Enobytes Wine Blog

Quality is Not Necessarily Location, Location, Location.

I used to pride myself on my geographical knowledge so when I noticed a wine on a retailer’s shelf the other day that said, ‘Wine from the Australian Pyrenees,’ I was amused and cast doubt upon it’s authenticity. When I quizzed several of the employees at this specialty retail grocer, they couldn’t tell me anything about the wine, nor could one employee provide even a guess as to the location of the Pyrenees Mountains.

Are we asking too much from our retail grocery sales clerks to commit this knowledge to memory? Maybe, maybe not, if you want to impress your customers with your knowledge and have them trust you when you make recommendations. Develop a memory!

Some might say if those poor individuals knew the location of the Pyrenees Mountains, they might not have to be working in retail wine sales. Well, if all you have to know to stay out of retail is geography, I say we need to raise the bar a bit. The following research is an example of how little we actually know about a name.

NASA’s composite satellite image of the Pyrenees

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June 2008 Wine Picks

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Marc and I are on overload right now so expect some possible delays in posting. No, it’s not the summer weather keeping us from our keyboards, nor is it bad news; it’s simply that we have a number of activities going on right now:

Cotes Du Rhone Google Map: I’ve been promising to finish the Cotes Du Rhone Google Map for a while now. This map is quite complex (and challenging) since the area spreads over 171 communes in six departments, 95 communes (18 named villages) and 15 local appellations. In all honesty, I am spending more time on this activity than expected. It’s a large undertaking but I am sure many will appreciate the map once it’s finally completed!

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"Here’s what can be so frustrating about Oregon pinot noir: The wine rarely lives up to the hype. Ever since an Oregon pinot kicked booty on some fancy French wine in a blind tasting back in the late ’70s, we’ve been hearing that the state could be the next Burgundy", says SpokesmanReview.com, August, 1998.

It’s hard to believe those were the words coming from Journalists back in the ’90’s. Since then, Oregon has come a log way to prove they can make great Pinot. Now it’s time for a new debate: Read the rest of this entry »

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May 2008 Wine Picks

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For wine writers in western Oregon, this has been a very busy week; a very enlightening week that brought vast amounts of knowledge not previously experienced by this particular writer. The Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association (DHWA) invited us to a media event on May 9th. We were flattered and excited to be among the few journalists who received an invitation.

The timing could not have been more convenient because we had already been invited to a trade tasting of the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA on Monday, May 12. That event was held at Ten 01. If you have not had the pleasure of experiencing the awesome cuisine Jack Yoss and his crew prepares, get on in there - those folks can cook. I would even go on to say it’s some of the best food I’ve tasted in Portland in a long time. But let’s get back to the wine and highlighting the gracious hosting capabilities of both organizations.

Dundee Hills Satellite Photo

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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 »

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Boonville, Calif., May 8, 2008 - The newest winery in Anderson Valley, Calif. debuted May 8, 2008 with the launch of Foursight Wines, a small family owned and operated winery producing just a few hundred cases of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc each year.

Foursight Winery, Charles Vineyard, Anderson Valley

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