Best Oregon PN Producers report

WINE TALK
21

Yes, there is. [berserker.gif]

22

Damn, I should have specified RED Pinot!

23

Got to be in the top tier, it’s better than DRC, after all.

Actually, it should have two of the spots in the top tier - one for red pinot and one for white pinot. Maybe we can start a new poll?

24

Got to be in the top tier, it’s better than DRC, after all.

One of the things we joke about at the Brewery is doing a blind tasting of beer and wine with food - with the food, of course oriented toward the beer, not the wine. For example, my Schwarzbier vs Pinot Noir served with chocolate brownies. After the beer wins, we could take out a full page ad in the Wine Spectator and say that our beer is better than Domaine Serene!

25

Not to tout the competition, Rick, but I’ve discovered that Deschutes’ Black Butte Porter is exceptional with brownies and chocolate chip cookies. I’m assuming your Schwarz - given my limited German - is dark, too. flirtysmile

26

This is probably true of just about any dark/black beer. The roasted malt adds a nice expresso/dark chocolate flavor to the beer which harmonizes really well with the chocolate in the cookies/brownies.

27

“As they come around the bend favorite Thomas is beginning to separate (14 votes) with plucky Belle Pente and jockey Brian still strong (12). The pack has broken up with Evesham (10) making a break from Cameron (9), K. Wright (8), and Brick House (7) nose to nose with Patty. Antica Terra ridden by the lovely Maggie is nipping at their heels (6). Shea is still in the running (6) but there is a big pack at 4 whose hopes are fading. The Domaines (Drouhin and Serene) are in the running but the money is on them falling back. Torii continues to struggle but a late rally is likely.”

[pillow-fight.gif]

28

Serene’s jockey is weighing him down. [rofl.gif]

29

A funny story. I was speaking to one of my favorite Oregon people, Joan, at Wine Country Farms, about DS and current events. Being a lady, she gave huge praise to the Evensteds for stepping up and buying the property above her that another group was wanting to turn into a huge hotel. She had nothing but bad things to say about the potential of that hotel on the property.

The E’s had no interest in that property, it didn’t really fit into their plans. After all the comnmotion they decided to spend their money and preserve the land for the good of the area. V at DDO, which bordered the property didn’t step up, nor did any of the other locals with money. The land is now preserved for good (or at least for my lifetime.)

I asked a couple of people(local to Dundee Hills) why the E’s never got any credit for the good deed from the locals. I got lots of answers, the best being that the NIMBYs were pissed. You see that hotel was not in their backyard and the E’s kept the county from getting more taxes. Since more tax dollars had to come from some where, why not the E’s backyard instead of their own.

Since people like to give shots over non wine issues and rave about the Tony S. affair that affected no one on this Board, perhaps a little credit for the good they do! Naw, that’s not the nature of this Board!

30

My understanding is this purchased property is where the E’s plan to plant another block of white pinot noir grapes.

31

[welldone.gif] [rofl.gif]

32

I think that once the Allison Resort project was announced the proposed Dundee Hills Hotel was toast. Not only did the folks developing the Allison have deeper pockets, but their project was inside the urban growth boundary of Newberg - a better solution than putting a hotel in the middle of nowhere, with little to no water and large waste water problem. I suspect that the Evenstadts got the property at a good price and will do very well with their investment.

33

Dude, you’re so out of touch. Ken and Grace Evenstad, singlehandedly and with the good of the community at the forefront of their minds, kept an imposing and ostentatious edifice from being built on the highest reaches of the Dundee Hills. After all, their winery and home were designed to blend right in and they didn’t want an eyesore to spoil the view.

34

Gordon Fitz wrote : “A funny story. I was speaking to one of my favorite Oregon people, Joan, at Wine Country Farms, about DS and current events. Being a lady, she gave huge praise to the Evensteds for stepping up and buying the property above her that another group was wanting to turn into a huge hotel. She had nothing but bad things to say about the potential of that hotel on the property.”

LL writes : Gordon, of course Joan was opposed to the proposed Kahn project as were many winery owners - did she also tell you that we formed a group and took the Kahn project to LUBA (land use board of appeals) and won, sending this project to never-land without alot of additional cost and uncertainty on their part. This combined with the economy essentially put an end to this risky proposition being placed on agriculture land.

Gordon Fitz wrote; “The E’s had no interest in that property, it didn’t really fit into their plans. After all the comnmotion they decided to spend their money and preserve the land for the good of the area. V at DDO, which bordered the property didn’t step up, nor did any of the other locals with money. The land is now preserved for good (or at least for my lifetime.)”

LL writes: Gordon, just how do you know the E’s had no interest in that property or that others had not tried to buy that property numerous times ? First of, I have no idea of the reasoning behind the DS folks buying it but I DO know there were several offers over the years it has been part of an estate and on and off the market. What you cannot see from the road, is that there is a fabulous view from the home, which if I recall is in the neighborhood of 6,000+/- square feet, an indoor pool, but in need of updating, some plantable land abutting DDO and of course, there is the retired rock quarry on another side of the property that is basically useless. I have not heard of any land conservation being put on the property, but I suspect the payback for placing a vacated quarry in this program, just might provide a nice return and be the highest and best use for the land.

Gordon Fitz writes: “I asked a couple of people(local to Dundee Hills) why the E’s never got any credit for the good deed from the locals. I got lots of answers, the best being that the NIMBYs were pissed. You see that hotel was not in their backyard and the E’s kept the county from getting more taxes. Since more tax dollars had to come from some where, why not the E’s backyard instead of their own.”

LL writes: Whats a NIMBY ? The E’s did nothing to stop the hotel, they simply bought a lovely piece of Real Estate that several others would have happily purchased. Then they put it in some type of conservation program you say, which will minimize the tax implications - in that respect perhaps the E’s kept the county from getting fair market taxes on that parcel, but if I recall, it was already in some type of farm deferral tax so the implications would be minimal to the county. On the other hand, the hotel did not go there for a variety of reasons, first it IS farmland and not an approved use, secondly the hills have very little water and just getting services and vehicles up that road would be difficult - so can’t see why you say the E’s kept the county from getting tax dollars ??


Gordon Fitz writes: “Since people like to give shots over non wine issues and rave about the Tony S. affair that affected no one on this Board, perhaps a little credit for the good they do! Naw, that’s not the nature of this Board!”

LL writes: "When people really do good for our community, it is generally recognized and folks are quick to acknowledge actions that benefit others.

Sometimes I just read things like this and wonder where you get this kind of stuff ?? And why you think it is your duty to defend the great DS. I am sure they are quite capable of reading for themselves what people have to say… and I have never known them to be shy about any of their philanthropic deeds. So again Gordon, WHY ?



Since people like to give shots over non wine issues and rave about the Tony S. affair that affected no one on this Board, perhaps a little credit for the good they do! Naw, that’s not the nature of this Board!"

35

Linda . . . [dance-clap.gif] [welldone.gif] [berserker.gif]

36

Get real, Gordon.

37

As I mentioned on the other thread, I am very surprised at the lack of mention for Stoller. Am I the only one who likes this wine?

38

It’s been tough to get a handle on Stoller, Chris. Lots of changes along the way. For their first few vintages, the wines were made by Harry Peterson-Nedry at Chehalem, where the Stollers are partners. At some point they hired Melissa Burr as winemaker, who I think made some of the wines at the Chehalem facility before the Stoller winery was finished, and who has actually posted here a couple of times as I recall.

For me, the early wines were sufficiently like Chehalem’s (Harry’s hand was pretty obvious) that it was tough to tell if there was going to be a discernable Stoller style. Unfortunately, I haven’t tasted any lately.

39

[berserker.gif]

40

Bob,

Thanks for the insight. Bill Stoller (I think that’s his name) is coming out to Texas this spring to do a wine dinner at our country club. Looking forward to meeting him and learning more about the winery and the area, as Oregon is a weak spot for me.