So, how are you doing on your new resolutions? Personally, I haven’t flossed my teeth, jogged or ridden my bike every day, as I had so confidently resolved to do. With those health and hygiene-related resolutions already out the window, I’ve made several“Wine Resolutions.” I believe I have a much higher probability of achieving these!
Wine Resolution #1- Drink More Wine From Small Oregon Wineries. Small wineries need love too! Everybody knows and loves the big wineries, such as King Estate and A to Z, myself included. To broaden my horizons (and potentially yours as well) I resolve to look for excellent wine from smaller, lesser-known wineries. Here’s my plan for accomplishing this.
First, I will make a list of “must see” small wineries. My list will be based on customer recommendations, wine distributors’ samples and wine contest medal winners. Then, with this list in hand, I will venture off the well-beaten Willamette Valley path and turn onto the gravel roads in search of smaller winery excellence. I promise to report back from time-to-time to share the results of my travels. You can help me achieve this resolution. If there is a small Oregon winery or wine that you love, please share your tip: steven@beachwine.com.
Wine Resolution #2-Drink More Wine From Lesser Known Varietals. I love Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, like almost every other person in Oregon. That said, I must admit that I don’t drink much Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Rousanne or a litany of other delicious wines produced by Oregon winemakers. When pouring in The Wine Shack’s upstairs Tasting Room, I often chastise people who proudly claim “I only drink red wine,” or “I don’t drink Chardonnay.” I know they are missing out on delicious wine because they won’t go outside of their self-imposed wine box. While my “box” may be slightly larger, it can still be expanded. Thus, I will be thinking outside my box this year and enjoying more Pinot Blanc, Albarino, Sangiovese, Tannat, Cabernet Franc and blends – both red and white.
Wine Resolution #3-Drink More Red Wine. Don’t tell anybody, but I really like white wine. I’ll take a glass of chilled Pinot Gris, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc almost anytime. Yes, I Iove Pinot Noir, but I don’t always taste big distinctions between Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache and Tempranillo. I look forward to tasting more of these, side by side, in an effort to improve my understanding of each
of these red wines. By doing this, I’ll be able to provide better wine-food pairing recommendations to my customers. Plus, Maryann is a big red wine fan, so that will make her happy too!
Wine Resolution #4-Create More “Puffin Brand” Wines. Currently, there are two wines in the entire Puffin Brand wine lineup: Puffin Pinot Noir and Puffin Red Blend. Both of these wines are delicious, but for a guy who loves white wines, it’s clear that Puffin needs to expand into new territory. I’m in the process of looking for a Pinot Gris and Rosé worthy of being a part of the Puffin Brand family. This process requires that I taste quite a few wine samples as I search for a wine we want to put the Puffin label on. I hope to have these new wines on Wine Shack shelves in time for spring. You can certainly anticipate updates as the process moves along.
So, there you have it, my wine resolutions for the new year. Hopefully, I’ll do better on these resolutions than I with that flossing resolution; that one never works. Now that I’ve shared my wine resolutions, I would love to hear yours. We can hold each other accountable and learn from each other as well. Stop in or drop me an email and let’s get this year going!
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