Going pro in Oregon, 2009

[Vincent Fritzsche]

Over the last few years, we've seen a number of online wine geeks make the jump to producing wine. At the risk of being a "me too" tag along, I'm unbelievably excited to say that I'm taking the leap this fall here in Portland. I'm launching my own pinot noir label, Vincent, as a custom crush client at the Portland Wine Project in industrial NW Portland. PWP is the home of partners Grochau Cellars and Boedecker Cellars, and a few other small projects. It's an urban winery that is exactly what I wanted to be part of, something I think we'll see a lot more of here in Portland in the coming years.

For my first harvest, I'm making 7 or 8 barrels of pinot noir from two vineyards, Zenith and Domaine Coteau, both in the Eola-Amith AVA. The weather's been really good this summer, the crop is big but in great health. I'm totally psyched. The plan is to grow really slowly and see how things unfold. The old adage is true. Making it isn't so hard. Getting rid of it is.

None of this would be happening if it weren't for wine discussion on the internet and a bunch of sites, the latest being Wine Berserkers. Back in the 1990s I found sites like Robin Garr's Wine Lover's Page and Brad Harrington's West Coast Wine Network. By participating, I connected with people like Mike Officer at Carlisle, who was himself making the jump from home winemaker to pro. I helped him in the vineyard and winery in 1999 at Siduri's facility and got the winemaking bug. Mike was clear -- if you want to make wine, make at least a barrel and get the best grapes you can. But my wife was pregnant with our first kid, I had a great opportunity to move to Oregon, and winemaking and my California connections went on the back shelf.

Well, not completely. I couldn't take Mike's advice quite yet, but I made tiny amounts of pinot, chard and pinot gris at home in 2001-2003, mostly from Whistling Ridge vineyard in Ribbon Ridge thanks to a connection from Brian O'Donnell at Belle Pente. I made some valuable mistakes that would have been more painful in higher quantities. In 2004 I wasn't sure what I was doing and sat out the harvest. Then I realized I had to take Mike's advice and get serious. In 2005 I somehow landed a harvest internship at Evesham Wood with Russ Raney and made a small barrel of my own pinot at home. It wasn't much, but I learned a ton. Then in 2006 I worked harvest at Belle Pente and made a barrel of pinot from old vines up the road at the Wahle vineyard. That turned out pretty nice, and I began thinking about making the leap to producing commercially.

The past two years I've worked harvests with John Grochau of Grochau Cellars (GC), who's been hugely helpful to me and even gave me the chance to work a bit off season to learn about all the other stuff you need to know in the cellar. Meanwhile, I made barrels at home from Meredith Mitchell fruit in 2007 and Zenith in 2008. I figured I better make some quality wine more than once before taking the leap, and I think I have.

So now things are in motion. I'm focusing on pinot noir for now. We'll see what more comes in time, though I wouldn't mind finding an old patch of mourvedre to make my own. Ha. If you're interested in hearing how it goes, I'll be blogging more freely than ever. Finally, if I write anything people don't like hearing, it will pretty much just reflect on me and not those I was working for.

Vincent

ps - any Berserkers here in Portland are welcome to come by my house this Sunday. I'm pouring my 2007 and 2008 home wines out in the garage and some other things, all for fun just to show what I've been up to. Message me for details if you're interested. The word is sharp tongued critic Bob Wood might show up. I'm busying with my liquid oak additives and concentrator to make sure he's happy with the final product. Should be fun.

[Todd F r e n c h]

Many congratulations, Vincent!!!

Recessions are not the time to be a new business, but it is a GREAT time to start a new business...

Hopefully some of the Berserkers can come by and taste, and report back. I look forward to the notes.

[Vincent Fritzsche]

Thanks Todd. Yes, I'm sheepishly glad about not having a warehouse full of finished wine for sale. These are tough times in the business.

[T. Melloni]

Congratulations and best of luck.These must be exciting times for you. I read these posts with a touch of envy as I wish I could be making wine.
Best of luck with the production and "getting rid of it". If you're heart and body and soul is in it, I'm sure it will find a home.

[George Heritier]

Congratulations & good luck, Vince! We'll be able to say we knew you when...

[Loren Sonkin]

Congratulations. Good luck on the venture!

[Bob Wood]

Best of success, Vincent. Sorry to have missed Sunday, but I got stuck in the combined golf tournament/air show traffic on the Sunset.

[Mark Cochard]

Now we have another one to live vicariously through. Keep us posted on developments and good luck.

[Vincent Fritzsche]

Thanks all for the support. I'll definitely keep you up to date on what's up.

Wood, it's THIS Sunday. You still have a chance.

[Bob Wood]

Thanks all for the support. I'll definitely keep you up to date on what's up.

Wood, it's THIS Sunday. You still have a chance.

Oh, good. I'll bring my sippy cup and the vanilla extract.

[Travis Fantz]

Vincent,
Sweet. Best of luck to you. I am sure you will do great. Sunday is officially a vacation day at the shop, so I might send you a PM later if that offer is still open for Sunday for people in PDX. Though I have to check with HQ.

It is close to the end of BBQ season for me and I do have both hickory and oak chips left in bag format in the garage. The Hickory chip could be the next big thing, just think of the flavor profile.

[Todd Hamina]

Welcome to the jungle!

[Vincent Fritzsche]

Travis, come on down if you can. No worries if not.

Thanks Todd. A jungle? You mean this isn't all peaches and cream?