Resilience of Oregon biodynamic winery byproduct of community

The cozy tasting room at Brooks Wines has, fittingly, become a family room of sorts for Valley grape growers and wine makers. Dan Eierdam

It doesn’t take many encounters with Willamette Valley winemakers to discover the real reason it was named 2016 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

While the wine is world-class, it is the people who made the Willamette Valley what it is. It has been my observation that wine regions are successful in relation to their collaborative spirit. In other words, closed fists garner limited prosperity.

The Willamette Valley was built on the backs of people who demonstrated community. After all, at the end of the day, most winemakers are also farmers. Since the founding of this great country, farmers have relied on one another to bring in the crop, share equipment, impart knowledge and be a support system when their world is crumbling around them.

In addition to a very expansive single vineyard pinot noir program, Brooks is a unique education in the many styles of riesling. Viki Eierdam

So goes the story of Jimi Brooks, a visionary winemaker whose life ended suddenly over 12 years ago. There seemed to be no one in the Valley he didn’t touch through his gregarious quest to find the passion that drives a man’s heart and, once found, to win over anyone who would listen.

With crush upon the Valley, his fellow winemakers could have attended a funeral, expressed their condolences and gone about their busy lives. Tad Steestedt, owner of Ransom Spirits and close friend of Jimi’s, pointed out that Jimi’s passing happened when so many of them were on the cusp of seeing years of hard work begin to pay off. What they did, instead, was attend to no fewer than 11 vineyards from harvest to fermentation.

Fast forward to 2017 and Brooks Wines is now sitting at a 20,000 per year case production. His sister, Janie Brooks Heuck, has remained as managing director despite residing in California and Jimi’s close friend, Chris Williams, has continued winemaking in the vein that honors his mentor daily.

Visitors of Brooks can linger over a hearty charcuterie and cheese board with a well-balanced bottle of 2014 Crannell Pinot Noir. Viki Eierdam

Brooks’ cozy tasting room has become a family room of sorts for Valley grape growers and wine makers. On a recent visit I noted Richard Crannell of Crannell Vineyard sitting at the bar, and folks from Willamette Valley Vineyards, Van Duzer Vineyards and a local tour company occupying chairs and leather couches.

I could go on about the racy acidity level that Williams so elegantly captures and the romancing floral aromas that are elevated due to the influence of the Van Duzer corridor but it is the firm foundation that Brooks stands on that is the true story.

Time spent in the Beaujolais region of France introduced Jimi to biodynamic farming and connected the dots of his search for that which made sense to him. He returned to the States with a respect for Alsatian riesling and a drive to save old vine riesling in Oregon.

Brooks’ expansive single vineyard pinot noir and riesling program makes for an educational media tasting as well as a great excuse to linger in their cozy tasting room. Viki Eierdam

Grapes are sourced from plantings that date as far back as 1974 and it’s a unique education to taste through so many styles in one location. From the more traditional seafood pairings to slightly out of the box thinking like Mexican, Middle Eastern and Cajun dishes, riesling is arguably the most food-friendly and diverse grape on the market.

As for places like Chehalem Wines, Bull Run Distilling and Ransom Spirits, it’s hard to ignore the success that they have enjoyed since that fateful September day in 2004 when a selfless decision to carry on one man’s legacy was made. Coincidence? I think not.

 

Thankful for food-friendly wines this holiday season

Two of Willamette Valley Vineyards’ current releases are the perfect accompaniment to a table overflowing with traditional dishes and family favorites. Viki Eierdam

A table overflowing with traditional dishes and family favorites is the vision dancing in our heads for the Thanksgiving meal. Pairing wine with the many flavors and textures can be a challenge. The trick is to not overthink it and consider a couple different bottles that can carry from hors d’oeuvres and lighter fixings to heavier main course fare.

Recently I’ve acquired a few exciting choices that I’m looking forward to adding to the bounty of my family’s table.

Westport Winery’s Rapture of the Deep is a sparkling cranberry wine that does a great job setting a celebratory mood for the Day of Thanks. Viki Eierdam

Westport Winery Rapture of the Deep

How about starting the celebration off right with a sparkling cranberry wine that has been served at the White House?  At 12 percent ABV, it’s light enough to keep the cook happy in the kitchen and acts as a great aperitif with a fresh cheese platter. Not meant for the weight of red meats, this fun little number executes flawlessly from the olive dish to the last bite of nap-inducing turkey (or pork tenderloin). $28

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2015 Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley

The racy acidity of Oregon pinot blanc makes it immediately food-friendly and, even though 2015 was a warm year, this selection is no exception. The nose is bright and fresh with a whiff of citrus. Flavors of apple and a light minerality are followed by a round mouth feel mid-palate and a hint of smoke on the finish. Dishes that come to mind are a cold crab salad or cold poached salmon on crostini, corn stuffing with oyster mushrooms, cranberry sauce with pears and skillet green beans. $24

Westport Winery Shorebird (2015 Chardonnay), Columbia Valley

The absence of oak gives this wine greater flexibility for the smorgasbord of cuisine options. Recipes such as shrimp cocktail, stuffing of chestnut, cranberry and apple, roasted beets, roasted squash and roasted turkey (are you sensing a theme?) bring out the subtle richness. Chill well and enjoy its medium body and crisp acidity with a hard cheese platter, oysters, scallops, halibut and crab. $26

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2012 Pinot Noir, Tualatin Estate

The tasting notes on this scream for a Thanksgiving meal. An introduction of cherry, violets and spice on the nose follow with bright red fruit, mushroom and earthiness. Red meat lovers waiting for a complex wine, this is the one. Herb-crusted roast beef, roasted leg of lamb and even smoked paprika roasted salmon all work. The earthy qualities, brought out by roasting the various meats, create a seamless bridge with the wine. Sides like sweet potatoes with ancho-maple glaze and spiced cranberry sauce with orange and star anise are a complementary mélange of sweet and spicy that bring ham to mind; a savory version highlighting cloves and baking spice. $55

Final thoughts for the big day:

1. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, take inventory of your glass ware and stock up for extra guests
2. Be sure to keep wines stored at the right temperature (55 degrees) and chilled or brought to room temperature in time for company’s arrival.
3. Keep in mind that there’s a lot of food being eaten and visiting going on. Don’t bother breaking out an expensive bottle if you think there’ll be chaos. Best to save a special vintage for a more intimate occasion.

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Grape stomping: From tradition to technology

Grape stomping festivals continue to invoke the romance of the industry. Contestants clad in Lucy-esque fashion delight onlookers at Rusty Grape Vineyards, which hosted their 9th Annual Stompfest on September 19th. Heather Brown

Even millennials know of the famous I Love Lucy grape stomping episode thanks to classic television stations and YouTube. My personal favorite, however, is definitely Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón in the slightly cheesy 1995 A Walk in the Clouds. With breathtaking Napa Valley in the background, ladies stomp around this huge vat with their dresses hiked up to here and gone until a group of men put Reaves in with his new bride and…cue the cheesy music.

To be honest, as dreamy as it all looks, it does not appear sanitary. Shoot, at one point the stunning Sánchez-Gijón wildly twirls her grape-soaked locks, causing me to think ‘Where’s your hairnet, woman?’

In truth, this was how it all began (possibly as far back as 5400 B.C.) and foot treading is actually still practiced for some high-end Ports but grape stomping for mass production occupied only a brief point in winemaking history. Keep in mind that Egyptian pyramids continue to be classified as engineering marvels so it stands to reason they devised a far more efficient juice-extracting method than feet in a barrel and illustrations have been uncovered showing workers using a cloth press in varying stages of advancement.

Rusty Grape Vineyards co-owner, Jeremy Brown, caught up in the action at a past Stompfest, held every September since 2007. Teams compete to win a dinner party for 10 and bragging rights for best technique. Heather Brown

In Portugal, where Port producers are the last bastions of foot treading, the tradition stems from a hundreds-year-old history of workers coming together after the harvest to extract the flavor and color from the grapes in the gentlest way possible by kneading the fruit with their feet for up to four hours in lagares (shallow tanks made of stone or concrete). Small amounts of Vintage Port, which command the highest prices of this fortified wine, are still crafted in this fashion but since the entire bottle yield of Vintage accounts for approximately two percent of total Port production, it’s quite limited. Instead, even long-established Port houses have embraced the technological advances of robotic lagares introduced in the 1990’s using silicone pads to mimic the pressure of a human foot—one cleverly referred to as Port-Toes.

Down Salem way, fruit was flying as entrants held their own for three minutes at the 25th Annual Willamette Valley Vineyards Grape Stomp Championship. Viki Eierdam

Grape stomping festivals continue to invoke the romance of the industry and draw contestants clad in Lucy-esque fashion to the delight of onlookers. Rusty Grape Vineyards, located in Battle Ground, Washington, has been hosting their successful Stompfest in September for nine years now where teams of two compete to win a dinner party for 10 and bragging rights for best technique. Halved oak barrels are set out on their family-friendly lawn and this years’ sunshine leant an even more festive feel to the celebration. House-made Sangria was featured and owners, Jeremy and Heather Brown, were on deck to chat with visitors and offer tank samples of their Recession Red prior to its October 4^th release party.

At Willamette Valley Vineyards in Salem teams of two (known as the stomper and the swabby) face off during a two-day event for a chance to win a trip to compete at the World Championship Grape Stomp held each October in Santa Rosa, California. Viki Eierdam

Down Salem way, Willamette Valley Vineyards ushered in the fall harvest with their 25^th Annual Grape Stomp. Winners of this two-day event received a trip to compete at the World Championship Grape Stomp held each October in Santa Rosa, California (where the same couple has won this title eight times since 2004). Willamette Valley’s impressive estate consists of a recently-remodeled tasting room that showcases repurposed wood floors made from Port of Portland pallets, multiple fireplaces both indoors and out, a wall of windows that give way to expansive views, inviting outdoor seating and some genuinely friendly staff like my tasting guides, Lacey and Evan.

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