Umpqua Valley: The New Napa?

Just kidding! But seriously, many in the wine industry are nervous about the effects of global warming on the climate. We all know that grapes perform differently in different climates. What makes a Burgundy wine a Burgundy wine? Why, the terroir that it lives in, of course.

So when the scientists watch the climate changing in these famous regions, it leads to the conclusion that, sometime in the not too distant future, you may not be able to grow Burgundy wine in Burgundy!

This quote from a recent AP article says it all:

"Areas where wine can be cultivated are moving northward in Europe. Four or five decades ago, it was "absolutely absurd" to think wines could be grown significantly in Britain, Issaly said. "Alas, and this is a crying example of the consequences of global warming. Because of increasing temperatures, they are able to grow in Britain."

Thus, our children may be living in the new Napa, as far as climate goes. Napa will burn up and we will heat up enough to grow those lush Cab grapes, Sangiovese, Petite Syrah.

The Italian Varietals

Yes, Oregon, there are other varietals out there other than Pinot Noir. I guess not enough Italians migrated here to establish many of the famous grapes of Italy; Northern Italian varietals include, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Dolcetto, the famous Sangiovese of Chianti and most people have had Pinot Grigio, or as we call it here, Pinot Gris, a white.

We make some very delightful Dolcetto here. Palotai Vineyard comes to mind. However, we have yet to explore these other varietals. Sangiovese is a tricky vine and requires very specific growing conditions which we've yet to discover here.

Italian varietals are not has popular in Oregon then in, say, Mendocino County, CA where there's plenty of Italian decedents to go around! These grapes are hard to grow and are naturally market driven. Moral: Drink more Italian varietals from Oregon!

Please pass the Red!

Ah, winter in Oregon. Don't get me wrong, winter here is a joy compared to my youth growing up in Minnesota! This is the time of the year to break out those hearty Reds that have been sidelined for the hot summer months and are now the star attraction.

Personally, I prefer reds anytime of the year. When served at the proper temperature which is much cooler than most people think, that being around 65 degrees, reds are a anytime quaff.
It's true that I would lean towards a lighter red during the summer such as Pinot Noir or a Dolcetto, but when winter rolls around I'm all over the big guys: Cabs and Petite Sirahs, Zinfandels.

I like to keep it simple. A few slices of some great cheese such as Pecorino and cracked pepper crackers along side my Umpqua Valley Cab and away I go.

The point is that the cloudy weather doesn't mean that you have to stop exploring the local wines. When cabin fever sets in give us a call at 1-866-WINEVAN. We'll show you a good time and you can relax around the fireplace while sipping the latest releases. Yum!

Umpqua Valley Wine Continues to Amaze

One of my most respected winemaker has said that the grape the Umpqua Valley will be famous for may take another 200 years to discover! In the meantime, our current winemakers continue to experiment with different varietals. We already have vines that represent varietals from France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Germany and Switzerland.

Yesterday, will on tour, I had the opportunity to take a little sip of Malbec. I won't jump the gun here and divulge the source, as it was an "under the counter" taste! For a new release I'd give it 3.5 Yums. A little floral, a little spicy, with solid fruit. Already nicely balanced.

Just goes to show that we are living in Wine Paradise. What a great place to live out my wineau days! It's a whole lot of fun watching our AVA grow and discover new facets of its wine growing ability.

Not a Drop of Wine for Weeks!

Yipes. What could cause such a monumental shift in my habits? How about pneumonia! And five days in the hospital, to boot. All because I traveled to my dear Mom's 90th birthday celebration. That explains where I've been hiding for the past month. Finally, I feel well enough to write my blog.

So what does a fellow like me do when they can't (shouldn't) drink wine? Why, live vicariously thru my wife, of course. As I write she's off on a wine tour. And yes, I'd love to be with her. But her stories of this or that wine keeps my thirsty intellect happy.

This past Tuesday and Wednesday, she had the pleasure of escorting the Director of the Rhone Rangers ( a large CA based organization dedicated to promoting the Rhone wines of France) to nearly half of our local wineries that produce a Rhone wine. Think Syrah. Everyone had a great time and I lapped up the details from each day's events.

I'm a pretty simple man, if I can get you to taste and understand a certain wine, I have done my job. And there's nothing so gratifying as turning someone who understands fine wine onto our Umpqua Valley wines. Chokes me up. Our winemakers are foremost kind and generous people who have dedicated their lives to producing the best wine they can. That in itself makes my recovery bitter-sweet, I can't wait to get back to my beloved Umpqua Valley wine!

A Witch's Brew

Ever wonder why that YellowTail Syraz always tastes the same, year after year? Welcome to the world of wine adjuncts. Hundreds of compounds you can toss in the wine to get whatever it is you're after. Sounds yummy, eh?

I call this "Messin' with the Mother"! Growing grapes is a tricky business. When the weather is great you can get a good crop; when the weather is bad you get a so-so crop. Question is: Do you doctor up your crop to match the expectations of the market?

The saying used to be: You can't make a great wine from crappy grapes. Not anymore. If the color is a bit thin, just add concentrate. Not getting the sugar level you wanted; just add sugar. Seems to me that some of the wine out there doesn't even need grapes in the first place!

This is why I always suggest getting out to the wineries. It's within your rights as a consumer to ask what's in the wine. And it's up to you, of course, if you can live with the answer. For me, I like to believe that what I am drinking is a true interpretation of what the season was like for the grapes.

I do understand that in this competitive business the luxury of calling a certain grape's performance a loss, can make or break a wineries bottom line. If only the Fed's would subsidize the grape growers like they do the massive farm corporations, then maybe we could go back to the idea of Vintage. When only the best years are made into wine!

New Vs. Old

Having spent many a happy year in the heart of CA wine country, I like many, had a bit of adjustment to the finesse of our local wines. Let me be clear, I think both styles of wine have a place on our "American Wine List". But to some who haven't spent the required time "practicing" the art of wine tasting, the disparity between the two expressions of wine making, can be a mystery.

Simply put, our American wine journey started in Europe. Our ancestors brought the vine with them into a new environment. Vines didn't do so well "back East", so it wasn't until the CA wine industry geared up that wine in America became a viable option. But CA is a lot different than Europe for the most part. Most all of Europe is above CA longitudinally, meaning shorter cooler Summers. Here, the vines went nuts. Lots of fruit and lots of sugar, ie. alcohol. AKA, fruit bombs.

Enter the Umpqua Valley. Same latitude as Tuscany in Italy and the Rjoha in Spain. Hence our growing season matches more closely to Europe than CA. Grape berries do not have as much sugar as CA. Match this with a generally more "hands off" approach to wine making and you end up with a more balanced wine. Instead of the fruit overpowering the wine, our wines bring out more of the subtle flavors in the grape.

It takes the "Three P's" to really understand each style. That's Practice, Practice,Practice!!