I am currently taking a class at SOU, Working in the Wine Industry.

I have found it to be fun and informative. Robert Trottmann, from Ledger David, is the instructor and has a wealth of knowledge to share. It is amazing to watch the young minds absorbing all that he has to offer, soaking up the information and looking forward to starting out on their own amazing careers.

As part of my classwork, I had to do a research project on where I would like to be in the wine industry. Since I so thoroughly enjoy writing this blog, I thought is appropriate to do my project on Grape Discovery. 

I have done a slide show presentation, so if you would like to see it click on this 

LINK

Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul, gives being to
our hopes, bids the coward flight, drives dull care away, and teaches
new means for the accomplishment of our wishes.

-   Horace

Winter Tastings.

Winter can be a great time to go visit wineries if you are truly interested in tasting, rather than just a day of drinking, partying and/or events.  The roads are less traveled, the crowds are gone, and often there is more time to explore the wines and hear the stories about the winery, vineyard, the people and individual wines.

While it is not as strikingly beautiful as a vineyard in all of its glory, the trade-off is worth it. Winter affords you the time to sit back and savor the experience. Having a tasting room all to oneself with the complete attention of the server is a treasure.

Personally, when I visit a winery during the winter months, I like to stretch my imagination and envision what the vineyard will look like come spring. I also like to poke about as see what treasures the tasting room might hold as there is more room to wander and explore. 

I highly encourage everyone to venture forth and visit Southern Oregon wineries during the winter. One caveat is that the hours can vary greatly during the winter. Many tasting rooms have abbreviated winter hours and days, or are closed for a lengthy period altogether. I suggest you visit their website, call or check out the Southern Oregon Winery Association for details.

"Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Random Thoughts

Greetings!  I thought I would just share a few random thoughts with you this week.

Recently while working in the Tasting Room, the discussion arose regarding the tremendous proliferation of wineries in Southern Oregon, I was asked what I thought about it and did it bother me. This was a good question that I had to pause and reflect about before answering. Of course, competition is good and Southern Oregon has been supportive in welcoming new businesses to the fold. But, beyond that, my response was the rapid expansion we have experienced is good as long as it brings along with it a corresponding increase in quality. More great wines in the valley is a welcome addition as it brings more attention to Southern Oregon. There are many wineries in the valley that are producing highly-rated wines which raises the overall profile of Southern Oregon wines. Any addition to that list is sure to be good from a consumer, oenophile and business standpoint.

When I first stated there must have been around 30 wineries in Southern Oregon, today there is approximately 70, and more to come as I've heard on the "grapevine."

I remember many years back, while I worked at RoxyAnn Winery, Ron Stringfield of Galaxy Distributors and a Garagista in his own right, helped organize a monthly blind peer-tasting amongst the valley winemakers. I had the occasion to work one of these events and I must say, it was enlightening. There is nothing quite like a winemaker ripping apart a wine, only to discover it was one if their own. What these tastings ended up doing, however, was to create a conversation and a way for the winemakers to share their successes and failures.  I saw a marked improvement in the region's wines overall after these little soirees.  As the old saying goes,

 "a rising tide lifts all boats." 

As to personal reasons, namely this blog and my own wine enjoyment, I enjoy seeing the advent of new wineries, it means new places to go and new wines to try and more blogs to share with you.  The journey of discovery continues.  On a professional note, it means new career opportunities, new tourism attractions and a welcome addition to our local economy.

To learn more about Southern Oregon Wines, please visit the Southern Oregon Winery Association or for info on Oregon wines in general, visit the Oregon Wine Board

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.

 -Aristophanes

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

Where are we?

Can you tell which winery we are at?  
Hint, it is not a Southern Oregon Winery.
A recent trip outside the valley resulted in a great day of tasting. 
Story to follow...

Comment below

Where are we?

Can you tell which winery we are at? 

Comment below

Glass as Art: Randall Perkins, A Retrospect

As we enjoy wine, we do not often think of the vessel, not the barrel, but the glass.  Wine is conditioned in glass, stored in glass, decanted in glass and ultimately served in glass.  Glass, in essence, is indispensible to modern wine.  How often do you think of wine and glass as an art form, other than the craft that produces the delicious nectar one imbibes from said glass?  

Randall Perkins is a glass blower that looks beyond the normal usage of glass in relation to wine.  He takes his inspiration straight from the grape itself for his creations. His work has been exhibited locally at the Rogue Gallery and ArtCenter during last years’ Art in Bloom celebration.

Randall is a polymath, an individual who excels in multiple fields of the arts and sciences. He has studied Computer Science and is employed as a Data Warehouse Specialist, but in his spare time, he is an accomplished glass blower, cheese maker, baker and gourmet chef.  I would not be surprised if he also clogs and writes mini-operatic arias on the side.

Randall started out as a chemist in college and got into glassblowing because he was breaking so much chemical glassware. Instead of paying the fees to replace the custom glass, he learned how to blow and repair it himself.  His budding interest took him to a glass art apprenticeship in Mexico City and back to the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, where he studied under famed American Glass Artist Marvin Lipofsky. It was during this time in 1979 he met Venetian glass blowing master, Gianni Toso. He moved to Venice to apprentice under Toso.  Randall ultimately returned to Northern Cali and built Pfeiffer Ridge Glass Studio in Big Sur and enjoyed life as an artist. But the reality of being a starving artist set in after five years and he returned to school to get a second degree in computer science.  

In addition to working full time and blowing glass, Randall is a devoted husband to his wife, Barb.

Barb is an AVP of Human Resources, and is also quite accomplished outside the workplace. Barb is a Certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner and owns a “paws-itively healing” company called Happy Dog Massage. 

Randall takes his inspiration from nature and Barb supplies him with plenty of inspiration. She is an accomplished gardener and has a beautiful garden at their lovely home.  Last year, Barb was selected by the American Association of UniversityWomen as one of six homes in Medford to exhibit her garden in a one day showing.  

Glass Grass

Flowers

In short, Barb is also Randall’s muse. Together they have a website, Gardens and Glass, where you can learn more about Randall, Barb and Harris (their happy furry friend). 

  

Harris

You can also see Randall’s art in person at the 7th and last show of Art for the Home & Garden in Ashland on June 6-8, at 421 Prim St., Ashland, OR. I suggest you not miss this unique experience - 2 Ashland ladies clear out their home to host  26 regional artists in a fabulous showcase.

Here is a sampling of Randall's work.

Fiddleheads

Clear Grape Clusters

Tree Sprite

Peppers

Where are we?

Can you identify which winery we are visiting?

Please comment below...

Shaking off winter's hibernation

Spring has sprung and a young man's fancy turns to wine tasting. (To steal a turn of phrase).

After a winter off, the time is rapidly approaching to start sampling the valley's bountiful wine offerings.

But, before we do, I have an article I have been working on for some time. I look forward to sharing the story of an amazing artisan, a gentleman who is quite talented at blowing beautiful, custom glass pieces.

Stay tuned, I will be sharing shortly.

CHEERS

Where are we?

Can you tell which winery we are at?

Early Harvest

My brother-in-law, Tom, and his wife, Carolyn, were in town this weekend for my father-in-law's "70-Sumtin" birthday. On Saturday, we took them to a few old haunts, first we took them out to Wooldridge Creek Winery so we could pick up our autumn release and say hello to old friends Kara & Greg, the winemakers, and Terry in the tasting room.  Then we were off to Red Lily Vineyards to introduce Tom & Carolyn to our of our favorite places.

This time of year is early harvest, the whites and early reds, such as Pinot Noir, are starting to work their way onto the crush pad. Harvest time at a winery means many long days and hard work as the wineries rush to battle nature's capriciousness. In addition to judging the perfect brix (or sugar levels) in which to pick the grapes, birds, bears, deer, rain and other sundry natural forces conspire against the harvest crews in getting the grapes in at just the right time.

When we arrived at Red Lily, owner and winemaker, Rachel Martin was still on the crush pad finishing up for the day. We wandered over to check her progress and get an update. Rachel explained that their newest addition,  a white grape, Verdejo, was doing great and the first of their famous Tempranillo was coming in.

As I said, harvest is hard work, long days and lots of beer (no wine can be made without copious amounts of beer). This year, Rachel battled a new scourge, bees. She said the bees were wildly abundant this year, having worked themselves into the grapes. She alone had gotten stung eight times (so far). She told us the grape press reverberated with the sound of bees as the grapes went through it.  Apparently bees are attracted to the sugary grape pulp, they do not, however, pollinate grapes.  Grapes are pollinate via air -borne pollen.

Harvest will be going on for sometime in the valley as the grapes do their slow, steady march toward ripening and their eventual plucking from the vine to be made into delicious Southern Oregon Wines.

To all of the winemakers, staff and harvest crews, I wish you a great harvest and look forward to the "fruits of your labor"!

WHERE ARE WE?

Can you tell which winery we are at?
Please comment below...

Autumn is neigh...

By all these lovely tokens September days are here, 

With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer.
-Helen Hunt Jackson

Yes, Autumn is in the air. The days grow shorter and cooler, the nights crisper and the grapes... well, the grapes are well into Veraison, changing color, ripening, developing the complex sugars that will give them their wondrous flavor. The grapes sunning on the vine, enjoying the temperate nature of late summer/early fall, growing fat and fragrant.

This is a wonderful time to go wine tasting in the valley. The temperatures are comfortable, there is a buzz in the air at the wineries as harvest approaches and the colors are starting to change, the trees dressing in their autumnal plumage.

Get out, drive to one of the numerous wineries our area has to offer. It does not matter if it is a grand chateau or a little shack - explore, find the hidden treasures and experience firsthand the romance of wine. 

The Romance of Wine, it is not in the vineyard, that is farming. It is not in the winery, that is chemistry and hard work. It is not even in the tasting room, that is a commercial endeavor. It is in the glass, it is in the relationships between friends, and even strangers, in the enjoyment of the wine. 

 The wines that one best remembers are not necessarily the finest that one has ever tasted, and the highest quality may fail to delight so much as some far more humble beverage drunk in more favorable surroundings.
-H. Warner Allen

 So, my suggestion to you dear reader is to venture forth, take a Sunday drive any old day of the week, enjoy the wonderful weather and dare to experience an unknown wine. While you are there, take a look at the vineyards and imagine, if you will, the vintage that these grapes will become and the enjoyment of revisiting them in the bottle at some future date.

CHEERS

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.

 -Ernest Hemingway

Linda Donovan Wines

Wine tasting comes in many forms.  It can be a friendly tasting with friends at home, it can be a big wine event, it can be at the local store as reps ply you with their latest releases, or it can be at a winery or tasting room.  Even within the confines of the tasting room, there are a myriad of approaches to presenting the wines. Some tasting rooms offer tastings and then wines by the glass and bottle for on-site consumption, often with musical accompaniment, food and other attractions to round out the experience. Others still take a more simple approach, invite you in, taste the wine, enjoy, tell the story and maybe sell you a bottle or twelve.

The latter approach is what is offered up at Linda Donovan’s new tasting room. Linda is an accomplishe winemaker who runs Pallet Wine Company in Medford and produces her own labels as well as labels for small wineries  throughout Southern Oregon. Pallet is a humming, busy place, but it does not offer wine tasting. Initially there were plans to do a tasting room at the facilities, but time and space concerns dictated otherwise.

Recently, Linda decided it would be good to open a small, simple tasting room where she could serve her wine and tell her story. She chose a site on her sister’s Valley View Orchard, right next door to the orchard’s historic farm stand. It has an open air feel with a large roll-up door, a bright, basic room and a wonderfully expansive vista overlooking Ashland. 

The Linda Donovan Wines Tasting Room takes a basic approach – it is only open Thursday – Sundays, from 1pm - 6pm and no glass or bottle consumption is available. She prefers to let the wines be the center of attention and the stars of the show. She certainly has accomplished this style. We had a great time sampling wines, playing with her large yellow lab Finnigan and taking in the information Linda was all too happy to share with us.

We opened with a 2011 “Le Jeune Chien” Sauvignon blanc. I love a nice, crisp sauv blanc and this did not disappoint. I had to ask as to the name and Linda explained that a while back, she had two old dogs that she had been with many years. After their passing, friends kept saying get a new dog, so she ended up living up to the belief that you should adopt, don’t breed or buy. This dog became Le Jeune Chien or the young dog.  

Next up was a 2011 Late Bloomer Dry Gewurtztraminer, which had “nothing sweet about it”. It was dry, dry, dry for a Gewurtz, a perfectly crisp wine on a hot day or for pairing with food.

We moved on to reds with a 2008 Linda Donovan Tempranillo, made with grapes from Fortmiller Vineyards, which always produces smooth, delicious fruit. This rich wine was a mouthful with beautiful, smooth-grain tannins. After the Tempranillo, we had a chance to taste a 2010 Long Walk Vineyard Mouvedre, grown on property at Valley View on the Corner Vineyard. Mouvedre is rarely a single variety, often paired as a GSM, but this wine is gorgeous with earthy spicy tones and a (savory) umami mouth feel. As a special treat we had the opportunity to sample the 2010 Orchard Red, a blend of Long Walk Vineyard consisting of 29% Mouvedre, 14% Gernache, 29% Cinsault and29% Carignan, a unique wine with surprising depth and character.

Before we left, Linda offered us a sample of her value label, Pick Me. These are the perfect Tuesday night wines, with a Pick Me White, a blend of Semillion, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc and the 2009 Pick Me Red Merlot. Priced at $8 each, these wines are perfect for the non-occasion occasion, a second bottle or a quick nip.  :-)

It is my belief that every wine producer in Southern Oregon would be well served to offer $8 bottles of wine, but that is for a later post. Linda subscribes to this theory as well, much to my delight.

So, for a simple, laid back and totally relaxing tasting, and great wines to boot, I highly recommend visiting Linda Donovan’s Tasting Room at Valley View Orchard in Ashland. 

I do not think you will be disappointed.

p.s. While camping at Howard's Prairie last weekend, we ran out of wine! A quick jaunt to the HP store and we found the Pick Me Red and White, which was enjoyed around a roaring campfire with wonderful company.

Waterfront Depot, Florence, Oregon

Another trip to the coast, another tale to tell…

With the Rogue Valley having been socked in due the smoke from Southern Oregon Wildfires, we decided enough was enough and decided to head for the coast. Our normal haunts were all booked up. Apparently the whole valley had the same idea and reservations were getting scarce. On a whim, I took a look at the map of the Oregon Coast and, for some reason, Florence, OR, just jumped out at me. I booked the first room I could find, told my better half we had reservations and off we (and the dog) went on Saturday morning.

I haven’t been to Florence since the mid to late 90s, so expectations were low. A clean room and a good dinner would suffice. The room at the Lighthouse Inn was basic, comfortable and clean. Cotton (our yellow lab) settled right in and we set out exploring the town. After asking the locals, we were informed that we should dine at the Waterfront Depot and to get reservations with a quickness.

 I called and all they had was 9pm. Ok, fine, we would have time to take the dog to the water, get cleaned up, have a nice glass of Wooldridge Zinfandel that we brought with us and then sit at their bar and have a glass of wine while waiting.

We pulled up to what was once the Mapleton Train Depot. It had been slated for demolition some forty years ago and was rescued and brought to its current location on the Siuslaw River in Old Town Florence.  The current owner opened a charming little restaurant serving seafood, meats, burgers and pasta - very eclectic menu, to be sure. We had read and heard that their signature dish, a Crab Encrusted Halibut, was not to be missed.  

 Since we had arrived early, I inquired as to obtaining a table with a view and sitting at the bar while we waited. The bar was full, but the excellent hostess found us a seat off to the side. The room was warm, friendly, sophisticated with a urban touch. Giant artwork adorned the wall above the windows facing the river and the other open wall had a giant blackboard with the menu in chalk.

 We immediately felt right at home. We opened with a J. Scott Viognier, a full-bodied, rich, ripe, fruit –forward wine with bright acidity, leading itself to a wonderful balance. J. Scott is Silvan Ridge winemaker, Jonathon Oberlander’s private label, and I had not had it since the mid-2000s when I sold it wholesale.  I highly recommend Jonathan’s wines, he is a very talented winemaker. The winelist was perfect, they had a nice selection of wines by the glass and a well-rounded list of wines by the bottle from the Eugene area, Oregon, California and a smattering of imports thrown in for good measure.

We had no sooner taken our first sip of viognier when our hostess informed us that our table was ready.  We had a nice view of the river and the Siuslaw River Bridge. 

We opted for a lime pepper shrimp for an appy that was very tasty, but the salad blew me away. I am not a salad guy, but this was so good. The viognier added just the right amount of acidity and fruit, complimenting the dish beautifully. Of course, I had to have the House Specialty, so I ordered the Crab Encrusted Halibut and a glass of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Normally the Nobilo, being a typical New Zealand Sauv blanc, shows a huge note of grapefruit and tropical notes and high acidity, which I like, and it did not disappoint. Paired with the fish and chili cream sauce, the wine countered the slightly sweet sauce and let the crust and fish shine through, a gorgeous pairing.

The Depot was packed on Saturday night and the staff was kept running all evening, but despite that they still did a bang up job, displaying poise and professionalism throughout. I would like extend a special thank you to our server, Wenonah, she was amazing, keeping up the communication and being attentive amidst the chaos going on around her.  The hostess was equally gracious, she found a wonderful table for us, and got our wines for us. If you go, be sure to call ahead for reservations, it is not a large restaurant and they are very popular.
We will definitely be back to both Florence and to the Waterfront Depot

Cheers!!!