WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Soon-To-Be Slightly Less Than Weekly But For Now Still Weekly Carpe Vinum Newsletter and Tasting Report! I just wanted to thank everyone for all the support for our regrettable, yet totally un-regrettable decision to close the retail portion of the business. The direction I will be going looks better all the time. I think of the immortal words of the eloquent Obi Wan Kenobi, “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine”. I’m not necessarily being “struck down” and I certainly won’t necessarily become “powerful” . . . well, at least not more so than you could possibly imagine. Chances are. But I digress.

So what are we tasting this week? It’s a little thing I like to call The Procrastinator’s Gift Guide! If you shop for the Holidays like I do, hardly at all and at the last minute, this is the tasting for you! Of course, it makes sense that I give bottles of wine as gifts. I’m in a wine shop all day long. One step to my right and I’m “shopping”. And then a step back to my left and I’m “working” again.

So what kinds of wines do I tend to give as gifts? Well, considering that we in Portland are pretty well centrally located as it comes to the Northwest wine, I usually like to give something from our Northwest wineries, especially if it’s gifts to people from outside the region. Many people in other states have a hard time finding Oregon and Washington wines, whereas most wines we see from California and imports from outside the country seem to have more even distribution across The States. So here’s a selection of bottles that come from Oregon and Washington that could be considered “gifty” is some kind of way.

A to Z 2006 Pinot Noir: Many will agree that an Oregon Pinot Noir is one of the best wines to give as gifts. People from all over the world are trying to get their hands on this stuff. The current prices correlate to this, and now there are very few Pinots that fit the budget. A to Z is one of the best wines in its own price category. It’s what you get for when you want to get the very best . . . but when you can’t afford the very best!

The Pines 2006 Big Red: It’s Oregon’s own producer of Old Vine Zinfandel. This isn’t Zin, though. It’s a handful of other Big Red things . . . as you might be able to tell by the name. It’s a good way to show off the fact that Oregon isn’t all about the Pinot Noir. It’s also good for fans of pine trees and fans of things that are big and also happen to be red. Like . . . uh . . . a firetruck? Know any firemen?

Basel Cellars 2005 Claret: This is another big red wine from a winery in Walla Walla. If you’ve ever been to the Basel estate out there, you’d see that it’s the most extravagant winery facility in the whole town, if not the state. The long sprawling drive up to the facility makes you think you’re driving up to Bruce Wayne’s place. It’s also a resort and if you visit the tasting room you can see the guests lounging in the sun out by the pool separated from you by a big sign saying “You can’t go here”. There’s a picture of the place on the label, so if you give this as a gift you can say, “If I could afford it, I’d take you here. But here’s a picture instead. Drink this and pretend we’re there.”

Balboa 2006 The Cat’s Meow: It’s another big Washington red. And as a gift you’d be telling that special someone you think they’re really “The Cat’s Meow” . . . which is a phrase I’ve never really understood. I mean, has anyone ever met my cat? Saying someone is “the Cat’s Meow” sounds like saying someone is “relentlessly annoying and never shuts up”. Maybe they meant someone else’s cat. At any rate, if you use this as a gift, be careful.

Domaine Pierre Noir 2005 Cuvee Amont: This is for someone who asked you for Pinot Noir but you can spend less and pretend you heard them wrong. “Pinot Noir? I thought you said PIERRE Noir. Hm. Oh, well. Enjoy!” It’s another Washington red, always pleasing, if you can see my trend here . . .

Anam Cara 2005 Pinot Noir: Okay, now we’re getting into the serious Pinot territory. The name means “Soul Friend” in old Celtic, and as such always makes a very friendly gift. It’s been one of my favorite Pinot producers for the last couple years, and yet hasn’t been pushed into the “Good lord, they want how much for this?” territory.

Andrew Rich 2005 Coup d’Etat: This is a blend of Rhone varietals from the Columbia Valley. Which side of the river it comes from I am unsure of, but considering the winery is in Oregon, I’ll say Oregon for posterity. Why is it called “Coup d’Etat”? Perhaps because a Rhone-style blend in Oregon is a revolutionary idea? Don’t know. But it’s the perfect wine for that little anarchist on your list.

So that’s the lineup! I’ll have a limited amount available on most of them, so if any sound like the gift idea you’ve been putting off this long, get here early to grab yours. Otherwise, it’s still possible to order more and it will be delivered here on Monday. And yes, that answers that question: I will be here on Monday the 24th, Christmas Eve, from 11 AM until 5 PM or a bit later. I’m not normally here on Monday, but since I’m used to doing my shopping on the 24th, I’ll be here anyway, right?

So Friday, December 21st, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Procrastinator’s Gift Guide 2007!!!
A to Z 2006 Pinot Noir, Oregon
The Pines 2006 Big Red, Columbia Valley, Oregon
Basel Cellars 2005 Claret, Columbia Valley, Washington
Balboa 2006 The Cat’s Meow, Walla Walla Valley, Washington
Domaine Pierre Noir 2005 Cuvee Amont Vin Rouge, Columbia Valley, Washington

More Gifties!!!
Anam Cara 2005 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Andrew Rich 2005 Coup d’Etat, Columbia Valley, Oregon

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours.

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is The Best of 2007!

M