Tag Archives: Oregon

Hiyu Wine Farm: Oregon’s Sustainable Utopia in the Columbia Gorge

Posted on September 25, 2020 by waywardwine

JancisRobinson.com recently finished their summer 2020 Wine Writing Competition (WWC20) and published 75 entries on Sustainability Heroes in the wine industry. I was honored to have all three of my submissions published. Although, I did not win the final, one made it onto the shortlist. For your re-reading pleasure, I will re-publish each over the following days.

If sustainability needs mascots, Nate Ready and China Tresemer would fit perfectly. In floppy hats, with Nate’s druidical beard and China’s proud grin, they grow the most complete whole farm vineyard on Oregon’s northern fringe: the Columbia Gorge. Their minimal approach at Hiyu Wine Farm makes Biodynamics look conventional. Here, native plants grow higher than vines, animals seem to do more work than people, and you almost forget this is viticulture. Nate admits that they are “trying to nudge the system as close as possible to a wild system, and it isn’t a wild system, but we try to make agriculture look a little more like nature”.[1]Any visit confirms this. Continue reading →

Posted in Oregon, Uncategorized, WINERIES WANDERED | Tagged biodynamic, Columbia Gorge, Hiyu, Hiyu Wine Farm, Oregon, oregon wine, Organic, pinot noir, Restaurant, Sustainable Wine, wine, Wine Club, Winery | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving Wine Review 2003 Lange Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard Willamette Valley Oregon

Posted on November 22, 2018 by waywardwine

Happy Thanksgiving (apologies turkeys)! The two-year-old is asleep, so I have to pop out a wine review, before the moment slips. For Thanksgiving, something supple, medium bodied, mildly tannic but with good acidity to keep the food coming. It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2003, drink, Lange, Oregon, pinot noir, Thanksgiving, Willamette Valley, wine | Leave a comment

Canadian Pinot Noir Eh!? Alderlea v Quill v DeVine Vancouver Island BC

Posted on October 1, 2018 by waywardwine

By choice or by fate, I cannot escape Pinot Noir. I was born in Oregon and returned to its wine industry. Our traipse through the extreme wines of Vancouver Island have gone from bad to worse to decent, usually faltering with noble grapes like Chardonnay (here), Gamay (here), but succeeding with weird hybrids like Savignette (read here). Can this warm pocket in the Northernmost fringes of winemaker pull off the queen of grapes: Pinot Noir? Continue reading →

Posted in Pinot Noir, Uncategorized | Tagged Burgundy, Canada, Canadian wine, drink, Oregon, pinot noir, travel, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, wine | 3 Comments

Mellen Meyer Oregon Bubbly

Posted on March 19, 2018 by waywardwine

Can Oregon wine catch Champagne’s coattails? Our climate is too warm, our soil too rich, and our winemakers too impatient, but our grapes are Pinot and Chardonnay. So, why not try?

Well, most Oregon bubbly from Argyle to Argyle tastes nice, dry, but a bit fruity and simple. That sexy, nutty, chalky, dry, autolytic character that Champagne can have seemed elusive. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bubbly, Champagne, chardonnay, drink, Food, France, nature, Oregon, pinot noir, Sparkling wine, travel, Willamette Valley, wine | 3 Comments

Nearly New Year: Champagne Dinner at Paley’s Place Portland Oregon

Posted on December 29, 2017 by waywardwine

With a newly minted one year-old daughter, my wife and I will not make it to midnight on New Year’s Eve. We find the next best fudge: sparkling wine Wednesday dinner at foodie stalwart Paley’s Place in Portland, Oregon. Continue reading →