Gifts for Wine Lovers

A friendly reminder that wine classes make a great holiday gift for the wine lover in your life. Information on gift certificates can be found here, or contact us for more details.  

This spring we will once again offer our popular Introduction to Wine Series, a great option for someone who wants to get familiar with wine tasting and wine terminology in a fun and interactive class.  Register for individual class sessions for $50 each or enroll in the entire 3-part series for $135.  

Our International Wine Passport Series is a great option for wine lovers at all levels - from the professional to the "just enthusiastic".  Enroll your wine lover in one of our Frequent Flyer Programs (membership available at several levels) and let them select the class or classes of their choice.  

Questions? Don't hesitate to be in touch.

2009 International Wine Passport Series

Details of the 2009 International Wine Passport Series have now been finalized and the full program can be found here.  

We selected the 12 Portland wine professionals we would most like to learn from and asked them to put together a class on a wine region they are passionate about (well, in truth we asked only 10 Portland wine professionals to join us - 2 of the classes will be taught by us!). Their interests spanned the globe and therefore so will this series.  We'll spend plenty of time in Europe of course, but we're particularly excited about the sessions that take us into the lesser known - and often lesser appreciated - New World wine regions.  

The classes will be fun, relatively informal, and appropriate for all levels.  Whether you are a wine geek, a wine professional, or someone who just likes to enjoy a glass at the end of the day, we hope you'll join us!  Drop in for an individual session or sign up for multiple classes through our Frequent Flyer Program and save up to 20%.

Croatian Wine Professionals Visit The Wine and Spirit Archive

This summer we again worked with the USDA Cochran Fellowship Program to host a group of international wine professionals and introduce them to American wines and winemaking practices.  This year's crew included three Croatian wine professionals: a wine-interested botanist and two government employees responsible for evaluating and ensuring wine quality.

I kicked off our two day program with a class on American wine history, grape varieties, and winemaking.  The class included a tasting of typical American wines.  Zinfandel, which originated in Croatia and is thought to be a descendent of the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelansnki, of course made an appearance (in its red form, not it's more popular "white" version).  Surprising to me, the Oregon Pinot Noir I poured (one which I personally think is fabulous) was probably the least popular wine of the day.  The fellows found the alcohol to be too high for the wine's relatively light body (I tried not to hold it against them).  

I turned the afternoon over to Peter Bos, Northwest Wine Academy's winemaker and instructor.   Peter led us through some fabulous tastings, my favorite of which was a comparison of a single wine: one sample unfiltered and two samples sent through two different filters (the differences in flavor and texture were astounding).  Peter also poured a Washington wine (which shall remain nameless) that had been picked too late: the fruit tasted burnt and the alcohol high enough to appeared fortified.  Demonstrating the process of "water backing," Peter had us add water (equal to 10% of the wine's volume) to the glass.  The wine still tasted of scorched fruit, but the balance was significantly improved.  

On our second day, we headed across the lake to Woodinville to tour a few of the area's wineries and taste some wine.  At Ste. Michelle, enologist and WSA alum David Rosenthal toured us through the winery's massive facility and walked us through a tasting of Ste. Michelle wines.  For someone like myself used to visiting small Northwest operations, the tour was a fascinating contrast in scale.  Ste. Michelle's Compliance Specialist, Zib Marshall, then met with us to discuss the government regulations that control how wine is made, sold and distributed.  Here, the differences between American wine regulations and Croatian wine regulations became clear, with American regs more focused on how wine is sold and labeled and Croatian regulations more strictly controlling wine quality and how wine is produced.  And finally, we wrapped up our day with Linda Conklin, Columbia Winery's hospitality manager and current WSA student, for a tasting and discussion of Woodinville's winemaking history.    

A big thank you to those who helped create this program with us, particularly our alums David and Linda!

WSA Alumni on the Move

A quick congratulations to several WSA alums who recently stepped into new positions:

After several years at Soter Vineyards, Chris Poulos (AC 2007) was asked by North Berkeley Imports to come aboard as a sales representative covering the Pacific Northwest, midwest, and parts Northern California.  A huge territory to be sure, which means that Chris finds himself traveling quite a bit.  Chris says he loves the exposure to North Berkeley's stellar collection and the opportunity to introduce buyers to new wines.  Chris is also currently working towards his WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits (DWS).  Good luck, Chris!

Current student Linda Conklin was recently promoted to Hospitality Manager at Columbia Winery.  In her new position, Linda coordinates all VIP visits and is also responsible for the winery's tasting room education program.  Linda says she the new position keeps her busy and requires significant traveling, but that she is enjoying the new challenges.  

Ryan Wilson (AC 2007) recently made a move from Bacchus Fine Wines to Mitchell Wines.  Although it's a challenge to work with an entirely new book, Ryan is excited by Mitchell's great selection and is relishing the chance to learn an entirely new selection of wines (plus he gets to work with WSA instructor Ewald Moseler, so that's got to be a plus as well!). 

And finally, on a recent trip to New Seasons, I was excited to see Kerry Godfrey (IC 2007) stocking wine bottles in his new position as Wine Manager.  Kerry says he's found the perfect job and loves spending his days helping customers select wine (although his body has not quite adapted to all the heavy lifting!).  The next time you're in the inner SE, stop in and see Kerry at the five corners New Seasons and put him to work!

Alright alums, keep us posted.  We want to know what you're up to and where you're working.  And for those of you who want to find out more about what our alums are up to, make sure to visit our graduates page.  

WSA Alumni Launch Tasting Group

by Leo Daedalus

The no. 2 pencil dust hasn't even settled on our final exams, but the WSA spring '08 Advanced alumni have already revived their study group. After all that hard work, "I don't want to lose my momentum," explained Barnyard Action co-founder Bob Martin. The group takes its ignoble name from a late-night tasting note tossed off during the initial meeting.

It all began in the midst of the Advanced course, when several of us observed that while we were getting good at pulling out distinct aromas or flavors, we were often at a loss to put a name to them. We needed more experience making the connection between the contents of the glass and the contents of our memory.

Accordingly my wife, Anna, and I invited our classmates over for dinner. About half a dozen took the bait, each bringing a wine from a region we had previously studied. We arrayed the table with a generous smorgasbord of scent and taste referents: cherries, currant preserves, pears, hazelnuts, licorice, spices, chocolate, gooseberries, green peppers, and many other usual suspects. We even had a bowl of dirt and a leather bag.

As we went through our joint tasting, we compared our impressions of the wines with the spread before us. The process was not always conclusive — we were all certain we had found pear in one pour, but it bore no resemblance to the halved bartlett we were passing around on a saucer. Clearly we needed a table ten times bigger. Better yet, an entire grocery store.

Nevertheless, we learned a great deal. Those in our group who had never had black currants, for example, enjoyed a genuine Aha! moment when we got to the St-Emilion and passed the cassis preserves around. And no one could deny, when Anna found green olives in the Viognier, that the actual picholines corroborated the association.

More valuable even than the smorgasbord of food referents, however, was the simple experience of joint blind tasting and group discussion. Clearly, nothing would hone our skills better than regular tastings together, particularly given the common language we share in the systematic WSET tasting method. Thus was Barnyard Action reborn as an ongoing group.

The first post-class gathering was held at Bob and Krissy Martin's home, with an Italian theme. Seven of us convened, each bringing a secret Italian wine. These were bagged for blindness and numbered according to a basic ordering system, to ensure that we would not be following, say, a Ripasso with a Verdicchio. Additionally, we handed out tasting note sheets based on the WSET forms to keep us on track as the evening progressed.

We're committed to keeping Barnyard Action from devolving into just a fun social gathering. It's important that it continues as a rigorous program of joint learning. We're doing this because we love wines, and because the more we learn, the more we find we don't know. What might be a daunting project for an individual is a great voyage of shared discovery among a group of dedicated enthusiasts. And, of course, tremendous fun.

For more information, or to get in touch about participating, visit the Barnyard Action blog at barnyardaction.blogspot.com.

WSA Hosts Second Annual Careers in Wine Symposium

Want to make wine your profession? Join us in Seattle on Saturday, May 10, 2008 for a daylong symposium exploring career paths and opportunities in the wine industry. Panelists, representing many of Washington's top wine professionals, will discuss their personal experiences entering and working in the wine trade, insights into where the industry is heading, and suggestions for those just beginning their careers. Check out this year's schedule and register here.

WSA Hosts 1st Annual WSET Alumni Party

In celebration of graduating our 100th WSET student, in early February we filled our house with Oregon-based WSA alumni for our first ever alumni party. The party was a great opportunity to connect students from various classes and to catch up with students we haven’t heard from in awhile. We found out that Mich Nelson just started a new job at Stoller Vineyards, that Chris Poulos has already enrolled in the Diploma Course, and that Jeffrey Lee is headed to New Mexico to make goat cheese.

Wine was – of course – not in short supply and after starting the evening with Champagne cocktails we quickly went on to sample the many wonderful wines brought by our alums. Thanks to everyone who brought wine to share. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Intermediate Certificate Student, Leo Daedalus, scores perfect 100 on IC Exam

Congratulations to Leo Daedalus who received a perfect 100 on his WSET Intermediate Certificate exam. Leo's perfect score is the first for the WSA and is a tremendous achievement.

Local Wineries Open Their Doors for Advanced Certificate Field Trip

This spring we got our WSET Advanced Certificate students out of the classroom and into the field with three winery visits. AC students Lisa Marcus and Mich Nelson share their thoughts on the field trips to Cristom Vineyards, Cameron Winery, and Stoller Vineyards below.

Cristom Vineyards Tour

by Lisa Marcus

Part 1 of a three-winery field trip organized by the WSA for the Spring 2008 WSET Advanced Certification course.

It is morning in the winery. The hills surrounding are six Cristom vineyards, all named after relatives of owner Paul Gerrie. This fall they will bear pinot noir, pinot gris and syrah – the first estate-grown of its kind in the Willamette Valley. For now the vines are pruned and bare, waiting for the warmth of spring.

We are about to tour Cristom Vineyards with Paul’s son Tom as our guide. And it is here in the winery where we learn the family traditions of turning grapes into wine. We learn about what winemaker Steve Doerner considers to be the key in creating some of the best-known pinot noir in the valley: slow fermentation. Everything here at Cristom is hands on. From picking the grapes to punch downs.

Steve is humble. His winemaking approach combines scientific skill with a strong intuition. Cristom uses one-ton individual fermenters because he feels the size is perfect to allow a long and slow fermentation. In anything from outsourcing fruit to every step of the process along the way, Steve takes a very hands-on, but trusting approach. He allows the vineyard managers to make their own decisions in producing the highest quality fruit possible. All the way down to the microbial actions taking place, he emphasizes faith in the process. His background in biochemistry gives him the confidence to allow the yeast and bacteria to do their work and bring depth and character to the wine. He has little use for lab analysis and data tracking, instead relying on taste.

We descend into the cellar for a bit of barrel tasting. It is cold but it smells familiar – a bit romantic and mysterious. We taste the 2007 Eileen out of two barrels from different coopers. Next we drink a sample of the Louise, followed by some Marjory. We compare depth and flavor differences. Tasting straight from the barrels in the cellar you get a real sense of the magic created here at Cristom. A magic based on skill, intuition and family tradition.

Visit Cristom Vineyards online.

Cameron Winery Tour

by Lisa Marcus

Part 2 of a three-winery field trip organized by the WSA for the Spring 2008 WSET Advanced Certification course.

The gates are open for us today. We drive up the long gravel driveway surrounded by the Cameron Estate Vineyard. We find John Paul working hard at grafting vines. I can’t help but see him as an ex-hippy meets mad scientist meets grape grower, and I laugh to myself at how wonderful it is to be here. The first thing he shows us is how to take cut vines and graft them together, dipping the scions in wax to hold them in place. He then carefully placing them in perlite bins so they will stay moist. Next they'll live in a greenhouse under a shade cloth until ready for planting. This process has come a long way for him. When he began, his success rate was around 1%. Now he figures that 75–90% of his grafts take.

We move from there into the vineyard. While John Paul speaks about going biodynamic, his four-legged family follows close behind, running circles around us and receiving plenty of love and affection from the group. John Paul says he wants his vineyard to be a self-contained entity. Toward that cause, he will be adding chickens to his vineyard in the next year. The idea is to use what is called a “chicken tractor,” which is basically a mobile coop moved down the rows of vines. The chickens will eat the low shrubbery and allow the grape vines to thrive.

John Paul firmly believes in dry farming. He started Deep Roots Organization, which now includes other Oregon wineries, such as Beaux Freres, Brick House, J. Christopher, Eyrie and Westrey. In John Paul's opinion that the best vineyards are dry farmed. You can make a good wine using irrigation, but it will lack the character of its terroir.

We continue on into his cellar for our eagerly awaited barrel tasting (loving this class!). Using his wine thief, he pulls out a sample of a 2006 pinot noir blend. This one has a great heaviness to it, not too tannic and well balanced. The second, from his Abbey Ridge vineyard, is a bit more floral, but dense and meaty.

We finish the cellar tour and resume tasting upstairs. We try some 2006 Chardonnay, recently bottled. His Juliano, a blend of seven Italian white grapes, was a group favorite. We find it to be complex and crisp. There is just a kiss of moscato (muscat) amid the blend, giving it a touch of something floral. This wine will be great with seafood and summer.

At the end of the tour, I leave with a smile. I think about how beautiful Oregon wines really are. When I bring the juice to my lips, it is sweet and rugged. It is the balance of nature and intuition. I smell earth and the feel the love and sense the passion for the grape. And I want more.

Visit Cameron Winery online.

Stoller Vineyards Tour

by Mich Nelson

Part 3 of a three-winery field trip organized by the WSA for the Spring 2008 WSET Advanced Certification course.

After visiting Cristom and Cameron earlier in the day, the WSET Advance Certificate students headed to Stoller Vineyards. Stoller Vineyards is a 373-acre parcel located on the southern slopes of the Dundee Hills AVA in Yamhill County, Oregon. A turkey farm from the 1940s through the 1980s, the first 10 acres of Chardonnay and 10 acres of Pinot Noir were planted in 1995. The vineyard now has 176 acres under vine, the majority of which is planted to Pinot Noir.

Stoller Vineyards produces varietal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made exclusively from the estate vineyard.

I currently work as Tasting Room Supervisor for Stoller and was excited to offer classmates a tour of the winery building, which is the first Gold LEED Certified winery in the United States. The winery integrates gravity-flow winemaking techniques, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and waste-water reclamation to reduce negative environmental impact. The array of 224 solar panels on the roof of the building offsets about 50% of the winery’s electrical needs.

The class then met with Stoller winemaker Melissa Burr in the cellar for some barrel tasting. Melissa led the class through a comparison of different yeast strains being used on the same lot of fruit, using the same barrels, to get a sense of how yeasts affect the flavor and texture of the wine. Next, the class also sampled wine from the same Pinot Noir clones from vines of differing ages, to see how age adds complexity to the fruit. Finally, Melissa showed the class how new oak barrels and neutral oak barrels impart varying degrees of influence on wine.

Finally, I led the class through a tasting of Stoller’s currently released wines, which are crafted in two distinct styles:

The JV (or Junior Vines) wines are made using fruit from younger vines on the property and are made in an accessible style. The class sampled a 2007 Rose, 2007 stainless-steel fermented Chardonnay and 2006 Pinot Noir made in this style.

The SV (for Stoller Vineyards) flagship wines are made using fruit from the oldest vines on the property, and showcase the fruit, earth, and complexity of the Stoller vineyards. The class tasted the 2006 SV Chardonnay, which is made by barrel fermenting and aging the wine for 10½ months prior to bottling, and the 2005 SV Pinot Noir, which is crafted to cellar well and is released after about 18 months of bottle aging.

Visit Stoller Vineyards online.