Winery Spotlight – Prive Vineyard (Newberg, OR)
I plan on visiting this winery in a couple of weeks. So to prep myself I thought I would do some research which lead to this winery spotlight.
Cheers!
- Brandon
Privé Vineyard is located in Oregon's Chehalem Mountains (pronounced "Sha-HAY-lum"), which is home to the Ribbon Ridge and Chehalem Mountain American Viticultural Areas (AVA). The mountains extend from Parret Mountain to the south and run northwest across Bald Peak and Ribbon Ridge. Encompassing over 100 square miles, the AVAs include portions of Yamhill, Washington and Clackamas counties. An estimated 150 vineyards are planted within the AVAs with an average size of 12.5 acres.
Privé Vineyard consists of two blocks, Le nord and Le sud, that are entirely Pommard clone. The blocks are on Jory soil (red clay) that was deposited by lava flows up to 15 million years ago. The Le nord block is 1.5 acres, while the Le sud block is 1 acre; the elevations of the blocks range between 425 feet (Le sud) and 650 feet (Le nord). The vineyard was planted in 1980, and is just starting to come into its prime. Spacing of the vineyard is 5 feet by 9 feet, and the canopy is a VSP system. The vineyard is farmed using sustainable vineyard practices.
You may wonder why you do not see reviews of our Privé wines in the wine press. The reason for this is very simple: our estate wine production is limited to our tiny vineyard with its 30-year-old vines. We cannot plant new vines to increase our production. Each year's production sells out on futures, so it has not made much sense to enter wine competitions or send out wines for review purposes. Despite these limitations, our wines have received accolades in specialist publications, and we are pleased to share a few of them with you here.
PinotFile, Vol. 8, Issue 8, December 24, 2009
Privé 2008 le nord was included in PinotFile's list of 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir All-Americans. Our wine was one of only eleven Oregon wines to be so honored.
PinotFile, Vol. 8, Issue 6, November 29, 2009
2008 Privé Vineyard le nord
Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Lovely aromas of black cherries, black raspberries and a hint of exotic spices. Rich and forthcoming with a blackberry and black cherry core clothed in caressing tannins and possessing the right touch of balancing acidity. More lush and forward than the le sud bottling. A dreamy wine with a creamy texture that is approachable now but will benefit from more time in the cellar. If this wine was a lover instead of a wine, it is the one that would make you abandon your family, leave your job, and forfeit your hard-won position in the community for just one more fling.2008 Privé Vineyard le sud
Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. The nose exhibits plenty of green garden, Provencal herbs, brier patch and savory spice from the oak. A moderately rich berry core is very tasty with memorable midpalate saturation that picks up intensity with time in the glass. An herbal edge dominates the fruit initially, but the next day from an opened and re-corked bottle the fruit and spice came out to play with complete resolution of the herbal influence. Flat-out delicious the next day. This wine is meant for aging while you drink the le nord, and will be every bit as good in 3 to 5 years.Andrew Turner, Ponzi Wine Bar Notes, June 27, 2008
I have to say first off that Tina and Mark Hammond are some of my favorite wine personalities in the Willamette Valley. Their enthusiasm for everything they do and the love that they have for the land that they call home and make wine from is nothing short of contagious. Every year, I wish I had just a bit more of the generous allocation they share with us. They have been friends of the Ponzi Wine Bar since we opened and our friendship continues to this day. In fact, we remain the only retail outlet in the world for their two Pinot Noirs. The Le Nord bottling, sourced from the northern-most vineyard, is always pretty and feminine in style. It consistently has an intoxicating floral perfume to the nose with background nuances of freshly dug forest floor, ripe bing cherry and raspberry preserve flavors fill the mouth. With just about 150 cases produced, our allocation never lasts for more than a couple of weeks. If you love pure, sexy Pinot, you owe it to yourself to try one of the best!
PinotFile, Vol. 7, Issue 9, January 1, 2009
Privé 2006 le sud was included in PinotFile's list of 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir All-Americans. Our wine was one of only eleven Oregon wines to be so honored.
Corx Wine Bags: Pennywise Pinot Noir 2009
Has Anyone Tried Pennywise Pinot Noir?
I saw this brand at my local wine shop. My first thought was that this was going to be an American version of Yellow Tail, so I passed on by.
Then I saw it was reviewed by Wine Enthusiast...and the pinot got a 90 point score! What?
Next time I'm at my wine shot, I'm going to pick up a bottle!
Cheers!
-K
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Light brick red in color with hints of emerald, the 2009 Pinot Noir blend boasts aromas of cherries jubilee, root beer, rose petal, and cotton candy. In the mouth, flavors of delicate plum, freeze dried strawberry, watermelon rind, cream caramel, and vanilla bean. This blend finishes with delicate notes of fresh summer sweet strawberries that seem to linger endlessly.
Pair this wine with salads to pork chops to burgers with ease. Try this wine with rolled pork tenderloin stuffed with dried cherries and Brie cheese or a mushroom and sausage pizza. The possibilities are endless.
Blend: 94% Pinot Noir and 6% Syrah
critical acclaim:
"Surprisingly sophisticated for a Pinot Noir at this price. It's dry, light in the mouth and elegantly structured, with a nice bit of acids and tannins. The flavors are delicate in sour cherries, sweet tomato jam and dusty spices."
90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Estancia Pinot Grigio
I purchased the Estancia Pinot Grigio last week, as it was on sale for $8.99.
I didn't really have high hopes, but i was pleasantly surprised. For a mass market wine, I thought it was pretty darn good.
You're not going to blow a wine snob's hair back, but it is good wine for everyday drinking!
Cheers!
-K
"Aroma Fresh notes of pear, apricot and honeydew melon are accented by hints of citrus and lemongrass. Crisp apple and pear with notes of honey and ripe peach mingle softly with white pepper that adds a mineral touch to the vibrant, fruity finish." ~Winery Notes
Superior Cellar Awards
If your in or are traveling to Oregon and are looking to take your Oregon Wine experience to some of the best restaurants dedicated to wine in Oregon then this is for you. For a complete list of restaurants visit http://oregonwinepress.com/owp-scawards
Cheers!
- Brandon
In September 2010, Oregon Wine Press launched its Superior Cellar Awards to recognize restaurants whose wine programs place particular emphasis on Oregon wines.
The introduction of these awards honoring the best Oregon wine lists was timed to coincide with our annual restaurant issue in September, and we were delighted by the response.
For the program’s first year — 2011 — we focused exclusively on Oregon restaurants. After all, it is local dining establishments that embrace our state’s own wine industry with the greatest support and enthusiasm.
After an extensive evaluation of restaurant wine lists around the state, Oregon Wine Press selected 40 restaurants whose commitment to Oregon wines stood out.
Though breadth, depth and diversity were obvious considerations, well-selected smaller lists qualified as well.
For 2012, we are pleased to announce that we will be partnering with the Oregon Wine Board and, by extension, the Oregon wine industry. As a result, we are moving forward with the national expansion of the Superior Cellar Awards.
This will be an ongoing process, which over time we fully anticipate will see more and more restaurants within the state, throughout the region and across the nation prove worthy of being honored with an Oregon Wine Superior Cellar Award.
It stands to reason that Oregon restaurants will always offer a larger, diversified portfolio of local wines and place more emphasis on them than restaurants in other states.
However, the growing reputation of our industry, enhanced in particular by the prestige of world-class Pinot Noir, appears destined to extend its reach and increase its influence throughout the country.
Obviously, it remains vitally important to the strength and stability of our statewide wine industry for Oregon restaurants to put as much support behind it as possible.
That’s what they do in European countries, so much so that from one region to another, many restaurants are likely to offer primarily or even exclusively the wines of that region.
In that regard, for an Oregon restaurant to retain its position on the roll of Superior Cellar honorees from year to year, its wine list must meet a higher standard than elsewhere. Being Oregon-oriented both in selection and recommendation is mandatory.
Owing to the wide range of wines produced around the state, a restaurant’s wine list could be exclusively Oregon and still be able to offer every basic type — aperitif, sparkling, red, white, rosé and dessert.
Furthermore, by featuring local wines as well as farm fresh produce and locally raised meat and poultry, restaurants are truly presenting the best of Oregon’s bounty to tourists and other visitors.
As for our diversity of table wines, cumulatively around Oregon almost every major European wine region is represented through the propagation and production of their most popular varietals.
This includes France’s Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Champagne, Alsace and Provence, Italy’s Piedmont, Tuscany, Lombardy and Alto Adige, Germany’s Rhine and Mosel, as well as key varieties from Spain and Austria.
In our new relationship with the Oregon Wine Board, we are redoubling our efforts to seek out deserving restaurants in other states. However, it is inevitable that worthy candidates will be overlooked.
To that end, we welcome reader input. If you know of a restaurant in any state that would appear to meet Oregon Wine Superior Cellar award criteria, please let us know by e-mailing kklooster@oregonwinepress.com with the restaurant name and location.
This is an ongoing program and consideration of potential awardees will be conducted on a regular basis. To be named an award winner means the restaurant has risen above hundreds of contemporaries to emerge a champion of Oregon wines.
For 2012, only 60 elite eateries around Oregon have been selected as Superior Cellar Award winners. Of them, 20 new names now share the list with 40 current ones, whose level of excellence has earned them a continued place among the honorees.
They are joined by 10 elite eateries beyond our borders, whose commitment to Oregon is commended by the industry and is hereby recognized. We look forward to seeing many more earn the right to enter their ranks in the future.
Start Your Own Winery
I was fascinated with this simple concept, which could only help to bring about some interesting wine offerings in the years to come.
Cheers!
- Brandon
Winery Investing Beyond Cashing-Out
Micro-lending and crowd-funding make opening a winery possible without needing a personal fortune.
By Janice Fuhrman
Today, possessing a large fortune is no longer the only means to start your own winery. While millions of retirement dollars or capital gains can score you the winery of your dreams in California, New York or Virginia, concepts such as crowd-funding and micro-lending could get you through the cellar door for much less.
Crushpad, a custom wine-making facility based in Sonoma, California, recently instituted its Syndicate program, which provides the business tools including private investment agreement and business and compliance models to start a wine brand.
Through crowd-funding, the leveraging of communities of investors, a small wine brand producing 50 to 2,500 cases annually can be formed using Napa Valley grapes for as little as $20,000.
“We’ve found that the more investors there are in a wine brand, the more people there are promoting the wine because they have pride of ownership,” says Michael Brill, Crushpad founder. “Our clients are very busy and even 50 cases require a lot of effort to sell. So if you’ve got 10 investors promoting it, you’re better off.”
Before the current economic downturn, Sonoma vintner Ross Halleck attempted to use micro-lending to raise money for Halleck Vineyards through Prosper, a person-to-person lending marketplace. Previously, he came up with only $1,000 from micro investors, which he turned down because “it wasn’t worth the trouble.”
Today, Prosper reports that its small business loans jumped 83% in the last six months, including loans to wine-related ventures. The recent trend is for small business owners to seek personal loans and use the capital to fund small businesses, notes Prosper spokesman Laurie Azzano.
Small investors can also buy into the wine business by acquiring shares of publicly-traded wine companies, such as Constellation Brands or Treasury Wine Estates. “You have more fluidity with a publically-traded company and it’s easier to buy and sell,” says Richard Hogan, a managing director with Merrill Lynch in San Francisco.
For those who envision the scale of Napa or Sonoma wineries, the economic downturn has created buying opportunities, though not exactly fire-sale prices. Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division in St. Helena, California, says, “As we make the long, hard slog out of this recession, people are buying and selling wineries, and financing is available.”
About Corx Wine Bags
Corx Wine Bags was founded in 2005 by two friends who had passion for wine. One of them being a self proclaimed klutz and the other a self proclaimed sewing master, they sought to create the ultimate wine bag. After several prototypes the “Tre” 3-bottle wine bag was born. A wine bag of the highest quality that prevents bottles from breaking in transit for those klutz’s out there, while keeping your wines at proper storing temperatures during your trip to your favorite BYOB restaurant, picnic location or bringing bottles home from your favorite winery. For more information about all of our wine bags please visit us at www.corxwinebags.com
Anniversary Wine (aka Panty Slipper)
My good friends know that when I find a good wine I call it "liquid sex." Well Groth Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those wines.
I first drank Groth Cab when I was in the restaurant biz. My wine rep said I had to try the 1997 Groth Cab, and so I bought a couple of bottles. Needless to say, they were exquisite!
They are not everyday wines, but for an anniversary...they should yield some good results!
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The Cabernet Sauvignon fruit is grown on our Estate controlled vineyards, in the Oakville AVA, in the heart of the Napa Valley. The Oakville District is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon and produces wines that are full, lush and very elegant.
Winemaker tasting notes: The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is big and lush with huge gobs of fruit in the aroma and flavor. The texture of the wine is soft and supple, typical of Cabernet Sauvignons grown in our area of the Oakville AVA.
Menu suggestions: "A slab and a Cab", Dennis Groth recommends you drink his Cabernet Sauvignon with steak.
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Enjoy this panty slipper!
Cheers!
-K
Wine Library TV to End???!!!
Gary Vaynerchuk has been producing the Wine Library TV series since 2006.
The series recently reached 1000 episodes, which is incredible. And now they are hanging up their shoes...
The Internet received word today that Gary Vaynerchuk is hanging up his jets helmet. The host of WineLibrary TV, a huge success in the online entrepreneur dictionary, has been online for several years now. Even people who don’t know a Pinot from a Cabernet could be entertained and informed by Vaynerchuk’s show, which started as a personal video camera project filmed by a colleague in the liquor store’s back room. http://www.modernb2b.com/trep-video-says-goodbye-to-gary-vaynerchuk/343008/
Thanks Gary for all of the great wine info and the memories!
Cheers!
Cartlidge & Brown 2009 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc
This wine is on deal about every three weeks. It goes from $18 to $12 when it's on deal.
"A brilliant light straw color, this wine combines delicate floral high notes with ripe melon, citrus, mango, and guava suggestions. On the palate, it's zippy and vigorous while offering juicy grapefruit and honeydew flavors." -Winery
At $12 bucks it is a great buy. Also, I give it an 85 rating!
Yummy!
-K
Denver Beer Company
Corx Spotlight: A New Brewer In My Backyard
Denver Beer Company
There is a new brewery in Denver. I'm really excited to try their brews!
Denver Beer Co. was born in our garages with a few batches of homebrew and a love for the craft of brewing. Serving only premium artisan ales and lagers, we utilize fresh ingredients and embrace both innovative and old world styles of beer. Similar to a farmer’s table, our beer selections change with the seasons. By brewing in small batches, we can ensure that a few old favorites are always on tap, but new goodies greet visitors each month.
Our brewery is founded on passion for high quality, flavorfully crafted beer and the belief that the best pints are those shared with good company. Drawing inspiration from beer gardens of Bavaria, we designed Denver Beer Co. to be a place where new and old friends can share a table and pint out of doors. http://denverbeerco.com/about-us/
Here's their line-up:
Wine Bags Closeouts
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