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OregonWines.com: A to Z: "Aristocratic Wines at Democratic Prices"

Great wine, affordable price. You can't help but love a marketing message like that. I'm talking, of course, about A to Z Wineworks, and the tagline that appears on their wine bottles and web site. This past weekend, with temperatures topping 90F in Beaverton, we had the chance to enjoy a wonderful bottle of A to Z's 2006 Pinot Gris, while taking in the hot sun. Cold, delicately fruity, just a hint of something sweet -- all perfect for battling that fierce fireball in the sky. Purchased...

OregonWines.com: Pinot and Poultry - a Perfect Pairing

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and with it the time of year when Holiday meals abound. As the weather cools down, nothing can warm you up better than a fresh roasted turkey or chicken, right out of the oven. And, wouldn't you know, Oregon's wineries have just the thing to pair up against that bird: Pinot Noir. With its lush, fruity aromas and complex structure, Pinot Noir complements most any holiday dish. And yet, paired up against turkey, chicken, or duck, it's like nothing else. S...

OregonWines.com: Celebrating Southern Oregon Wines in Portland

OregonWines.com: Wine tasting club announces a benefit for the Living Beyond Breast Cancer program

Twelve Ordinary Women on an Extraordinary Mission: The story behind the “Women of SWILL Calendar” benefiting Living Beyond Breast Cancer Allegany, NY (September 2007) – One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. That’s a frightening statement and one that led the Women of SWILL to create a fundraising calendar on behalf of Living Beyond Breast Cancer. It is a calendar stripped – literally and figuratively – of any pretensions, illusions and inhibitions, created...

OregonWines.com: Autumn in Oregon's Wine Country: A Time of Change

The annual harvest is rapidly approaching, and with it, the never-ending change in season. It provides us a chance to look back and consider all that has changed through the years. You may have noticed a new look on this web site. After five years, we felt it was time to add a fresh look to the site. Did you realize this? That is has been more than five years since OregonWines.com began. In that time, we have witnessed a rapid growth of new wineries and vineyards across the state. Along with ...

OregonWines.com: Home Winemaking "Season" Approaches

As summer draws to an end, we are reminded of the upcoming grape harvest. We've had many inquiries lately from home vintners looking to source grapes. Mostly red varietals, some white... we have a section on our message board designed to help wineries selling grapes, and interested parties, to pair up. We would have expected more posts to it, but the season is still young. So it seems that interest in home winemaking is picking up. And, why shouldn't it? Oregon produces world-class grapes, an...

OregonWines.com: Sommelier, Educate Thyself!

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. We'd just returned from a wedding and were en route to pick up our son from my brother's house, when we stopped in at the Market of Choice in West Linn, to pick up dinner for an impromptu barbeque. After selecting a few meat dishes from the deli, I quickly grabbed a few Spanish cheeses from the cheese bin, including Manchego, a favorite of mine. A store employee came by and offered assistance. "I'm just looking, thanks", I said, though turning to the wine ...

OregonWines.com: Fall Wine Touring

Remember the scorchers of summers past? The endless heat, dry winds, and unseasonably warm Indian summer nights? This fall, things are looking a bit different, and with the welcome change in weather, will come ample opportunities for more enjoyable fall outings to your favorite wineries. Get out some scratch paper, and start planning your next tour to Oregon's wine country. Right now! With more than 350 artisan wineries on the map, of which 200 or so are open for daily tastings, there is no s...

OregonWines.com: Cycle Oregon Wine Country with Eola Hills

For Immediate Release Contact Rich Washburn 503-623-2405 rich-washburn@eolahillswinery.com (Rickreall, Oregon) - Right in the heart of wine country, Eola Hills Wine Cellars has long been a popular stop for cyclists who enjoy the miles and miles of desolate back country roads, covered bridges, ferry crossings, and the dozens of beautiful vineyards that dot the landscapes. Of note, this is somewhat of a unique and emerging trend as noted in a June 11th New York Times article featuring Eola...

OregonWines.com: Grilling and Wine: Celebrating a Tasty Fourth of July

Leg of lamb and Syrah. Steak and Cabernet Sauvignon. Spiced chicken and Merlot. Smoked turkey and Pinot Noir. Are you hungry yet? The Fourth of July is a wonderful time for wine enthusiasts to fire up their grills, roll up their sleeves, open their spice jars, and grill up the next gourmet recipe. All it takes is a little creativity, a little time, and the right meat and wine combination. Typically, you can find an Oregon red to pair with whatever you're cooking on the BBQ. There are a...

OregonWines.com: Buyouts and Hotels and Quarries, Oh My!

The ever-changing landscape of the Oregon wine industry never ceases to amaze me. Just a few weeks ago, news broke that one of the original trendsetters of our industry, Erath, was changing ownership to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates of Washington. Then there was the news that David Kahn, a sports executive, wants to build a "Napa Valley" wine hotel on the site of an old quarry in the Dundee Hills. Finally, there was news out of southern Oregon that an excavation company wants to create a new qua...

OregonWines.com: Is anyone actually cheering the sale of Erath?

By now, you've probably read it in local papers, watched it on the news, or heard it at wine bars and tasting rooms: Erath Vineyards has been sold to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE), which owns some of the largest wineries in Washington State. If you read it in your paper, it may have been that short, somewhat lacking article by the AP simply entitled, "Oregon wine pioneers cheer sale of Erath winery". What we're trying to figure out here is, exactly who is doing the cheering, and why? I...

OregonWines.com: The Tasting Room in Carlton: Grand Re-Opening Event Sale!

Hello everyone, Jay McDonald here of The Tasting Room in Carlton, as well as EIEIO & Company, producer of unmutilated Pinot noir. We will open, as we have been doing since 1995, on April 1st. This year we will be having a big sale to move some inventory and get some money in the bank. The sale works as follows: - One case (mixing is fine) 10 percent off - Two cases 20 percent off - Three or more cases 30 percent off Cash, charge, or check and carry only. No split checks. No ...

OregonWines.com: New Wine Laws to be Reversed? Don't Count On It

No sooner did the Supreme Court pass new legislation permitting the direct-to-customer shipments of interstate wine sales, than lobby groups are now stating it's unconsitutional.

Apparently, the laws surrounding the original ban on interstate wine shipments in New York came about as a means to prevent "destructive trade wars" between various regions of neighboring wine regions in other states.

Interesting to note the supposed similarities between wine territories and, say, rival g...

OregonWines.com: Visit some McMinnville area wineries this Thanksgiving 2005

As I was preparing to write this I realized I have not posted in a long time. I have had a chance to visit a few wineries in the last few months and wanted to quickly let you in on them. I will try to post better detailed summaries in the future on them. Stone Wolf is a label we all see in the stores and I was surprised at the quality of the wine. In my experience, usually the grocery store wines are cheaply made and don't have the time put in to them so you don't get much out of them. Stone ...

OregonWines.com: The Cellar on 10th: Update for July 25, 2005

Located at the corner of 10th & Marine Drive, In the Astoria Underground - Downtown Astoria 1004 Marine Drive 503-325-6600 Check out what’s new at the Cellar on 10th: Several new arrivals at the Cellar…Northwest arrivals included – from Zerba Cellars, they do it again with the debut of their new white wines, their 2004 Columbia Valley Viognier ($22); and their single vineyard Lewis Vineyard Chardonnay ($16.99); and the newly released 2003 Syrah ($32). These wines from newcomer Zerba Ce...

OregonWines.com: An Afternoon at Elk Cove

On one of our recent nice-weather Saturday afternoons it was a day perfect go out and enjoy some local wine. Elk Cove has a great view and very enjoyable wines. Wine: Pinot Gris Year: 2004 Price: 16 Aroma: lime, citrus Taste: clean, citrus, tropical Wine level/Wine Value: 7/7 My Comments: great porch wine, medium body, short finish, made in steel so has a bit of acid in it Wine: Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Year: 2002 Price: 20 Aroma: roses, red meat, wax Taste: violets, cranb...

OregonWines.com: The Cellar on 10th - Events for July 18, 2005

Located at the corner of 10th & Marine Drive, In the Astoria Underground - Downtown Astoria 1004 Marine Drive 503-325-6600 Check out what’s new at the Cellar on 10th: Several new arrivals at the Cellar…Northwest arrivals included – from K-Vintners, their new 2004 Columbia Valley Viognier ($23) with that bold, racy style you’d expect from Charles the winemaker. This Viognier is outstanding displaying floral aromas and flavors of Asian pear, nectarine and melon with a long, smooth finish...

OregonWines.com: The Cellar on 10th - News for July 11, 2005

Located at the corner of 10th & Marine Drive, In the Astoria Underground - Downtown Astoria 1004 Marine Drive 503-325-6600 Check out what’s new at the Cellar on 10th: Several new arrivals at the Cellar…Northwest arrivals included – from Spring Valley in Walla Walla, the new 2003 Uriah ($55) which is a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc true to the big, bold style of Spring Valley Winery which is an outstanding big red wine that will cellar gracefully; and fr...

OregonWines.com: The Cellar on 10th - News for July 5, 2005

Located at the corner of 10th & Marine Drive, In the Astoria Underground - Downtown Astoria 1004 Marine Drive 503-325-6600 Check out what’s new at the Cellar on 10th: Several new arrivals at the Cellar…Northwest arrivals included – 2 Great new wines from Walla Walla winery Syzygy, their 2003 Walla Walla Syrah ($32), a dark, meaty, spicy wine that is well balanced with subtle oak nuances that round out the palate and their Red Table wine ($23), a great red blend of Merlot, Cabernet and S...

OregonWines.com: Upcoming Amity Vineyards Events and Tastings

Date: 7/1/05 Time: 5pm Location: John’s Marketplace Address: 3535 SW Multnomah Blvd. Phone: 503-244-2617 Description: Wine Tasting. Featuring Amity Vineyards and Zerba Cellars New Releases. Date: 7/9/05 Time: 1-4pm Location: Made In Oregon, Washington Square. Address: 9589 SW Washington Sq. Rd Phone: 503-620-4670 Description: Wine Tasting. Featuring Amity Vineyards and Zerba Cellars New Releases. Date: 7/15/05 Time: Evening Location: Oswego Wine Com...

OregonWines.com: Memorial Day 2005 Writeup

I felt disappointed I was only able to get out to the wineries for one day when so many looked like a good time. However, when you have a family there are times you must put your wine agenda on hold and this was one of those weekends. I do feel I was able to pack a nice full day into Saturday and get to a few I have not seen before. The first winery of the day was ArborBrook Vineyards. This was the first weekend they were open to the public. There were pouring two wines, a bottled Pinot Gris ...

OregonWines.com: The Cellar on 10th - News for June 27, 2005

Located at the corner of 10th & Marine Drive, In the Astoria Underground - Downtown Astoria 1004 Marine Drive 503-325-6600 Check out what’s new at the Cellar on 10th: Several new arrivals at the Cellar…Northwest arrivals included – Willakenzie Estate’s new 2004 Pinot Gris ($20) with their Alsatian style of this refreshing, crisp white wine, and the highly awaited 2003 Pinot Noir from Lynn-Penner Ash ($45) rated 93 points by Wine Spectator, which packs an amazing amount of dense flavor i...

OregonWines.com: PANTHER CREEK NEWSLETTER - June 8, 2005

In this edition: - WINE AND WHEELS - OPEN EVERY SATURDAY ******************** WINE AND WHEELS ******************** This Saturday, June 11, marks the first of three casual guided bike tours through some of Oregon's finest vineyards and back roads. Attending from Panther Creek will be Marketing Project Manager, Dave Petterson, and the rumor on Irvine Street is that Winemaker, Michael Stevenson, will also be along for the ride (he's flying back in on Friday night, so no guarantees)...