Anne Amie Vineyards, Carlton Oregon

Bottling Time Again.

 

Like robins returning in Spring and geese flying overhead in long, trailing V’s in Autumn, there are signals that nature sends us that the seasons are changing.  At the winery it is the appearance of the illusive, white Bravo truck.  When it glides up the hill, we know it is bottling time.  And, soon after, with our tanks and barrels emptied again and ready for more wine, it is time for another harvest.  Our webcam is up and running.  Please feel free to click on the photo below and watch us as we put the absolutely amazing  2008 Cuvee A and Willamette Valley Pinot noirs into bottle.  And, keep and eye on the cellar webcam, because the Bravo truck will soon depart, and the cellar will be scrubbed stem to stern, followed by the first pick of the 2009 season.  It’s what we live for here in the cellar all year long!   Bring on autumn!  Let the grapes appear at our threshold!  It wouldn’t be harvest without bottling!

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Technorati Tags: Anne Amie Vineyards,Cuvee A,Willamette Valley Pinot noir,Bravo Bottling,webcam,2009 harvest

A TREE GROWS IN ASTORIA

People often ask what inspired me to become a winemaker.  And, inevitably, the story, no matter how it starts, always comes back to this tree.  You see, every morning when I raised the blinds in my apartment in Astoria, Queens, this was my view of the world.  If the tree had no leaves, I knew the wait for the subway would be bracing. On a day like today, where young leaves are popping out on trees all over New York City, I’d probably open the window to let out winter’s stale air and breathe in Spring-exhaust fumes, car alarms and all.  If there was a full canopy of green, then I knew summer was upon New York, with all the languor and humidity that comes with warmer weather.  And, if the leaves on my tree were turning golden, it was my cue to head to Central Park to walk amongst the palette of Fall colors that are so fleeting in the City.  This tree was my one true connection to all things natural.  It was a barometer for the passing seasons, and likewise, my time in New York. 

It was from this vantage point that the seed for winemaking was planted.  It was in the kitchen of this apartment, whose very window faced this tree, that I started brewing beer.  I was in this kitchen that I fell in love with the science fermentation.  It was on the stove next to this window that many experimental batches of beer were brewed- some good, some great, and some….. well, some exploded!  And, in time, it was from a tiny table next to the window, with this tree as my only witness that I started scribbling a list.  On that paper I started to list the pros and cons of my life in New York.

I knew I loved dance.  I loved moving through space and the challenge of creating new dances.  I relished performing for audiences, feeling their energy from the dark void at the edge of a lit stage.  I dearly loved traveling and experiencing new places, even on the tight schedule and budget of a dancer. And, as I mentioned already, I was falling in love with fermentation. 

The other side of the list contained what I was missing in my life.  At the top of that list was a series of things related to nature- sunrises and sunsets, seasons, stars, and growing things.  There were many more items on the list I am sure, but I can’t recall them anymore.

From that list came the  first nebulous notion of making wine.  After a trip to California visiting wineries and looking into wine schools, I came back to Astoria and started the process of untangling myself from New York.  It was a summer day when I loaded all my belongings into my VW bus-all under the shade of the tree outside my window.  That was the last time I saw that tree until today, almost 10 years from the day I packed up and drove away to my new life making wine.

A decade later I am making wine in a place I truly love, working with wonderful, creative people who believe in the wines we are crafting.  I have witnessed some amazing sunrises and sunsets in that period of time.  I have traveled the globe learning about and making wine.  I am extremely happy with my decision to uproot myself from dance and transplant that artist into the arena of winemaking.  The things on the list I enjoyed about dance- being creative, making people happy, traveling and learning, and lastly, fermentation, have all become an essential part of me “the winemaker”.   As I sit in a Greek cafe’ in my old neighborhood in Astoria, drinking rich creamy coffee and eating sticky, crispy, cinnamon and pistachio-infused pastries, my mind drifts to the view from my new home- Anne Amie Vineyards.  I made the right decision ten years ago. Enjoy the view from outside my window now!

The 2008 Harvest Crew

You may see many of the same faces in the photographs on our blogs.  Each person on our crew brings their own strength and unique personality to the team.  Everybody, as a whole, must get along.  That is the one thing that is paramount.  We come from different  parts of the globe. We have different winemaking background (or,in the case of some, none at all).  We have different goals for harvest- and beyond that as well.

We do have one thing in common, and that is a collective desire to make the best wines we can.  And, to have fun doing it.  Although we have seen a few long days thus far we have been long on humor, if short on sleep.  You might see some of us on the web cam a 6am punching down the tanks. Alternatively, you may see others late at night cleaning up the winery- sanitizing so we can dirty the equipment in a few short hours with more grapes.

Just so you know who the people are you are seeing I have listed them below with a photograph.  Now, when you see "X" loading the press, or "Y" punching down a tank you'll be able to attach a name to the face.  And, if after a long day of receiving grapes you see "X,Y, Z, G, M, T" dancing in rubber suits, you'll know who to groove along with.

I'll start with the permanent Anne Amie staff.  These faces may be familiar to you by now.  Jason, the vineyard manager, and I worked with one another at Ponzi Vineyards before we both landed at Anne Amie.  Jason is best known for his intense focus and infectious laugh.  Both can occur in the same instant.

Tammie and Andy are associate winemakers.  They are the glue that holds the winery together.  They are both an indispensable part of the winemaking team.  Tammie has been at Anne Amie longer than anyone else on our team.  She brings a wealth of historical knowledge of the vineyards we work with and an amazing attention to detail.  She is, without a doubt, in charge of the cellar.  From harvest to bottling she is involved in every detail of winemaking. 

Andy joins from LaVelle Vineyards, near Eugene, Oregon.  Andy is in charge of the morning punchdown crew.  You'll see the lights switch on at 6am each morning and Andy is the guy making sure everything is geting done before the rest of us make it in.  Andy has infused our team with a wicked sense of humor matched with a "quick on his feet" knowledge of winemaking.  It is hard to imagine our team before he arrived.  He seems to have enjoyed his first harvest at Anne Amie, having gained 12 pounds since harvest began!

 

That brings us to Jan- Marc.  Jan - Marc and I became friends years ago at Ponzi.  He is an up-and -coming garagiste.  In his case he is a basementiste.  He has his own small winery in his basement in N. Portland.  We met because he was buying used barrels from me.  I found out he was an avid cyclist and a French trained chef.  That's my kind of friend! We stayed in touch through the years and gradually became better friends.  I somehow managed to persuade him to join us for harvest as our "Director of G&G  (director of grub and grog)".  His food has made the harvest extremely memorable.  I don't think even Todd, expected seared scallops of leg of lamb when he signed on for another vintage. And, he has done his magic on our outdated electric stove.  My apologies. Jan-Marc....

Todd.  How do I describe  Todd?  Todd and I first worked with one another in 2004 at Ponzi.  He came over as an intern from Australia, where he claims to be from (I have my doubts.  He doesn't even say "Crikey!").  We have worked with one another every vintage since then, including two vintages in 2007, when we both went to work at Vinpro, in New Zealand.  Todd is a defacto part of our crew.  He brings not only his unquenchable appetite for food, but a dedication and meticulousness to anything he does that is unmatched.  Todd and I have cleaned the press into the wee hours of the morning together, only to follow the cleaning with a crazy rubber suit dance (yet another reason to watch the web cam).  Todd is more than a crew member to me.  He is my brother.  And, if the forklift breaks down he can carry tanks by himself .  So, he is a brother and a forklift.

Jo joins us from New Zealand, where she has recently graduated from the esteemed Lincoln University.  Jo will be traveling back to New Zealand after harvest to do graduate work with Delegats.  I am sure she will come out of the multi-year program with a wealth of knowledge.  Delegats is a very large winery with multiple locations in New Zealand.  They have vast resources at their finger tips.  Here at Anne Amie, at 10,000 cases this year we have a different focus.  With our indigenous yeast ferments, small lots,and hands-on focus, I hope we added to her portfolio of winemaking experience.  IN addition to drinking tea and snacking on grapes Jo is a self-proclaimed chocoholic.

Jon joins us from Montinore Estate.  He is part of our "local" crew.  I am always surprised at how many talented people apply for harvest positions.  Jon is one of those people.  He is part of the morning crew, a great handyman, and a hoot, to boot.  The picture says it all!

Marijke was referred to us by a friend.  Marijke is a globe-trotter, who just returned from Australia.  She is a NOLS instructor who could hold her own in just about any situation.  She had no winery experience before stepping into the winery for harvest, but has proved she can be trusted with any job we give her.  Her attitude is a so amazing, it has reminded me from time to time that I should be a bit more positive in the heat of the moment.  Marijke is the only person on our crew who gave Todd a run for his money at lunch and  dinner.  Marijke is pictured here with Kyong.  Kyong was our sugar bee.  She worked mostly for Jason in the vineyards sampling grapes.She joined us on many occasions in the cellar to lend her hands and her wit when we needed it most.

Patrick joined us later than anyone else on the crew.  He had just moved to McMinnville and was looking for work.  He finished what he was doing helping Panther Creek on a Friday and joined us Saturday morning.  Patrick hails from the Seattle area, where he worked in wine sales.  He has a vast knowledge of Washington and Oregon wines.  He somehow managed to get the job of "Mr. Clean".  There are a few tanks in the winery he has had to sanitize a half-dozen times.  Patrick is a great worker and has a keen palette.  He is pictured here with Katie, who works in the tasting room.  Katie is back for her second harvest.  I first met Katie when she saved me from starvation at the 2007 IPNC.  Katie joins us whenever Ksandek allows.

Ksandek also joins us, usually sacrificing a day off in order to do so.  Ksandek is our hospitality director, resident home brewer and stand up comic.  Here he is pictured doing an Iron Chef impersonation, chopping imaginary food with a spatula!

I hope you have enjoyed our harvest blog.  All the grapes are in the winery, so now we can all focus on winemaking.  You'll still see us punching down in the cellar.  Soon we'll start pressing some of the earlier lots of Pinot noir and putting wine to barrel.  It has been a great harvest so far.  Yields were down significantly, but the quality of what we received was extremely high.  Look for concentrated wines from the 2008 harvest with good acidity and balance.  But, buy early, as there won't be much on the market!

Cheers,

Thomas

Another Year, Another Pallet Trolley Dance

It's getting down to the wire.  I can count the days we are going to be receiving more grapes on one hand.  Not that we need a cause for celebration, but having all our vineyards picked and grapes inside the winery is a huge relief.  Mother Nature has cooperated once again.  All the checking and double-checking of weather reports, inevitably choosing the report that favors hanging the fruit on the vine longer, has paid off.  I know I am a vineyard managers worst nightmare, as Jason will readily attest to. But, right now as we are busy making wine in the winery, I'm sure Jason is at home clean and rested, so his life is not all that bad.

I am going to make a prediction.  Last year we were still putting wine into barrel the week before Christmas.  This year we will be wrapping up picking just a few days shy of our last pick of 2007, which was on Halloween.  (You might remember the photo of me in my impromptu costume made from my rain suit and duct tape... ) Anyhow, my prediction is this:

We will have all our wine in barrel by the first week of December.  Generally it takes us about 28 days from the time we pick the grapes until we put the wine from those grapes into barrel.  That would put the last pick, this Wednesday the 28th, scheduled to go into barrel about Thanksgiving. I know there will be wines that need more time, and possibly a few that need less time.  But, by December third, the winery should be quiet again.  That is reason enough for a wee celebration in my book.  A little dance maybe?  In  the tradition of pallet trolley dancing, I bring you the 2008 version of the "Fruit is Almost in the  Winery" pallet trolley dance.

 

It can be compared to the 2007 dance which is completely different!

Another Year, Another Reason To Dance on a Pallet Trolley!

Thomas

It's Muller Time!

We have been harvesting all week in the beautiful, DRY  late autumn weather.  While yields are down significantly this year, quality is up.  We have ripe flavors, and crisp acidity.    This is a perfect recipe for well- balanced, ageable wines.  Today and tomorrow we will be picking our Muller Thurgau off the Anne Amie Estate Vineyard as well as bringing in Pinot noir from Rainbow Ridge today and more of our Estate Pinot noir on Sunday.  Monday we'll take a break from picking and warm up the first fermenters that we filled the previous Monday. They have been cold-soaking all week at a chilly 38 F.  Since these are indigenous ferments, we'll gently bring them up to temperature and help them on their way.  But,that's next week.  I am getting ahead of myself!   Feel free to check in from time to time to see what we are up to.  The winery is humming with activity. If you have any questions about what you see on the webcam, fire off an email!

Back to sorting Muller!

Thomas

Click here to view the webcam live!

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Amie Harvest - Live Web Cam

Click on the photo to see 'Live' footage from our crush pad camera. 

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Labor Day Wine Deal and Lunching on Leftovers

Thomas glided into the kitchen lead by his nose, and eyes growing wider with each advancing step asked, “What are you making?”

“My favorite,” I replied, “leftover surprise.”

“I don’t really have a recipe, I was just going to see what I could come up with,” was my response to his eagerly growing interest in lunch. 

“Shall I see what I can forage from the garden?” Thomas asked, and was already out through the door before I could respond. 

30 minutes, a sunburst squash, one handful of fresh savory and thyme, two zucchini, and some leftover veggie stock later, and we had ourselves a nice end-of-summer stew close to completed. As we rummaged around the kitchen looking for that one missing ingredient that would transform our stew into something special, we found ourselves involved in a conversation that I frequently try to incite when Thomas is around. “What can I learn today about winemaking that I don’t know yet?”

The conversation turned towards the dark and oenologically-sinister when Thomas began describing how wines develop symptoms of reduction; those unpleasant rubbery, often overwhelming, odors that mask everything else in the wine.

“Reduction, great idea!”

My exclamation was met with a glare from Thomas implying that no good can possibly come from even a little bit of reduction.

In the cellar it will ruin the final product. In the kitchen, however, reduction is a whole different story. I quickly began ladling the sumptuous but thin stock into a shallow pan, and turned the heat up to high. 

“This is going to make a great sauce!”   

It took about 10 minutes to get the stock to reduce down to a nice thick sauce. All the flavors condensed into a rich, sweet, tangy, deep flavored red-brown sauce. We spooned the stewed veggies into bowls, crumbled some Willamette Valley Cheese Co. Fontina all over, and then spooned the hot reduction sauce over it all to melt the cheese. A little fresh basil from the garden to finish it all off and there was only one thing left to decide. Which one of our wines were we going to taste with this perfect summer dish? 

Thomas reached for the ’07 Rosé and I grabbed some ‘07 Amrita and we washed our lunches down sip by sip. For a casual lunch made of leftovers and garden-fresh veggies, this was an incredibly satisfying lunch. It also became very clear that we could have served any of our white wines with this summery stew. Our ‘07 Müller Thurgau and ‘07 Pinot Gris were equally great matches, each enhancing the dish in their own way. 

The crisp, clean, summer wines made such a simple meal into something special. It was easy and fun to throw everything together, and was a good reminder of why I like working here.

We can’t share our lunch with everyone but we can make it easier to see how great these wines are with your own summer fare. From now through Labor Day we will be selling 4 packs of Pinot Gris, Amrita, Müller Thurgau, and our Pinot Noir Rosé for just $50.

 

The forecast calls for warm weather this Labor Day Weekend, and we have chilled wines ready for you, just bring your picnic and we’ll see you in the tasting room or out on the terrace.

                                             

Cheers,

Ksandek Podbielski
Director of Hospitality.

Team West LA

A few weeks back our amazing West Los Angeles Henry Wine Group sales team lead by Regional Manager Jenna Chevigny visited us for an afternoon at the winery.  Pictured above is winemaker Thomas Houseman with the dream team after tasting through the 2007 pinot noir barrels. 

Cork Soaking at Anne Amie

Now I know that many of you do not share my disdain for corks in wine, and the resulting detectable and, even more disturbing, the sub-threshold levels of cork taint.  In the vein of democracy, I kneel to Kim, the goddess of marketing, and put an equal amount of the Winemakers Pinot noir in both screwcap and under cork closures.  It is a classic exercise in compromise.  Now, if we could only get our representatives in Washington to do the same...
Anyhow, there is no guarantee that wines in cork-closed bottles are not tainted with TCA, or as we know it in the cellar- 2,4,6-trichloroanisole. I am going to steal yet another definition from the web, this time from Wikipedia.  Here is their explanation of TCA and cork taint, which, though less entertaining than my take is much more succinct: 

CORK TAINT can most accurately be described as "moldy" or "musty" or "earthy" or sometimes "medicinal" smell that masks or dominates the fruit aroma of wine and reduces the overall wine quality. The source may be one or more particular chemical compounds formed by a reaction between molds and chemicals.

Infected wines are said to be "corked" or "corky" and the contaminant often referred to as "cork taint", although there are many other possible sources besides corks for its presence in wine. 

Molds may be originally present in raw cork bark or in wood used for barrels or barrel racks, tanks, scaffolding, walls, stairs, pallets, cardboard boxes, or other many other types of winery equipment or facilities. TCA can also can infect cork or wood that         is in storage.

Regardless of the source or chemical  identity,  Cork Taint can impart a very unpleasant smell that, depending upon its severity,  tends to dominate all other aroma characteristics of any wine it contaminates.  The least offensive and most subtle sign of TCA is wine that has very little aroma at all. The Australian Wine Research Institute conducted experiments in early 2003, that  demonstrated even a very low level of contamination, as little as one  or two nanograms per litre, suppresses positive fruit aroma character in wine by as much as 50%. 

I am now going to step away from my soap box... 

Needless to say, it takes very little of the compound to ruin a perfectly good Pinot noir.  Thus, we go to amazing extremes to insure that when you pick up a bottle of Anne Amie Pinot noir, we have done everything in our power to insure the corks we buy are as "clean" as possible.  One of the major steps in this screening process is a "cork soak" where we sensorially inspect lots of cork from our suppliers.  The attached video shows the cork soak screening.  In this particular screening, out of ten bales of corks randomly pulled from different suppliers, only three were clean.  Those  clean cork bales were selected for the 2007 Willamette Valley (Winemakers) Pinot noir.  So, for those of you, like Kim, that absolutely MUST hear the pop of a cork when you enjoy your wine, rest assured that the care we put into our wines goes well beyond that.  It's in the packaging as well. 

Cheers, 

Thomas 

Technorati Tags: TCA,cork taint,cork soak

HELL'S KITCHEN

 

Let's go back to 1994.  Nancy Kerrigan is whacked with a metal bar. ER and Friends debut on NBC.  Kurt Cobain takes his life at 27.  Forrest Gump is running across U.S. screens.

I am in NYC- a modern dancer performing with the Nikolais Louis Dance Company.  My best friend, Christian, lives in Hell's Kitchen.  Not today's Hell's Kitchen, with its fancy condos and gleaming, trendy restaurants, but a 90's Hell's Kitchen.  It is a neighborhood of sirens, bodegas, shadows, and cat-sized rats.

Christian and I have a ritual.  Since we are both from restaurant kitchen backgrounds, and since we brew homebrew together, and most importantly, since Christian has cable, we meet at his house with microbrew in hand and turn on the telly.  There is a new network called the Food Network and we are entranced.  It's like nothing we've seen before.  There is this guy, Emeril Lagasse, and he is cooking (kickin' it up a notch) in a way we have never seen on television.  It is what we now know as "edutainment".  But, for two ex-kitchen guys like us it is a way to re-live the good ol' days and be inspired.  Inevitably, it led us to the corner bodegas for supplies and a foraged dinner was prepared.

Let's flash forward to 2008.  I am asked to present my wines at a benefit dinner.  The chef  for the evening is none other than Emeril Lagasse.  I jump at the opportunity!  Emeril has done so much to get people eating outside of our cultural boundaries.  He has inspired a generation to try new foods.  The Food Network has brought new ideas about cooking into our living rooms.  My goal is to do the same with wine.  I didn't grow up with wine.  I grew up with sweet tea.  But, I have found a world outside of what I knew.  A world of wonderful flavors.  A world of traditions.  A world that I hope to share with others.

I make wine that is, if nothing else, food-friendly.  And, I love nothing more than talking to others about what we do in Oregon- how our wines at Anne Amie reflect what we are passionate about and how our terroir is reflected in every bottle of our wine. So, it is with great pride that I packed myself off for an opportunity to pair my wines with the food of someone who I have so much respect for.

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