April Showers...

April Showers Bring Long Wet Rainy Cold Days...Sometimes.....

I hope your April is Off to a wonderful sunshiny beginning, but mine got off to a bit of a rough start...just as I was recovering from my wicked knee injury from last year, My Job was eliminated at my current company and I find myself looking for work for the first time in 20 years. It's crazy...but I think it is a real blessing too. I am convinced you see...that these April Showers will INDEED bring my May Flowers!!

Anyhow, If you are like me and this recession took a bite out of you in any way shape or form...you are probably ready for some great wine tasting events to help ease the pain...right?

I figure it would be duplicitous for me to be such a positive and upbeat person most of the time, thankful for so much...and then hang my head and cry in my beer when my faith is a little shaken right? After all...Gods blessings and bounties in our lives are not conditional on whether he is happy with us...he loves us because we are his...and I will trust Him because he is mine!! Amen...Alright...Moving On! (I don't usually sermonize, but sometimes re-affirming my faith through a public declaration can be just the uplifting thing I need)I hope that this message blesses you, and if not...then I hope it challenges you in a fantastic way!!

My Cup...or "Oregon Pinot Glass" as I like to think of it, truly works best when it is Half Full...with a balance of softness, ripe fruit and just the right hint of acidity...how Apropos for this new "Cultivation" season in so many of our lives. We are blessed richly to live in such wonderful surroundings, with the ability to preserve so much of the bounties of our previous harvests...and the ability to be hopeful about that which we plant this season....

OK - enough wine and life analogies...on to some updates.......Here we Go....

Dundee Hills Passport Tour 2009
Enjoy the benchmark wines and spectacular views of this exciting wine growing region. You'll also learn from experts about the unique climate, red volcanic soil, geology and earth-friendly farming practices that make this appellation so special. Dates: Saturday & Sunday, April 18 & 19, 2009Where: Participating wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms in the Dundee Hills Appellation Hours: Vary by location but are generally 11am - 4 or 5:00pm. Tasting Fees: Vary by winery. Vineyard seminars are free.
Click here for more information
See you in the Hills!Dundee Hills AVA

This should be a great time at what are easily some of the best wineries in our region!! Hope to see you out there!!

And for you east Coast fans who are lucky enough to be in or around the Chicago area coming up...

Now...Lets talk about one of my new all time favorites, Bethel Heights, (one of my new favorites BTW)...I just got this press release in from the Vineyard...These guys are rapidly becoming one of my new faves, and even though I definitely gravitate towards the Reds...we had a great time tipping back a few of their whites during my last tasting trip. (did I mention they are a new favorite yet? lol)

These folks are friendly, helpful and just plain lovely...which is how I would characterize their wines as well....Check this out, along with their blog posting at the bottom...I would also add that there are few tasting rooms with as warm a vibe, and scenic a view in this appellation.

New White Wines Just in Time for Spring!

It is literally freezing here in Oregon, but we celebrated the Spring Equinox last weekend anyway, the daffodils are blooming valiantly, and the new 2008 Pinot gris and 2008 Pinot blanc are bottled and ready to go - so it must be Spring!These two beautiful aromatic wines are the harbingers of great things to come from the 2008 vintage: dense concentrated fruit, deep minerality, bright acidity. 2008 was a vintage that kept us on our toes from beginning to end. A very cool spring led to a late budbreak as the vines struggled their way out of dormancy. Then, a very unusual heat event in May really got the vines rolling. Bloom came late in June, when a 102-degree day pushed all of the vines into full bloom, seemingly on the same day. Realizing that we were in for a cliff-hanger because of the late bloom, we ruthlessly thinned our vines in August. The rest of the vintage was magical, with an endless stream of sunny days stretching into late October.* So, here we go again with a very cold spring and predictions of delayed budbreak. Let’s just hope 2009 gets some of this 2008 magic! * You can re-live the whole 2008 cliffhanger experience at Bethel Heights in our journal “2008 Harvest, Block by Blog,” at bhvblog.wordpress.com.

That's it for now wine lovers...I am looking forward to getting out to Ponzi this weekend and picking up my Wine Club Shipment...as Well as Finally getting back up to Purple Cow to see Jon and Wendy. I also want to say a very special thank you to Caitlin and Meg for making our last trip out to Willamette Valley Vineyards such a wonderful time. We had a nice private tour with 8 good friends and learned so much...we could have stayed all day, but the gypsy blood was flowing and we had a pilgramge to make...Next Time For Sure....By the way, If you have not joined the Group there, or taken a tour....DO IT!!! Jim Bernau has crafted such a warm and inviting culture out there...dare I say it is almost a cult like following...in the very best of regards!! Check out this "Best Buys" feature...or just go to there website http://www.willamettevalleyvineyards.com/

Cheers to WVV and Many Happy Returns!!

And to you my dear NW Wine Lovers...Peace and Grapes!!

Wayne-O