When in Portland for the WBC...

The 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference commenced bright and early this past Friday morning, with another round of wonderful wines to taste. It's difficult to imagine tasting wine before noon, but as the saying goes, "When in Rome..." [I was in Portland for a reason!]

Winebow, an importer based in Seattle, provided a sumptuous brunch Friday morning. The featured wines were all from Mendoza, Argentina and the delicious food pairings were inspired by South American cuisine.

The Alma Negra Misterio Rosé ($24/bottle) was one of my favorites. Made from 85% Malbec and 15% Pinot Noir, this was a pale pink sparkling wine with delightful and bright flavors. The ceviche it was paired with was pretty tasty, too.

I also enjoyed the 2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Alta Malbec (spicy and fruit-forward) and the 2010 Bodegas Nieto Senetiner Reserva (a jammy, full-bodied blend of Bonarda, Malbec, Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon).

By 3 pm, we were on our way to Oregon wine country via bus (every bus went to a different winery and the destination of each bus was only disclosed once we were en route). I was pleased to find out that I was aboard the bus going to WillaKenzie Estate, a winery in Yamhill (about an hour away from our Portland hotel).

We were greeted warmly (with gift bags and 100-degree heat) at the beautiful WillaKenzie property. After the vineyard tour, we were all thoroughly drenched with sweat, but the promise of wine and food motivated us to hang in there. Our thirst was quenched with a Pinot Noir comparative tasting with wines from WillaKenzie, as well as neighboring wineries Solena Estate, Elk Cove, Belle Ponte. The winemaker/owner from each of these wineries was present to introduce and discuss their wines (this unique tasting was designed specifically for our bloggers group).

As delicious as the wines were, the highlight of the excursion was the sunset view of the Willamette Valley and the dinner of lamb and roasted vegetables that we enjoyed atop the WillaKenzie property. I would definitely visit this winery again (though preferably on a cooler day).

We were afforded a short break from wine-tasting on Saturday morning. During the lunch break, I went up to the suite of Craig Camp, owner of Cornerstone Winery, where he was hosting a Napa wine tasting.

There was a selection of 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet from various producers (including Opus One, Pride Mountain, and Far Niente). I was pleasantly surprised by the 2002 BV Georges de Latour—it was still dark and concentrated in the [plastic stemless GoVino] glass with intense blackberry flavors.

The entire line-up of Cornerstone wines were also available to taste. Knowing that I already really liked the Cornerstone Pinot Noirs (which I discovered at Pinot Days in June), I sampled the various Cornerstone Cabernet Sauvignons, which were all incredible. The 2009 vintage of “The Cornerstone” was outstanding with opulent black fruit and impressive structure (the kind of wine worth dressing up for, haha). At $125 a bottle, it deserves the red carpet treatment.

Saturday night, King Estate Winery from Eugene provided us with an amazing five-course meal, prepared by their estate chef, and paired with their estate wines. The third course of wild-caught King salmon with gnocchi and sausage paired exquisitely with the King Estate Pinot Noir ($29/bottle). But the final savory course did me in—roast loin of beef and mushrooms with the NxNW Cabernet Sauvignon ($25/bottle) was an awesome duo!

As you can see, there was no shortage of amazing wines at this conference. It was also a great opportunity to network and meet some of my fellow bloggers (please see the “Blog Roll, Please” to the left of this post). 

I would also like to thank the event organizer, Zephyr Adventures, and all of the sponsors. And to all the wineries who participated in the event—your wines were very much appreciated. Cheers! 

Intro to WBC

The 5^th annual Wine Bloggers Conference was held this past weekend in Portland, Oregon. It was jam-packed with wine tasting activities, educational sessions, and socializing opportunities with the other 375 attendees. (I had no idea there were so many wine bloggers!) The hashtag #WBC12 was at the top of the Twitter Trends list all week long.

The conference didn’t actually begin until Friday morning, but when I saw that the Welcome Reception was planned for Thursday evening, I flew in early.

The preliminary event was more “overwhelming” than it was “welcoming” (but don’t read that as a complaint). I was expecting a low-key gathering with a few unfamiliar wines and a few new faces; there were about 50 different wineries pouring upwards of 200 wines (needless to say it was anything but low-key).

The event was sponsored by the Oregon Wine Board; the participating wineries were from all over the state.

The largest wine growing area within Oregon is Willamette Valley (the second and third syllables of Willamette rhyme with ‘damn it’), which was well-represented.

I’ll be honest, I’m not very familiar with Oregon wine-growing areas or it’s producers (which is one of the reasons I wanted to attend the WBC in Oregon in the first place), so I tried a lot of new wines on Thursday evening.

 

As I made my way through the room, I recognized the familiar face of Craig Camp, owner of Cornerstone Cellars (who I met at the Pinot Days event). The 2010 Stepping Stone Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($30/bottle) was a fresh and lively wine with bright fruit flavors and good acidity. Tony Ryders is the winemaker for the Cornerstone Oregon wines, but I didn’t know that Tony also has his own label. When Craig suggested I check it out, I didn’t need much convincing. 

Ryders gained experience and notoriety at Domaine Serene before branching off on his own. Under the name of Tendril Wine Cellars, he produces super small quantities of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The 2009 White Label Pinot Noir ($48/bottle) showed red berry fruit flavors, with a hint of white pepper and rose petal; silky smooth and delicious. The 2010 Tight Rope Pinot Noir ($64/bottle), only about 50 cases produced) will be released later this year, and it is the kind of Pinot that will benefit from a little aging. It is rich and powerful with flavors of cassis, violet, and spice. Contact the winery directly for availability and purchase info. 

Red Hawk Winery was represented at the table right next to Tendril, otherwise I might have missed the value-priced Pinot Noirs they were pouring. The 2009 Grateful Red Pinot Noir was only $15; light and very easy to drink! The 2010 Estate Pinot Noir ($22/bottle) was more complex and concentrated with ripe, juicy red fruit flavors. Yum!

From there, I jumped across to the Cowhorn Wine table. As a big proponent of Rhone varietals, I was eager to taste their Grenache. The 2010 Cowhorn Grenache ($30/bottle) was lush but balanced, offering aromatics of plum and raspberry with ripe strawberry flavors underscored by savory spice. The Syrah was quite delectable as well.

Another Syrah that I really enjoyed was the one poured by Big Table Farm. The 2009 Syrah ($48/bott) with a picture of silverware on the label (drawn by the winemaker’s wife) was bold and full-flavored, with intense flavors of blackberry, cinnamon, and black licorice.

I also enjoyed the Domaine Drouhin and Brooks wines before the event started shutting down. It was a terrific tasting and a wonderful introduction to so many fantastic Oregon wineries. I’ll post more about the Wine Bloggers Conference over the next couple of days. Stay tuned!

Celebrate subtlety with Erath Wines!

The more wines from Oregon I taste, the more I love Oregon wines. (And it's a good thing because I'm going to be spending the next 4 days in Portland!)

It’s easy to get inundated with Californian wines when you live within an hour of many winegrowing regions in California. But Oregon wines offer something that California wines often lack—subtlety.

Don’t get me wrong; subtlety does not equal a wimpy wine.

Yes, there are times when a full-bodied Cab from Napa is just the ticket (for example, when you’re grilling up rib-eye steaks). But for someone who eats very little red meat, I don’t want a wine that will hit me over the head with tannin, fruit (i.e. a fruit bomb), or alcohol. I find myself gravitating towards wines that have subtle nuances and modest characteristics.

That being said, when I poured myself a glass of the 2010 Erath Pinot Noir (Oregon, $19/bottle), I was surprised. Albeit a pretty ruby hue, the wine was transparent in the glass—it looked more like a rosé than a red wine!

But one sniff and I knew this wine was more powerful than it looked.

Rose petal, red fruit, dusty earth, and violet aromas jump from the glass. According to a  friend of mine who just moved here from England, the smoky quality to the nose is reminiscent of a widely used wood polish in the UK*. I thought it smelled more like saddle leather, but I have never polished wood in an old English home (and I hope I don’t ever have to, haha).

*There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to wine—it’s all subjective. And that’s the beauty of it!

This elegant Pinot Noir expresses understated flavors of brandied cherry, red currant, and raspberry. It has very high acid without being abrasive; the mouthfeel is juicy and soft. Although I was skeptical at first, I really enjoyed this wine. And for $19 a bottle, it’s my new favorite Pinot Noir for under $25.

This wine would be great with ahi tuna—whether tartare or lightly seared and served with as a salade niçoise. It would also pair perfectly with an Italian anitpasto plate of proscuitto, salumi, olives, and peppers.

Before we “nose-dived” into the Pinot Noir, we tasted the 2011 Erath Pinot Gris (Oregon $14/bottle). This wine was a great way to start the evening; it’s a terrific apperatif.

Tart and snappy with vivacious acidity, the Pinot Gris is perfumed with Meyer lemon, pear, and citrus blossom. The palate confirms the nose with additional green apple and banana flavors. It is a pale straw color in the glass and finishes with very slight nuances of freshly cut grass and pineapple.

We enjoyed this wine with a honey goat-milk Gouda cheese from Trader Joe’s before we sat down for dinner. This wine would also go nicely with quiche, lobster bisque, or summer veggies.

Sidenote: I loved that both of these wines have cork-free closures. Without a cork, there's also no foil to mess with (and therefore less waste). These bottles were received courtesy of Erath Winery for participation in the Thirsty Girl Twitter tasting. Thank you both!

I am attending the Wine Blogger’s Conference from August 16-19. Please follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook for updates. Thank you and cheers!