ROAD TRIP: Pt. 2 King Estate

During our last roadtrip we had the good fortune to check out a few Southern Willamette Valley wineries. As we exited Silvan Ridge at around 5:30pm, we realized that time had slipped by and that most of the wineries were now closed. We had planned ahead for such a contingency, leaving King Estate for last on our list as it did not close until 8pm.

As we drove over the dark country road between wineries, we came around a corner and were greeted with the sight of what looked to be a medieval fortress perched upon a hill.

https://www.kingestate.com/

We drove up to what was obviously a large production, with lots of acreage and buildings. As we wound up the road we passed parking lots and a large complex that housed the tasting room, production facilities and much more. The parking lot even featured recharge stations for electric cars.

We let Cotton out for a run and then went inside to one of the largest Tasting Rooms I have ever been in, absolutely gorgeous. European-style, elegant, classy with lots of wood and warm tones. 

The Tasting Room is situated at one end of the large great room, with dining tables and rooms off to the side for formal dining.

Entryway to King Estate Tasting Room

We stepped up for a tasting and introduced ourselves. Our Server Extraordinaire, Shannon, got us situated and proceeded to share a generous tasting flight and the story of King Estate.  They have a number of flight options available for your tasting pleasure and be sure to explore. King Estate features multiple labels - King Estate Domaine, King Estate Signature, King Estate Vineyard Designated, NXNW and Acrobat. Each with their own distinctive style.

photo courtesy of King Estates

To say King Estate is large is to do a disservice to their growth and accomplishments. They have 1037 acres, of that 470 acres are grapes, 30 acres are fruits and flowers and 500 acres are oak groves.  The estate features estate honeybees, 200-300 turkeys for (insect) pest control and a raptor rehabilitation and release program in conjunction with the Cascade Raptor Center.  

The estate is also a great steward of the land, with 4144 solar panels (enough to power 1000 residential homes) and Oregon Tilth and Salmon Sage certified organic farming. The farm and vineyards provide them with hand-grown estate wines and delicious fruits and vegetables for the restaurant as well as donations to local food organizations.

But, how was the wine you may ask? In a word, fabulous! Across the board, we sampled Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir,  Chardonnay, Cab Sav, and an AMAZING Pinot Gris Sparkling wine! They also offer red blends, rose`, Riesling and more.  We were eager to try their Pinot Gris and they have many different styles to choose from, two memorable Gris' were the 2013 King Estate Backbone Pinot Gris  and the  2012 King Estate Paradox Pinot Gris.   

The Backbone was sourced from 6 vineyards and was rich, unctuous, full and round. It had great balance of fruit and acidity and layers of complexity.

photo courtesy of King Estates

The Paradox, it was explained to us, was "an experiment gone right."  King Estate's signature style for Pinot Gris has no oak. During 2011, a happy accident occurred when the winery crew thought they were filling barrels with Chardonnay, but in actuality they were filling it with Pinot Gris.  It spent 16 months in new French oak and resulted in a unique Gris where the subtly subtly integrated with the lively acidity of the wine.  It too is well rounded, has a wonderful, ample mouth-feel, offers great layers and a has gorgeous finish.

photo courtesy of King Estates

We went through the Pinot Gris flight and then Shannon asked us where we would like to go next, she had steered us along great and we threw our trust to her best judgement. We tasted innumerable wines (or so it seemed to us after a day of tasting). Each delicious and more amazing than its predecessor.  We sampled tasty Pinot Noirs, Syrahs from Washington, a few odds and ends and finished with the two brut-style sparkling wines produced in the traditional Methode Champenoise. 

We had a thoroughly wonderful evening. The restaurant features world-class, gourmet cuisine, but we decided to forego dining on this trip. It is something that we will definitely partake of on our next visit.

We looked at the clock and realized that it was getting late and we must head back into town and a late night snack at the Village Green Resort before we called it a night. As we were saying our good byes, Jill commented, "It seems later than it is.... What time IS it?" Yup, it was one of those kind of wine tasting days, where you get so immersed in the wines that time stands still!

We had a great time at King Estate and we would like to send out a special THANK YOU! to King Estates for their hospitality and to Shannon Lewis for a remarkable journey of discovery of King Estate's wines and story.

IN VINO VERITAS

ROAD TRIP: North to the Southern Willamette Valley

We recently had to go to Eugene and we decided to make an adventure out of it. Jill found a great internet deal at the Village Green Resort  in Cottage Grove that allowed us to take the yellow stinky (our lab, Cotton).  We thought since we were going to be done in Eugene at an early time, we could check in and then go wine tasting since there are an abundance of wineries in the area that we have not been to.

First on our list was Sweet Cheeks Winery. We picked it because of the cute, clever name and its proximity to other wineries we wished to visit.

Our server, Jessica, turned out to be the founder's granddaughter and she was able to familiarize us with the wines and the story. We were intrigued by the name and she explained that when the owner, Dan Smith, was first plowing for the vineyard, they were working toward a gully. As they stood on the hill overlooking the work, Pappa Charlie, Dan's father-in-law, said it looks like cheeks. To which Dan replied, "Yeah, they sure are some sweet cheeks". And a name was born.

Sweet Cheeks to be sure!

We loved hanging out in the Tasting Room, it had an eclectic, rustic Hacienda-style atmosphere, with rough wood beams, a central bar and expansive views. The tasting room sits on top of the cheeks and the huge outside patio offers a panoramic view of the countryside. 

The have a number of estate wines, as well as wines made with fruit sourced from the Rogue Valley. The also have a kegger-rator for the non-wine drinking clientele.   My favorite wine was the 2012 Pinot Fusion, a red blend of 61% Pinot Noir, 21% Syrah and 18% Merlot (the Syrah and Merlot were both sourced from the Rogue Valley).

Our next stop was right across the street at Silvan Ridge Winery. Silvan Ridge is the oldest winery in Lane County (home to Eugene and the Oregon Ducks). Although it was a grey, rainy day, the Tasting Room was warm, inviting and also reminiscent of the Hacienda-style.  

The Tasting Room has two rooms off to the side for events and large tastings. One room had a long, beautiful wooden table that could have easily seated 20+ people. Sorry, I did not get a photo,  The main tasting area has a cozy bar and warm, gorgeous wood shelves displaying the wine and a beautiful stained glass window over the entry doors. It was both a familiar and comfortable setting.

We were treated a nice selection of wines from both the Willamette Valley and, again, from the Rogue Valley. With a number of great wines, one caught our attention, the 2013 Semillion. While it is only the second vintage of this varietal, it exhibits crisp, floral notes with a touch of toast and a creamy mouthfeel. The wine I was eager to sample was the 2011 Malbec and it did not disappoint. This is Silvan Ridge's first LIVE Certified wine, sourced from the Gold Vineyards in Talent (thanks Randy!)

While we thoroughly enjoyed the wines, something special really stood out.  The gentleman standing next to us, Rod Morris from Oregon Travel Adventures, was a regular and we got into a wonderful conversation about travel and all things wine - Oregon (north and south), France, Varietals, the movie Sideways. 

Ok, a side(ways) note here... in Sideways, they filmed the wine bucket scene at Fess Parker Winery, but it was renamed Frass Canyon Vineyards for the movie. FPW did not want that type of behavior to be associated with their winery. Frass was chosen because it is guaranteed that no winery will ever use that name... Frass is a term for bug excrement. Eww!

Anyhow, we had the most delightful conversation with Rod, he was a charming and enlightened companion to an outstanding tasting. Rod did turn us on to a new, to us, varietal, Picpoul de Pinet, which is great paired with oysters! We are looking forward to trying it out soon.

After a nice visit it was past closing for most of the other local wineries, but King Estate was open until 8pm, so off we went. That story will be coming shortly...

IN VINO VERITAS

DANCIN VINEYARDS

After the craziness of the Memorial Day/Opening weekend, we ventured back out to Dancin Vineyards with a group of friends.

They stay open until 8pm on Fri & Sat, later than most vineyards, and we made an evening of it. We sat on the patio that provides a great view of the valley, but one of the day's frequent rain showers drove us under the covered alcove by the front door. Offering table-side service, we sat down to enjoy a few glasses of wine. The day's flight had a great offering of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Malbac and Malbec Rosé. Dancin is the only tasting room I know that serves in the big, beautiful Pinot Noir glass. Along side they have a small carafe in which they serve the 5 oz. glass pour. All in all, it is a wonderful presentation, classy and very unique.

We watched with great interest as a party left the wine cave. As curiosity overcame us, we just had to go see what was in there.

 Dan, one of the owners (Cindy being the other) offered to show us the Cave. We expected a giant, deep cave carved into the hillside. Instead we were treated to a beautiful, intimate, tastefully appointed room with a gorgeous dark wood dining table running down the middle that can seat 10 people. Dan informed us that they could serve more with different configurations. At this time, rental is based on food and wine sales, but Dan said they were customizing the rates for each occasion. We were intrigued and look forward to have a small party there in the near future.

As some members of our group departed for further

adventures, Dan came out an chatted with us, covering a wide range of topics from wine making philosophy, Cave rental, tastings and fees, wine club, the use of chickens, plans for music and more. Dan is the the wine grower and assists Eric Weisinger in the winemaking. It is good to see Eric back from New Zealand and being involved in this project. 

 Behind the gorgeous Tuscan-style tasting room is a lovely lawn area shaded by a Black Walnut and other big mature trees. Along side is an unusual Chicken Condo, where they rotate chickens out to mobile Chicken coops, called tractors,  in the vineyards. The tractors are large enough that the chickens can move about, scratch up the weeds and their waste helps fertilize the vineyard. The chickens seem to be a major hit, kids and adults alike are fascinated by their antics.

Dan told us, they they will be concentrating on making top flight Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, but are augmenting their line-up with Velocity Cellars wines- Velocity, Malbec and the aforemention Malbec Rosé (my drink of choice for the evening, that's right- Real Men Drink Pink!). The also have a delicious Dana Campbell Viognier and there are plans to add a Rosenblum Zinfandel. Love what they are doing, there is a certain synergy to their offerings that works great.

In addition to the wines, Dan's wife Cindy (Dan+Cindy= DanCin) runs a stunning little food service with fresh baked artisan breads, thin crust pizzas made in a wood-fired pizza oven, desserts, cheese and deli plates and a host of other delectable delights. Their tasting notes offering food pairings for each wine, so you can best experience the tastes.

Dan and Cindy have been together 17 years and have figured out what makes them function best. Dan said that within the name DanCin, they are "fine as long as they stay between the 'n & c'." In other words, perfectly balanced right down the middle. This shows through in their wines, food and atmosphere. It is a comfortable place with attentive staff that really puts it best foot forward. 

The logo itself encompasses their winery. The seven dots along the top represent the 7 Pinot Noir clones they use, the Dan and Cin and two distinct boxes, surround by one box, unifying them together.

We had a brilliant evening with our friends and Dan certainly added to the enjoyment of discovering Dancin Vineyards. We would certainly like to thank him for opening a very special bottle of Rosenblum 2001 Maggie's Reserve Zinfandel, it was a special treat and greatly appreciated. The wine has held up great and is delicious to the last sip.

For more information, please visit the...

Dancin website

Dancin Facebook page

DanCin Vineyards Tasting Room

Jill and I went to the Grand Opening of DanCin Vineyards over the Memorial Day Weekend.

What a beautiful place! The Tasting room is done in a Tuscan style and there is plenty of outdoor seating surrounding the Tasting Room overlooking the gorgeous vineyards.  

DanCin currently offers Chardonnay and Pinot noir, both of which are excellent.  They also offer food (pizza!) and gourmet coffee.

As the Memorial Day weekend was jamming, we did not do a flight, instead we enjoyed a few glasses of delicious wine.  We will go back soon and do a proper review for you.

The view from the front patio facing northeast, toward Medford.

Jill in front of the Wine Cave

The sign on South Stage Road

DanCin Facebook Page

DanCin Website

CHEERS!

Here is a tip for all you tasters. 

When you go tasting, do you rinse your glasses between tastes?  

Please don't rinse. The average taste is around an ounce, not much liquid at all.  

When you rinse, water is left in the glass due to the adhesive nature of water.  Enough is left to dilute your next sample of wine.

 

Most wineries pour from lightest to heaviest wines, so you should not have to rinse between tastes. If the wines leave some stuff (we call this MOG- matter other than grapes) in the glass, you should either rinse it with the next wine or ask for a new glass.  Same thing if you happen to go backwards from a heavier to lighter wine, say from a cab to a Pinot noir. 

If you've had a dessert wine, get a new glass before venturing on.

Another factor to consider is the chlorine in water, it can affect the taste of your wine.  Generally you don't have to worry about this when glasses are washed, they are normally left to air dry and the chlorine blows off quickly.

Well, until next time...

Try something new this week.

CHEERS!

The Egyptians were the first to make glass containers around 1500 B.C.E.

Wooldridge Creek Winery

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. -Adrienne Cook 

And that could not have been more true as we headed out to the Applegate Valley to WooldridgeCreek Winery to pick up our Spring Wine Club Release. Yes, and our Winter Release, we haven't been as prompt since my immobility.

The day was clear blue skies with fluffy white clouds and just a hint of a nip to the air. Of course, Wooldridge had their fire pits and heaters blazing away on the patio amid clusters of wine tasters. People were also sitting in the lawn chairs, enjoying the sunshine, as traditional Irish music was wafting in the background.

We went in the Tasting Room, a small, rustic, intimate room, to pick up our releases where we saw Winemaker Greg Paneitz holding court, as is his custom. It is always great to see Greg, he is personable, humble and knowledgeable.

Greg and his partner Kara Olma have been innovators since they arrived in the valley. They were amongst the first to put me on the path to discovering wine and I thank them for the knowledge, passion and friendship they have inspired.

Greg and Kara's newest innovation was putting wine in kegs for wholesale restaurant sales. It is a remarkably brilliant idea, keg the wine, keep it pressurized, guaranteeing a long shelf life, as well as being affordable to the establishment and the customer. In addition to the sales aspect, it also keeps the winery costs down as there are no bottles, corks, labels, boxes or foil to buy, not counting the cost of bottling and storage.  

Needless to say, this program has been a huge success in the Rogue Valley as more and more places support the local wine industry. To this end, Greg informed me that the building under construction behind the winery would be for keg storage as they ramp up their efforts into their next innovation. They are currently working with the Oregon Wine Board to put bulk wine into grocery stores. If all goes well, you will be able to bring in your container (or purchase one there) and buy wine by the ounce from the deli, like buying cheese or lunch-meat. Details are being worked out. The model for this is last year's Britt Festival, where this service was offered for the first time to great response.

During our conversation Greg and his attentive staff poured us some of their other wines, I particularly liked the 2009 Pinot Noir. It had great body, not too thin, wonderful depth and flavor with just the right amount of spicy zing.

After chatting with Greg and picking up our wine, we wandered outside to enjoy the nice day and try the release wines and accompanying appetizers. We tasted the 2011 Dry Gewurztraminer, a nice crisp, dry Gewurtz that Greg suggested to pair with the Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner we had later that evening. The Gewurtz was sampled alongside a Tandoori chicken and rice sample.

Then it was off to taste the red, a 2009 Zinfandel, a rich, full, not too jammy, Zin that paired nicely with a Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Anchovy Butter. Yes, Anchovy butter, it sounds weird, but WOW! it was good and I am not an anchovy fan.

We sat down and visited, enjoyed another taste or two of the Zin and the sun before heading off to a traditional St. Patty's Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage. Greg's recommendation was spot on, the Gewurtz stood up to the cabbage and balanced the meal nicely. It was the perfect pairing of food, wine and friends.

Sláinte!