tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553975380485208042024-03-19T05:28:04.628-07:00The Sec Wines BlogThis is the blog for Sec Wines in Portland, OR by Eric Pottmeyer.
The posts are generally about wine, wine personalities and the wine market with food creeping into posts every now and then.Eric Pottmeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17649988284287426382noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355397538048520804.post-36302938849670455342012-02-05T20:57:00.000-08:002012-02-05T20:57:04.715-08:00Natural Wines...Why the Hubbub?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Natural Wine....Why the Hubbub</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Eric Asimov, one of this country’s most insightful wine writers, recently published an article in his New York Times column, <i>The Pour</i>, about the hot button issue of “natural wine.” Why in the world would something - an idea, a movement or wine with a name like “natural” be so divisive? What’s not to like about wine, or just about anything else for that matter, being made as naturally as possible? And what is “natural wine” anyway?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For starters, there is no official definition for the term natural wine, but it’s loosely the idea that a wine is made with as little manipulation as possible. This means starting with grapes that were farmed sustainably/organically, then brought into the winery and left to do their thing. Certainly the winemakers may help the wines along their path, but they don’t set forth the path or force the wines to go in a certain direction or correct for defects or deficiencies. No reverse osmosis machines, no roto-fermenters, no pre-packaged yeasts and usually, no new oak. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The natural wine “movement” began with a small group of winemakers, mostly working independently from one another but sharing a common idea that producing wine should start by being good stewards to the land and the philosophy of staying out of the grapes/wine’s way and letting it essentially make itself. The goal of making wine this way is to have a wine that speaks of the soil that it was grown in and the grapes natural flavors. Eventually, through the tireless work of a few importers (i.e. Louis/Dressner and Kermit Lynch) people started to take notice. At this point, a small group of sommeliers, wine bars and bloggers started to talk/write about the virtues of natural wines. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While natural wines have gained favor with a certain subset of consumers, they still only make up less than 1% of all wine sales. So why would such a small percentage of all wine being made and sold cause a backlash? Robert M. Parker, the world’s most influential wine critic, referred to the natural wine movement as “One of the major scams being foisted on wine consumers is the so-called ‘Natural’ wine movement.” Mr. Parkerhuv is not the only one who seems a little hostile to the natural wine movement. Certain winemakers, importers and retailers are a bit testy when the topic arises. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But why? For winemakers who don’t subscribe to the natural wine movement’s general practices, it could be that they don’t want their wine to be deemed unnatural in the public’s eye. If they farm conventionally and employ tactics in the cellar like reverse osmosis to concentrate their wine, add enzymes for darker color and use the genetically altered super-yeasts necessary to ferment a wine to over 15% alcohol, does this make their wine any less natural? Like the topic of global warming, the answer may be clear, but different individuals may see different answers.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For importers and wholesalers who work primarily with conventionally made wines, they may just be guarding against their hard fought market share. For some retailers, it could just be that they are unfamiliar with natural wine and don’t care to learn about these new-fangled wines because “they’ve never needed them before so why should I worry about them now...and natural wines are for pretentious people anyway.” Look out.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And then there is the question of wheather natural wines any better than conventional wines, or vise Like any category, or sub category of wine, there are both sublime and undrinkable examples of natural wine. I really don’t care that much weather or not the wine I’m drinking is “natural” or not, so long as it’s delicious, food-friendly and interesting. All things being equal, I’d opt for a natural wine, but not demand it. While wine can be made in any number of ways and turn out delicious, I do find that a higher percentage of natural wines are food-friendly and are more outright interesting. In any case, attacking natural wines and the people who make and enjoy them seems counterproductive as this only serves to bring more attention to these wines. Can’t we all just enjoy what we enjoy and let others do the same?</span></div>
</div>Eric Pottmeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17649988284287426382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355397538048520804.post-54481991377440595282011-09-18T00:54:00.000-07:002012-02-09T08:26:56.720-08:00Joe Dressner...we'll always remember you.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Joe Dressner we miss you. We miss you because you were truly one of a kind. We miss you because you taught us so much; so much about wine, but more importantly about life - how to live life with vigor, purpose and relentless pursuit of what you believe is right.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Joe, you were inspiring, you were intelligent, you were witty, and you were sometimes a bit coarse. You were a <i>whole </i>person and an honest person in the way you lived your life and in the way you conducted your business. You were always honest and true to who you were as a person. You were always honest and true to the families whose wines you represented and you defended them and their traditions with vigor. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Joe, we miss you, but you’ve left us with so much and you’ve inspired so many people in the wine world that you and your work will live on not only in the Louis/Dressner wines we drink, but in the whole idea that drinking honest wines that reflect the place they came from is inspiring. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’ll remember you fondly, Joe.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span id="goog_475965002"></span><span id="goog_475965003"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>Eric Pottmeyer</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sec Wines</span></div>
</div>Eric Pottmeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17649988284287426382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355397538048520804.post-37944914988576658762010-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:002010-11-01T07:26:49.269-07:002008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Vintage<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s not uncommon for a few wine publications to proclaim several vintages in a single decade to be the “vintage of the century” or the “greatest vintage of all time” for a given region. For those of us who read wine publications either recreationally or professionally, many of us tire of these annual proclamations and take them with a grain of salt. So, for what it’s worth, 2008 is one of the greatest vintages in the short history of the Willamette Valley for Pinot Noir, certainly the best of this decade. </span></span></span><span style="font: 13.0px Verdana; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: 12.0px Verdana; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After an up and down summer, the weather in September and October was ideal, allowing Pinot Noir to ripen to near perfection under beautiful harvest conditions. Healthy grapes with good to near perfect ripeness produced wines with a beautiful balance of fruit, acidity and tannins.</span></span></span><span style="font: 13.0px Verdana; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marcus Goodfellow of Matello Wines is one of the Oregon’s best winemakers. He states that “Because so much ripening happened late and the picking windows were so wide open, winemakers had the opportunity to pick at optimum points (and for the most part without having to do all the work at once). We had the luxury of fruit the way we like it and time to cover all the details of fermentation meticulously and to our preferences.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What makes this vintage so great is the consistency seen in it. In all but the most challenging vintages in the Willamette Valley, there are any number of excellent Pinot Noirs produced. But in 2008 excellence and deliciousness are the norm. From inexpensive “Willamette Valley” bottlings to the best single vineyard and reserve wines, 2008 has offered an abundance of outstanding Pinots in different styles. Marcus reiterates this when he said “...I think 2008 offers a lot for the consumer to choose from as well, some forward lush wines, and some backwards but reeking of potential.” This is evidenced when tasting through Marcus’ Matello Pinot Noir line up. Witness Matello’s lush and open-knit Willamette Valley bottling which drinks beautifully now, to the Hommage A&D, Souris, Wineter’s Hill and Bishop Creek Pinots which have remarkable potential in the cellar. Indeed, another attribute of the 2008 vintage is the wide window of prime drinkability these wines as a group possess. A greater number of wines than ever before will age gracefully for a decade or more.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marcus highlights another aspect of the vintage that makes 2008 special when he notes that “I think the differentiation between vineyard terroirs is heightened in my wines in 2008. Everything about the vintage really lends itself to expressing the vineyard voice, from naturally low yields, to optimal ripening and picking conditions, to care in the winery. Witness the difference between the Winter’s Hill, Whistling Ridge and Bishop Creek bottlings; each is VERY different this year.”</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely, conscientious winemakers who let the fruit and vineyards speak for themselves produced Pinot Noirs with great aromatic purity, lush fruit with excellent concentration, superb balance, and silky textures. For the Pinot Noir lover, this is a vintage to stock up on. While there are still some 2008s from some of Oregon’s best wineries that have not been released (hurry-up Cameron, Thomas, Cristom etc.), there are an abundance of great Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs still in the market.</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In no particular order, here are some of the most successful 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot still in the market at the time of this publication:</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St. Innocent, Momtazi, Zenith & Freedom Hill</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Patricia Green Cellars, Nefarious </span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matello, Souris, Bishop Creek & Hommage A&D</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Domaine Drouhin</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bergstrom, Bergstrom Vineyard</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Westrey, Abbey Ridge</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Et Fills, Maresh</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Evening Land Vineyards, Seven Springs Estate & La Source</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">J. Albin, Laurel</span></span></span></div></span>Eric Pottmeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17649988284287426382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355397538048520804.post-64737238917174786592010-08-15T22:26:00.001-07:002010-08-16T15:45:57.695-07:00Grosses Gewachs - The place of dry single vineyard Mosel rieslings in the German pantheon. (What gives?)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“If this wine’s a trocken, don’t come a knockin’” is a playful response often heard from German wine aficionados who prefer classically styled off-dry to sweet Mosel rieslings to their dry, or “trocken”, counterparts so favored by most Germans. So the idea of Grosses Gewachs, or GG as they are commonly referred to, is confusing to many German riesling lovers.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I was weaned on kabinett, spatlese, & auslese Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines and so, came to understand these wines through the lens of residual sugar. I loved, and still do, the balance of sweetness and corresponding acidity that the best of these wines offered in addition to the kaleidoscopic complexity and slate-driven minerality. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When I first started tasting high-quality dry German wines, I found them interesting, but not necessarily satisfying. I often dismissed them as lacking, or incomplete wines that would benefit from a little residual sugar to balance their naturally high acidity and give them some lift. Upon hearing that most Germans prefer their Mosel rieslings dry while disregarding classic kabinett, spatlese and auslese wines, I assumed that this was merely a case of the misperception that sweet wines are beginner wines and not to be taken seriously. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So what it the deal with GGs? At it’s most basic level, Grosses Gewachs, roughly translates as Great Growth (seemingly attempting to copy the ideal of Grand Cru in Burgundy). It is a term used by a group of Mosel riesling producers referred to as the VDP, who seek to promote dry Mosel rieslings from special, ultra high quality vineyards. GG is not a legal term. Instead, it’s an idea that promotes the Mosel vineyards that carry the GG moniker as the very top vineyards for producing terroir-driven dry wines. And really, whether you’re a fan of these wines, or not, that’s exactly what they do. What GG may do for American drinkers is give these dry rieslings from the Mosel some street cred - like their great Austrian and Alsacian cousins already have.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As the thoughtful Dan Melia, of the Mosel Wine Merchant - a small, highly respected German wine importer, points out, there are complications. To wit: “ As long as it is a VDP-only term, and not a legally sanctioned one, GG has currency only for VDP members. That means that great dry wines from great sites from growers who are <i>not</i> in the VDP (and there are many, both within my portfolio and without) are not allowed to use GG on their labels. That's fine, as far as it goes, since many of them don't want to (i.e., they are not interested in joining the VDP), but it <i>is</i> undoubtedly a complication for the consumer, who - if all the GG enthusiasm achieves what the VDP hopes it will - will come to equate great dry German Riesling <i>only</i> with the term GG. That would be a shame. There are countless delicious, ambitious, age-worthy, transparent, playful, <i>terroir</i>-driven dry Mosel Rieslings that are not GGs.” Yep. Know how to hit a curve ball?</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Regardless of the tangle that GG presents it’s important that people know that “...<i>this is not some new, trendy thing</i>. The Germans have been making and drinking dry wines for a long time, longer than the style we often now think of as ‘classic.’ But that isn't really the point, and dry or trocken isn't really the point either. The point is, of course, balance -- and part of our goal has been to tell the story that the great dry wines of Germany can be just as beautifully balanced as the wines with residual sugar. This notion that a Mosel Riesling <i>needs</i> sugar to be balanced is just painfully out of date.” states Mr. Melia. </span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Indeed, this is the point; great Mosel riesling can be appreciated with or without residual sugar - it just may take a re-calibration of one’s palate to accept the style to which one didn’t first become accustomed. That American consumers won’t give dry Mosel rieslings their due is just as ridiculous as Germans consumers not accepting off-dry to sweet Mosel rieslings as valid. The great Mosel riesling producer and maverick (sorry Palin, we’re stealin’ the term back) Clemens Busch perfectly demonstrates that terroir can speak with equal grace and eloquence with, or without residual sugar with his head-spinning collection of great Mosel rieslings.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Below are a few highlights of some of the great dry Mosel rieslings available in the Portland OR market (including some GG and Erste Gewachses or “first growths” equal to Premier Cru status in Burgundy). The following wines are available from <a href="http://www.secwines.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">www.secwines.com</span></a>: </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2008 Clemens Busch, Riesling Kabinett, Trocken $17.99</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2007 Clemens Busch, Riesling, Pundericher Marienburg, Rothenpfad GG $44.99</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2006 Heymann Lowenstein, Rottgen $41.99</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2007 Heymann Lowenstein, Uhlen-Laubach $56.99 </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2008 Heymann Lowenstein, Uhlen-Laubach $56.99</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2008 Van Volxem, Wiltinger Gottesfuss $35.99</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2008 Van Volxem, Scharzhofberger-Pergentsknopp $61.99</span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></span>Eric Pottmeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17649988284287426382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355397538048520804.post-75003091752011672452010-06-24T13:03:00.001-07:002010-08-11T20:42:31.558-07:00What the Walla Walla? A new angle on sustainable farming in Wine Country.After seventeen years in the wine industry as a retailer, fewer and fewer things are new and surprising. I just got back from my first trip to Washington state's premier wine growing AVA, Walla Walla Valley. I expect to learn new things whenever I visit a wine region, but what I learned on this trip came as quite a surprise. Sure, I learned a little bit about how several very good wineries make their wine, and got to see the lay of the land and where some of the better known vineyards are, but what I found most interesting, I learned from a guy who makes a special kind of compost and something called "Earth Tea." My teacher that day was Earth Tea Brewer Rick Trumbull. Rick is a former chemical salesman turned vineyard naturopathic doctor. <br /><br />Mr. Trumbull is a very thoughtful man who cares deeply for the Walla Walla Valley, its soil and the vineyards that have brought this corner of southeastern Washington great fame in the wine world. For generations before vinifera grapes were grown here, wheat was, and still is, farmed throughout the Walla Walla Valley. Like many other mono agricultures, growing wheat year after year took its tool on the soil. Rather than dump chemicals into the soil to try and "fix" it, Mr. Trumbull is trying to rehabilitate the soil by providing a hospitable atmosphere (the aerobic compost) for the "biology" of healthy soil to take hold and nurse the soil back to health. The healthy biology of the soil is reintroduced by a treatment of Vinea Earth Tea. <br /><br />Vinea's Earth Tea is a concoction of aerobic compost, worm casings and molasses (food for the organisms in the compost) brewed in aerated water. According to Mr. Trumbull, there are over 1,000,000 living organisms in one teaspoon (surely he must have meant tablespoon) of his Earth Tea. The purpose of introducing all these micro organisms into the vineyard soil is so that "the good organisms in the soil can 'out-compete' the organisms that cause vine disease and add vigor to the vines making them healthier" Mr. Trumbull said. Another important effect is that vines can better withstand the extreme heat and cold of eastern Washington.<br /><br />Interesting, but it doesn't really mean much to have me shake my head and nod in approval. More importantly, a growing number of wineries and vineyard owners are plunking down their money and investing in their vineyards well-being through Vinea's compost and Earth Tea program. I spoke with Norm McKibben and Jean-Francois "J.F." Pellot, owner and winemaker respectively of Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Winery as well as co-owner and winemaker Gordy Venerri of Walla Walla Vintners Winery who all believe that Vinea's compost & Earth Tea program has produced positive effects in their vineyards and plan to continue their use of the Vinea program. A growing number of Walla Walla Valley vineyard owners and wineries are using the Vinea program in addition to the above mentioned including Amavi, Leonetti, Reinenger, Woodward Canyon and others.<br /><br />What does the consumer of Walla Walla Valley wines get out of all this? Well, besides the warm-fuzzy feeling of being a part of and supporting a new form of sustainable agriculture that eschews nasty chemical-driven farming, they are also drinking wines that are better than ever due to healthier vines and vineyards. This was evidenced as I sampled a wide rage of wines and styles on my visit. From the big, rich, polished Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots from Pepper Bridge to the complex, well-balanced and food-friendly wines of Walla Walla Vintners to the classy stable of wines from Reininger, Walla Walla wines have never been better.Eric Pottmeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17649988284287426382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355397538048520804.post-74088211314643964582010-05-19T20:40:00.001-07:002010-05-31T14:27:44.624-07:00Thank you, good night...Hello! Hello!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Saturday, May 22nd marks the end a remarkable 15 year run at Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants for me. Yep, 15 years. Hired way back in the spring of 1995 by Bob Liner and Matt Elsen, I was more than a little wet behind the ears. I owe a lot of thanks to those two for hiring a guy without much experience in the wine market and little more than a basic knowledge of the wine world. Over the next three years, I learned a tremendous amount from Bob & Matt. Most importantly, I learned to trust my palate and to be open to many different wine styles.<br />
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In the fall of 1998, Bob & Renee Scherb bought the store and kept me on to help with the transition. Life at L&E was becoming more and more interesting all the time back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Bob Scherb made a series of great hires over this time; Peter Liem, Brian Martin, Pete Gibson, Eric Gorrell and Mike DeMarte while making me manager. The store grew and thrived as well as those who worked there. From this period, through the store, I met my wife Prineet, and many of the people in Portland that I care most about to this day.<br />
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As I prepare to leave L&E, the store remains in the more than capable hands of the Scherbs and their now well established crew of Kevin Geller and Neil Thompson - two very funny guys. I will surely miss them. I would like to thank Bob and Renee for employing me through the last 12 years and supporting me and my family when it was needed most. L&E will no doubt continue to flourish for a long, long time.<br />
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June 1st, I begin a new chapter in my career as I open up Sec Wines. Sec Wines opens up a new way, in Portland at least, to buy wine. Sec Wines is an online wine shop (sorry, no inventory to fondle in my office). But, in exchange for not being able to see and touch wine before you buy it, you can buy it for whole lot cheaper than at a traditional wine shop. You also need to think ahead a little bit.<br />
The customer needs to call me (503.805.5871) for a recommendation or visit the website: secwines.com.<br />
You can order wine right on the website or do so by calling me or emailing me (eric@secwines.com) a few days before you need the wine. It works kind of like Net Flix; that wasn't too hard to figure out was it? For customers who live outside the Portland area and need to have their wine shipped, this doesn't make any difference at all. Just place an order as you normally would, only pay less for it.<br />
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I'm really excited to be trying something new after such a long time. I hope you'll check out what I'm doing.<br />
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Eric Pottmeyer</span>Eric Pottmeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17649988284287426382noreply@blogger.com0