Michael Donovan Leads Oregon Wine Board

Michael Donovan, Managing Director of RoxyAnn Winery has been appointed Chairman of the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) and Oregon Winegrowers Association (OWA). After serving for the past two years on the Board of Directors, Michael replaces Sam Tannahill of A to Z Wineworks.

Donovan follows other Southern Oregon representation with Earl Jones of Abacela and Kara Olmo of Wooldridge Creek holding the position in recent years. Terry Brandborg of Brandborg Vineyard & Winery is also currently serving on the Board of Directors.

The two boards, OWB and OWA, each has a separate area of responsibility to the Oregon Wine Industry. The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent state agency managing marketing, research and education initiatives that support and advance the Oregon wine grape industry. Whereas the Oregon Winegrowers Association is a voluntary membership-based organization that provides legislative and regulatory advocacy and lobbying for the wine grape and wine industry.

Donovan's Goals:

OWB: Work with our new Executive Director, Tom Danowski and his staff, developing and funding a new strategy for marketing Oregon wine.

OWA: Work with Kara Ruecker, the new Government Affairs & Member Relations Manager to focus on legislative and regulatory advocacy to ensure that the interests of the Oregon Wine Industry are well represented at the State and Federal levels of government. We will continue to be actively involved in issues such as Oregon land use guidelines, OLCC regulations, Immigration and a myriad of other important issues which may present a challenge to our industry. We also want to foster better communication with our members; in addition to offering added benefits like group health insurance to our OWA membership.

Donovan notes that the response to a Southern Oregon-based leader has been very favorable from his Willamette Valley counterparts. "I have enjoyed working closely with members of the Willamette Valley wine industry. I look forward to a continued collaboration with members from every region of the state to ensure that both the OWA and the OWB represent the best interests of the entire Oregon wine industry."

The Drink Local Wine Project

On a recent trip to the Priorat region of Spain, I was in awe at the level of support local restaurants give to the local wines. This support was also apparent in Barcelona and Madrid for the nation's wine.

On an even more recent trip to Sonoma County, Northern California wines dominated each restaurants' wine list.

A few summers back, I marveled that my corkage was waived at a Walla Walla restaurant when I brought in a bottle of local wine.

All in all, it is obvious (to me) when dining in Southern Oregon, and Oregon for that matter, that the local restaurants are not doing enough to promote our state's wine industry (with the exceptions being recognized with Superior Cellar Awards from the Oregon Wine Board and Oregon Wine Press). It has been rumored that +/- 20% of the wines present on Ashland restaurant wine lists is local. With the rise of restaurants committing to local and sustainable ingredients, why isn't the same commitment being made to local wines or beverages?

For the next couple weeks, I am going to commit myself into investigating this issue and keep asking "Why?" From these questions, I hope to come to conclusions and provide solutions to this issue.

Weigh in...
- Do you think there is an issue here?
-  If so, why aren't there more Oregon wines on Oregon restaurant lists?
- Which restaurants do a great job supporting local wines and which restaurants have room for improvement?
- When dining out, do you expect to pay less, the same, or more for an Oregon wine?
- Are you willing to pay more for a local wine?

Oregon Wine Industry Symposium Gears Up for Portland Debut

Annual Industry Gathering Expected to Attract Record Attendance At New Venue

Portland will play host to the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium for the first time in the industry's history February 21-22 when the conference debuts at the Oregon Convention Center. The annual gathering of wine industry owners and executives was previously held in Eugene. This year's event is expected to attract more than 1,000 attendees.

"This looks like it will be our biggest Symposium ever," said Michael Donovan, chairman of the Oregon Wine Board, sponsor of the event. "The Symposium is always a wonderful opportunity for the industry to come together as a community, learn and celebrate their achievements."

Panel To Assess State of Oregon Wine as Seen Through Eyes of World 

In one of the highlights of the conference, a panel of industry experts will address the question of how Oregon wine is viewed in the eyes of the world. Panelists include Jeremy Noye, wine retailer from Zachys; Doug Frost, wine consultant and writer; Josh Raynolds of Steven Tanzer's International Wine Cellar; and Sam Tannahill of A to Z Wineworks. David Millman of Domaine Drouhin will moderate the discussion. 

This open, honest discussion will tackle themes of alcohol and acid levels, use of oak, extraction and other stylistic traits being hotly debated in the wine world. The panelists will look at where Oregon has been, where it is now and where it will or should go to survive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. 

The two-day conference kicks off with an insightful look at the state of the Oregon wine industry through the lens of market research, climate and finance. This session is one of the most popular of the Symposium as it tries to look into the crystal ball and project the outlook for the Oregon industry over the next 12 months. The workshop promises to be a fascinating look at the financial climate, purchase data, consumer trends, distribution, pricing and inventory. 

Eileen Brady, co-founder of New Seasons Market, a 12-store Portland-based grocery chain that specializes in locally-source, sustainable products, will address attendees in the Symposium's ongoing "inspiration" series, which brings relevant speakers from outside the wine industry. She will talk about how she and a group of friends developed the concept for New Seasons and then brought it to life while holding true to their core values. Brady is a candidate for Mayor of Portland in the 2012 election. 

The Oregon Wine Industry Symposium is the primary educational vehicle for the Oregon wine industry. Topics covered in its breakout sessions focus on growing better grapes, making better wine, and selling more wine at favorable prices. Early registration tickets for the Symposium can be purchased until February 10th on the event website. 

In addition to a full slate of workshops and general sessions, the conference has attracted more than 140 industry-related vendors to the trade show. Opening day activities culminate with the Oregon Wine Industry Awards dinner. 

SOMM the documentary.

SOMM Documentary Trailer 1 from Forgotten Man Films on Vimeo.

This upcoming documentary looks ahh-mazing. Somm chronicles the process of four sommeliers attempting to pass the ever-so-intimidating Master Sommelier exam. It has one of the lowest pass rates in the world and covers everything and anything to do with wine including viticulture, winemaking, history, geography and blind tastings. The four candidates, who have been slaving, I mean, studying for years, say they are truly obsessed, as fellow blogger Joanna Goddard puts it, "you can feel their athlete-like tension on the screen."

This is a side of the wine industry most people never see. What do you think, would you watch this?

May is Oregon Wine Month!

As if you need another reason to drink Oregon wine, Governor Kitzhaber proclaims this May as Oregon Wine Month!

From today's Mail Tribune article by Greg Stiles:

January 19, 2012

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has signed a proclamation designating May 2012 as Oregon Wine Month in recognition of the Oregon wine industry's rapid growth, international reputation for quality and important contribution to the state's economy.

Speaking to the annual meeting of the Oregon Winegrowers Association in Salem Wednesday, Kitzhaber said, "The Oregon wine industry is not only a key part of our state's economy — it's an important part of our state identity. In a state where agriculture is our second largest industry, the wine-grape crop is Oregon's leading value-added agricultural segment, contributing $2.7 billion annually to the state's economy."

It has been several decades since Oregon has officially recognized its wine industry.

The Oregon wine industry comprises more than 420 wineries and 850 vineyards throughout the state and represents more than 13,500 jobs.

"We are thrilled that the governor has signed the proclamation declaring May as Oregon Wine Month," said Michael Donovan, managing director of RoxyAnn Winery in Medford and chairman of the Oregon Wine Board.

"This is the perfect month to spotlight the importance of our statewide industry, showcase our outstanding wines and recognize the many talented entrepreneurs and hard-working employees who have built the Oregon wine industry into a treasured asset."

Oregon Wine Month kicks off with a grand tasting of Oregon wines on April 29.

The tasting is open to the public and tickets will go on sale soon.

The tasting of wines from more than 100 Oregon wineries will be held in Portland, and feature wines from across the state.

In addition, participating retailers will conduct promotional campaigns showcasing Oregon wines and offering special pricing.

New Blue Heron Vineyards takes root in Garden Valley

I read this article yesterday from The News-Review and was shocked I hadn't heard anything about this project sooner. Once development is complete, this would be the largest vineyard in the Umpqua Valley. Maybe it is unnecessary, but I always feel so uneasy listening to how people want to make Oregon viticulture more like California. Do you? My two cents is that we should take pride in what makes Oregon grapes challenging to grow (although, it does make it a tough business), because being on the edge is what produces wines of distinction.

And where is all this fruit going?

MICHAEL SULLIVAN / The News-Review

New Blue Heron Vineyards takes root in Garden Valley

RYAN IMONDI

The News-Review

A 3-foot tall grapevine sways in the winter breeze. It's one of 93,750 growing on nearly 800 acres where last spring cattle grazed.

Rows of grapevines now stretch across the land bordered by the South Umpqua River and Garden Valley Road west of Roseburg. 

In the past six months, what promises to be Douglas County's largest vineyard has taken shape. 

Vines have been planted on 150 acres to create Blue Heron Vineyards. Another 200 acres will be planted by June, and there are plans for 200 more acres in the future. 

If fully developed, Blue Heron will be more than twice as large as the county's next biggest vineyard.

The vineyard will represent a $10 million investment, said Bill Henri, who's developing the vineyard for Hal and Vicki Westbrook, co-owners of Douglas County Forest Products.

Efforts to reach the Westbrooks were unsuccessful. 

Henri said he is implementing techniques that he learned in the Napa Valley and is importing “super vines” from California to cultivate a vineyard that will produce commercial quality grapes as soon as September. 

Observers say that the investment is an indication of the Umpqua Valley wine industry's potential. 

“It's going to add to the economic foundation of Douglas County,” said Wayne Parker, owner of nearby Melrose Vineyards. 

Henri has been in the wine industry for 30 years and developed wineries in California, Oregon and Washington. Henri and his crew of 14 full-time workers are planting several types of grapes, including pinot noir, pinot gris, viognier and tempranillo. By June they will have planted 340,000 vines over 350 acres. 

The initial harvests will be sold to winemakers in the region. Henri said that along with planting 200 more acres, Blue Heron may also open its own winery.

Chris Lake, the director at Umpqua Community College's Southern Oregon Wine Institute, said the venture shows that wine producers are willing to invest in the region.

“We think the economic growth in wineries here is in producing good fruit,” he said. “When you see that level of quality and investment by the owner, it's promising.” 

Henri said he is employing methods originally developed in Germany and adopted in the highly competitive Napa Valley. In both places, agricultural land is at a premium. 

In the Napa Valley, an oversaturation of vineyards and high real estate costs drove profit margins down and forced wineries to be more efficient. 

Henri said he knows of no other vineyard in Oregon that's tapped as extensively into the Napa Valley approach. He predicted the tactics will be used more as the Umpqua region develops. 

At the heart of the project are “super vines” grown in a Northern California nursery. Henri said the vines are 20 inches taller than traditional rootstock.

Henri said that the initial cost for the plants is higher, costing $4.75 per vine. This is about $2 more than a traditional vine, or $1,250 for the 625 vines per acre of land. This means that the 350 acres will cost $437,500 more initially.

Henri said the vines will pay for themselves in the long term by becoming profitable sooner and because of lower labor costs. 

The more developed plants require less tending, he said.

“The older style would take a whole year to train them up the stake. We don't have to do that here,” Henri said. 

He estimated that development costs are lower with the “super vine.”

“It looks like you're paying twice as much. When you look at what you're getting, it's not,” he said. 

Before planting, Henri hired Pacific Ag Water Inc., based in Santa Maria, Calif., to survey and map out each row of vines. Using GPS, each row was mapped out geometrically to maximize the space. Henri was able to pinpoint that each acre averages 624.3 vines. 

“Everything lines up. We know exactly how many vines there are,” Henri said. 

Also, a drip irrigation system will use little energy, and each access road has a large turnaround to speed the harvest, he said.

“This project is designed to have a lot done automatically,” he said. “Everything was designed around being efficient.”

• You can reach reporter Ryan Imondi at 541-957-4211 or by email at rimondi@nrtoday.com. 

Cowhorn Spiral 36 named one of "America's Best Undiscovered Wine"

Cowhorn Wines happily announced today that their 2010 Spiral 36 was named one of "America's Best Undiscovered Wine" in the February issue of Food & Wine Magazine.

I doubt it will be "undiscovered" for much longer.

Spiral 36 is a Rhone-style white blend of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne sourced exclusively from the Cowhorn Vineyard in the Applegate Valley. The tasting notes from the website might be the most descriptive I've ever read and deserve an award all their own:

This succulent blend opens with aromas of Golden Delicious apple, lemon and mango. These fruits burst with freshness in the mouth, layered onto a vibrant foundation of baked pear and caramelized golden sugar flavors hinting at subtle oak influence from neutral and one year old French barrels. The feeling of the wine is raw silk unrolling across the palate like a wave until the flavors volatilize back into aromas that linger gently on the palate. The rich, complex personality of Spiral 36 was achieved without a secondary fermentation, and comes with refreshingly moderate alcohol. 

Although sold out at the winery, you can still find a few bottles floating around local retail shelves.