Thursday, July 29, 2010

Happy Birthday - Jean-Michel!

Today, we celebrate Del Rio winemaker, Jean-Michel’s birthday. This last birthday year has been filled with great new adventures for Jean-Michel and his wife Liza. Last fall they welcomed a new addition to their family with sweet baby Eloise. This year marks Jean-Michel’s third crush at Del Rio. He, like Eloise, has been a great addition to the Del Rio family. Jean-Michel came to Del Rio with a long history of wine making. Jean-Michel has been making wine since early childhood at his family's 50-acre vineyard and winery in France. He is well traveled and has produced wines from many grapes varietals and from various climates throughout the world. Before finding a home in Oregon, Jean-Michel traveled the world, working in Hungary, Australia, and South Africa. His French wine making style has blended well with Del Rio grapes, making each vintage unique and delicious.

Ice cream cones in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, we toast to another year of success and joy. Happy Birthday!


Monday, July 26, 2010

Blind Pinot Tasting – Picks Del Rio!

The Pinot American Brasserie, a soon to be opened (August 2nd) restaurant in Portland, has focused their wine list to highlight the best Pinot Noirs Oregon has to offer. In order to build their premier wine list the Brasserie teamed up with the Oregon Wine Brotherhood for a two-day blind tasting of 246 Oregon Pinot Noirs.
“We sent out a ‘Call for Pinot’ to all Oregon wineries in May, and were thrilled with the enthusiastic response,” says Bill King, Executive Chef/Partner of Pinot American Brasserie and longtime Brotherhood member. “The restaurant is honored to tap into the Brotherhood’s expertise, and bring some added excitement to our extensive Pinot Noir selection.”
Source: http://www.pdxfoodpress.com/

The partnership turned out a 36 Pinot wine list and we are so very excited to announce our 2008 Del Rio Pinot Noir made the cut! We also are thrilled that the 2008 Chardonnay will be poured by the glass.

For more information on the new Pinot American Brasserie visit their website at http://www.pinotpdx.com/index.php

Here is a bit more on our 2008 Pinot Noir:
The vines that produced this high quality product are
grown in Block 7 of the vineyard. This is a wonderful site for Pinot Noir, consisting of predominately cobblestone soil allowing for excellent drainage. The 2008 harvest yielded 2.5 tons. This 100% Pinot Noir was aged for 12 months in 17% new French oak, 11% stainless steel, and 72% neutral oak. Fermented for 15 days on skins with 5 days of cold soak and malolactic fermentation occurred naturally in the barrel.

Tasting Notes:
This wine shows classic attributes of Pinot Noir from Burgundy with deep color, cherry, prune, blackberry, and vanilla aromas. The nose gives way to supple texture with violet flavors, impressive ripe tannins and a long finish.

To enjoy your own bottle of 2008 Del Rio Pinot Noir visit our online store today!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Dinner Under the Stars

This year marks our third annual dinner under the stars wine dinner. We are excited to share the menu prepared for us by the Jacksonville Inn. The five course meal is sure to be a hit, as each wine has been selected with care to offer the best possible dining experience. Tickets are on sale now and are available online or you can purchase though the tasting room.

Dinner Under the Stars - Menu

Presented by Del Rio Vineyards
Jacksonville Inn - Platon Mantheakis

House Cured Salmon “Caneloni”
with Lemon-Chive Cream Fraiche and
Crispy Potato
2008 Chardonnay

Compressed Watermelon Salad

with Aged Balsamic, Pickled Red Onions, Greek Feta and Chef’s Garden Micro Basil
2009 Rose Jolee

Chipotle Barbeque Baby Back Ribs

with Grilled Seven Oaks Farm Corn and Baby Arugula
2007 Claret

Cracked Black Pepper Crusted Filet of Beef

with a Wild Mushroom Brandy Sauce, Sautéed Potato Pearls and Baby Carrots
2008 Petite Syrah

Dessert

Rogue Creamery Bleu Cheese Gelato with a Cherry-Apricot Salad and Chef’s Garden Micro Lemon Mint
2006 Syrah Port


Details:
When: Saturday August 14th, 2010
Where: Del Rio Vineyards Park
Time: 7pm
Tickets: $75 - Click here to purchase

Contact us at the tasting room if you have questions - (541)855.2062 or email us at taste@delriovineyards.com

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Wine Blending

Sunday, Del Rio hosted a Wine 102 blending course for our wine club members and had a great group of eager blenders. We blended three wines right from the tank: 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Malbec, and 2009 Syrah. To kick off the event, Jolee provided a great amount of information for our blending preparation. The majority of wines are actually blends. All wines in the state of Oregon are able to be given a name of a single varietal if it contains 80% of that varietal. There may very well be a small portion of another grape blended with the wine. For example, our 2007 Merlot is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Malbec. The only exception to this rule is Oregon Pinot Noir. All Pinot Noirs must be at minimum 90% of the blend.

Each grape provides a different component in the blending process. The Cabernet Sauvignon offers structure and lasting tannins. The Malbec supplies a rich fruit taste and bouquet. Syrah provides a deep color and bold tannins for added longevity. The enjoyable part of blending your own wine is you can find the flavors you enjoy and experiment with each element from color and smell to taste. At the end of the day, every one of our blenders created their own unique blend. The class was fun and educational. Thanks to all who participated, we hope to see you again soon.

Here are a few pictures of Diana finding the right percentages and corking her creation.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Back to blogging

My hiatus from blogging about the joyous happenings at Del Rio has finally ended, as I am happy to report I am back in the Rogue Valley and working full time at Del Rio. Expect lots of incredibly interesting posts as we navigate the grape growing, wine making, and wine selling process. I am very excited about all the adventures on the horizon. Being back in Oregon feels amazing and Del Rio has been bustling as the summer weather draws in many energetic tasters.

Here is the latest:


San Francisco International Wine Competition Results:
2007 Del Rio Cabernet Sauvignon - Double Gold Medal
2007 Del Rio Claret - Silver Medal
2007 Del Rio Syrah – Silver Medal
2008 Del Rio Pinot Gris – Silver Medal



Summer Concert Series – Up Next - Broadway Phil & The Shouters

Del Rio’s summer concerts have been a hit. They are a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening. The next concert on the calendar is Friday July 30th at 6pm with the sounds of the local band Broadway Phil & The Shouters. The band has been rocking the Rogue Valley since 1994 and offers a range of music from West Coast blues, R & B, to roots rock. There is a cover charge of $7.50 for the general public and $5 for wine club members. Bring a blanket, a picnic dinner, and get comfortable on the tasting room grounds for the evening.

Check out their website for more information - http://theshouters.org/

In case you were curious about your DRV blogger . . . here is a little bit about me.

Born and raised in the Rogue Valley I was introduced to the Wallace family at a Patrick Elementary PTA meeting. From babysitter to tasting room employee and now blogger the time I have spent working for the Wallace family has been great and not to mention all the delicious wine! Two years and a Masters Degree in International studies later, I have returned home from Denver and am eager to be back working at Del Rio. Please feel free to email me with any suggestions or comments on our wine blog. lindsey@delriovineyards.com