Yamhill-Carlton District AVA Open House; April 25, 2009
I’ve been thinking about dirt quite a bit lately. In the park near where I live, I recently saw a child pick up a handful of dirt and bring it towards his mouth, only to have his mother flail out her arms in protest,“ Tim, don’t eat that!” she followed in a softer, more composed tone, “it doesn’t taste good.” As they walked past me to leave the park I could hear his mother mutter to herself that, “this is just a phase. It’ll be over soon.”
On the 25th of April, almost 500 people tasted the dirt that we’re so proud of here in Yamhill-Carlton. I don’t mean that our guests actually tasted the dirt, but instead, had the opportunity to study the terroir of our AVA by sampling wines from our district. The coarse-grained, ancient marine sediments native to the area are among the oldest soils in the Willamette Valley and produce wines of depth, nuance, and distinction that reflect the characteristics of these soils.
We opened up our cellar, and setup 25 wineries along with food from La Rambla, Nick’s Italian Café, Joel Palmer House, and Cuvée. A handful of Yamhill-Carlton AVA growers were also on hand, armed with soil samples and maps to explain what makes this area so interesting for Pinot Noir and winemaking. Participants had the chance to talk to winemaker’s and growers for an intensive, all-day crash course in Yamhill-Carlton District AVA wines.
It seems that every child goes through a stage like Tim. For some of us, however, it isn’t just a passing phase, but an interest that gets reawakened later in life. Thank you to each of the wineries that joined us, and to everyone who came out to taste our terroir. Here’s to tasting the earth in which we plant our vines, and to understanding what that means for the wines we drink.
Cheers!
Ksandek
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