Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It is time, again, for the Carpe Vinum Newsletter Thingy and the Announcement of This Weeks Tasting! It’s Oregon wines! Yes, it’s right outside our windows. . .no. . not just the rain, although that is indicative of the wonderful wet place we live. (Recipients of this email outside the Oregon area must pretend, for now. Turn on the sprinkler, maybe.) This soggy autumn weather can just be the right thing to want to stay cozy indoors with a nice glass of Oregon wine. It’s a bottled respite that is a reminder of what the warmer times have given us. These wines are the fruits of our labors. . .or at least the fruits of the laborer’s labors, laboring fruit from Labor Day to. . .um. . .bring us. . .where was I? Uhh. . .Oregon wines!

Pinot Noir is the wine that has made Oregon famous. It’s a varietal that, once upon a time, winegrowers around the world scoffed at the idea that it could be grown here. “It’s just too wet!” the scoffers scoffed. Well, scoff no more! We got tons of the famous juice, and some are fetching infamous prices. What we may not realize, considering that we’re swimming in Pinot up here, is that Oregon wines are relatively scarce outside Oregon. I mean, yeah, the bigger wineries can put out cases and cases of stuff for the mass markets, but just by virtue of being near the wineries, we get the opportunity to enjoy the smaller (and dare I say, better?) “boutique” wines that are only available around here. To that we may say, “Whoohoo!”

Here’s some things that you might be hard-pressed to find outside the soggy Oregon border. Yes. . a couple obligatory Pinot Noirs. Decent ones that I found to be a good value, that being the Sass and the Brooks Runaway Red. Then to mix things up a bit there’s the Penner Ash “Rubeo”, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah. A blend of what?!? Weirdoes. Oh, but it gets better. Then there are the Jezebel Rouge and the quintessential Owen Roe Abbot’s Table, both blends of just about every grape varietal out there. Finishing the lineup, however, is the Brick House *Organic* Gamay Noir, which I look forward to every year. I only got six of ‘em before the distributor ran out, so at least come in and try it. It’s awesome. Also, the Solena Zinfandel. . . because it wouldn’t be an Oregon Tasting without a Zinfandel, no matter what people try to tell you!

So Friday, November 4th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Oregon!
Sass 2003 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
Brooks 2004 Runaway Red Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
Penner Ash 2004 Rubeo (Pinot Noir, Syrah), Oregon
Jezebal 2003 Rouge, Oregon
Owen Roe 2004 Abbot’s Table, Oregon

More Oregon!!
Brick House 2004 Gamay Noir, Willamette Valley *Organic*
Solena 2002 Zinfandel, Woolridge Creek, Columbia Gorge

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, and $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

(And I didn’t even mention the Sideways / Pinot Noir connection! Isn’t that wonderful? Well. . .until now. Whoops.)

Next Friday tasting is Sangiovese!

M