Katherine Cole of the Oregonian wrote a great article last week about Oregon rosé.  Her point being that rosé isn't just for summer sipping anymore.  Pinot Noir rosé is a great accompaniment to fresh fall cuisine, it's just as food friendly as it's big brother pinot noir and usually half the price. 

If you're a local or visiting Portland, here are some sweet spots to sit and savor some good Oregon bounty paired with good Oregon pinot noir rosé...

Many of our favorite local restaurants and wine shops have been supportive of our 2007 Cuvée A Pinot Noir rosé all year long.  Sip it by the glass with one of chef Troy MacLarty's amazing creations at Lovely Hula Hands on North Mississippi or with one of the organic and delicious vegetarian selections at The Farm Café off Burnside at SE 7th.  Try it at Amalie Roberts sweet little wine bar Kir on NE 7th with her famous smoked trout.  Amalie is a true lover of rosé offering up to 10 by the glass at times!  You can also find it by the glass or by the bottle at the french bistro Sel Gris.  Located in Ladd's Addition on Hawthorne, this restaurant has amazing dishes best enjoyed sitting at the bar counter where you can watch chef Daniel Mondok working his magic in the kitchen.

Another place to enjoy our rosé on premise is at Lupa on Mississippi, one of my favorite wine bars owned by one of my favorite wine girls.  Lupa is small and intimate and a perfect place to cozy up on the fall nights ahead.  And p.s. Amanda bakes and sells her own cookies too.  yum. 

Thanks to our Henry Wine Group rep Bonnie Crocker for sharing her love of our rosé with these accounts!

Enjoy,

Kim

Last month I traveled to New York to spend time with our distributor Domaine Select Wine Estates.  Day one was my first NY City "work with" with Mauro who visits accounts all over Manhattan.  These wine reps are incredible - after one day of walking miles and miles and riding the subway many times, I was beat!   You can see Mauro pictured below with his rolling case full of wine (which p.s. he has to carry up and down subway stairs!)

Mauro and I visited a number of retail shops throughout the day including Pasanella and Son owned by a local designer Marco Pasanella.  Wines are arranged by the foods they pair with and the shop is vintage cool.  

We stopped for lunch at the historic Bridge Cafe located right beside and almost under the Brooklyn Bridge.  This gem is hidden down on the old cobblestone streets of the financial district - was built in 1794 and is the oldest drinking establishment in NYC.  They serve both our pinot noir and Amrita by the glass.  The food was incredible.  One taste of the roasted autumn squash bisque with ingredients so fresh I felt like I was back in Portland.  

My favorite find while in NYC was the very hip new wine shop and bar Clo, recently opened by sommelier Andrew Bradbury (formerly of Las Vegas' Aureole) in the Time Warner Building.  Clo sells wine by the pour in an enomatic system and has an incredible digital catalogue (pictured below) that beams down on the bar counter giving consumers instant information at their fingertips.  I visited the bar initially to see hand blown glass decanters that my boyfriend created for Clo (glass cases surround the bar showcasing awesome glassware - lucky for us they're all available for purchase).  Imagine my excitement when I saw Anne Amie's Deux Vert Vineyard Pinot Noir alongside the other great wines! 

Day 1 was a great experience getting to meet like minded wine enthusiasts and seeing much of the great city of New York in the process.  Exhausting but worth it - thanks Mauro!

Stay tuned for New York Day 2 and my visit to the land of Bill & Hillary Clinton and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow...Westchester.

I started my day off with six pounds of bacon.

I suppose I should begin by explaining that I’m from a school of thought that states, “There is not a dish on earth that couldn’t be improved with a little bacon.”

For those of you that have been paying attention to my posts, you undoubtedly have gathered that one of my favorite parts of this job is food. I like the challenge of pairing food and wine in new and interesting ways. Oftentimes, the food I create is something I would never really make in my own home. It could be that when I’m at the winery I have the luxury of a bigger, better kitchen, that I am willing to attempt more complex preparations. In order to maintain some level of balance in my repertoire of hors d’oeuvres, I like to offer one complex dish and also a spin on some more classic American fare. Mac’n’Cheese went quite well with Oregon Truffles, roast beef was great with Juniper Aioli, and now the BLT.

My rationale for pairing our flagship Pinot Noir with a BLT…                                                                 

Maybe I just wanted an excuse the torment everyone in the winery by filling the air with the sweet-smoky smell of maple glazed bacon. In practice, however, my argument is that great wines can elevate ordinary foods to the extra-ordinary and our 2005 Winemaker’s Selection brings the right kind of complexity and versatility to a seemingly straightforward dish like a BLT.                                                                           

I paired the 2007 Cuvée A Amrita with a chilled salad. It’s such a lively white wine that it makes the simplest foods taste exciting.  I wanted to try and match some of the exotic flavors and let the food and wine complement each other. Another flavor that I probably spend too much time thinking about is fennel. Inspired by the green papaya salad from Pok Pok in SE Portland, I combined flavors of lemongrass, cilantro, ginger, and papaya with a mild pickled fennel and let the Amrita complete it.

Papaya & Fennel salad waiting for Amrita                  

                           The 2007 Chardonnay tastes as good as it looks          

It’s all good fun to make tasty food to eat with our wines, but it’s the people with whom I get to share everything that make it worthwhile. I have the pleasure of being able to share outstanding wines with winery guests, many of whom are Club Members. When the weather is good, we all get to take advantage of the spectacular view from the terrace. I also have the chance to get to know many of our members.

                                                                              The Cargills, Harpers, and Pagellas 

Hosting events like this past Saturday’s Club Shipment Pick-up Party is a nice change of pace from the usually busy tasting room. We have the whole place just for Club Members and are able to interact more than we can from behind the tasting bar on a busy afternoon. It didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect either. The evening ended with a beautiful sunset over the coast range. From bacon to sunset, last Saturday was a good day at Anne Amie. Thanks to everyone who made it out to the winery to share it with us.

Cheers,

Ksandek Podbielski
Director of Hospitality

I have a very bad habit of taking photos while I'm driving.  It's terribly easy to get carried away with the pacific northwest sunsets.  The photo above is one I took on my way to Whidbey Island, Washington a few weeks back when I was headed up for an in- store tasting with Cole from our WA distributor, Cascade Trade. 

Whidbey Island is simply gorgeous.  The south island and more specifically Langley is a sweet little town full of artists, amazing shops and restaurants and you can feel the sense of community the moment you get off the ferry.  Cole and I started our Saturday morning at Useless Bay Coffee Company where we sat out in the sunshine and enjoyed coffee and live music before heading to the tasting. The in store tasting was at Vino Amore a great little wine shop owned by husband and wife team Brian and Gail pictured behind the bar below (who are not only entrepreneurs but great local actors as well!). 

After our day of tasting we headed to the wonderful Prima Bistro where we were joined by Chef Sieb Jurriaans and Star Store owner Gene Felton.  I didn't get to spend nearly enough time there but thankfully it's very close so I'll be back.  For all of you looking for a peaceful little getaway, Whidbey's the place - and drink some Anne Amie wine while you're there!

Thanks to Cole, Brian & Gail and Chef Sieb for a fantastic day on Whidbey!

P.S. Congratulations to Cole (pictured below on our ferry ride back to the mainland) and his wife on the arrival of their first born a couple weeks ago!

The dangling lights and modern architecture of Portland’s Gerding Theater at the Armory set the stage for an elegant evening at the Rose City Wine Opener on August 28th. Ksandek and I represented Anne Amie with our 2007 Pinot Gris and 2005 Winemaker’s Selection Pinot Noir.  The event is held by The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to raise money for cure-research and to provide support to those living with Cystic Fibrosis.   

Along with Anne Amie, a great collection of Oregon wineries were on hand to pour tastes or their wines for guests. The live auction followed by a massive silent auction was the focal point of the fundraiser, though admittedly the wineries played a major role in moving everyone through the evening. Perhaps it was the stunning venue, or maybe all the good wine available, regardless of what caused it, there was an undeniably exciting buzz to the event which made it fun to be a part of.

For me, the best part of the night was when a guest introduced herself to me as Erica, and explained that her daughter is living with Cystic Fibrosis. She was delighted to share that it meant a lot to her to see such a strong showing of support. It reminded me of how easy it is to forget how valuable good health is and how much it means to those who don’t have it. It’s truly rewarding to give what we can to those that need it, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has done an amazing job of doing great work, and doing it with style.   

To learn more about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Rose City Wine Opener please visit: http://www.cff.org/Chapters/oregon

Salud!

Katie

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

“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?”

“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.

“This is going to make a great sauce!”   

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.

The Splendid Table is a one-hour program on American Public Media that celebrates culinary, culture, and lifestyle giving public radio listeners a fresh take on their love of food and drink.  A few weeks ago host Lynne Rossetto Kasper (pictured left), producer Sally Swift and a group of excited foodies came to tour the Willamette Valley and enjoy the bounty of our region. 

The tour kicked off with a wine tasting on the roof of the Ecotrust building in Portland on one of the hottest days of the summer (yesterday and today being the hottest). 

With the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) as their guide, the guests sampled wines from A to Z/Rex Hill, Anne Amie, Brick House, Broadley Vineyards, Raptor Ridge and Soter Vineyards.

Above Thomas and I try to to keep stay cool while pouring our 2007 Cuvée A Amrita, 2007 Cuvée A Rosé and 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.  Pictured below is Thomas alongside the lovely and talented Stephany Boettner of OWB.

I'd like to start this with an apology.  I am about to embark upon a description without any photos.  I am an extremely visual person, so this is by no means a small apology.  But, think of this as a story.  A story about friends.  About coming together.  About an impromptu dinner.  Aren't they often the best?  It is also a story about summer and the bounties of fresh produce on hand.

About a week ago I was lucky enough to have David Nemarnik of Alloro Vineyards join Ksandek and me for an informal "dinner".  It was more a collision of schedules than a dinner; by no means planned, but hunger took over, we all threw in what we had and a superb, yet simple dinner emerged.

If you aren't familiar with Alloro Vineyards, you might want to search them out.  David's property is amazing and he is genuinely one of the most open, compassionate people I have met in the wine industry.  We get a few tons of Pinot noir from him because I love the fruit so much.  In a year like 2007, David's fruit came to us ripe and jammy.  That was no small task.

Alloro.  A

Ksandek had some artisanal cheese he'd picked up at the store and Taleggio, my absolute favorite.  It is so oozy and to me smells of the seashore. Mmmmmmmm.  Such a great cheese.  I had made homemade chevre from raw goat's milk.  It really is about as easy as curdling milk- a skill I have mastered.  I am so surprised more people don't make it.  Someone ran and picked some fresh figs off David's trees which are literally dripping with ripe figs this time of year.  Have you ever noticed how much a fig looks as if it were a drop of something sweet and ripe, heavy and waiting to fall from the tree?

Goat cheese was smeared on figs.  Taleggio was paired with a crusty, chewy, sourdough.  Olives and marinated vegetables materialized.  Fresh green beans from the garden were gathered, eggs were cracked, olive oil sizzled, and moments later an omelet with Cambazola crumbles came steaming from the skillet.  David carved a Capocollo he had made himself.  I opened a bag of Bing cherries I had dried the week before. All this was all piled on a barrel head that Ksandek had made into a serving platter.

Within minutes plates were loaded, rose' was gone and Amrita was cracked open.  Amrita, with its chameleon-like quality matched so well with the rich flavors of summer.  It stood up to the green beans and blue cheese.  It carved through the richness of the Capocollo; it accentuated the figs and fresh chevre.  It is a great supporting actor to the flavors of summer. 

Much of what we ate was made by us.  Many of the things on our plates came from within a few miles, if not right on the property. Summer- when sunsets seem to linger on the horizon for hours. A time when inviting the outdoors indoors is encouraged. Throw open the windows. Invite a few friends over. Improvise a dinner with what you have on hand. Talk and laugh until you are too tired to do so any longer. Soon it will be autumn.

Alloro. A

Amrita. A

A toast to summer from your friends at

Anne Amie.

Cheers,

Thomas

Last month Troy MacLarty of Lovely Hula Hands was our guest chef for an intimate Pre-IPNC dinner at the winery.  It was a beautiful wine country evening filled with good friends, great wines and exquisite cuisine.  We were honored to have our winemaker friends and colleagues from California there as well: Leslie Mead from Talley Vineyards and Michael Richmond from Bouchaine Vineyards shared their wine and wisdom with all of us.

Thanks to Leslie, Michael, Troy & Sarah and all of you who joined us for this lovely evening.

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.