem. But the label was not Willamette Valley; it was Griffin Creek — wines made at Willamette but with grapes grown by Don and Traute Moore of the Rogue Valley.

Fast-forward more than a decade. Those upscale Griffin Creek wines are still around and still made from grapes grown at the Moores' vineyards in the Rogue Valley.

They're still made at Willamette Valley, where Forrest Klaffke is winemaker. He succeeded Dobbes some years ago.

Dobbes is still around. He makes wines for himself (Wines by Joe) and a number of other clients, including the Moores and their new label, South Stage Cellars.

Now, Griffin Creek has five excellent, new reds out.

My favorite of the group is the 2007 Cabernet Franc ($38), a beautiful, classy, smooth wine that holds up well for two or three days after opening. I also really like the 2008 Grenache ($38), pleasantly juicy. It also holds up well for several days. The two most expensive wines of this group seem to taste the best, but the others are not far behind.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($35) has classic cabernet flavor. And the 2007 Merlot ($30) is rich and elegant although it loses a little after a couple of days. The 2007 Syrah ($35) has a hint of cocoa flavor and is definitely different. For me, quality declined on day two but then got better on days three and four.

How was the Griffin Creek label born? Traute Moore recalls that she and Don had just returned from Italy. "We saw and had photographed the mythical gryphon on a number of buildings, and the gryphon is said to be able to turn the sun's rays into gold, which is a very good metaphor for wine," she says. Also, they have a vineyard on Griffin Creek, and Dobbes has a son named Griffin.

More Griffin Creek wines can be expected.

"Willamette is increasing their grape order from us this year by a substantial amount," says Traute Moore, "so there will be a lot more of our Southern Oregon grapes going into Griffin Creek wines that will be sold in northern Oregon and elsewhere in the country, which certainly enhances the reputation of our area."

Griffin Creek wines often are available for tasting at South Stage Cellars, 125 S. Third St., Jacksonville.

Grow • Gather - A Dinner Celebrating Sustainability

2010-08-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

A dinner like this only comes around once every 100 years.

On Saturday, August 28, a five-course dinner for 400 guests will take place to celebrate Lake Oswego's centennial on the historic Luscher Farm. Enjoy an incredible meal incorporating the bounty from the farm prepared by the culinary experts from:

Tucci
Five Spice
Terrace Kitchen
The Stafford
Gourmet Productions
Gubanc’s
Zeppo

We will be pairing our delicious and sustainable wines to complement the mouth-watering menu, along with Bergstrom, J. Christopher, Oswego Hills, and Sokol Blosser.

Tickets are $100 each. Limited seating. Purchase tickets online or by phone at 503-675-2549. Proceeds from the event will benefit Lake Oswego School District's new sustainability fund, a resource that will help teachers promote and incorportate sustainable principles, practices and lessons into their cirriculum. For more information visit: http://www.lakeoswego100.com/events/grow&gather.html.

Winemaker Dinner at Weatherford's this Wednesday!

2010-08-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Please join our winemaker, Don Crank, for a fabulous five-course winemaker's dinner at Weatherford's Grand Lodge on Wednesday, August 18th at 7 p.m. We will be tasting through five wines including our newly released 2008 Estate Pinot Noir paired with Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Pinot Noir Glaze. This will surely be a wonderful dining experience.

Tickets are $55 per person in advance or $60 the day of the event. For reservations please call Weatherford's at 503.723.9253. Weatherford's Grand Lodge is located at 602 7th Street in Oregon City.

Port-Style Tomato Chutney courtesy of Ginger Sanders

2010-08-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ginger Sanders of 365 Days of Cooking with Alcohol has featured our delicious 2007 Quinta Reserva Port-Style Pinot Noir in a new recipe:

Quinta Port Tomato Chutney

Tomato chutney is going to be one of my new favorite things. Not ketchup, not relish, but something pleasantly in between.

I did this basic chutney to learn and used the most spectacular Quinta Reserve Pinot Noir Port Style sent to me by Willamette Valley Vineyards to play with (and play I have, there are some other spectacular things to come from it.) So, I didn't have to be spectacular myself, the wine did all the work.

So very easy and impressive. If you make a bigger batch than I did, it is easy to can for longer term preservation. Mine isn't going to last long enough to worry about.

So far I've had it on halved avocados, eggs, meat loaf and by itself by the spoonful.

In doing the research I found that chutneys can be made from just about anything from peanuts to fruit. Generally American and European chutneys are fruit, vinegar, and sugar cooked down to a reduction.

I see a lot more playing around with these on the way.

Quinta Port Tomato Chutney

4 roma (plum) tomatoes

1/4 cup Port wine (I would stick to a ruby and definitely the Quintero if you can get your hands on it)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 purple onion

2 garlic cloves

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp basil-chopped

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you want more heat)

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

*****

Preheat the oven to 250

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds to a separate bowl.

Put the cut tomatoes on a cookies sheet. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and port wine and sprinkle with salt.

Set to bake for 1 hour.

(I do not know how much of a difference this made in the flavor and plan to try it with raw diced tomatoes next time.)

After the tomatoes are baked and out cooling…

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Put in the onion and garlic and saute until translucent.

Chop up the roasted tomatoes and put them in a saucepan.

Add the onions and garlic.

Add the wine, brown sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes

Cook until it is reduced to where you want it.

Add the basil and cook for just a minute more.

Perfect week to pick Tualatin Estate Semi-Sparkling Muscat Frizzante as the 'wine of the week'

2010-08-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Our 2009 Tualatin Estate Semi-Sparkling Muscat is featured in Wine Press Northwest as the 'Wine of the Week.' What a perfect week to pick it as our temperatures are going to soar this weekend!

Tualatin Estate 2009 Semi-Sparkling Muscat Frizzante

Appellation: Willamette Valley

Evaluating this release each year comes with perhaps the biggest challenge a wine judge faces - how do you avoid swallowing? The folks at Willamette Valley Vineyards craft this in such a fun style, it's nearly impossible not to come back for a satisfying sip. Huge tropical notes include lychee and honeysuckle, joined by tangerine, apricot and pear juice. That itsy bit of fizz keeps it interesting time and again. Rated "Outstanding" by Wine Press Northwest magazine.

Food matches: This off-dry wine is great with fresh fruit, cheeses and picnic fare.

More about Tualatin Estate

Tualatin is one of Oregon's oldest vineyards, planted in 1973 near the northern Willamette Valley town of Forest Grove. The 200-acre site is owned by Willamette Valley Vineyards, and the wine is produced at the main facility in Turner, south of Salem. The vineyard in Forest Grove does have a tasting room that is open on weekends.

An opportunity?

This week's featured wine is a gem that is not taken advantage of in Oregon - or elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Semi-sparkling wines are made by just a few producers, including Willamette Valley Vineyards, Tualatin Estate, Silvan Ridge, Bridgeview Vineyards and Noble Estate. They are typically gorgeous wines with low alcohol and a bit (or even a fair bit) of sweetness.

This style of wine is popular with newer wine drinkers (and non-wine drinkers), but it also should be appreciated by "serious" wine drinkers who want to enjoy a more fun kind of wine. In Italy, Frizzante wines often are made with the Moscato grape, which is the same as the Muscat. In fact, there are many Muscat varieties grown in the Northwest, including Early Muscat, Muscat Canelli, Muscat Ottonel, Black Muscat, Orange Muscat and Muscat of Alexandria.

I would love to see more semi-sparkling Muscats (and other varieties, such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer) produced in the Northwest. I think they would enjoy success with consumers.

Just for fun we've created a signature cocktail called "The Mosquito" that is a fun way to drink our muscat.

The Bite of Oregon: Life Tastes Better Here

2010-08-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

Life Tastes Better Here. Oregon is a state where exploration and adventure lead you to that next wonderful meal, a perfect bottle of wine, an amazing craft beer, a fantastic powdery slope or a spectacular view of the mountains or the coast. At the 27th annual Bite of Oregon celebrate all that is Oregon. We invite you to spend time tasting, sampling, enjoying local music and watching talented chefs demonstrate their cuisine.

This year's MIX Wine Pavillion features 29 wineries representing Oregon's diverse viticulture regions. Make sure to come try our delicious and sustainable wines at the Willamette Valley Vineyards booth. We will be pouring our award-winning Pinot Noirs along with other summer favorites.

Other fun festival activities include a Kid's Fair, Talent Tour! hosted by 105.1 The Buzz, Iron Chef Oregon competitions, Portland Food Carts cuisine, Oregon Dessert Pavillion, Gerry Frank's Oregon Chefs Table, Craft Beer Garden, eating competition featuring Joey Chestnut, and Chocolate Cake competition. Seems fitting The Bite of Oregon is sponsored by Pepto Bismol!

The Bite of Oregon is held at Tom McCall's Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon.

Friday, August 6th: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday, August 7th: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday, August 8th: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Daily admission is $8/person over 12 years of age. Entry is free for children 12 years or younger. Early bird admission will be offered on Friday (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) for $3. You can buy a weekend pass for $10.

For more information, visit http://www.biteoforegon.com/index.html.

A Couple of Oregon Whites

2010-08-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

It is always pleasant to come into work and see someone write such wonderful things about our wines (flattering, really). Scott Wadlow of The Vino File passed along this article he published to me.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

A Couple of Oregon Whites
Hey kids, have you been drinking your white wine? It's not
just for summer any more! The more I explore and experience
wine the more white wine I drink. I'll admit it, I would
have been embarassed to order a sauvignon blanc at an after
work happy hour event a mere two years ago. Now I realize
that I just know something that all those gin and tonic
drinkers over there don't know. I can't verbalize exactly
what it is that I know, but I feel superior none the less.

I believe there is so much diversity in white wines you
could spend years just appreciating the differences between
chardonnay,viognier, albarino, torrontes, semillon, well you
know the list. So I'm excited to find new white wines that
I like and can recommend.

I've talked about Oregon pinot noir on this site several
times. I even declared Willamette Valley Vineyards 2008 
Founder's Reserve Pinot Noir to be the outright winner of
the #PinotNoir twitter tasting smackdown recently. But I
haven't talked about any white wines from Oregon. That
changes now:

Willamette Valley Vineyard 2008 Pinot Gris - This pale
straw colored wine gives off lemon citrus and pear in the
nose. Mingling in the aromas is also a bit of cotton candy
sweetness and a touch of white flower petals. The wine
tastes of dry citrus and pineapple, with more floral and
mineral notes across the middle and a crisp pear finish.
Consumed both alone and with food, this is a nice food wine,
with a taste profile that offers just enough complexity to
keep it interesting.
A very respectable wine at $15.Score: 3/5




Willamette Valley Vineyard 2008 Riesling - If
you read me you know I'm a sucker for riesling,
and this one does not disappoint. Rated as
medium sweet on the International Riesling 
Foundation taste profile scale, this pale yellow
wine with a slight green tinge offers up apple,
peach, and something that distinctly reminds me
of the apricot/pineapple preserves my grandma
used to make for me as a kid. There is a touch
of wet stone and flint going on as well, which
is a riesling trait that I can not get enough
of. Drinking the wine I got ripe pineapple up
front, a tantalizing bit of minerally citrus
across the mid-palette, and an orange juice
and limey finish with bright acidity. This
wine was hands down delicious, it was sweet
but not cloying, acidic but not sharp. This
might be one of my best buys of the year, at
 only $12 from the winery (even less elsewhere)
I think this wine is amazing. Score: 4/5

So I used to be embarassed to drink much white wine, and I
probably used to be embarassed to suggest a wine that is
slightly sweet, but now I know better. These wines will bring
joy to those who sit back and partake.

These wines were received as media samples, with the intent 
to review.

Case in point, feel superior while drinking white wine (but not to wine snobbery status). :)

Shake It Till We Make It!

2010-08-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Last night was the big Shake It Till We Make It Dinner Gala, a Parkinson’s disease fundraiser benefiting The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research hosted by Brian Grant, a former NBA Star and Portland Trail Blazer recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The event was held at the Rose Garden Arena and we were among one of the sponsors.

Wende Bennette, our Tour & Tasting Coordinator, attended the event and provide us with an amazing recap:

Rudy, Wende, Brandon, Libby, Patrick and Sarah - the WVV Team- walking the red carpet!

Pat Riley opened up the event with an inspirational speech about generousity that brought most of our table to tears. Then a slide show of Brian Grant played showing his road to becoming an NBA star and his incredible work ethic. I also learned he has six kids! Great family guy. Brian then got up and spoke about how happy he was about the event taking place in Portland where he was actually diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU). Michael J. Fox took the stage and made us laugh and cry.

At our WVV table we had a former Sonic, Sam Perkins, original Blazer who still lives in Portland with his family, Dale Schleuter, and Darnell Valentine, who also still lives in Portland. The dinner was fabulous. They served salmon that pair deliciously with the wines we provided on each table- the 2008 Estate Pinot Noir and 2008 Pinot Gris. We also brought up some library wines that were big hits.

The WVV Table

It was so exciting to see so many celebrities throughout the evening like Muhummand Ali, Charles Barkley, Art Alexakis, Daniel Bladwin, Rasheed Wallace, Jerome Kersey, Ron Wyden, Bill Walton, Joey Harrington, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Pat Riley, and Chris Dudley. I know I am missing so many others too!

Wende with Jerome Kersey

Rudy with Rasheed Wallace

Libby with Charles Barkley

The entertainment was high energy with March Forth Marching Band starting off the evening. They were followed up by Gary Owen who gave a hilarious stand up comedy act. We all then rushed the stage to dance to Grammy Award Winner, Raphael Saadiq, whose originial and cover songs of Stevie Wonder songs knocked all of our socks off.

Jim enjoying March Fourth

Shaking It Till We Make It!

Summer Vineyard Practices with Jim Bernau

2010-08-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our Founder/Winegrower, Jim Bernau, explains what is going on in the vineyards this summer:

"Eight wine bars, six blocks. Not heaven... McMinnville."

2010-07-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

I just came across this article by Jim Gullo on OregonWine.com (in my opinion, the best Oregon wine online magazine) chronicling an evening wine bar crawl in McMinnville that started off at our Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center. Here is a preview:

A MCMINNVILLE WINE BAR CRAWL

by Jim Gullo

It was Friday night, after all, and we were in a certain wine-tasting mood, and there are so many wines to drink and so little time. We'll never catch up to all of them, try though we must. And here we stood, on the corner of 3rd Street and Cowls in charming, downtown McMinnville - dubbed "Oregon's Favorite Main Street" by the local marketing people - with fully eight wine bars and tasting rooms awaiting us in the next six blocks, dozens of wines to sample, and a half-dozen top-notch restaurants with their own wine lists.

Not heaven... McMinnville. It's one of those "find" towns that people discover on their way somewhere else, and after a few glasses of Pinot Noir and a good meal or two, they start asking about local real-estate prices, and exactly how much it would cost to plant a little vineyard in the hills, and who would we name the wines after, your mother or mine?

We rolled up our sleeves and plunged in.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center. The newest tasting room in town and a satellite of the WVV main facility near Salem. A cork floor and cork-recycling bin point to founder Jim Bernau's passion and commitment to sustainability; Bernau's business acumen is revealed in the enormous monitor displaying a slide show of wine country images, an equally striking handmade wooden table, free WiFi and handsome leather furniture. WVV is the only Oregon winery that is publicly traded, and raised its seed capital on Wall Street.

Servers pour tastes or whole glasses of a half-dozen WVV products (we loved the light, fruity, whole-cluster Pinot Noir) and in a neat trick, offer a horizontal tasting of wines from competing producers that allows you to compare different Willamette Valley regions and winemaking styles. Besides enjoying the WVV '07 Pinot Noir, we developed an instant crush on one from tiny Iota, and appreciated the tip. Any questions? There are AVA maps on the walls, and a hands-on display of Oregon soils that produce fine-wine grapes. The servers are all "wine ambassadors" who are happy to offer tips on nearby wineries to visit and sights to see.

To read the whole article, click here (you won't be disappointed).

In the Vineyard with Chelsea

2010-07-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of our Tualatin Estate Vineyard taken by our Viticulturist, Chelsea Brittan. Who else is jealous of her job right now? Can I say "me" more than once?

Currently, Chelsea and the vineyard crews are hedging the vines and analyzing crop yields.

Simple Enhancements to Fish Tacos- And Don't Forget the Pinot Gris!

2010-07-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

I loved these simple enhancements to fish tacos that Mark from WineLife365.com suggested. Read here!

Mark's Perfect Wine Pairing for Fish Tacos:

Oregon Pinot Gris. They’re usually very clean, crisp, and possess racy citrus qualities that pair perfectly with these (salmon) fish tacos – and Oregon definitely knows a thing or two about Salmon. Consider trying Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris.

http://www.winelife365.com/fish-taco-recipe-salmon/

Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival

2010-07-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Keep it local…is the message. The Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival features the very best of Oregon's culinary culture with world class wineries and celebrated food artisans.

Don't miss the 2nd Annual “Best of Oregon” Food & Wine Festival, scheduled for Saturday, August 14, from 5:00– 9:00 p.m. at the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Oregon.

Showcasing the very best of Oregon's culinary culture – 30 world class wineries and 20 food artisans will be presenting their goods for one night only. Tickets to the main festival are $30.00 pre-sale and $35.00 at the door and wines will be available for purchase!

Addtionally, the program includes a golf tournament prior to the festival. The tournament will be offered to a limited number of participants at an entry fee of $150 per person and includes access to all the day's festivities.

Best of Oregon aims to support and promote Oregon's local economy by encouraging patrons to support the local festival vendors. A portion of the proceeds from the golf tournament, sponsorships and festival fees, along with 100% of door prize ticket sales will benefit Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation.

Check out the line-up of food and wine and then purchase your tickets today, visit www.bestoforegonfoodandwine.com. Contact Claudia Bowers at praviawines@gmail.com for more information.

How to Make Your Salad More "Wine Friendly" - Wine and Food Pairing Tips from Brian Kemmerle

2010-07-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward, Brian Kemmerle regularly offers his insight and experience to help select the perfect wine to accompany Chef Derek Ridgway’s dishes. Here is Brian’s recommended food and wine pairing for this week!

This week’s featured pairing comes from a rare place on the dinner menu, the Salad Course. Salads are notoriously hard to pair with wine due to the fact that the dressings can overpower or often combine to create “odd” flavors in wine.

There are two things you can do to make your salads more “wine friendly”:
First, you can use a citrus fruit, instead of vinegar for your acid. Secondly, add some cheese. Most cheeses, a grating of Parmesan, a quenelle of fresh goat or a wedge of Gruyere will do nicely to cut some of the sharpness off a salad dressing that can create those “odd” flavors in your wine.

All that being said, this week’s salad is Baby Spinach, Oranges, Dried Cranberries and Feta Cheese tossed with a Lemon Dressing. I’ve paired it with the 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling. The wine is semi-sweet with apricot, tangerine, pineapple fruits, a touch of a stone/slate mineral quality and a healthy dose of acidity to balance the sweetness. Off-dry or semi-sweet wines like this one are my top choices for pairing with “wine friendly” salads. Cheers!

Chefs' Nite Out Tickets Now on Sale!

2010-07-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Forty-six restaurants, caterers, wineries and other beverage purveyors will donate their time, talent, and product for tasting from 4-7 p.m. for the 12th annual Chefs' Nite Out on Sunday, October 3rd.

Chefs' Nite Out is the major fundraising event for the Marion-Polk Food Share. Marion-Polk Food Share is a charity providing the bulk of the food supply to food pantries and meal sites in Marion and Polk counties. For more information, visit marionpolkfoodshare.org.

Lively entertainment will be heard throughout the venue starring The Severin Sisters, Mark Seymour, and Calico Jack.

Sponsors cover all of the costs so that 100% of the ticket sales go to help end hunger in our local area. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased by calling 503.581.3855, ext. 315.

The 2010 participants include:

45^th Grill @ Keizer Renaissance Inn

Adam’s Rib Smoke House, Salem

Airlie Winery, Monmouth

Alessandro’s Ristorante & Galleria, Salem

Amadeus Café, Salem

Amity Vineyards, Amity

J. Bella’s Ristauranté, Independence

Bentley’s Grill, Salem

Bethel Heights Vineyard, West Salem

Bon Appetit at Willamette University (new)

Café Mam, Eugene (new)

Cascade Baking Company, Salem

Clemenza’s Italian-American Café, Albany (new)

Coelho Winery, Amity (new)

Creative Catering by Roth’s Fresh Markets, Salem

DaVinci Ristorante, Salem

First Burger, Albany (new)

Flight Deck Restaurant & Lounge, Salem

Grand Vines Wine Shop & Bistro, Salem

Griffin Creek, Turner

Hauer of the Dauen Winery, Dayton

Illahe Hills Country Club, Salem

Loustic Catering, West Salem

Morton’s Bistro Northwest, West Salem

Mystic Wines, West Salem

Odom Southern Wine & Spirits, Portland

Prudence Uncorked, Salem (new)

Rogue Ales & Spirits, Newport

Salem Keizer Culinary Students

Silver Grille Café, Silverton

Spirit Mountain Casino Cedar Plank Buffet, Grand Ronde

Spirit Mountain Casino Legends, Grand Ronde

Sybaris, Albany

Trinity Vineyards, Salem

Van Duzer Vineyards, Dallas

Vitae Springs Vineyard, Salem

Vitality Food & Spirits, Woodburn

Willaby’s Catering & Event Design, Salem

Willamette Burger Company, Salem (new)

Willamette Noodle Company, Salem

Willamette Valley Cheese Co., Salem

Willamette Valley Grill, Salem

Willamette Valley Vineyards, Turner

Witness Tree Vineyard, West Salem

Youngs-Columbia Distributing, Salem

Z’IVO Wines, McMinnville

Group a beautiful Fall evening with wine and cuisine at the 2009 Chefs' Nite Out

Jefferson Mint Festival this Friday & Saturday!

2010-07-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Please join our lovely Wende Bennette this Friday and Saturday at Tommy's Welcome Inn for the Jefferson Mint Festival. It will be a celebration with fun festivities, live music, BBQ, great wine and brew from 7 p.m.- midnight each night.

Raspberry Pinot Noir Sherbet

2010-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Our very good friend, Ginger Sanders, keeps the delicious recipes coming! This one is perfect for summer. Check out more of her adventures in 365 of Cooking with Alcohol.

Raspberry Pinot Noir Sherbet

Posted: July 21, 2010 - 8 AM By: Ginger Sanders

That ice cream maker is my favorite new toy. I went to the SummerFest in Bend and found my favorite wineries there. (That was expensive). Does it say I'm getting old when I don't buy any arts or crafts but make two trips to the car with boxes of wine?

So, you've heard me going on and on about Willamette Valley Vineyards wines. That's because they are GOOD. I'd been thinking on a red wine/raspberry sherbet (yes, not a sorbet) and got to have a little brainstorming session with Sarah and Matt, the WVV show people.

We decided that the Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir would be a good choice for a fruit sherbet because, as it is fermented in stainless instead of wood, it is all fruit and nothing but the fruit.

It was a great idea. The sherbet is fantastic! ...and remember...."It's Willamette Dammit!"
(Shhhhh…don’t tell them but I’m going to try and take some to share with them, to SunFest next week in Sun River!)

Raspberry Pinot Noir Sherbet

12 oz frozen raspberries

1 cup Pinot Noir (We used WVV Whole Cluster Fermented)

½ c sugar

1 c milk

*****

In a small saucepan start the Pinot Noir heating. When it gets to a boil add the sugar.

Reduce for at least 10 minutes.

Add the raspberries and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Set the pan aside to cool for at least 20 minutes.

Puree in a blender.

At this point if you like seeds leave them in, if not strain the stuff as there are A LOT of seeds.

Refrigerate until very cold (4+ hours or overnight)

Pour in ice cream maker.

Add the milk. (I know ...wine and milk? Don't think too much on it, just go on ahead.)

...and follow manufactures directions.

Pack it in something and stick it back in the freezer to completely freeze.

Eat with chocolate!

International Pinot Noir Celebration

2010-07-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

For the past 23 years, the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) has been uniting Pinot devotees from all corners of the globe in the spirit of friendship and the common pursuit of Pinot Noir in all its grand diversity. The 2010 IPNC will be held July 23-25th in McMinnville and will host over 60 international Pinot Noir producers, 50 top Northwest chefs, and guests for a memorable weekend of extraordinary tastings, educational seminars, unforgettable meals, and celebrating together in Oregon wine country. We are proud to be one of the featured wineries at this year's event. This is one of the most enjoyable wine weekends in the world. Tickets for IPNC are still available.

We will be hosting a Pre-IPNC dinner at The Joel Palmer House on Thursday, July 22nd at 6 p.m. titled, "Oregon Pinot Noir and Wild Mushrooms: The Perfect Pairing." Chef Chris Czernacki will be preparing an exquisite meal to complement seven of our wines, including many 2008 vintage Pinot Noirs that will be shown to the public for the first time at this dinner. Please join winemaker Don Crank as well as Dick and Betty O'Brien, the founders of Elton Vineyard (one of our best Estate Pinot Noir sources) at this exceptional evening.

Tickets are $95/person to attend the Pre-IPNC dinner. Seating is very limited. For reservations please contact The Joel Palmer House at 503.864.2995. The Joel Palmer House is located at 600 Ferry Street in Dayton, Oregon.

I hope you will join us in the celebration!

Twitter Tasting #PinotNoir this Thursday!

2010-07-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, July 15, from 5-7pm (PST), Pinot Noir is going to battle it out on Twitter once and for all and we're placing the fate of the winner in your hands. The whole world will be watching when, for the first time ever, Pinot lovers gather from far and wide to participate in a #PinotNoir Twitter Community Tasting. The online community will be tasting, tweeting and voting for which Pinot Noir appellation they think produces the most mouthwatering, perfectly balanced and complex wines. The people will decide which region they want to see crowned winner at the end of the night.

During the tasting if you’re favorite Pinot is from Oregon, simply tag the end of your tweets with: #PinotNoir #WV and voila voila, you've voted… easy breezy.

Some examples:

#WV – Willamette Valley, Oregon
#NV – Napa Valley, CA
#RR – Russian River Valley, CA

#CN – Carneros, CA

#SB – Santa Barbara, CA

#SN – Sonoma Coast, CA
#MN – Mendocino, CA
#SC – Santa Cruz, CA
#BU – Burgundy, FR
#NZ – New Zealand
#?? – Add your own!

The evening will culminate with tallying the votes and giving the winning wine region the hearty pat on the back they've worked so hard to earn—right there, directly in front of the online world, for millions of people to see! And yes, they will really be counting the votes. YOUR VOTE COUNTS, so vote (Tweet) often! Which region will emerge as the champion? You can probably guess who I'm rooting for - Go #WV!

We'll be offering "Industry Pricing" (30% off) on all online wine purchases during #pinotnoir Twitter Tasting! Coupon code WVVTWITTERTASTING. Valid July 15-16. Vist our online store to redeem.

Wine Country Cruise-In this Sunday!

2010-07-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Join classic car enthusiasts and wine lovers for a summer day at our estate vineyard with award-winning wine, hot cars, cash prizes, BBQ, and oldies music from The Flextones this Sunday, July 11th from 11:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.

Have you spent countless hours waxing, rebuilding, and maintaining your prized vehicle? If so, the Wine Country Cruise-In is the perfect event to show off all that hard work! Think your car is the hottest out there? Great prizes will be awarded to cars in four categories: Best Classic Car, Best Hot Rod, Hottest Paint Job, and Best in Show.

Admission is $5 and includes a Riedel wine glass. Admission for Wine Club Members is complimentary. There is a $10 entry fee per car for the contest. Awards will be announced at 4:30 p.m., and you must be present to win.

Hope to see you there!

5 Ways to Stay "Cool" this Week

2010-07-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

It is finally warm (hot even) in the Willamette Valley! Our vines are in heaven- leafing out vigorously. You may not be enjoying the toasty temps as much as the vines, so here are five suggestions for cooling down and finding pleasure in the weather:

5. It saddens me that alcohol doesn't freeze. If I could defy science I would make Riesling popcisles and eat them constantly. An alternative is to drizzle our Riesling over vanilla ice cream. The flavors of peach and pineapple in the wine are a delicious topping.

4. Try a "Mosquito." Semi-Sparkling Muscat Frizzanté served over ice with 2 generous squeezes of lime.

3. Wear white to repel the sun (note: white clothing will not repel red wine).

2. Our cellar is kept consistently at 55-60 degrees year round (it's underground), so come take a tour and then lounge in the shade of our picnic area with a glass of Pinot Gris or Rosé.

1. Come to our Wine Country Cruise-In this Sunday at the winery from 11-6 p.m. to see "cool" cars.

Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir Contest Winner!

2010-07-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

We asked and you answered! Over 175 people, in approximately 100 words, submitted entries for the Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir Contest. The contest ran from May 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010 with the winner selected by our winery staff. The winner will receive a 4 day, 3 night all expense paid trip to Oregon wine country. The trip will include VIP treatment at Willamette Valley Vineyards, great meals, great adventures and of course, great wine (retail value is $4000).

Congratulations to Bob Walsh from Indianapolis for his winning submission:

The first toast at my daughter's wedding. Celebrating my son's graduation from Business school. A family reunion spent at my son's restaurant. Peaceful evenings at home with my wife as snow falls. For me, Oregon Pinots define the moments in life worth savoring. The quiet moments and big momentous occasions surrounded by the people I cherish. The Willamette Valley has produced more than outstanding Pinots, they have created a lifelong accompaniment to the best moments of my life. Tasting notes not withstanding, Oregon Pinot Noirs are about life notes. A toast, to family and the moment.

We look forward to hosting Bob and creating more "moments" with him in Oregon. Thank you to all who participated!

Our Participation in the Carbon Neutral Challenge

2010-07-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Our Sustainability and Communications Manager, Caitlyn Kari, talks about our participation in the Carbon Neutral Challenge. The Carbon Neutral Challenge is a voluntary effort by Oregon wineries and vineyards to measure, track, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental impact, with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral. For more information visit http://www.cncwine.org/

Oregon Pinot Camp 2010

2010-07-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Oregon Pinot Camp- four great days spent with some of the top wine professionals in Oregon Wine Country.

Wine Club Brochure

2010-07-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

We have a new, beautifully designed Wine Club brochure! Check it out:

WVV Wine Club Brochure 2010

Our Grand Cru Club only has 250 memberships left before it caps out at 1,000 members. You can sign-up online in our online shopping cart: http://www.nexternal.com/willamette/Category7

Top 10 Highlights from #WBC10

2010-06-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Wine Bloggers’ Conference 2010 Recap

The third annual Wine Bloggers' Conference took place last Friday thru Sunday in Walla Walla, Washington. I was very excited to attend and put a face to all the bloggers' and wine writers I work with regularly and to meet knew ones. I was also excited to experience a new wine region.

Recaps are boring, especially to people that didn't attend (they are even really boring to write), so instead I have put together a list of my top 10 highlights from the conference.

Top 10 Highlights from #WBC10 (thats a joke to all you non-twitters, #WBC10 was the official Twitter hastag of the conference):

10. I was impressed by the number of ice sculptures around the event.

9. I received 5 flash drives as swag. Is that the new "it" thing to giveaway?

8. Even though we were in the same room, people still insisted on chatting with me via twitter. And this was the first conference I've attended where being on facebook or twitter during a seminar wasn't considered rude... it was productive.

7. I had the new iPhone 4, which made me instantly popular.

6. The red wines from Walla Walla are huge, robust and powerful. To pair you need beef. I ate grass-fed beef five times while I was there, which was more than in the last four years of my life, but definitely worth it.

5. Wine Speed Dating was intensely fun. Wineries had 5 minutes to pour and introduce you to the wine. You had five minutes to taste and write about it. We did white wines one night and red wines the next. My mouth hurt afterwards, but what an incredible opportunity to try new wines.

3. Jeffrey Saad who was the runner-up on "The Next Food Network Star" (or a name to that extent) on The Food Network led a very interesting and passionate food and wine pairing seminar, which was by far the best session. Listening to Jeffrey talk about food and wine was a highlight.

2. I got to drink vino and eat lunch overlooking the Walla Walla valley at a Leonetti and Doubleback Vineyard sites (pictured). Drew Bledsoe, former NFL quarterback turned wine label owner, joined us. The scenery, wine, food and company were all incredible. Jealous?

1. Walla Walla is a great little town. The people are so welcoming and gracious. I loved hearing all their unique stories of how they came to the valley and I have a new appreciation for what they are doing. I want to thank all the tasting rooms that stayed open late for us to experience on Friday night and I want to also thank Michael of Gifford Hirlinger Winery who gave our group a great tour of his estate vineyard and winery.

Bike Ride and Hill Climb Challenge Video

2010-06-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

Back in May we held our first ever Bike Ride and Hill Climb Challenge. Bikers had the option of a scenic 50, 25, or 10 mile ride starting at Cloverdale Elementary and finishing up at the winery for wine tasting and lunch. This video sums it up nicely:

Off to Walla Walla for the Wine Bloggers' Conference!

2010-06-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Walla Walla this afternoon for the Wine Bloggers' Conference! I am excited to be attending along with 300 wine bloggers, industry bloggers and social media professionals. The conference runs Friday thru Sunday and is jam packed with seminars, excursions, wine tastings, and live blogging. I will be keeping you updated the whole way through.

How great is it to attend a conference where it isn't rude to be on facebook the whole time?! :)

Pinot and Pooch

2010-06-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

The 4th annual Pinot and Pooch event is a fun-filled affair for dog and wine lovers that benefit Fences for Fido, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the welfare and quality of life for dogs living outdoors. The event is set for Friday and Saturday, September 24th and 25th, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at our estate winery in Turner, Oregon.

We will have wine tasting, food, art, entertainment, prizes and a “furry” fashion show both days. Tickets to the event are $25 per person and include a keepsake Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glass for each attendee. Ticket price is $15 for Wine Club Members. With the purchase of three (3) bottles of Willamette Valley Vineyards wine, attendees receive a complimentary portrait of their pooch sketched by a local artist.

A portion of ticket and wine sales from this event will support volunteer efforts by Fences for Fido to create safer conditions for chained dogs by providing them with a free fence, new shelter, and free or reduced spay/neuter costs. The organization also helps build healthier communities through awareness and compassion.

To purchase tickets to Pinot and Pooch, visit these links- General Admission or Wine Club Member. To book a 30-minute appointment for a complimentary sketch portrait of your pooch, please contact Willamette Valley Vineyards at 503-588-9463.

While searching for images for this post, I came across a wine barrel dog house and wine barrel bed that I had to share with you! This could be an easy D-I-Y project. We have used barrels you can buy from us for $50 or $25 for half-size.

Historic Deepwood Estate Wine and Jazz Festival

2010-06-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

We will be pouring our wines this Saturday, June 26th at the 4th Annual Wine and Jazz Festival at the Historic Deepwood Estate from 4-9 p.m.

The event will showcase 15 Northwest wineries, music by the Danny Wold Trio and Lee Wuthenow, Craig Snazalle, and Marcus Harbaush. Gourmet food sales will be offered by Bentleys, Willamette Noodle Company, Extreme Chocolates, and Loustic Catering, Vitality at Wellspring, Queen of Tarts, Prudence Uncorked and Le Avenue.

The proceeds will benefit the Friends of Deepwood. Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased at Travel Salem Café which is located 181 High Street, or call them at 503-581-4325 ext 21.

Deepwood Estate is located at 1116 Mission St. SE, Salem, Oregon.

About Deepwood Estate:
Historic Deepwood Estate is an 1894 Queen Anne Victorian Home situated on approximately 4 acres of manicured gardens and nature trails set in the heart of Salem near its downtown core. The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Homes in 1973. The museum is operated by the Friends of Deepwood, a non-profit organization created to disseminate information about the home and document life in Victorian times. In 2002, Sunset Magazine named Deepwood as one of the four “Best Historic Homes” in its “Best of the West” section.

Today is International Picnic Day!

2010-06-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

How will you celebrate? Perhaps under the shade of a tree, basking in the sun at a lush meadow or on your unmowed lawn in your backyard (like me)? Picnics are all about the food, company, and of course, the perfect wine to pair.

We've suggested wines to pair with barbecue before, but picnic wines are different. Barbecue is all about bold and spicy, while picnics are lighter. Think about all the famous picnic foods and you'll realize most of the foods are cold- potato salad, cheese and crackers, veggie sticks, lunch meats and baquettes, cold fried chicken, and ripe seasonal fruit. So what are the best pcinic wines? I would strongly recommend that you think cool, crisp, and white/rosé or a light red.

Whites

Picnic fare is all about the ease and travelability. The food has to survive the time and transportation it takes to get to the picnic area and not be too messy. Crisp, delicious white wines are a must in these situations! You can buy freezer sleeves that can slide over bottles to keep them cool so you don’t have to worry about carrying ice or a cooler with you. Our 2008 Pinot Gris is a good choice with flavors of fresh green apple and tropical fruits . Our 2008 Dijon Clone Chardonnay and 2008 Dry Riesling are good choices as well. They are bright, acidic, and loaded with crisp fruit and minerality. Lighter white wines like this make the food come to life while refreshing your palate.

Rosé

Rosé wines are among my all-time favorite summertime sippers. They are so versatile that they are a must-pack with your picnics. They are served chilled, just like white wines, so slide a freezer sleeve over this wine too. Our 2008 Pinot Noir Rosé offers delicious summer flavors of strawberry, watermelon, and grapefruit.

Light Reds

What do I mean by light red wines? You don’t want to pack your 16% alcohol syrah in your picnic because it will overpower the foods you packed. A better fit is something that isn't so heavy and has less alcohol. Pinot Noir fits the bill. Both our 2008 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, what we've termed "liquid fruit salad in a glass" and our 2007 Pinot Noir are nice selections.

Our winery has gorgeous views of the valley, so pack your picnic and come join us (I'm relocating my picnic from my yard to our well-manicured picnic area or deck). We've got the wine covered!

We're a Favorite Place on Google!

2010-06-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

We received a letter from Google congratulating us on being a "Favorite Place on Google." Between December 1 and February 28th, we were one of the most popular local businesses on Google, as measured by how many times people found our business listing, and clicked on it for more information.

We were less than 250,000 businesses in the U.S. to receive this recognition; thats less than 1% of all U.S. businesses. Now that we were notified, Google sent us a window decal that includes a special bar code- known as a QR code- that customers may scan with cameras on their smartphones. When you scan the code, it'll pull up a mobile version of the Place Page for our business, where you can read our reviews, find coupons, and add us as a personal favorite.

Our decal is located on the window in our Tasting Room.

10 Great Northwest Tasting Rooms

2010-06-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

So much great news today! Our Tasting Room was rated one of the '10 Great Northwest Tasting Rooms' according to Wine Press Northwest in their Summer 2010 issue!

WPN writes, "If you're wine touring, tasting room ambiance and amenities mater almost as much as the wine. Here are 10 wineries that take special care of their guests."

Willamette Valley Vineyards- Jim Bernau purchased the beautiful property in 1983 and launched the winery six years later. It has developed into one of Oregon's largest and most respected wineries. The tasting room, south of Salem on Interstate 5, is a great place to taste and enjoy the views.

Come and experience our Tasting Room for yourself daily 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Blending Trials

2010-06-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

The winemakers are getting all set up to do 2009 Pinot Noir blending trials this morning.

What is the blending process like? Check out our video from last year's 2008 Pinot Noir blending.

Trilogy Returns to the Allison with Special Host

2010-06-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

From the Newberg Graphic:

Trilogy returns; Molzahn is host

Wine country — ‘The Bachelor’ finalist will host food, wine and art event

By: David Sale

“Trilogy,” the festival of food, wine and art, will return this summer with a special guest host — Tenley Molzahn, local star of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”

Molzahn will return to the Allison Inn, scene of her hometown date with bachelor Jake Pavelka, and members of “Team Tenley” will have the chance to get up close and personal with the reality TV star.

“Tenley is a true modern-day princess,” said Sheryl Kelsh, executive director of the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Her real-life story mirrors the trials and happy ending of a quintessential fairytale.”

Although she may not have taken the final rose, Molzahn won the affection of viewers in Newberg and across the nation — and is rumored to be returning to TV as the star of “The Bachelorette.”

On June 25, she will host a four-course winemakers’ dinner prepared by chefs from The Joel Palmer House, Farm to Fork, The Allison’s own Jory restaurant and Sweetest Thing Cupcakes, with wine pairings by Willamette Valley Vineyards, Elk Cove Winery, Erath Winery, Rex Hill and Lange Estate Winery.

Later that evening, the Artist Quick Draw features a live demonstration and question-and-answer with 18 local artists, including Ramona Youngquist, Michael Orwick, Shannon Ray and Susan Day, working in a variety of mediums.

The pieces created by the artists will then be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce. For sales, call 503-538-2014.

Tickets to the dinner and auction are $125 per person, but the event continues — at a more modest price — from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Oakhurst Thoroughbred Farm, 18715 N.E. Highway 240. It will feature food, wine and art from more than 60 regional vendors. For more information, visit http://trilogywinemakersdinner.com/.

10 Chefs, 10 Pigs, One Crown - Grand Cochon

2010-06-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pinot and pork is a much celebrated combination and so is the amazing Aspen Food &Wine Classic. Join us for Grand Cochon Sunday, June 20th during the festival.

Cochon 555 (5 Chefs, 5 Pig, 5 Winemakers) searched the national chef community in 2010, hoping to find one chef to celebrate as the "King / Queen of Porc". In ten markets, 50 celebrated chefs known for whole pig utilization competed for a local title and the chance to participate at Grand Cochon during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

Grand Cochon will be hosted by Gail Simmons of Top Chef and Brady Lowe of the Taste Network. Chefs will each prepare dishes from a whole heritage-breed pig in this "head to toe" competition. The winner will be determined by guests and a panel of esteemed judges. The event is open all food enthusiasts wishing to purchase a ticket.

THE TEN CHEFS

Devin Knell / French Laundry - Napa

Corwin Kave / Fatty Crab, Fatty Cue' - New York

Matt Jennings / Farmstead Inc. - Providence

Scott Romano / Charlie Palmer at the Joule - Dallas

Sean Brock / McCrady's Restaurant - Charleston

Matt Steigerwald / Lincoln Cafe - Mt. Vernon, Iowa

David Varley / Bourbon Steak - Washington D.C.

Jason Barwikowski / Olympic Provisions - Portland

Staffan Terje / Perbacco - San Francisco

John Sundstrom / Lark - Seattle

Don't miss this chance to help us nominate the 2010 "King of Porc" and support local farms raising heritage breed pigs. The winner takes home The Grillworks' 42" Asador.

VIP Reception includes reserve wines and artisan cheese and will feature Food & Wine Winemaker of the Year, Charles Smith along with snacks from the American Lamb Board.

GUESTS WILL:

- taste winning dishes from chefs around the country
- sip fine wines from top producers from around the world
- enjoy a beer tasting from Stella Artois
- watch a butcher demonstration with Ryan Farr and heritage pig farmer Mark Newman
- eat grilled lamb and a pork perfect dessert right before the award ceremony

WINERIES INCLUDE:

"2009 Food & Wine Winemaker of the Year" Charles Smith of K Vintners
Miner Family Vineyards
Buty Winery
Steltzner Vineyards
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Sokol Blosser Winery
Willamette Valley Vineyards
Gamble Family Vineyards
Ladera Vineyards
Prince Edward County Wines from Canada
New Zealand Wines

Hotel Jerome Aspen, 330 East Main Street, Aspen, CO 81611

Tickets are $125 GA / $175 VIP

For more information visit, http://stayaspensnowmass.com/Grand-Cochon