SIP McMinnville happens MARCH 10-12, 2018 in McMinnville, OR.
That’s right! On January 20th I’ll be in McMinnville, Oregon to help judge Gold, Silver, Bronze and Best-in-Show wine medalists for the 25th Annual SIP! McMinnville Wine & Food Classic.
Scheduled for March 9,10 & 11 2018 at the Evergreen Space Museum in McMinnville, OR., SIP! McMinnville features over 170 artisan wine, brews, spirits, food and crafts under one roof. Funds raised benefit McMinnville’s St. James School for children’s school programs.
“It’s a great festival,” said Rich Washburn, Vice-President of Eola Hills Wine Cellars, a long-time Classic exhibitor. “We get a lot of wine-savvy customers who come not only from across the state, but from across the country. It’s a great way to spend a day or more.”
I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to the record-breaking 2017 Hospices de Beaune wine auction, and wanted to share a few images with you to get a flavor of the tour and all it entailed.
I’ll be hunkered down for the rest of the holiday season writing several pending stories for publication in a number of wine and lifestyle magazines, but be sure to share more information with you as deadlines loom after the first of the year. In the meantime, happy holidays, all – and safe travels.
I’m on hiatus this week spending some much-needed time with visiting family.
In the interim, my heart goes out my intrepid friends and colleagues in Napa and Sonoma enduring the wildfires. You will prevail. No doubt. #WineCountryStrong.
I leave you with a few images from two top-tier Reserve tastings I tippled through this past week, both showcasing stellar New World pinot noir and chardonnay.
Felton Road winemaker Blair Walter produces premium wines, including Burgundy- inspired Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Central Otago, NZ.
The first, a 20th Vintage Vertical Tasting of Central Otago’s Felton Road at San Francisco’s Farallon Restaurant featured winemaker Blair Walter, who teed up four different flights before lunch, then continued the barrage of brilliance throughout a gorgeous four-course luncheon. In full disclosure, I arrived in time to taste through the final two flights of pinot noirs, (I missed the new releases and chardonnays) and had to depart after the second course. That said, genius attracts notice, however fleeting the encounter.
Generally speaking, the 2011-2015 pinot noirs from Cornish Point and Calvert vineyards sported clarion ruby robes, lean bodies, pristine fruited aromas, animated acids, keen minerality, and a lingering finish.
The final flight, however – 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010 pinot noirs – proved heart-stopping in their grace, elegance, and finesse. Bouquets varied from stewed red fruits in Block 2003, to barnyard notes in Block 3 2005, leather notes in Block 3 2007, savory hints in Block 5 2009, and sous bois in Block 5 2010. Burgundy-inspired indeed.
Noble of tannins, seamless in structure, haunting in finish, these Felton Road reserve pinot noirs merit inclusion among the pantheon of finest Burgundians in their quality, complexity, and age-worthiness.
More to follow about specific tasting notes, variations in soils, microclimates, farming, and production techniques of Felton Road.
Link to my two-part series in Palate Press on Central Otago wineries here:
Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association hosts the 2017 Pinot Paradise Reserve Tasting held at Pasatiempo Golf Club’s Hollins House.
The second Reserve tasting, Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association’s annual Pinot Paradise at Pasatiempo Golf Club’s Hollins House, offered pours from local legends like Big Basin, Mt. Eden, King’s Estate, Mindego Ridge, and Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards.
A post-tasting Technical Session also featured Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards, Equinox & Barolo Winery, Silver Mountain Vineyards, Thomas Fogarty Winery, and Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards.
You’ll be hearing more about these local wineries in future posts, but the undisputed stand-out of the event was Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association show of support for Napa and Sonoma through #CAWineStrong.
I want to hear from you! Please leave your comments below, and be sure to follow me on social media to get the latest on Affordable Burgundy + beyond…cheers!
Copyrighted 2017 L.M. Archer | binNotes. All Rights Reserved.
This is PART TWO of L.M. Archer’s exploration of Central Otago. Before continuing, read part one.
Individuation: Fruit vs. Site
Forsyth sees a decided march towards individuation throughout Central Otago’s vineyards. “So now, thirty years later, we’re at the stage where we can see better producers concentrating on individual vineyards, husbandry, organics,” he offers. “There’s a massive divergence away from what people expect the New Zealand style to be, which is bright fruit. It’s all about fruit here, which is the best part — and the worst part.
“Now that just becomes a background for the palette of wines, I think, and the individual styles develop. We’re seeing more restraint, more elegance. The next thing after that is transparency, which then is not about fruit, but phenolics. Read more here.
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Copyrighted 2017 L.M. Archer | binNotes. All Rights Reserved.
Challenged by climate change, lack of available land and rising production costs, some of Burgundy’s top producers have established wineries in Oregon. But the more adventuresome are now flying much further afield — to New Zealand’s Central Otago.
Located on the 45 parallel in the Southern Hemisphere, Central Otago is one of the world’s southernmost viticultural areas. The region’s rugged terrain, steep river gorges, continental climate and extreme diurnal shifts prove the ideal crucible for creating exceptional Pinot Noir.Read more here.
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Copyrighted 2017 L.M. Archer | binNotes. All Rights Reserved.
