Ever want the opportunity to have multiple wineries in one place at one time? How about a chance to visit and taste wine from all over the Willamette Valley? Now’s your chance!!
Come howl at the moon and celebrate the Equinox in the Eola Amity Hills! This event sold out two weeks before the date last year and the guests loved the chance to taste wines and discuss the vintage with most of the key principals of the Eola-Amity Hills winemaking community.
They have assembled 22 wineries from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and even a few from outside the AVA who make wines from Eola-Amity Hills fruit.
Enjoy fantastic sweet and savory bites to complement your wine tasting experience from some of the best restaurants and caterers in our area!
When: March 20th 7:00PM to 10:00PM
Where: Zenith Vineyard 5657 Zena Rd NW Salem Here is a map.
Wines: 22 amazing wineries will be pouring including: Amity Vineyards; Antica Terra; Argyle Winery; Bethel Heights Vineyard; Brooks Wines; Calamity Hill Vineyard; Carter Vineyard; Cherry Hill Winery; Cristom Vineyards; Cubanisimo Vineyards; Domaine Serene; Dukes Family Vineyards;Evesham Wood Winery; Holloran Vineyard Wines; Lewman Vineyard; Methven Family Vineyards; Redhawk Winery; St. Innocent Winery; Stangeland Vineyards; Toluca Lane; Witness Tree Vineyard and Zenith Vineyard
Gourmet Food by: Extreme Chocolates; Loustic Catering, Olive You Events & Catering, Red Hills Provincial Dining, Joel Palmer House, Silver Grille, Vibrant Table Catering & Events and Willamette Valley Cheese Co.
Tickets are $35 per person, buy your tickets online - print and keep your receipt as your entry to the event.
Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward Brian Kemmerle spent much of 2009 researching and tasting some the best wines in the region. He is an active local wine connoisseur- this year he reprised his role as Judge for the 2009 Oregon State Fair Professional Wine Competition where he evaluated over 200 local wines. In addition, he participated in the 2009 Oregon Pinot Camp, an industry only event hosted by 50 of the top wineries in Oregon. He brings his vast knowledge and passion for wine to Bentley’s Grill guests and hopes you will enjoy his new “by the glass” menu:
Wine Notes From Bently’s Grill Wine Steward: Announcing the New “By-the-Glass” Menu
With forty wines to choose from and a combination of vintage changes, out of stocks and seasonal preferences the “by-the-glass” menu starts to look a little tired about five or six times a year. This revision features some subtle and drastic changes to the selection.
First, what’s gone and why:
Lemelson’s 2008 “Tikka’s Run” Pinot Gris – already sold out. One of Oregon’s best Pinot Gris each year and becoming harder to get because of it.
Moet “White Star” is now Moet “Brut Imperial”. Moet has finally depleted the special American cuvee “White Star” and will now be shipping to us what they ship to the rest of the world the “Brut Imperial”. Merci!
In the “so many good wines and not enough time” category the Adelsheim Pinot Blanc and the L’Ecole Semillon have been exchanged for two new exciting wines.
The Erath Oregon Pinot Noir and the Witness Tree “Chainsaw Vineyard” Pinot Noir have been “dueling” for a couple of months now and the winner, by a substantial margin” is still on the list.
As good as the Boedecker 2006 “Athena” Pinot Noir was, it did not command enough commercial success on the menu as it did as the “Featured Pinot Noir”. It will remain on the bottle list and may return at a later date as the “FPN”.
Fortunately some of you got to try the Waterbrook 2006 Reserve Cabernet. It made a nationally publicized wine magazines “Top 100 wines of the year” list and promptly sold out. The replacement is not too shabby either.
At 188 cases of total production it was no surprise to me that the Three Angels Avery Vineyard Zinfandel had sold out. We had already seen the 188 cases of the Les Collines Vineyard come and go away. The last couple of bottles will be available on the main wine list.
Onto the new!
The ultra-rich Four Graces Pinot Blanc replaces the crisp and lively Adelsheim. The winery writes: White peach, honey and butterscotch combine on the nose with lightly toasted hazelnuts. An invitingly fresh zest of lime flavor is followed by Asian pear, jicama and grapefruit. This is a full bodied wine with a long finish.
Also new to the list is a newcomer to the local wine scene J. Scott Cellars, a boutique winery, out of Eugene, Oregon. The 2008 Viognier was made from purchased Rogue Valley fruit and has lovely floral aromatics and a touch of residual sugar to balance out the nice acidity. I’ll look to match this wine with the Chefs many forays into Asian cuisine.
To prove that good wine doesn’t have to cost a lot of money I have added the 2008 Jovino Pinot Gris to the menu. At $6.00 a glass it delivers plenty of Oregon Pinot Gris goodness for very little cash. This wine should be very popular with the “Happy Hour” crowd.
Cherry Hill winery has finally released their 2006 “Estate” Pinot Noir. It met with rousing success as the “Featured Pinot Noir” and hopefully that success with continue now that you can have it anytime you want. This wine, in combination with St. Innocent, Witness Tree, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Mystic and Bethel Heights means that you can now support six local, Salem area, wineries with your wine buying dollars.
Usually when a wine changes vintage I remove it from the menu however in this case the Seven Hills 2007 Merlot is just as good as the 2006. So it stays. Enjoy.
The replacement for the Waterbrook ended up being the 2006 Kestrel Cabernet Sauvignon. Kestrel Vintners have a vast and somewhat confusing selection of wines and they are usually a couple of nickels more expensive that their nearest competition however this wine stood out during my weekly tastings. Pretty black fruits, floral notes and a bit of structure to this wine will appeal to classic Cabernet drinkers and match well with our various steaks.
Apparently I was on a bit of a Northwest Italian varietal kick lately. I re-tasted a new vintage of Nebbiolo. Scored a Sangiovese blend at a unbelievable price and added two Barbera to the menu. To pour by the glass I picked the 2006 Waving Tree Barbera out of Washington has striking dried black cherry notes and a lift of acidity to match nicely with the chefs new Pork Tenderloin special and mushroom ravioli dish with braised boar ragout.
The last item on the menu is a returning special. The 2006 Andrew Rich Coup d’Etat is a Rhone-style blend with Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and usually a touch of Counoise. I poured the 2005 until it ran out and when I tasted this 2006 it was a bit rough around the edges. Well, today is has softened up nicely and should pair nicely with Lamb dishes and other richly flavored red meat entrees, especially ones cooked on the grill with a bit of char on them.
Travel Salem President and CEO Angie Morris with Willamette Valley Vineyards Founder and President Jim Bernau.
Earlier this Fall, Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV) and Travel Salem’s award-winning Travel Café Visitors Center launched a partnership to benefit Salem residents and visitors. Travel Cafe now offers visitors and local consumers the opportunity to taste the “Fruit of the Vine” by creating a tasting room and retail outlet for their high-quality, sustainable wines at the Travel Café. In addition, Travel Salem’s conference room has been named the “Willamette Room” sponsored by WVV.
This unique partnership between a winery/vineyard and a tourism agency will allow visitors to experience wine from one of Oregon’s oldest and most sustainable wineries, and pique their interest to learn more about WVV and the region’s rich wine country. This new
concept will ultimately lead to an increased regional economic impact from tourism. “Willamette Valley Vineyards is proud to be partnering with Travel Salem’s revolutionary Travel Café,” says Jim Bernau, founder and president of WVV. “This new downtown
facility is one of the major touch points for visitors to the Salem area. Offering tastes of wine at this location will grow visitor interest in the Oregon wine industry — one of our region’s most valuable assets — and help make lifelong Salem area customers of some of
these visitors.”
“Part of the original vision for the Travel Café, this innovative partnership provides yet another reason for visitors to make the Salem area a stop on their journey,” explained Travel Salem President and CEO Angie Morris. “By serving as a mini-attraction, the Travel Café seeks to give visitors a taste of what the region has to offer. We wanted a partner that exemplified the best of the tourism industry – innovation, sustainability and an internationally recognized brand. We got all of that and more with Willamette Valley Vineyards.
This partnership expands on Travel Salem’s commitment to reinvent the way a community connects with visitors and local consumers. The Travel Café offers Garmin GPS units preprogrammed with Salem area tours, AbsolutelyTix ticketing network, Wi-Fi access, plasma screens with ads and scrolling events, and now wine-tasting with WVV. The Travel Café is becoming an attraction in and of itself!
Wine-tasting will be available Monday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Travel Café located at 181 High St. NE, Salem. Eight distinctive wines will be featured; offering something for every palate. The wines will be served using a state-of-the-art Enomatic
wine serving system. Visitors and local consumers can purchase four tastes for $6.00, which will include a one-of-a-kind Riedel wine glass. Bottles of WVV wines are also available for purchase.
Join us this thanksgiving weekend to celebrate the end of harvest for the Willamette valley wineries!
This year do it up BIG! Plan to make it a complete weekend of wine tasting and festivities by reserving your room at the Phoenix Grand Hotel. Spend Friday and Saturday touring the valley’s finest vineyards and wineries and end your adventure with us and a special feature tasting at Bentley’s Grill.
This package includes;
One night stay in a Deluxe King or Double Queen
Early check-in at 12 noon
Four wine tasting passes per guest
A special fifth wine tasting at Bentley’s Grill
Complimentary Hot Breakfast Buffet
Late check-out of 1pm
**Reservations valid the nights of November 27th and 28th, 2009
Now that Fall is here, game dishes are in season and featured on the Bentley’s Grill Menu. Wine Steward Brian Kemmerle shares his expertise and exceptional taste to help our guests select the perfect wine with their meals and for any occasion. He recently posted helpful tips on the Bentley’s Grill site to help match the best wines to go with some of our favorite game dishes prepared by Chef Derek Ridgway.
Brian’s Tips for Matching Wine with Game
Dish: Smoked Duck Salad Brian Recommends: An off dry white wine like a northwest Riesling or Gewurztraminer.
Dish: Roasted Quail Brain Recommends: Both off dry whites mentioned above, or a super-ripe fruity red like Zinfandel or our northwest Sangioveseif you’re feeling “edgy”.
Dish: Buffalo Steak Brian Recommends: Try this with “Claret”, a northwest version of a classic French Bordeaux, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The ripe fruit and softer tannins of the wine matched well with the leaner cut of meat and the assertive flavor of the blue cheese butter.
Dish: Duck “Cakes” (imagine a crab cake made instead with duck) Brian Recommends: A rich, flavorful Chardonnay is an easy choice however if your feeling brave try it with a northwest Semillon. It’s a grape more commonly found in France and Australia but a few producers in Washington give it a go and the better ones are rich, floral and have almost an oily texture.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Emily, the Regional Sales Manager from Bergstrom Wines recently. Bergstrom has chosen to return to the “self-distributed” sales model in Oregon and has dropped their local wholesaler. This was my first meeting with Emily and she spared no expense in bringing lovely and tasty wines for me to try.
I prefer to taste white wines with residual sugar last, even after big hearty red wines, so we left the usually tasty Dr. Bergstrom Riesling for last and started with the 2007 Sigrid Chardonnay
The 2007 Sigrid Chardonnay, inspired by the great whites of Burgundy, is Josh’s attempt to create, in his words, “the greatest Oregon Chardonnay” is, in my opinion, a noble attempt. Lovely lemony and tropical fruit aromas touched with hazelnuts. It has excellent texture in the mouth with a moderate amount of acidity to lift the palate and refresh for another sip of wine or a bite of food. No expense was spared in the creation of this wine and that fact is reflected in the price. It is delicious none the less.
Now, on to the reds wines.
Winemaker, Vineyard Manager & General Manager Josh Bergström
The 2007 Cumberland is a multi-vineyard blend with the majority of the grapes coming from the excellent Estate, Shea and De Lancellotti vineyard. If you wanted to know what “style” Josh Bergstrom crafts his wines this is the one to try. The wine, a dark ruby red color running to pink at the rim of the glass showed aromas of red cherry, chocolate and sweet spices. 60% new oak contribute to a rich mouth feel and I would imagine some softening of fairly substantial tannins. Still softer than your average Washington Merlot this wine could “suffer” some bottle age or being decanted before drinking. All in all a good introduction to the Bergstrom style.
The single vineyards.
We started with the 2007 Nysa Vineyard. Small, high elevation family owned vineyards in the Dundee Hills planted to the newer Dijon clone Pinot Noir grapes. This wine is all about elegance and texture. Ruby red color, very floral aromas with red fruit flavors. If you’re a fan act quickly to put this one in your cellar for the production is limited to 400 cases. Decanting highly recommended, cellaring for several years will sure to add some additional complexity.
Some would consider the Yamhill-Carlton sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley the single best sub-appellation, even over the Dundee Hills. To make the decision for your self this next wine is an excellent place to start.
The 2007 Bergstrom Shea Vineyard reflects the classic Yamhill-Carlton characteristics of dark, almost violet coloring, ripe dark fruits and forest floor with accents of toasty barrel spice. It had excellent richness on the middle palate finishing with lively acidity and some serious structure. Not very hard tannins so these should resolve nicely, but just enough to warrant a recommendation of careful cellaring.
Always one of my favorite wines from Bergstrom, the 2007 de Lancellotti Vineyard was next on the tasting list. Certified Biodynamic vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains this wine shows more of a ruby-violet color with super-ripe aromas of wild berry fruits with one of the most complex spice profiles to experience in an Oregon Pinot Noir: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and anise. This wine is said to age beautifully, and this wine should be no different. Now, if it weren’t so hard to resist drinking it right away I might find out for myself. This wine is always a nice match for mesquite charcoal grilled steaks rubbed with garlic and fresh herbs, olive oil sautéed greens and creamy parmesan risotto.
The last Pinot Noir of the tasting was the 2007 Bergstrom Bergstrom Vineyard. Also farmed by the Biodynamic method, this vineyard planted in the Dundee hills during 1999 continues to impress and improve. Unfortunately, the day I tasted this wine; it seemed to be a little flat, brooding maybe. That being said when I first tasted an early sample of the 2006 vintage it was not my favorite either. However after a bit of time in the bottle it became my one of my favorite wines; and the wine of the 2006 vintage, from Bergstrom, that I put on the restaurants wine list.
The last of the Bergstrom wine was the Dr. Bergstrom Riesling. Some say that 2007 will go down in recent history as one of Oregon’s best white wine vintages and this wine does nothing to disprove that claim. This wine has lovely aromas of stone fruits, white peach, nectarine and apricot with some additional floral accents. Nice texture on the middle palate and some winter melon and citrus notes on the finish to balance the moderate sweetness. If you’re a fan of exceptional quality German Rieslings you should not hesitate to gives this wine a try.
Stop by the restaurant anytime for a chat, an appetizer and a glass of wine but the next time you’re having a special occasion, remember we still have a couple bottles of the 2006 Bergstrom Bergstrom Vineyard on the wine list and it’s drinking beautifully. When it is gone, I clearly have several wines to choose from to replace it with on the list. Cheers!
Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward,Brian Kemmerle, is passionate about providing our guests the very best wines in Oregon and will offer his experience and insight to help pair the perfect wine with your meal. This month, Brian discusses our featured wine, Chehalem 2007 3 Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Bentley's Wine Steward, Brian Kemmerle
I’ve been vigorously suggesting to the professional wine sales people for the last couple of months that Oregon Pinot Noir prices, especially for the winery’s Willamette Valley, entry level bottling, had gotten a little out of hand. I have some understanding of small winery economics and distributor markups however it had become difficult to sell, with any success, bottles of wine priced over $50 on the wine list. I figured if I wasn’t selling any, they weren’t either and something needed to change.
I tasted this wine 4 months ago when it was released and it was worth every penny of the $56 dollars I was charging for it when I put it on the list. However for the rest of the month the distributor has dropped the price so I can sell it for $50, roughly a 10% discount. So I decided that I would pass the savings on to you and make it available by the glass, $12.50 for a 6 ounce pour, available at least until September 3rd.
The wine is Chehalem 2007 3 Vineyard Pinot Noir. A blend of grapes from three estate vineyards: Ridgecrest, Stoller and Corral Creek. The wine displays strawberry and cranberry aromas with a hint of forest floor, smoked black tea and cardamom spice. This wine is light bodied, but not thin, and the substantial fruit acids on the finish lift the wine up and refresh the palate.
We Want to Hear From You! Ask Your Questions for Brian on Twitter or Facebook!
Need another reason to visit us in Salem Oregon? In this series of posts, we will talk about some of our very favorite places to see and do in and around Salem.
Recently, Yahoo Travel included Willamette Valley in it’s list of top places to see in 2009. Summer is the best time to drive through our amazing wine country and visit the many local vineyards. It is a delightful experience you will not forget. One of our favorite wineries is Willamatte Valley Vineyards. This local treasure is of the region’s leading wineries, earning the title “One of America’s Great Pinot Noir Producers,” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
“Our mission in growing cool-climate varietals is to create elegant, classic Oregon wines from the Willamette Valley Appellation. As native Oregonians, we treasure our environment and use sustainable practices in growing and vinifying our winegrapes” says Jim Bernau, Founder/President of Willamette Valley Vineyards. After years of training and seminars at home and abroad he fulfilled his dream of building a world class winery in Willamette Valley in 1989. He planted Pinot Noir (Pommard and Wadenswil clones), Chardonnay (Dijon and Espiguette) and Pinot Gris. “ The wines are truly a collaborative effort of the entire vineyard and winemaking staff.”
This beautiful vineyard is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, just south of Salem, Oregon. The views are stunning and their fine selection of wine will delight all of the senses. Guests are welcome anytime between 11am-6pm daily. A visit will include a complementary tastings of their vintage selections (a reserve tasting is just $6).
Call ahead to get information for private tours and tastings for your own unique experience. Reservations are required. Cost is $15 per person. Tour reservation can be made by emailing tourandtasting@wvv.com or by calling the winery at 503-588-9463.
If you plan on being the area during the week of July 29th- be sure to inquire about the WVV Winemaker Dinner at Bentleys Grill to experience the very finest in Willamette Valley dining. The event begins at 6:00pm and the cost is $75.00 per person.
WVV Winemaker Dinner Menu
Appetizers
2007 Pinot Gris
Smoked Columbia River Sturgeon with CV Growers organic greens and Oregon Truffle Vinaigrette
2006 Estate Chardonnay
Thai spiced Duck breast with Apple Tamarind Chutney, crispy duck cake and Mild Red Curry emulsion
2007 Elton Pinot Noir
Tasting of SuDan Farms Oregon Lamb: Roasted Rack Chop with Espelette Pepper, Braised Shank Stuffed Yukon Gold with dried olives & Grilled Lamb Sausage. Roasted baby carrots, lacinato Kale and Lamb Jus.
2007 Signature Cuvee Pinot Noir
2001 The Griffin
Willamette Valley Cheese Co. Perrydale with Cherry Compote and Hazelnuts
2000 WVV Pinot Noir
Walnut Gateau with Medjool Dates
2005 Pinot Noir Port
For Reservations and More Info; please call Bentley’s Grill at 503-779-1660
Need a reason to visit Salem this Memorial Day Weekend? Willamette Valley is recognized throughout the world for our vineyardsand incredible wines that are produced locally.Our fabulous wineries used to be one of our best kept secrets until Yahoo Travelranked Willamette Valley’s wine country as one of the best places to visit this year.Memorial Day weekend is the ceremonial start of the summer wine touring season, and we hope you can visit some of these local wineries hosting special events this weekend:
Wineries Memorial Day Weekend Open House Various wineries in the Willamette Valley
503-581-4325 or 800-874-7012
Memorial Weekend Open House Redhawk Winery, Salem
503-362-1596 www.redhawkwine.com
Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward, Brian Kemmerle, weighs in on trends and news about Oregon Wine. Today’s topic is “Pinot Noir”
The hot topic around the wine bar this week is concerning how customers are reacting to the 2007 vintage of Oregon Pinot Noir. In the past I’ve heard the comment, “I never used to like Pinot Noir; too light, too tart and did not have enough body or bold flavors. Until I tried the 2006 vintage and then I found a wine that I liked to drink! These people don’t tend to like the 2007 vintage wines as a whole. I’ve also heard the comment, “2006 wines were too ripe, over-extracted and too high in alcohol, I prefer more elegance and complexity in my wines!” The best of the 2007 wines are exactly what this person is looking for. Neither of these people is wrong or right they just have a personal preference about the style of wine they like.
Ever want the opportunity to have multiple wineries in one place at one time? How about a chance to visit and taste wine from all over the Willamette Valley? Now’s your chance!!
