Net Green News!

Check it out! Brad is talking about sustainable farming and winemaking!

http://netgreennews.com/illahe-vineyards-deliciously-sustainable-wine

Wine Enthusiast Ratings!

Well, we are believers that wine is not really about THE score one person gives it...but we have to say, we can't complain when we get good reviews either. Here is what Wine Enthusiast Magazine had to say about our 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot, 2007Reserve Pinot, and our 2008 Pinot Gris (which is now sold out...but don't worry, '09 is coming). We must admit, that for our second vintage of Pinot, and a challenging year in the vineyard, we are pleased.

2007 Illahe Willamette Valley Pinot Noir- $20

Forward and surprisingly fruity, this has a pleasing sweetness to the cherry and raspberry-flavored fruit. It’s round and ripe, very nicely balanced, and supported with bracing acidity. A remarkable effort for the vintage and the price. - P.G. (12/15/2009) - 89

2007 Illahe Reserve Pinot Noir-$38

A barrel selection, this was given 45% new oak, and surprisingly is listed at slightly lower alcohol than the regular 2007 Pinot Noir from Illahe. It does show a bit more new oak flavor and less forward fruit. Balanced and sound, it is a fine companion to the regular bottling. - P.G. (12/15/2009) - 89

2008 Illahe Pinot Gris-$13

Fresh and spicy, this has classic Oregon Pinot Gris pear-flavored fruit. It’s lifted by natural acids and highlighted with not-too-sweet baking spice. - P.G.
(12/15/2009) - 88 Best Buy

Gris hound

Photos courtesy of Megan Jones Photography

If you read the last Soil Spectator you'll know that we are almost sold out of all of our 2008 whites. We have five or six cases of Riesling left and that's it.
Michael's polishing up the '09 Viognier now for release in January. It's definitely cold-stable outside and it's lucky the wine didn't freeze solid, or we would have a really large Viognier Popsicle.

The Pinot Gris is our last white holdout. About 3/4 of it is from Illahe this year. It got a little higher in sugar and so it's going to have a bit more alcohol than before. Because of this, the Gris is taking its time, finishing up fermentation very slowly, but it's almost dry! As we warm it up a bit to keep it moving, we are getting a noseful of what we're going to have from fruit at this site-peach, pear, marzipan, honeysuckle--probably. We'll wait until it's finished and polished for a final nose. This is the same wine that was so excited to start it foamed over the top of the tank during harvest...that was exciting!

It was COLD last week. Our pipes froze in the pole barn. Thanks to Scott Viner's concrete buttress protecting the winery's pipes, we didn't loose any pipes to freezing in the winery. The humidifiers are running in the barrel room day and night to keep the wine in the barrel and the heaters are keeping the malolactic bugs happy.

Michael and I did taste through a week ago to get some initial impressions on the '09flock. A person doesn't get a great idea while the wine is changing so fast, but we didn't want to wait forever to see what happened this year. One of my main ideas in
'09 was to put a bit more tannin in the wine to boost it's ageing potential. I think we did it. We didn't want to sacrifice our medium-bodied Pinot and the changes we made-using more whole cluster, warming up our tank, Bertha, and getting a little more skin extraction out of the press- won't change the wine you're used to. Some of the barrels tease the gums and hit the sides of the tongue without pricking every pore on the palate.

--Brad

When it rains, I blog

We are a small winery in a small town in the Willamette Valley of Oregon...Dallas. The usual reaction I get in Portland when I say we are located in Dallas is "Texas?" No, we are the "other Dallas." If it weren't for the rain and cold weather it might feel like we were in Texas. Our vineyard sits right next to an awesome grass-fed cattle ranch. Sometimes on my way to work I have to wait 15 minutes on the road to let the cows pass.

I love it here. I get to work in a barn! We just got high-speed Internet...by way of some microwave receiver signal (I didn't even know that technology existed). I get to work with an incredible farmer, and two very talented young winemakers. Lowell, started planting grapes in 1983. He was crazy enough to plant Gruner Veltliner along with some other obscure varietals.

Now, we have 50 acres of vines on top of a south facing slope in Dallas, Oregon, along with 4 acres in West Salem. We have 35 acres planted of Pinot Noir. The rest is a mix of Pinot Gris, Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, Tempranillo and Lagrein (of all crazy things). Brad is one of our winemakers...he will be blogging quite a bit, as he used to be a writer. No really, he was published! Brad's bio is crazy. He has been everywhere, a bartender in Tokyo, a traveler in South America and India, a carpenter, a poetry instructor, a grant writer, and now a winemaker. Brad is Lowell's son. He studied wine making at Chemeketa and Chemistry at Portland State. He gained experience at Domaine Serene and Evesham Wood. Michael is also our winemaker. The two met while working together at Domaine Serene. Michael has also worked with Belle Ponte, his own brand, Genius Loci, and in Italy. Brad couldn't resist asking Michael make wine with him because of Michael's exceptional winemaking skills. He is focused, very attentive, and has a great palate. Brad and Michael are great to talk with about the wine, because they both know what's going on, but they have differing opinions...which keeps things interesting.

We are concerned with quality. We are concerned with price. We want to make beautiful wine that our neighbors can afford and enjoy. We want to make wine in a sustainable way. We harvest rainwater, we use solar panels, and we use horses to work our vineyards. Our wine making process is as natural as possible. We want to express the true characteristics of the fruit and the soil. Our viticulture is always top notch. Brad is out in the rain right now pruning. He is always experimenting with a new way to gain more balance with the fruit in the vineyard. Illahe is Chinook for "earth" and "soil." I think our wines hold true to their name.

We are starting this blog, to begin a conversation. We want people to be a part of the intimate process we are so lucky to be a part of here. We want to talk about viticulture, wine making, and maybe what we cooked for dinner last night and how well it pairs with our Pinot. We want to share how we think the romance of using horses in the vineyard is well worth the time and effort. We want to share with you Brad's crazy ideas of historical wine making, like digging a cave in the hillside, but with no electricity, and making Pinot Gris in clay pots underground. We want to explore these ideas. Maybe we will figure a few things out.

thanks for reading, Bethany

Soil Spectator, July 2009

"All the dirt that's fit to print"

ILLAHE CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH GRÜNER AND OYSTERS

Illahe officially turns one on Saturday, August 8th. Though 40 acres of our vineyard is pinot noir, we also grow one and a half acres of grüner veltliner, the Austrian varietal wunderkind. For our birthday celebration, Lowell has worked day and night on his oyster barbeque recipe to make the perfect match with chilled grüner. Will it be Oregon’s answer to oysters and Chablis? Perhaps. The oysters come from Yaquina Bay, and we’ll also have sourdough loaves from the Bread Board of Falls City and a spicy coleslaw.

And what would a birthday be without presents? We’re giving away a free bottle of grüner to cellar club members worth $13—even if you sign up when you come. Sure, we’ll take presents (you can bring a carrot for Doc or Bea), but for those of you who want to be a close part of Illahe’s diverse group of natural wines, the cellar club is the way to go. We offer two shipments a year of six bottles, discounts, free tastings with friends, and future events.

Of course, we’ll have pinot noir to taste, including the 2007 Illahe pinot noir reserve, and our delicate 2008 pinot gris. We’ll be open 11-5, and we’re offering the tasting and the birthday meal for $25.


HORSE POWERED!

Our percheron draft horses Doc and Bea came to Illahe’s West Salem stables for the first time on June 30th. They are happily eating down the grass in their corral and we’re working on bucking the hay in the field in front of the winery for their winter delectation. At the beginning of August, Don Flammang will be out helping us walk up and down the rows to teach our hay-burners the lay of the vineyard. We will be mowing, hauling, and logging our new western block in no time. It’s the perfect way to farm because we’ll be saving diesel, reducing compaction in the rows, and making friends at the same time. Look for the horse-powered label!




LINER, ELSEN, AND AQUA

The news from the experts keeps getting better. We haven’t pulled in a 90 just yet, but it seems to be only a matter of time. Portland’s Liner & Elsen just featured our pinot gris in their May newsletter, saying that it has “breathtaking precision and purity for its modest tariff.” They mention its “soil-driven aromas of lemon, minerals and honeydew.” That’s exactly what we’re trying to accomplish here.

Our gris will be featured at an Aqua winemaker’s dinner in September designed by chef Adam Kekahauna. Brad will be serving the 2008 Illahe pinot gris, the 2008 Illahe viognier, the 2008 Illahe riesling, and the two 2007 Illahe pinot noirs, the estate and reserve. Check Aqua’s website or our own for the exact date and time.

Speaking of the 2008 viognier, there are only seven cases left! Come get one at the tasting room, open Friday and Saturday 11-5 throughout the rest of the summer. If you can’t make it to the tasting room, you can enjoy Illahe at Thistle in McMinnville, Press Wine Bar in Newberg, and The Pelican Brew Pub in Pacific City as well as many other locations in our great state and across the country.