Spring is here at the winery. The trees are blooming and some of the flowers are coming up. What does that mean for the grapes? Not much yet….we are looking forward to an early spring though. An early spring will usually help the vines ripen early in October or maybe late September. In the Willamette Valley the longer we let the fruit hang- the darker and richer the flavors tend to be on the reds- particularly Pinot Noir. Of course we have nearly 8 months to go until harvest and you can’t count your grapes before they hatch (or is that eggs?).
In other news the 2008 Pinot is a month or two away from release. Nice dark fruit, with cherry overtones and lighter oak was our style for this vinetage. A very nice wine and we are all looking forward to it! Also we have are just about to release the Kitara barrel select 2007 Pinot Noir and will be tasting during our St Josef’s Day Fest on April 10 & 11th. While we were worried that the 07 wouldn’t hold it’s own with the other barrel selects- I have to say this is one of my favorites! Really elegant, burgundy style (red subtle fruit with great oak balance & long finish)- not new world fruity & slight.
Come on out & join us…
Also- if you didn’t know that RED WINE is EVEN HEALTHIER than BEFORE- check out the attached article. Red & White wines actually can help you keep from putting on a few pounds (I guess that’s why you don’t see large french people).. This is from wine spectator but also published via NPR, NY Times and even the Bombay (India) News.
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/42294
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
The fog is thick across the valley this morning- but thankfully we have just finished picking our 2009 harvest. And it a word- ‘fantabulous’! We started harvesting this year about a week early- and since we had a long dry summer and warm dry fall the sugar is quite nice. It is really something to have both great quality fruit and enough of it to make some really unique wines. In 2008 we had great fruit- however the late spring caused the vineyards in the Willamette Valley to have half the harvest of a normal year.
Next up on the agenda is getting the reds through fermentation- (we’re about halfway) and starting to rack off the whites. Come on out & see what’s happening at our crush pad patio. You can even sample some of our white wines that are halfway through fermenting. In Germany its called Nue-Wine (new wine) and it’s like drinking a NW Heffeweizen beer- cloudy & cool. While it’s sounds weird to many ‘winos’ it is actually a normal occurance in a winery- you need to taste the product while its evolving though it’s life.
Stop on by & enjoy!
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
Yea! We just got a nice write-up in the WIllamette Valley Press- a magazine pullout from Salem. They compared Pinot Noirs- St Josef’s to the French mega-snob super famous winery. And guess who got the better review? THats right- St Josef’s 2007 Pinot Noir. We are proud of our family tradition and we’re glad other people like our style of wine too.
If you haven’t tried the 2007 Pinot Noir- you should. Some people think the 2007 Pinots are really light- and they are. But that’s what makes them fun to drink. They are light, easy on the tounge and not trying to be something they are not. Like Big & Bold. Heck- it’s 90+ degrees at the winery today and a big ol cabernet is a great thing to drink- but not this pm. No Way- it’s a Pinot Day!
The harvest is coming up- look for the next post as we will be harvesting next week!
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
Oh my gosh… have we been discovered!!?? No- there’s no jam packed interstate or traffic jam in our tasting room. But the folks at Portland monthly magazine have listed us as their favorite sipping spot. (way cool!)
- “Dozens of picturesque wineries dot the Willamette Valley, but for family-owned coziness try St. Josef’s, which has a terra-cotta-colored fountain courtyard and a glittering blue pond. We’ve yet to find a better sipping spot.” —BWB
Over the course of the summer we have been thrilled to have so many people come ito the winery tasting room that have never been here before. And what’s fun is that most of them are from Portland. We have had the great good fortune to have many loyal customers that have recommended us to other folks. And many people are spending the summer exploring the back roads here instead of going down to Napa & Sonoma and spending their hard earned money on California wines instead of local ones.
They’re finding the East Side of the Willamette Valley is uncrowded & unspoiled. Many very small family wineries and lots of vineyards (many like us sell to the other side). There are several great biking routes out this way- we just had a 50 person group out this way and everyone was amazed and the uncrowded country lanes and the off the beaten path feel. For Portland biking & hiking reccommendations there are some good ones in this month’s Portland Magazine. Check out the rest of the current Portland Monthly for great hiking & biking tips for across Oregon & SW WA. The East WIllamette Valley is a great place for a bike ride & wine tasting- lots of scenery , not cars.