The Pine Blog

Saralee's Annual Wineries Tasting

On January 18th, the Pine Wines’ crew flew down to Russian River Valley to the Saralee's Annual Wineries tasting. We arrived at 9:15am and there was a heavy fog. We warmed up by the fireplace as we waited for the other wineries to arrive. About 52 wineries buy grapes from Saralee Kunde. This is a great event she does every year, where all the wineries showcases their wines made from her grapes. Everyone takes their seats and the event begins. There are 6 wine glasses in front of each person. There is a lot of coordination going into this event. Once we taste through the 6, then we dump the glasses and another set of 6 is put in front of us again, until we are done. We tasted about 70 wines made from the different wineries using her grapes. The winemaker or representative of the winery stands up to give some brief stats on the wine and then moving on to the next wine. We were finished around 12:30pm and headed out to the patio overlooking the vineyards, where we enjoyed a catered lunch. The sun came out right around this time too. It was a great day!

Jan 1, 2010 at 7:00 AM

Permalink

Comments (9)

A Very Special Production Day

What an amazing feeling to bottle your first vintage. Watching your label go on a bottle, full of the wine you spent the last year with so intimately. The bottles rattle down the line in mass, lifted and placed into cases and then rumble down the rollers to be palletized. Cases in form, ready to hit the streets and find their fate, find you. How exciting to know that the wine made it and my part for this vintage is over. Not many things in life press a permanent smile onto the face, this experience does! The smile is still on my face.

After all the excitement and thrill, this experience comes down to the people involved. First and foremost Andrew... he didn't just open their winery to me, they made me believe. Believe that this dream was possible! Thanks to them for keeping me from running back to the mountains. The growers, Peter and Jason that took a chance on me making wine out of their fruit, their hard work. Then there are all the great people you meet along the way, other people who make wine, people that come by the winery to taste and share their story, people who help during harvest and bottling just because they want to be involved in wine. It is all these people who make this experience all the more amazing. Thanks!

Dec 5, 2009 at 2:01 PM

Permalink

Comments (2)

Pine Wines' Grand Opening

Grand Opening festivities will involve wine tasting of current Pine Wines premium series including our award winning 2005 Pinot Noir. Guests also enjoy paired appetizers in our Tasting Room, live music in the outdoor tasting bar and participate in tours of the wine production facilities.

Attendees will also get a sneak peak at the new, fully enclosed Event Pavilion, perfect for weddings and private parties of up to 200 guests. Guests may tour the romantic Barrel Room, adjacent to the tasting room, ideal for smaller dinner parties and special events.

The grand Tasting Room, surrounded by seven acres of Estate Chardonnay vineyards, will be open to the public for wine tasting everyday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The winery is owned by the four devote winemakers, Andrew Kamphuis, Peter Andres, Jason Andres and Brent Johnson and supported by 46 staff members who are treated like extended family. What began as a family hobby in the early days has turned into a successful business. The new facility was designed by Peter, the eldest and architect. Winery financials and facility engineering are provided by Jason and Andrew. Brent is the chief winemaker and viticulturist for Pine Wines. Pine Wines creates limited production wines for the enjoyment of people who appreciate a down-to-earth family lifestyle.

For more information about the events, or to schedule an interview, call Brent Johnson at 778-240-4155 or email info@pinewines.com

Nov 1, 2009 at 1:44 PM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

2006 Vintage Finally Takes Shape

The last wine of the 2006 vintage has finally taken shape. With a renewed emphasis on our Cabernet heritage our small-production wines take precedence and our largest production wine, the Pinot Noir, had to wait.

Numbering now at about 1,000 cases, the 2006 vintage of Cabernet will be released in April or May of this year. What began in my head as an 80%+ Cabernet blend (a little bit of Cab Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot in there to get to 100%) ended up in my glass as a 100% Cab comprised of six different clones from four different vineyards.

I drew samples from nine different barrel groups, taking wine from 2-4 barrels from each group depending upon how barrels are available. I then taste each grouping separately making notes about the wines. Next, I put together a representative blend of just the Cabernets as that wine would be the foundation for whatever other Bordeaux varieties might make the cut.

First impressions are important but hardly conclusive. I have made blends that I loved and got them home to taste them later and couldn't imagine what I liked in the wine. The same on the other pole. After making the Cab blends, I made a blend with the other varieties and let them sit while I went to get my son lunch.

Under the best of circumstances, I will have more than one blend that I like a lot. Then the questions become those of volume and the fate of the barrels that don't make this blend. Some of the folks on our hospitality team tasted the two wines that came out of this session, and the 100% Cabernet ended up being the unanimous favorite.

Right around the beginning of Spring, you'll be able to taste the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and tell me whether I got it right.

Aug 10, 2009 at 2:35 PM

Permalink

Comments (2)