
The effects of water on tannin levels in grape development - Part four: How does this help us understand dry farmed sites?
In February I had the pleasure of speaking at the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium on a panel talking about grape and wine tannins. Anna Matzinger, Steve Price and I wanted to clarify what tannins are, how their levels in wine affect texture and structure of the wine, where tannins come from, the role of soil moisture on grape tannin levels and how harvest date affects quality of tannins. Part 4 explores how this whole series helps us understand dry farmed sites. Continue »

Playing with your food - Kettle Chips part 2
Food and wine pairings can make or break a meal. We explored how well our wines paired with one of our favorite chip brands, Kettle Chips, in this two-part series. Continue »

Playing with your food - Kettle Chips part 1
Food and wine pairings can make or break a meal. We explored how well our wines paired with one of our favorite chip brands, Kettle Chips, in this two-part series. Continue »

The effects of water on tannin levels in grape development - Part three: Irrigation
In February I had the pleasure of speaking at the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium on a panel talking about grape and wine tannins. Anna Matzinger, Steve Price and I wanted to clarify what tannins are, how their levels in wine affect texture and structure of the wine, where tannins come from, the role of soil moisture on grape tannin levels and how harvest date affects quality of tannins. Part 3 discusses irrigation. Continue »

The effects of water on tannin levels in grape development - Part two: Plant physiology
In February I had the pleasure of speaking at the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium on a panel talking about grape and wine tannins. Anna Matzinger, Steve Price and I wanted to clarify what tannins are, how their levels in wine affect texture and structure of the wine, where tannins come from, the role of soil moisture on grape tannin levels and how harvest date affects quality of tannins. Part 2 dives into plant physiology. Continue »

Oregon Wine Symposium Part Two: Climatology
Held every year, the Oregon Wine Symposium is marked as "the premier educational event and trade show for the Northwest wine community." This was the first year that I had the pleasure to attend and following this past harvest, I was looking forward to lectures on some pretty hot topics in the Willamette Valley during the 2015 season. To say that there is something for every sector of this industry represented at the Symposium is an understatement. That said, there seemed to be one topic that transcended every niche of the wine business because it affects us all - climatology reports. Continue »

The effects of water on tannin levels in grape development - Part one: Soil science
Last month I had the pleasure of speaking at the Oregon Wine Industry Symposium on a panel talking about grape and wine tannins. Anna Matzinger, Steve Price and I wanted to clarify what tannins are, how their levels in wine affect texture and structure of the wine, where tannins come from, the role of soil moisture on grape tannin levels and how harvest date affects quality of tannins. Part 1 dives into soil science, water retention & the effects it has on tannin levels. Continue »

Oregon Wine Symposium Part One
While attending the Oregon Wine Symposium in Portland last week, A to Z, REX HILL and a few other wineries were able to present some of their research and development projects. I had the opportunity to present a project I supervised last harvest at REX HILL. It was great to interact with some of my fellow colleagues on a subject we are all passionate about. It felt good to be an active member of the Oregon winemaking community and to represent A to Z and REX HILL at a public event. Continue »

Pair Pinot Noir with your next cheese plate
Our friends at Cabot Creamery have put together an easy-to-follow infographic on how to wow with your next cheese plate. Continue »

Learning to Prune
I don't have a green thumb. Far from it. I've been known to kill cactus. So you might imagine my apprehension when Karen, our Viticulturist, handed me her pruning shears as we stood in the REX HILL Vineyard this misty February morning. Thankfully, Karen is a good teacher. Continue »