I hear it over and over, “Well, I’m just not a big red wine drinker”, or “but whites are just so easy”, or even "I feel like red wine is fancier than I usually drink." For the longest time, all I could do was shake my head and wonder inwardly what caused them to go so astray. I usually push a bottle of pinot noir (Willamette Valley, of course) on them and urge them to go home and find something that doesn’t pair with it, or just to sit back and give it a try.
The world of reds is not relegated to those with deep purses or finely tuned palates. Red wine, and more specifically Pinot Noir are wine of the people.
The Pinot is an ancient grape. It’s finicky, hard to grow, and challenging to make into wine. But the result of all that work reveals wine that pairs with most food from fish to duck and strips of crispy bacon. The creation is wine that is great on warm days sitting outside and cooler winter feasts of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
But let’s say you sit down one day long after experimenting with, let’s say Dauntless Wine Co. Estate Pinot Noir or perhaps the No Man’s Land Pinot Noir blend. Let’s also say you find yourself wanting to know more about what you should be looking for smelling and tasting. After all, sitting down with such a well-rounded wine intrigues you, doesn't it?
Grab a glass, give yourself a hearty yet measured pour (I like roughly 3 ounces mostly because it is easy to swirl and not spill but is still a decent amount at one time) and let’s begin.
If you are trying our No Man’s Land blend next to the Estate,--which is obviously highly recommended--you may notice the estate is a bit more full-bodied and complex, floral and slightly less tart, more subdued. Perhaps you taste a difference of cranberries (Blend) instead of Bing Cherries (Estate). Perhaps not.
More than anything, however, enjoy the wine.
While it is fun to break wine down, ultimately wine is meant to bring people together and share good times. Lounge outside on a warm summer day, or around the fireplace with friends. Tell stories and bring back memories.
Jump into the world of red wine through Pinot Noir. You will not be disappointed.
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It's been awhile since we've put out an update, things have been busy! We hope everyone is beating the heat right now! Although oppressive, this warm weather is treating the grapes just right. The vines over at Jesse Estate Vineyards recently showed the first signs of veraison - which is when the clusters turn color and the vine pumps them full of sugar. Veraison is the last major step before harvest, based on averages harvest comes 30-45 days after veraison hits. That said, it looks like the 2018 harvest will come in at the end of September! We're looking forward to working with more great fruit from Jesse Estate!
With that, we're happy to share that we are crushing this year at Laurel Ridge winery. We are fortunate that they had space open up at the last second for us to move in to. Interested in participating in a crush? We may need help processing fruit, so if you'd like to get your hands dirty then let us know! Reply back to this email with your contact info and we'll stay in touch!
However - we are not pouring out of their tasting room, instead we are working with Urban Decanter in Forest Grove to pour our wines on Sunday and by appointment. The details have to be finalized with the OLCC, but we should be cleared hot come October.
In keeping with our slogan "wine with a mission" we are donating 15% of our sales from the Memorial Day weekend to the Returning Veterans Project!
The Returning Veterans Project is a non-profit based out of Portland, OR with a mission to provide free, confidential mental and physical health services to post-9/11 war zone veterans, service members, and their families in Oregon and Southwest Washington. RVP also hosts regular events for Veterans as well as clinics and other services. They are a fantastic organization that deserve recognition for their efforts. We are proud to support them and their mission!