On the Oregon Trail

On occasion, Joe Canal’s staff members are able to go on trips to meet the producers of the items that we sell. Whether we travel to the great wine regions, or any other location, the trips are educational, great for team-building, and, of course, they’re fun.

Wilson Arizmendi, Wine Manager at our Woodbridge store, recently visited Oregon's wine country on just such a trip with other Joe Canal's team members. Here's his report:

"Age is a measuring tool. Include it with context, and it paints a picture. A lot of the time we associate that picture with brush strokes of experience and highlights of expertise and knowledge. In football, if a running back is 30 years old then he is a veteran, but, perhaps, too old to play the position. A golfer who hits the 30 year old mark usually is in their prime with a bright future ahead, but still wet behind the ears. Age is a measuring tool, but it's not the ultimate totality of capability. Headstrongness, dedication to excellence, above average talent, timing, exceptional work ethic and patience are all variables to consider in an equation that may give you the summation of actual age, but may also wrongly infer youth or inexperience. This is Oregon Wine.

Oregon's wine producing has really only been around since the 1960's, with first accolades not coming until the late 70's, with commercial wineries coming in somewhere between those years. Wine production has only really reached significant numbers since the 80's. So by a standard of age, Oregon wine is really only 30-50 years old, depending on which of the above timelines you wish to use as the starting point. By contrast, California wine is over 150 years old. By similar contrast, California wine hadn't really attained international recognition until the mid-1970's as well. This may either show Oregon's steadfast and quick ascension, or a global renaissance that started to accept America as a force in the wine world. Either way, it is hard to ignore Oregon's speedy progress. With a steady 20% influx of new wineries each year and more and more accolades over 50 years, their wine industry has grown at what appears to be a rapid pace, and it's gaining ground on the larger wine producing regions of the world. Now, Oregon may never be as planted as Burgundy, but the above-average talent and dedication to excellence gets them closer to the pinnacle of the industry. One is hard-pressed to get in a conversation about Burgundy without the mention of the Willamette Valley, or a conversation about Pinot Noir without mentioning Oregon. Even though the actual age of Oregon's wine industry may infer youth or inexperience, their exceptional output suggests otherwise.

The one way Oregon wineries show their age is their youthful exuberance. Exuberance keeps the standard high and fuels an inner drive to keep getting better. This exuberance mainly focuses on just a handful of grape varieties, keeping the focus sharp on perfecting the skill of a few, rather than spreading the focus thin on numerous varieties. Even though the climate, terrain and geographical position may dictate Oregon wines focus, the producers have shown restraint by working within the terroir. Exuberance is good to keep things lively, lighthearted and compelling. There's an eagerness there. An eagerness that knows its doing big things and one that can't wait to keep doing bigger things. Touring through a few wineries in Oregon allowed me to see this outwardly projection of those youthful qualities and it got me excited.

One chronologically youthful winery I visited that was Gran Moraine. In fact, it's an infant. The newly-purchased (by a big California winery) property in Yamhill didn't start planting until 2005! So new, in fact, that their wines have not hit any market besides their own and their first bottling was their 2012 Pinot Noir. Tasting both the entry level and the Reserve proved to be a treat. To give you a hint of their excellent fruit, they sourced some of their harvests to Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, one of Oregon's most noted producers. Great complexity, composure and elegance makes me eager to see it hit the East Coast as soon as possible.
   
Oregon is beautiful. Extremely high peaks paint the skyline in the distance, whether you're on the valley floor or at a winery. King Estate has a gorgeous new facility that's only about 30 years old. The structures sit at a peak in the middle of the property, which is also the largest contiguous organic winery in the world. At King Estate, we were treated to some of their goodies. One was a barrel aged Pinot Gris, which I'd never had before. It was delicious, with extremely complex flavors that included a hint of toasted marshmallows.

courtesy Domaine Drouhin

Domaine Drouhin sits atop a hill so large you can basically see all of the Willamette Valley from their stunning main building. Drouhin brings the experience of decades of wine growing in France to America. Their wines are proof of their refined winemaking skills, showing an elegant and subtle profile more akin to French Burgundies than New World wines. In this special case, this is a new winery from a seasoned veteran and, in return, getting maximum output.

courtesy Rex Hill Winery & Vineyards

Rex Hill Winery reminds me more of a Napa Valley facility, given that it is located right off a main road that is lined with wineries in both directions. Rex Hill takes a more rustic approach, converting their main building from an old fruit and nut drying facility, leaving some of the original structure intact. Like a lot of other wineries in Oregon, Rex Hill is merely 30 years old, but has already claimed a piece of the wine pie, producing a well-respected, yet affordable Pinot Noir under the "A to Z" label. They've made such headway that they've even attracted the likes of Greg Popovich, the head coach of NBA's San Antonio Spurs, as an investor. Being an investor has its perks, as Popovich has the winery make him a private label for his personal consumption under the label 'Rock & Hammer'. All wineries are a piece of the growing Oregon wine puzzle.

My stay was brief, but the impression lasting. At times, some wineries seemed like an organized clutter. A mad scientist hiding behind stacks of papers filled with formulas. Raw talent rookies with tremendous upside solidifying their place in a lineup full of experience. My trip offered a small sample size, but the effort is clear to see. Oregon is serious about wine, in contrast to their youthful mannerisms. Age is a measuring tool, but in this equation, not the totality of capability…….or a final statement of what lies ahead."