Bring Out Some Elder Vintages

“Out with the old and in with the new” is a concept many people celebrate as December ends and a new year begins. However, it isn’t always accurate when it comes to wine; there, it’s more about “out with the oldest, and in with the old.”

Many a wine-lover can quote lines from the movie “The Jerk,” starring Steve Martin. His character, Navin Johnson, is dining, and when the waiter asks if Navin would like another bottle of Chateau Latour, from a prominent 18th-century French winery, Navin exclaims, “Ah yes, but no more 1966. Let’s splurge! Bring us some fresh wine! The freshest you’ve got — this year! No more of this old stuff.”

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Go West, Pinot Noir Lovers

The following appeared in the Yakima Magazine, a monthly publication of the Yakima Herald News.

In 1865, Horace Greeley, an American author was quoted in the New York Tribune encouraging America’s expansion westward, “Go West, Young Man, Go West…” Who knew that a little detour to the south of the Columbia River, to the now abundant Willamette Valley, would pay off? 

The Cayuse War of 1847, an armed conflict between the Cayuse people of the Walla Walla region and the United States Army, resulted in most of Eastern Washington being closed off to possible settlements in the Walla Walla and Yakima areas. 

In the mean time, before the Cayuse treaty was established in 1859, new settlements had been channeled around the area of conflict further west to the Puget Sound area, and especially to southern Oregon near the Willamette Valley. Among one of the settlers was Henderson Luelling, a horticulturist who traveled to the area and planted the first known grapes in the Oregon Territory in 1847. 

Similar to the regions of Washington Territory near the great Columbia River, the European and French-Canadian presence was also known among the “French Prairie” at Champoeg located in the Willamette Valley. The immigrants brought with them grape stock from their European homes and experimented with many wine grape varieties, until the Prohibition era banned all alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933. 

After the Prohibition era, there wasn’t much of a presence of wine grapes in the State of Oregon, especially not much wine, other than the occasional “country” wines made with the local Oregon fruit sources, such as Marionberry, pear, and other orchard fruit-style wines — or at least not until the 1960’s when the first Pinot Noir grape vines were planted in Oregon. 

Pinot Noir is a red grape variety with a reputation for being finicky in the vineyard and finicky in the vat. The thin-skinned grape in its tightly packed cluster and shaped like a pine cone, is grown all around the world yet takes comfort in cool regions, and particularly thrives in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It’s a temperamental grape that viticulturist and winemakers alike, love to hate and hate to love, but the consumer has fallen in love with this historic grape with roots as deep as its vines, dating back to 100 AD in the Burgundy region of France. The grape is known to produce some of the finest wines in the world with its flavor notes and essences of cherries, strawberries, and herbs. 

Today in the Willamette Valley, and all through Oregon, there are a total of over 20,000 acres planted in Pinot Noir and over 500 wineries with many producing Pinot Noir. The Willamette Valley is designated as an American Viticultural Area (AVA), with a total of six sub-AVA’s. American Viticultural Areas are known as designated wine grape-growing regions in the United States. They are distinguishable by geographic features and their boundaries are defined by the United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The following sub-AVA’s within the Willamette Valley are: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge, and Yamhill-Carlton. 

The wine country of the Willamette Valley area is vibrant — and not just with wineries. There is great farm-to-table dining, lodging, shopping, tourist attractions, annual Pinot Noir celebrations, and a scenic jaunt of around 60 miles to the Pacific Ocean. Here are three, not to be missed wineries of the Willamette Valley… 

Domaine Drouhin

Domaine Drouhin - Oregon

Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO) in Dayton, may be a state-of-the art winery, but it brings with it deep historic roots from France. The DDO vineyards and wines are known for their “French soul” — produced with Oregon soil. The Drouhin Family has been making wine since its early days in France when it first established Joseph Drouhin wines back in 1880. 

Across the globe in 1961, the third generation of the Drouhin family “discovered” Oregon, and by 1987, Drouhin purchased land in the Willamette Valley. Two years later the Domaine Drouhin Oregon winery was opened with an emphasis on Pinot Noir. This was a perfect partnership as the Willamette Valley is at the same latitude as the Burgundy region of France, as well as a similar climate, making it the perfect home for the finicky Pinot Noir grapes to thrive. 

Today the fourth-generation Drouhin family is behind the beautiful French-inspired wines that come out of Oregon. Don’t just stop at tasting their Pinot Noir, but take a moment for a worthy sip of their Chardonnay as well. 

Stoller Family Estate 

Stoller Family Estate

It started as a turkey farm in the 1940’s by the Stoller family, located in the farm land of the Dundee Hills. Throughout the next five decades, the turkey farm would grow from a small family farm to one of Oregon’s largest poultry operations. When the farm closed in 1993, Bill Stoller, whose father and uncle originally started the farm, took the opportunity to purchase the land from a cousin. The old farm buildings and property would be alive once again keeping with its agriculture roots; however this time the only turkey to be found would be on the label of a bottle of wine. 

Staying true to Bill Stoller’s rural Oregon upbringing, Stoller’s quest for sustainability earned the vineyard the first-ever LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification in the world. At this time their vineyard is the largest contiguous vineyard in Oregon’s Dundee Hills. The property spans 373 acres, with approximately 190 acres dedicated to growing vines at elevations ranging from 220 to 640 feet, and over 120 acres dedicated to Pinot Noir. The winery grounds are peaceful with views of the vineyards from all around. Melissa Burr, head winemaker has been with Stoller since 2003. Once again, don’t stop at the Pinot Noir, but if in season, seek out their cool crisp and mouth watering Pinot Noir Rosé. It’s pretty and it’s pink. 

WillaKenzie Estate 

WillaKenzie Winery

If you are a fan of Pinot Noir then you have definitely struck gold when you reach the doors of WillaKenzie, with at least 10 different Pinot Noirs to sample from their variety of Pinot Noir clones, to the various elevations from which the vines are grown. There’s a French term used in agriculture known as “terroir,” meaning a “sense of place.” Indeed, WillaKenzie Estate Wines gives meaning to “sense of place” with the distinct elevations and various soils on the one parcel of land. Owner and winemaker of WillaKenzie, Bernard Lacroute grew up in a small village in the Burgundy region of France. Accepting a fellowship to study in America, he eventually found his way to Oregon. In 1991 Lacroute and his partner, Ronni Lacroute purchased the 420 acre cattle farm in the Yamhill area and began planting the vines. In 1995, the winery was ready for business. 

When visiting the WillaKenzie tasting room, a three or a five flight of Pinot Noir is encouraged. Discover the differences, especially to focus on the uniqueness and even the similarities that each distinguished Pinot Noir brings to the palate. 

This is just a short day or perhaps a long afternoon of the bounty of Pinot Noir to be found in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. No, you won’t make it to all of the wineries, but you can come back for another visit or two, right? 

Catie McIntyre Walker - Author

It started with an Apple… Apple Pie Moonshine

The following appeared in the Yakima Magazine, a monthly publication of the Yakima Herald News. 

We have been told for centuries that it started with an apple. After all, it was Eve who was tempted by the luscious red orb and plucked the first forbidden fruit from the tree. It started once again in Washington State when the oldest state’s apple tree was brought from England and planted in 1826 by the Hudson Bay Company. In the 1900’s, Swedish immigrants settled in the Yakima Valley and contributed to the first orchards in the valley — an area now known as Swede Hill.

Photo By Grit City Photography

Once again it started with an apple when Kevin and Pamela Milford’s mission was to create a product out of this popular fruit. It made sense from a business standpoint, being this raw material was plentiful, living in the heart of apple country. It made sense from a regional standpoint, since Washington State is known for apples around the world, and it made sense on a personal level since Pamela’s grandparents were among the immigrants who planted the orchards — making it a perfect area for Swede Hill Distilling to settle, and call home. 

Kevin started his journey into the home beverage business when he first became a student at Washington State University. With the knowledge he obtained at the library, Kevin stored that information, and would later apply it to building his own still, and distilling in his kitchen. Long story short, the Milford’s can boast their attention to detail from the apples picked from their family orchards to the hand labeling on every finished bottle of Swede Hill Apple Pie Moonshine. 

Today, the Milford’s join the growing group of micro-distilleries that are all the rage in Washington State. In the beginning of 2008, there were no craft distilleries in the state, and now there are over 100. Market Watch Magazine reported earlier this year that according to the American Distilling Institute (ADI) in 2003 there were only 60 craft distillers operating in the United States. Today there are around 760 in the U.S.,   with at least 200 craft distillers currently under construction. 

Do you drink your Swede Hill Apple Pie Moonshine straight or on the rocks? The answer is, “Yes.” There are many ways you can serve up a “helping” of Apple Pie Moonshine. A splash of bourbon here or a few shots of caramel vodka there — it is almost endless. In fact, when it comes time for dessert, with several scoops of vanilla ice cream and a blended dollop of peanut butter, you can enjoy your Apple Pie ala Mode. Cheers to your health, “An apple a day… ”

Catie McIntyre Walker - Author

Happy New Year - Year of the Monkey

Yeah, I missed the traditional American calendar New Year, so how about celebrating the Lunar New Year? Here is what's ahead for you and me in the year of the Monkey - 2016.

The positive and negative quality of the Monkey Year 2016 culminate in a year that anything can happen. There is little point in storing up goods or planning one’s life. The influence of the Monkey puts everything into flux. Things will get accomplished, but largely through personal and individual efforts. Group movements, such as political upheaval or revolutions, will not make a mark during this year.

This cheeky animal bursts with exuberance, bringing a lightening fast pace and fantastical motivation. The Monkey increases communication, humor and wit, helping us get through stressful times with grace and ease. Business flourishes and risks tend to pan out. The Monkey’s gift is the ability to find unconventional solutions to old problems. Daring to be different can lead to success.

For myself I am going to try and keep my humor and wit, and will muster up any grace that I can find - - when necessary. I know I have a bit of grace left in me for the deserving. Thankful to hear my risks in life will pan out. 

First of all, I appreciate my readers who have stayed with me through the last 10 years. I appreciate it more than you know, as well as always surprised when someone reaches out they are a reader of this blog. Last year I did change up the ol' blog a bit, and instead of the 99.99% concentration of all wines of Walla Walla, I have added wines from other regions, as well. These changes to the blog also assists me in research and wine education beyond where I live. 

As you may know in November 2014 I released my first book, "Wines of the Walla Walla Valley: A Deep-Rooted History." It's been a lot of fun being a guest at various book shops, wineries, and even public lectures about the rich wine history of the Walla Walla Valley. And the book writing continues, as just before the end of 2015, I signed another contract to write my second book about the history of the Walla Walla Valley. This time the emphasis will be on the agriculture and the food scene - - and there are already negotiations in the works to write a third book. I've also been taking a few creative writing classes to perhaps write a murder mystery some day. I figure my years of working in funeral homes, law firms, and wineries should be put to creative use.  

I have also returned to some freelance writing with the emphasis of wine and food for local and regional lifestyle publications. It is almost writing 24/7 at my household. In the mean time, I do get asked if I still sell wine. No, that is a chapter that is behind me. The only thing I sell at this time are non-alcoholic items  where I am in charge of being the creative producer, such as books and a logo. The Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman blog has always been of its own creative entity and not legally affiliated with the The Grape Vine LLC which was a LLC partnership. The name and art, Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman," was lent to that corporation. 

Since I first started writing my blog in 2005, there has been a lot of growth in the wine blogging community. Many former bloggers, such as myself, have moved on to other wine writing or wine-related projects. However, there are still many new wine blogs popping up to enjoy. Critics like to say that wine blogging is not relevant anymore, but if that is so, why such success for so many new and current wine bloggers? 

Today I cannot even begin to mention all of the wine blogs out there to view, and I have resigned myself to not bother keeping up. However, I can share that each wine blog has their own opinion and characteristics - something for everyone. I recommend to find a few you enjoy, but please remember to keep your mind and your palate open. Stop taking the wine world so serious, unless of course you have a few million bucks invested in it. As a consumer, just relax, discover, and enjoy. If you like a buttery oaky Chardonnay, then enjoy it no matter if I or another blogger tells you that over-oaked and diacetyl-laden wines suck. We're just asking you to keep an open mind, keep tasting wines, and once in awhile try a blended steel-fermented/two year-old barrel Chardonnay with clean notes of citrus and mango. Remember our palates change like our hair color - - or at least for some of us our hair color changes.   

Let me make a recommendation to you, and especially to the male readers. Reach out beyond the male perspective of wine and check out some of the many wine blogs by women, if you haven't already. Wine writer, Jo Diaz of Diaz Communications keeps a list of women wine bloggers. You may just find a different approach, as well as remove some of the gender stereotypes. We like other wines than just "Chardonnay and White Zinfandel." Some women wine writers also like beer. Aghast! One may even discover that there are women winemakers in the world, as well. (ahem)

Unfortunately, there are wine blogs who are rather dismal and their only motive is to harm and figuratively maim other wine bloggers. They bitch and bully when a prominent wine blogger gives out information they don't agree with. Instead of clarifying or giving their own professional opinion, they call out names instead. Seriously, to call people names and try to ruin their reputation is very sophomoric, "my love," besides missing out on an opportunity to assist and share your own professional opinion. It's important to share the wealth of knowledge in a wine blog instead of using others in a nonconstructive way to gain an audience. 

To sum it up, as an old friend use to say about men who were bullies or drove small trucks with noisy exhausts and big monster tires, "Sorry about your penis ... "  

A sympathy card is on the way. 

Over all, this is just a long way to get around to let my readers know that I appreciate all of you very much. Any success I have been blessed with started here due to my readers. Thank you, and here's to a healthy and profitable New Year for all.