Just love this post by our own Julia Crowley – reprinted with permission by Eugene Daily News

Halloween is right around the corner, and whether you’ll be celebrating All Hallow’s Eve at a friend’s ‘house of horrors’ or hosting your own ‘haunted house’ , I’ve got some wicked wine suggestions that you’ll just be dying to share with your ghoulish grape loving witches and warlocks.

Starting with some wickedly savory wines that are made right here in Oregon, my number one suggestion for Halloween wine fun is Owen Roe’s 2009 Sinister Hand. With a label that’s got your eyes hooked on the bloodied severed hand, there’s actually a story behind the creepy drawing that’s sure to be a conversation piece:

“On this label the family crest depiction of a severed left hand tells the story of a rowing competition among the O’Neill’s & the O’Reilly’s (Owen Roe was an O’Neill). Whoever touched land first after rowing across the lake was rewarded with the land he touched. Lagging behind, one of the kinsfolk grabs his sword to cleave his hand and pitches it ashore to touch land first. He won the land and eventually ruled over it as king.” 

Owen Roe’s 2009 Sinister Hand Read the rest of this entry »

The Red Agave Restaurant & Cantina has been on the top five list of restaurants in the Eugene area for at least five years. We hadn’t been out for a nice dinner since last year, due to our busy schedule and babies. But, with the help of a friend, we were able to venture out last night where we were served by the owner, Brian Hebb, and chef Mike Meyer a simply fantastic meal.

ed Agave was originally opened and operated by friends Katie Marcus-Brown and Sara Willis. They also owned El Vaquero at the 5th Street Market and Asado. They sold all of these restaurants, and at the end of 2010 started a new venture in south Eugene called June. Brian Hebb purchased the Red Agave in 2008 and has made his own mark on the decidedly Central American cuisine, with chef Mike Meyer. Brian has introduced a seasonal focus to his diners, along with interesting dining experiences like his Longtable Dinners. In 2010, Brian entered into a partnership to open Cowfish, a coffee house by day, nightclub by night, on Broadway in downtown Eugene. Read more

By Kelsey Ivey at the NorthWest Wine Anthem

What’s in the mix for a great wine tasting event this summer? The perfect pairing: awe-inspiring wines and not having to drive; and that’s what the South Willamette Wineries are serving with three all day Barrel Tours this June.

Attendees will board a deluxe charter bus and venture into the wine country near Eugene for tantalizing tastes, food pairings and wine education. After a day in the vineyards, you will return to town a-buzz with love for the Pinot Noirs, transfixed with the Gris and craving more of the region’s ever-flowing wine hospitality. Read More

A Sam’s Party Shuttle Extravaganza

As described on their Facebook fan page, “Sam’s Party shuttle is the Premier Destination Fun Bus!” It’s true, and I know first-hand because I joined in on one of these premier destination parties: Girl’s Day Out. Read the rest of this entry »

Temperature, the unseen and often neglected factor, can bring the best and worst out of a bottle of wine in 2 areas: storing and serving wine.

Storing wine and useful tips:

Sadly, many great wine collections have been damaged because of instability in temperature and moisture. High temperature (>65ºF) causes the wine to age prematurely, thus losing its flavor and balance. When chilled too cold, the wine also loses its flavor and aromas. Keep the wines away from sunlight and heat exposure; store them in cellars, wine fridge, and or temperature controlled rooms. Wide fluctuation in temperature will damage the wine and the cork. Ideal range of temperature for storing red wine is 50-55ºF or 10-16ºC. White wines can be stored at lower ranges at 45ºF. The serving temperature chart below provides optimal storing and serving temperature by grape variety.

Humidity is another important fine balance. If the humidity is too high, mold can grow and cellar woods and wine labels can be damaged. If the environment is too dry, the cork will crack and air will leak into the bottle, again ruining the wine. Ideal humidity for wine storage ranges from 60-75% RH.

full article can be found at BetterTastingWine.com

And the Number One reason to visit the wineries of the South Willamette Valley……. Read the rest of this entry »

The fabulous Clive Pursehouse, staff writer at The Oregon Wine Blog has taken an interest in our beautiful valley all the way from Seattle! Here’s what he has to say:

I live in Seattle, and I was trying to get the scoop on the South Willamette Valley, but aside from a couple of the larger production wineries, many of the wines aren’t regularly available up this way.  I  broke out a telescope, thinking that perhaps, if you could see Russia from Anchorage, you could probably see the South Willamette Valley from Seattle, but you can’t.  So I made a few calls.

To get a sense of the southern valley, and that sense of place that makes Oregon Pinot so special, I talked to Danuta Pfieffer at Pfieffer Vineyards and Steve Girard at Benton Lane Winery about what makes the South Willamette Valley a special place to them.

The Pinot Noir from the South Willamette Valley – like much of the Willamette Valley – tends to be on the receiving end of the cooler climate. As a result, Danuta mentioned that it’s often compared to the Pinot Noir from Burgundy.  The cool climate specific to the southern end of the valley, which tends to be a more consistently mild climate with lower summer temperatures than what is seen by the northern Willamette Valley, gives the southern Willamette Valley an edge. A milder climate lends itself towards lower sugars and ultimately a more Old World style.

According to Danuta the Southern Willamette Valley is ideal for Pinot Noir, because in addition to the climate, the soil is a silty loamy clay called Bellpine Clay. The Pinot grown in the South Willamette tends towards more light berry flavors, raspberry, and blueberry fruit notes. These delicate wines tend to benefit from neutral oak and can be diminished or dumbed down by an overuse of new oak.

Steve Girard of Benton Lane Winery concurs with Denuta in finding Southern Willamette Valley to be a perfect destination for Pinot.  Steve owned and operated Girard Winery in California’s Napa Valley until he made the decision to seek out one the most ideally suited places for Pinot Noir.  Given that this was a serious move on his part, Steve looked at every possibility, including California’s nearby Central Coast, France’s Burgundy, New Zealand, and even Tasmania.  His research pointed to the Southern Willamette Valley between Corvallis and Eugene for its perfect culmination of weather and soil types.

The mild and more consistent weather makes ripening a little easier, though Steve’s view goes beyond the growing season and into the winter.  The effects that ice and a hard freeze can have on the dormant vines can impact their ability to ripen late in summer.  Knowing that great wine is made in the vineyard, Steve wanted a site that would have much more consistent weather and would allow the Pinot to fully ripen.  Fruit in the Southern Willamette is often picked a week to ten days earlier than Pinot from more Northern parts of the valley.  While in a warm growing season these slight differences may seem negligible, in a cooler, wetter growing season like the most recent of 2010, it can make a world of difference.  It is the ability to deliver consistent quality vintage after vintage the brought Steve here and steadies his belief that South Willamette Valley is the perfect place for Pinot Noir.  And not just in here in Oregon.

My curiosity is now piqued.  Can it really be that within the Willamette Valley, the world’s premier Pinot Noir growing region, these folks have found the perfect combination of terroir? Is the South Willamette Valley a sweet spot within a sweet spot, if you will? So, with a little insight into this special place I’ll be back next time on the blog to start examining the wines here.  Until then.

Follow Clive on Twitter!

King Estate: Celebrate Valentine’s Day at the King Estate Restaurant & Tasting Bar with our four course dinner. This special menu is available by request on Saturday, February 12th & Sunday, February 13th and is the only menu offered on Monday, February 14th.
For more info call King Estate: 541-942-9874

Iris Vineyards: Free Wine Tasting Saturday, February 12th from 11:00 – 4:00
Special Valentines Bargains on Exceptional Wines
Free Tasting of Heart Healthy Gourmet Oils, Vinegars, and Food items from Eugene’s renowned Olive Grand. – Proprietor Tamara Oldenburg will be there to tell you all about their products and answer any questions

Pfeiffer Vineyards: A long stem red rose and chocolate to each lady visiting the Pfeiffer Tuscan Cave Tasting Room on Feb. 12-13.  Open 11 to 5 Wed.-Sun. year round.

Sweet Cheeks Winery: Romancing the Vineyard: Come enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon in Oregon Wine Country. Stunning views and delicious wines make this the perfect spot to take your valentine!

LaVelle Vineyards: Join us at the winery in Elmira Saturday Night, February 12th from 5 to 9 PM for food by DEVOUR, and live music by Brooks Robertson and Apropos. This is a going away party for Brooks Robertson, as a final send off before he moves to Portlandia. FREE admission. We ask that you be considerate of our food vendor and not bring your own food.

Here’s the line up for the evening:
- 5 PM: Doors Open
- 5-6 PM: Meet and Greet with Brooks
- 6-6:45 PM: Opening Band: Apropos performs
- 7-9 PM: Brooks Robertson performs

Devour Eugene will be there selling Hot Food out of their converted VW Bus. Sandwiches for around $7 and soups for around $3.

LaVelle will also have our sweetheart to-go case sale that night! It’ll be a great deal on a case of wine, for those of you who come out to the event.

Sarver Winery: 2 New Wines to be released Valentine’s Day Weekend, along with complementary chocolates from Euphoria: 2008 Estate-grown Vin Glacé: This lovely dessert wine will capture your senses with an abundance of honey and nutty nuances, and a smooth and silky body. 2005 Rogue Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: With only 50 cases made, this full-bodied cabernet offers ripe fruit, complexity, and soft tannin on the finish.

Domaine Meriwether: In order to make room at the cellar for the new vintages of our non-bubbly wines we’ve decided to hold our first annual sale of our still wines during the entire month of February.  It might be a good time to swing by and stock up on some favorites.  Plus it doesn’t hurt to surprise that special someone with some wine for Valentine’s Day.  So to give you all a gift from us, we are offering a 25% discount on each bottle and an additional 10% off full cases of the wines listed:

2005 Chardonnay at 25% off, now $12 a bottle/ $129 a case

2006 Pinot Gris at 25% off, now $13 a bottle/ $140 a case

2007 Pinot Noir Rose at 25% off, now $10 a bottle/ $108 a case

2005 Pinot Noir at 25% off, now $22 a bottle/  $237 a case

N.V. Cuvee Glace Dessert Wine at 25% off, now $15 a bottle/ $162 a case

Aged in American and French oak, Sweet Cheeks Pinot Fusion combines the bright cherries of Pinot Noir with the round tannins of Cabernet Franc followed by the mellow finish of Merlot.  By fusing the varietals of Burgundy (Pinot Noir) and Bordeaux (Cabernet France and Merlot) and the Rhone Valley(Syrah) we’ve created a unique blend that showcases our pride in what Oregon can grow.

Stats:

Pinot Noir grapes were harvested from Sweet Cheeks Vineyards 10/14/09: 63%

Cabernet Franc grapes were harvested from Del Rio Vineyards 10/27/09: 15%

Merlot grapes were harvested from Del Rio Vineyards 10/15/09: 13%

Syrah grapes were harvested from Del Rio Vineyards 10/15/09

Enjoy!

Julia’s Titillating Tips:

Although the Sweet Cheeks Pinot Fusion is mainly Pinot Noir, the addition of Cab Franc, Syrah and Merlot makes me want to savor this wine with a slow cooked roast beef. Several years ago, I discovered an excellent roast beef recipe from Food and Wine Magazine: Red Wine-Braised Chuck Roast. Since the discovery of this recipe, I’ve made this Chuck Roast each winter at the on-going request of my family members, they absolutely love it. Because you’re going to use some of the Pinot Fusion for cooking, make sure to pick up more than one bottle!

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. One 3-pound beef chuck roast, tied
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 1 cup red wine, use the SWEET CHEEKS PINOT FUSION!
5. 2 cups beef broth
6. 3 cups water
7. 1 medium onion, halved and stuck with 2 whole cloves
8. 6 large garlic cloves
9. 4 large carrots, halved crosswise
10. 2 medium fennel bulbs, quartered
11. 1 bay leaf

 DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a skillet, heat the oil. Season the roast with salt and pepper and sear on all sides over moderately high heat; transfer to a roasting pan.
2. Add the wine to the skillet and boil for about 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add the wine, broth and water to the roasting pan and bring to a boil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, fennel and bay leaf. Cover and braise in the oven until the fennel is tender, about 1 hour; transfer the fennel to a baking dish and cover.
3. Return the roast to the oven; cook until the roast is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 180°, about 1 hour longer.
4. Discard the onion and bay leaf. Transfer the roast and carrots to the baking dish with the fennel. Cover and keep warm in the oven. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan, pressing to mash the garlic. Boil until reduced to 11/2 cups, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the roast to a carving board and remove the strings. Cut into 4 thick slices and transfer to plates with the carrots and fennel. Pass the sauce at the table.

Eat, Sip and Enjoy. Cheers! ~ Julia

CONGRATULATIONS to Noble Estate Vineyard and Winery for taking Best of Show and Bronze at 2011 Oregon Wine, Food & Brew Festival:
Best of Show for White for their 2009 Semi-Sparkling Muscat (Willamette Valley)
Bronze for their 2008 Reserve Cabernet (Rogue Valley
They will be presenting medallions at the event which is January 28th & 29th in Salem www.oregonwinefoodbrewfest.com

And that’s not all – click here to see their catalog of wines and awards!