Feature Article : Visitations, or, the Oregon Trail is still a draw

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VISITATIONS, or, the Oregon Trail is still a draw

Masters of Wine: on May 3-5 [1999] the Institute of the Masters of Wine visited Oregon as a part of a 36 person tour to California, Oregon and Washington. As the most prestigious and difficult attainment in wine appreciation, most MW's are writers, importers or fill critical roles in winemaking or distribution. Only 223 MW's are recognized worldwide, 17 of them in the US. These include friends of ours like Bob Betz of Stimson Lane, David Lake of Columbia Winery, Doug Frost, and Chris Cree. During the visit we were involved in reviews of current and older Pinot noirs, current white wines, review of a terroir vs winemaking experiment (between Chehalem, Bethel Heights, and Rex Hill), and a Pinot noir and Chardonnay clonal panel discussion. Anthony Hanson, MW wrote, "It was most informative, and a great delight -- I speak as a Pinot fanatic -- to taste that range of wines, and to discuss them with you all."

Mondavi Visit: on July 8th the father of the modern California wine industry, Robert Mondavi, had lunch with Oregon wine pioneers and current leaders, casually tasting a plethora of old and new Oregon wines, giving and receiving toasts and compliments, and lending philosophical advice on one of the first numbingly warm days of summer (numb was also helped by the wine). Mondavi is 86 and is well respected for winemaking innovation; for long-time promotion of a complete lifestyle including food, wine and the arts; and for making money in the wine business. Oregon's friend Lisa Shara Hall helped organize both MW and this visit.

IPNC: The end of July is a great time to be in Oregon. Although the heat can be tiring at times, it ensures bright, sunny days for vines and for those people visiting the Willamette Valley for the IPNC (International Pinot Noir Celebration). This classic event is held for a gorgeous three days at the Linfield College campus in McMinnville, Oregon. The IPNC is unashamedly a Pinot Noir festival. Started in 1987 to bring emphasis to the grape, it began with strong wine emphasis, with food oh-by-the-way. Pinot noir is often seen by chefs as the most food friendly wine, so it is no surprise the festival is now as much about food as wine, allowing many international chefs to come up with outrageous meals compatible with the wine.

This celebratory gathering usually consists of approximately half Oregon and half French, California and other regions' wineries (including Canada, New Zealand, Italy or Germany, et al). Of course, like any high-class event, not just anybody is included in the festivities, and that goes for wineries and attendees. You must be enamored enough with Pinot Noir to stand three days of tasting, drinking, and talking Pinot at meals, in seminars, on winery tours and in formal tastings; be able to afford more than $650 per person to attend; and be lucky enough to be chosen at lottery to fill the 500 seats. Only 60 wineries and 15 chefs or so are invited, again in a rigorous fashion. For those obsessed with the wine but lacking sufficient funds to splurge on an excess of food and wine, there is a single tasting of all of the featured wines (plus extremely tasty hors d'oeuvre) on Sunday afternoon for a mere $75 a head. If this seems out of reach remember that the event is limited in attendance in order to maintain high quality. Of course 1999 is history as you read this, but a special 2000 celebration is in planning, as well as an event to take some pressure and frustration out of trying to attend. Chehalem is a featured winery in 1999. Call (503) 472-8964 to get information on IPNC 2000. -- Wynne Peterson-Nedry