Anne Amie Vineyards, Carlton Oregon

How many times can we say 'awesome'?

A LOT. 

Since our arrival in Washington DC on Wednesday, Director of Viticulture Jason Tosch and I have been surrounded by awesomeness.  Yesterday Jason spent the day with Henry Wine Group rep Erin Hollrah who is not just all smiles (although you can't resist noticing when you see her!), she is a smart, wine savvy and super sweet.  Thanks Erin for putting up with Jason all day and being so psyched to get the word out about Anne Amie wines.

I had the pleasure of spending my day with Jason Whiteside (who was asked to pour wine at Lloyd Flatt's memorial - if you're a wine geek you know how huge this is).  Jason is a wine lover in every sense of the word.  Being with him was like taking the WSET certification course all over again.  He is extremely well versed in the wines of the world and likes to fill our heads with wine trivia.  Jason is pictured in between Ed & Stefano the sommeliers and wine buyers at the amazing 2941 restaurant in Virginia.

But like Jason and Erin, all of the folks at The Henry Wine Group are in a league all their own.  And the cream of the crop is Henry's DC Regional Manager, Ted Wynot.  Wow.  This man is multi, multi talented (as well as generous - thanks for letting us taste those Spanish wines!).  From the Culinary Institute of America to France to New York City he has worked his way through many famous kitchens.  He's also a sommelier and now we are lucky enough to have him leading the team in DC.  We enjoyed an amazing dinner last night prepared special for us by Chef Todd Gray at Equinox Restaurant.  Joining us for his first EVER appearance in the dining room was wine buyer Travis Gray (thank you Travis, we are honored) who features Anne Amie's 2006 Cuvee A Pinot Noir by the glass on his vast wine list.  The night was one not to be forgotten with Ted, Travis and Erin's good company paired with many incredible courses and wines. (pictured from left: Travis, Kim, Chef Gray, Jason & Erin)

This trip is far from over.  We're heading into the DC Int'l Wine and Food Festival this weekend where we team up with the Oregon Wine Board to showcase the wines of Oregon with our own "Oregon Wine Road Show".  If you're in town, stop in and see us!

Cheers!
Kim

The A Team from Henry Wine Group - Washington DC

Pruning Pinot

The slightly warmer temperatures, longer days and sunny, rain-free days are making the last days of pruning much more pleasant for the vineyard crews. Pictured here: As dawn breaks workers finish pruning our Mineral Springs Estate Vineyard just to the east of the winery.

Anne Amie Sunset 2/22/08

Saturday, February 9th Winter Dinner with Simpatica Dining Hall

 

One of the exciting parts of my job is being able to use the space we have at the winery for different kinds of events. The tasting room is always in motion, and I try to keep the floor-sets and displays interesting and ever changing. Setting up for the dinner was a welcome change of pace. Zack and I spent the afternoon clearing space and building tables which we dressed to give a sense of warmth in a winter setting.

It was great being able to host all the guests who attended the dinner in such an intimate environment. Bringing together some of our Vineyard Club members with whom I have had the pleasure of getting to know in the past year, and some new friends who I am looking forward to seeing more often at the winery, was as much fun for me as seeing the food being prepared in the kitchen.

Despite being at the winery full time, I still enjoy hearing Thomas and Ron talk about how the wines are made, and what they personally like about each bottle. Jason Owens and David Kreifels, pictured above with winemaker Thomas Houseman, two of the Chef/Owners from Simpatica Dining Hall, also spent a little time before dinner talking about how they came up with their dishes, and the techniques they used to put everything together.

The food that Jason, David, and their assistant Xander created was incredible. While the Simpatica crew worked in the kitchen putting dishes together, Zack, Sarah, and I prepared the wines, checking each bottle for correct service temperature. It was also fun finding the right rhythm for serving each course, and clearing the previous setting.

By the end of the night, everyone had feasted, and enjoyed the wines we offered. A few sneak previews were poured as well, like the 2005 Winemaker’s Selection Pinot Noir, which is showing beautifully already, and will be a happy addition to my tasting menu when it is released in the coming months. I am especially pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the crew from Simpatica Dining Hall. Their food was outstanding, they were organized, and very fun to have working in our kitchen.

Thank you to all of the guests who attended, and again, special thanks to Simpatica Dining Hall for and incredible dinner. This was a great way to kick off our 2008 calendar of events. Here’s to the next one- Hope to see you there.

Ksandek Podbielski

Who loves school?

Apparently Craig and I do.  While visiting Seattle a few weekends ago, Craig and I had the pleasure of dining at Palisade Restaurant where wine guru and GM David Hood took great care of us.  While Palisade proudly supports Anne Amie wines, we chose one of our favorite Walla Walla producer's wine to accompany our meal - L'Ecole No. 41's 2006 Semillon.

Who do you think loved it more?

Wine Showers

Put your ear to our barrels of 2007 Pinot Noir and you'll hear them bubbling away as they undergo malolactic fermentation, a second fermentation that converts sharp malic acids into the rounder lactic acid. Besides lactic acid, this fermentation also produces carbon dioxide, which is responsible for our noisy barrels. It also means that every time Thomas pulls a bung to check on the wine in each barrel he gets a little wine shower as the pressure in the barrel douses him and his notebook with pinot noir.  The other day I found Thomas in the cellar looking particularly rosy from his work among the barrels and a notebook with more pinot noir than ink on the pages. As malolactic is now nearing completion, Thomas' notebook should soon be quite a bit dryer.

Picture Post - Colorado!

Here are a few photos from Colorado. In Vail, the hotel’s fire alarm went off at 1am and I'm sorry to say I have no photos of hundreds of us freezing outside in pajamas, ski coats and hats.  You can see just how cold it was up there by the gigantic icicle pictured.  

Pictured right is Damon Labato another exceptional sales rep from Wine Merchants of Colorado pointing out how dirty my rental car is. Thanks to Damon for taking me around today to great shops like Tony’s, Davidson’s , The Wine Company and Lido Wine Merchants in old town Littleton.   Our wines were met with great enthusiasm and should be on the shelves and in the restaurants soon!

Until next time Colorado…

Cheers,
Kim

In-Vail-uable!

Any of you wine sales professionals out there know how tiring it can be to pound the pavement trying to convince people that your wine, in a world full of wine,  is the wine that's perfect for someone’s list. 

I’m visiting our good friends in Colorado this week and my job has been made easy for two reasons.  One - the wines of Anne Amie speak for themselves and I usually don't have to say a word when showing them - they do all the talking for me.  And two, nothing is easier than having an enthusiastic, dedicated, knowledgeable and fun(!) distributor sales rep like Carrie Rose from Merchants of Colorado out there supporting you. 

Carrie is like the honorary mayor of Vail and rightfully so.  We visited some great restaurants and wine shops in the Vail Valley including Vista at Arrowhead, Juniper, Dish, Avon Liquor, Grappa Fine Wines, Riverwalk Wine & Spirits and Larkspur Restaurant and at each and every one Carrie and I were welcomed with open arms.

If you are a skier (especially a foodie/wine geek skier), then you should be on your way here right now.  My only regret is not being able to get out and play in the snow…but who has time for regret when there’s always next time!  Vail was a great success.  Thanks to all of you who saw us today during the busy season.  Vail loves Anne Amie and we love Vail.  Thanks again to Carrie and the rest of the crew at Wine Merchants of Colorado for taking the time to care for our wines and to show them as if they were your own.   

Now back to that pavement…

Cheers,
Kim