Partridge Eyes and Wine: Stories from Winemakers

Reflection of Character

We love that many Oregon wineries choose to honor their family members when naming their wines.  We tasted the Bjornson Vineyard Edward Barrel Selection Pinot Noir and wondered “who is Edward?” Edward was Pattie Bjornson’s Grandfather, a fireman in Minnesota.  Mark Bjornson tells of attending the Firemen’s Ball with Edward. “One of Ed’s colleagues pulled me aside and said he remembered ‘that old b*st*rd in the fire of ’38 went up the ladder to the fifth floor of a burning building and carried a 300 lb guy back down.'” Pattie describes her Grandfather, “He was intense, strong, and quiet.  When he said something he meant it.” That is the essence that Pattie and Mark try to capture in the Edward Barrel Select.

 

In a Partridge’s Eye

What do you do when your Pinot noir grapes are not completely ripe (18 brix) and all of the leaves have fallen from the vines?  If you are Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent Winery, you make Oeil de Perdix (Eye of the Partridge). Aptly named because of its slight blush color, this wine is slightly a rose, slightly sweet, and more than slightly delicious. With only 9.5% alcohol and refreshing acidity Mark suggests this as the perfect picnic wine to serve chilled with potato salad, etc. The aromas remind Mark of “Riesling and plums.”  Due to popular demand this is the third year he has repeated this happy “accident.”  Available May 2014.

 

Sibling Rivalry

Parents are not supposed to pick favorites among their kids.  Wine consumers can though.  Bryn Mawr Vineyard was sampling two Pinot noirs each named after their children – Jeffrey and Krista.  The vineyard is less than 20 acres and we were tasting two wines from the same varietal, winemaker, wine making process, and vintage.  Yet they were as different as – well as most siblings.  Jeffrey’s Block sits at 700′ elevation, faces south with a slight twinge east, is more protected from weather patterns, and grows in clay based Nekia soil.  It is smoother, lighter, and has more pronounced mineral flavors.  Krista’s Block sits at 820′ elevation and faces due south (about a 15 degree difference).  This means these grapes get sun until 10 p.m. in the summer.  The soil is a rockier type called Ritner.  Rachel Rose, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, explains that the skins on Krista’s grapes get much thicker.  “I think it is the wind.  Even our veggies grown near Krista’s Block have thick skins.  You HAVE to peel the cucumbers.” The resulting wine has more prominent fruit flavors and thicker tannins. According to Rachel, a tally of which wine visitors prefer is kept in the tasting room.  People tend to like Jeffrey’s Block sooner after release, but Krista’s catches up as it develops and they end up about equal.  The most current available vintage is 2010.

Attack of the Clones

Calling all wine geeks… If tasting every varietal is already checked off your bucket list, maybe expand your horizons by tasting a different clone.  Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away (okay it was only 100 years ago and in France) a clone of Pinot blanc was created from a spontaneous mutation of Pinot noir.  Luckily this occurred in the vineyard of Henri Gouges who propagated it.  Today two vineyards in the world are producing wine from this Pinot blanc clone, Domain Gouges in Burgundy and Z’IVO Wines in Eola-Amity Hills.  Pinot noir, “Blanc, I am your father.” Joking aside, it is an exciting tasting opportunity.  Winemaker and Founder, John Zelko predicts it will last a decade – another reason to try this wine.