At the southern tip of the Willamette Valley just north of Eugene, Oregon, and west of Junction City, one finds Antiquum Farm, one of Oregon’s hidden gem wineries. The winery hums with life because for Stephen Hagen, the owner, the cycles of life frame his farming philosophy creating a unique vision of sustainable farming and
South African Wine: Exploring the Western Cape
The South African Consulate-General Los Angeles presented a South African Wine Lunch. Wines of South Africa partnered with the consulate for this luncheon at A.O.C. Jim Clarke, Marketing Director for Wines of South Africa, was our host along with the wines served at the luncheon. Most vineyards in South Africa are located in the Western
Alloro Vineyard: Defining the Chehalem Mountains AVA
Visiting Alloro Vineyard, one gets a good sense of what the Chehalem Mountains AVA is all about. Located west of Portland in Sherwood, a portion of the Tualatin Valley, the winery also sits in the northern part of the Willamette Valley. The Chehalem Mountains AVA was established in 2006. The soils consist of three types:
It’s the season for Autumn Wine
As the vineyard’s leaves turn shades of red, yellow and orange, we know autumn is in our midst. The food on our table begins to change to a heartier cuisine. Thus it becomes time to consider the best Autumn wine to complement our meal. Here is a selection of autumn wine to grace your table:
Wine Watch: Wine for Thanksgiving 2018
Well, as we have seen, walking into any retail store about now after finishing Halloween – they are not only ramped up for the Thanksgiving 2018 holidays – but Christmas is on the floor front and center. Let’s take a long deep breath, and a minute to think about wines for Thanksgiving 2018 now, as
Beckham Estate Vineyard: A passion for Amphora Wine
Part of a winemaker’s passion is finding a niche that makes their wines uniquely different yet at the same time stand out as exceptional. For Andrew Beckham utilizing his ceramic background into the winemaking process is tantamount to creating his wine. The answer became designing ceramic vessels to make amphora wine. By doing so, Andrew
Good Pinot Noir for summer pleasure
When thinking of reds to enjoy during a summertime dinner, my go-to red is Pinot Noir. Typically Pinot Noir is not as substantial as other red varieties. Good Pinot Noir can be very versatile. Here are two wines that one should consider this summer. First, let’s go to the Anderson Valley and discover Domaine Anderson
Oregon Winery St Innocent Explores the Subtle Demeanor of Pinot Noir
It is hard for me to turn down a wine tasting event so when fellow wine writer Annette Rau Solomon asked me to her home for dinner with Mark Vlossak of St Innocent Winery, I immediately accepted the invitation to discover an Oregon winery. Since that time I have visited the winery. St Innocent Winery
Domaine Nicolas-Jay: Willamette Valley Pinot Noir with a French flair
Recently a group of wine writers met with Jean-Nicolas Méo of Domaine Méo Camuzet and Jay Boberg former music director turned Oregon winery owner to discover the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir of Domaine Nicolas-Jay. You might say these two are the newer kids on the block in the Willamette Valley. Of course, they are not novices
Sanford Winery: The Role of Barrels in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Country
Visiting Sanford Winery is like a trip down memory lane because the founders of this winery pioneered the region, putting both Santa Barbara County and Sta. Rita Hills on the map as a prominent wine producing areas for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Meeting the current owner, John Terlato, and Winemaker Steve Fennell, one realizes they
