Enobytes Wine Blog

I’m guilty of reminiscing. I admit it. But I think anyone that has tasted wine for a few decades is as guilty as I for recollecting greatness. We all have those memories where certain decades, regions or producers simply blow our minds. Maybe it’s simply a green drinker finally grasping greatness in a glass. I don’t know. Whatever it is, some memories seem to stick more than others and for me, Arrowood is one of those producers that captured my heart back in the 90’s.

Back then, I used to work as a sommelier and I’d get excited every time my wine distributors showed up to pour me the latest Arrowood lineup. Pockets of greatness such as the ’93, ’94, ’96, ‘97 Arrowood Chardonnay Sonoma County Cuvée Michel Berthoud Réserve Spéciale were out of this world. ’94, ’95, ‘97 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Réserve Spéciale were equally spectacular as were the ’94, and ’97 Arrowood Syrah Russian River Valley Saralee’s Vineyard and the ’97 Arrowood Viognier Russian River Valley Saralee’s Vineyard.

I left the restaurant business back in the late 90’s and haven’t had the pleasure of tasting every vintage like I used to.  Sure, I pick up a bottle here and there, maybe consume it immediately, or squirrel it away for a celebration or rainy day, but it’s not like the good old days where I got to try his full lineup upon release. I miss those days.

Here it is, more than a decade later, and I receive news that Read the rest of this entry »

Joe Dobbes, one of Oregon’s innovative Winemakers hosts his own syndicated radio show "Vine Time" which airs every Saturday at 4PM on News Radio 750 KXL in Portland.

This week, Joe is without his radio partner Brian Bushlach, so Marc from Enobytes joins the show to talk about the wine blogging industry. Midway through the show, Marc discusses the importance of interactive wine communities, his labor of love for the industry and shares his passion of writing for Enobytes.com and the OregonLive.com Wine Bytes blog.

Special shout outs were given to winebusiness.com, Craig Camp, Tom Wark at Fermentation, and our very own, well respected forum member, Eyedoc.

Click below to play the show. It’s a large file, so please be patient while you download it from the 750 KXL site:

You may not have heard of Fulcrum Wines, but their inaugural 2006 Pinot Noir release delivers a captivating wine that represents Anderson Valley at its finest. David Rossi, the founder of Fulcrum, is gravitating towards a more restrained style of California Pinot Noir, producing a wine that is complex and genuinely elegant.

Watch the Fulcrum Video – David Rossi from Fulcrum discusses his brand

The ’06 is a blend of three Anderson Valley vineyard sources, which equally contribute distinctive characteristics to the mix. Fifty percent of the grapes come from Akins Vineyard, which produces high-quality fruit in the classic Pinot Noir style. Twenty-five percent of the fruit comes from the organically farmed Hein Family Vineyard, where the fruit has finely grained tannin structure and carries black cherry and earthy notes. Rossi sourced the other twenty-five percent from the 10-acre organically

farmed Wentzel Vineyards, which overlooks Goldeneye in Anderson Valley. Its fruit produces great color extraction and yields wines that have great structure and depth.

It’s amazing how the uniqueness of each vineyard shines through in Fulcrum’s final product, which produces a classic style Pinot with divinely scented pomegranate and violet aromas. Intense cinnamon and spice flavors compliment the opulent cherry flavors that dominate the palette. It’s a well-balanced wine with a complex, earthy, spicy finish with a beautifully integrated tannin structure; simply a superb representation of what the Anderson Valley fruit can produce.

In this interview, Rossi answers questions about his new brand as he shares his passion for his endeavor. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have not seen or heard of Eric Guerra wines, you soon will. Inspired by passion, his new line offers prestige small-lot artisan wines that represent the diversity of what Sonoma County wines have to offer. In his lineup, he offers wines that balance between elegance and intensity.

Guerra’s 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, also released this month, is rich and complex with fruit picked from Demattei Vineyards on Pine Mountain. The estate is located on the southwestern slop of the Mayacamas Mountain Range. The Pinot Noir eludes delicate yet complex characteristics, which displays how this varietal can thrive in a microclimate produced at JMT Vineyards in Russian River. The Pinot Noir is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2008.

Entering into the professional wine business as the Brand Manager at Kendall-Jackson, it was there where Eric gained a phenomenal amount of experience in the wine industry. It was also there where he experienced a moment of inspiration; a revelation that would change his life forever. His journey leads him to an ever-challenging venture of opening his own winery and creating wines that inspire.

In this interview, Guerra answered questions about his journey leading up to building his own brand as he shares his passion for his new endeavor. Read the rest of this entry »