Chateau Bianca

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Desperate Vines Blog

 

As so much in life is cyclical and somewhat predictable, the winery business also has a definite sequence of events that is important to its success. A few weeks ago or on or about the beginning of April, vineyard pruning was completed. This annual pruning removes all branches, and shoots left from the previous harvest. When all is removed to just under the fruiting wire on the supporting trellis, the vines are tied.

 

Much of the wine which has been stored in tanks and barrels is now getting ready to be bottled. It is a long process for each wine to be analyzed for potential blending, for the filtering to be accomplished, for all the required documentation on the bottle label to be correct, and for all the necessary glass to be on hand prior to bottling. Even the corks and capsules must be ready before we begin the process. The wine will have undergone several tests for bacteria, for its ability to withstand very cold temperatures and very hot temperatures and must meet the criteria for varietal aromatics and varietal flavor.

 

One of the reasons Chateau Bianca uses synthetic cork is because it does not allow for as rapid release of the aroma as might happen with natural cork. . The synthetic cork also is not a cause of any cork taint or off odors caused by fungus or mold on natural cork.

 

During this second quarter of the year there is more wine testing and evaluation prior to bottling and once a schedule can be set up, many of the whites are assembled because they will begin to lose some of their wonderful aroma if left much longer in the stainless steel tanks. Each of the grape varietals usually has a bottle shape   associated with it, and then work is focused on the bottling line. The white grapes will be removed from stainless tanks and the reds will be removed from their wooden barrels after the whites are finished. The reds that are then worked on are from the harvest two years prior. This means that this summer, the winemaker will be focusing on the reds harvested in 2008. This extra long almost 2 year period for the reds will result in smoother flavors and give them a softness that is very appealing.

 

After the wine is corked and bottled, it is stacked onto pallets and placed in our temperature controlled warehouse to age until ready to be released to the public. The other annual event most wineries participate in is the Memorial Day Weekend Open House. As often happens, this is a good time to sample some new offerings that just were introduced to the tasting room, so 2-5 new wines are not uncommon during this annual event that can be tasted, appreciated and purchased all at the same time. May is also a time when we start to see visitors from outside the area attending graduations for their families or relatives. It can be a busy time for everyone and most wineries are still busy with winery tasks indoors, and starting to think about no rain.

 

 

 

April 2010

 

April is right in the middle of spring; when flowers bloom and nature reawakens.  This focus on nature is why April has both Earth Day (April 22^nd) and Arbor Day (April 9^th).  With this in mind, we would like to share how Chateau Bianca is working to make the world a greener place.

 

Vineyard Conservation Practices

The fungicide used in the vineyard is all eco-friendly 100% organic sulfur based fungicide.  This prevents chemicals from leaching into the soil and water systems.  A German designed under vine row cultivator also eliminates need for pesticides and fungicides. Only organic fish fertilizer is used to feed the vines.  No unnatural chemicals get in the soil which prevents any non-organic material from entering the grapes and thus the wine.  The Vineyard rows are planted with a rye grass and fescue seed to prevent erosion which protects valuable soil nutrients and keeps our streams and waterways clean.  Finally the vines themselves help with the environment by absorbing greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and producing oxygen as a by-product. 

 

Earth Friendly Wine Making

The winery staff makes sure to recycle all glass, cardboard, newsprint, office paper and plastic; as well as anything else that can be recycled.  When items can’t be recycled they are reused in creative fashions or sent to recycling centers.  Old electronics are reused by staff for personal projects.  Even the tasting room bar is made from wood harvested from the Estate and crafted into its current form. Energy consumption in the wine making process is lowered by insulating tanks so that they require less electricity to cool.  The winery also installed an energy efficient digital phase converter to prevent waste of electricity.  Looking to the future we are planning to install a solar array on our new storage building to provide the necessary electricity to power our pumps that provide its water supply. 

 

How Customers can buy Green

The best way a wine consumer can buy in an earth friendly manner is to buy from and support earth friendly producers.  Purchases made from environmentally friendly producers often help fund new and innovative green solutions.  Another way to make your purchase better for the planet is to buy local.  Local wines will have much less environmental impact than non local wines.  Even with everything in the wine making process the same wine purchased out of state or out of country will have a more negative impact simply because of the shipping process to reach the consumer.  Removing the shipping   by truck adds up to a big savings in carbon and other pollutant output.  Carpooling while wine tasting and visiting your favorite wineries will also help reduce pollutant output.

 Stop by the winery while running other errands and pick up some wine before the groceries to get some new pairing suggestions from the tasting room staff.  Stocking up not only allows the customer to take advantage of special discounts (see our April specials below) but also reduces the need for multiple trips.

Local wines guarantee employment for Oregonians. Wine purchased out of state doesn’t help our unemployment.

 

April Promotion

Celebrate Easter this month with special Easter Eggs in the tasting room.  Each egg has a unique discount inside. 

 

March 2010

 This month the winery is in the process of obtaining an updated and more elegant wineglass to use in serving our Port to tasting room customers. It has been an interesting set of circumstances that prompted the search and the results. Our Port known as “Wetzel Fireside Port” is well regarded in the community and we were very proud to be included and recognized in the February issue of “Oregon Wine Press” in their feature on Ports made by Oregon vintners and chocolate made by Oregon artisans. I have always noticed how much impact the presentation of the glass in pouring the Port has on patrons. Most people respond to the small glass size instantly and I always caution people to take it easy when sampling this wine because of the 18 percent alcohol content. Tradition has so much to do with port and how it has been appreciated over the centuries.

 

I was invited to an industry gathering at Coelho winery in Amity, Oregon a few weeks ago and saw the glass that they were using for their Port. The winery has been searching for a new Port glass because the one we currently use is no longer manufactured. I instantly liked the look, feel, and the elegance it lent to the Port, and I researched the glass further for the manufacturer, cost, and availability. It turns out that the winemaker here Andreas Wetzel also liked the glass and so did his dad, Helmut Wetzel. We have placed an order for the new glasses made by a German company called Stoezle, and hope to have them available for use before our next winemaker dinner being held here in June for Father’s Day.

 

This new Port glass marks the third time we have sought specialty glasses for unique wines that we offer. We all believe that there is a significant difference in how some wines taste when properly tasted in a glass designed for them .Our first big revelation came a few years ago when we purchased the Oregon Pinot Noir glass made by Riedel. We were all stunned at the difference the glass made and we began offering the glass for sale immediately. Suffice to say that that glass has been embraced by so many people that it practically sells itself .The second occasion to offer new glasses came when we were about to launch our alternate tasting room located on Hwy 26 in the fall of 2009. We needed glasses and found the breathable glasses made by a German company called Eisch. We sampled wine from those wineglasses and were convinced that there was enough of a difference to justify ordering them for us and the Hwy 26 location. We have been using those glasses since the summer of 2009. Now the time has come to replace our current Port glasses with a new glass and we believe that it is a superior one to the current one we use. Whether it is the Oregon Pinot Noir Glass by Riedel, the breathable glass by Eisch, or the Port glass by Stoezle, we are committed to giving our wines the best tool available to us to make them taste the best they can taste. We know you will agree that savoring wine is a wonderful part of the wine experience and one I enjoy even after all these years. The Port glass is also used by us for the Vin de Glace, our white wine treat for those with a sweet tooth who prefer white wine, so if you have the chance to visit us in the near future, we also use the port glass for this. Finally, we usually accompany the tasting of the Port or the Vin de Glace with a specialty chocolate made by the San Francisco Chocolate Company called Cocoa Vinoso Port at 54 % dark chocolate.From the testimony of our customers we can confidently say that all three are popular on their own but even more so together. Cheers!

February 2010

Happy 20^th   Anniversary

This year marks a special time for the winery. The family that began it all in 1990 is still producing wine of excellent quality and expanding from one tasting room here at the winery to a second tasting room located in Timber, Oregon that opened in October of 2009.

The Wetzel family had a vision back then of creating a winery staffed initially with family members who would pour a lot of sweat and tears into making Chateau Bianca a success. Facilities were limited at that time and the tasting room was very small and cozy.

A historical look back at the time period probably would show that the number of wineries operating then were under a hundred. Now with estimates of over 400 in the state, it is easy to see how much of a pioneering wine family it was. There were no vineyards in existence on the property, and the family all pitched in to plant vines that are now showing some solid signs of maturity at 20 yrs old.

The first few years at the winery was an association with Bridgeview Vineyards in southern Oregon that provided the grapes used to crush while our vines were still young and not bearing any fruit. It was probably in 1994 that we actually used our own grapes to produce our first estate wines.

The Bed and Breakfast, located behind the winery was planned from the start to be a hospitality center and was completed around 1998. The winery continues to host guests at this location and many friendships have been made over the years that endure even today.

 Some plans were discussed about placing some commemorative sticker on wine bottles this year, but no definitive decision has been reached yet.

The tasting room underwent complete renovation by the close of 2007 and it has been praised by many visitors as being very warm and inviting.

There are plans for slightly more acreage under cultivation, and the vines being added to our current holding would be Pinot Noir, a leading red grape varietal in the Willamette Valley.

It is with great pride that we look back on our accomplishments and much excitement about our future into the next twenty years.

Perhaps an appropriate way to celebrate would be to unveil our new 2002 Blanc de Blanc, an exceptionally fine sparkling wine made with Chardonnay and aged 2-3 years before release. It is scheduled to be made available sometime this spring.

 

January 2010

Extending the Tasting Room Experience

 

“Chateau Bianca?  I’ve never heard of you.”  I hear this frequently from customers when they arrive at our wine festival booth; usually followed by questions of location and wine specialties.  It’s not uncommon to hear this when there are close to three hundred wineries in Oregon today.  As we make very small production lots of wine they are not easily found at every corner store. 

            This is the main benefit of doing festivals.  Festivals give the winery a chance to extend the tasting room experience far beyond its local region.  With the exception of a few wine enthusiasts and vacationers much of the tasting room traffic is from the local area.  It is not surprising that casual wine consumers do not want to drive very far to experience quality wines when they only need to drive a few miles to their local vineyard.  Festivals bring vineyards and wineries right to the wine enthusiast home town. 

            As beneficial as the festival is for the customer it is as important for the wineries.  The connection made at the festival translates into an increased awareness of the wine produced by the vineyard in an area which other wise would have very little exposure to the product.  When the right people are reached at festivals it can actually mean more people making trips to the tasting room; there are also customers who join our wine club or attend our delicious wine lovers’ dinners.  It is always good to see customers come back to the same festival year after year hoping to see their favorite wineries.  A prime example would be a woman who brought an empty bottle purchased two years ago looking for another bottle of our Glühwein. 

            Customers are not the only connections made at festivals.  Vendors also connect with each other.  They find products they like from other vendors and interesting pairings like the Triumph with barbeque or Glühwein with candied almonds or pumpkin bread.  Vendors, like customers, remember the experience and come back not only to work but also find that favorite wine from previous festivals. 

      

 October 9, 2009

At this time of the year when we are starting to harvest our grapes from the vineyard, I came across this article that appears in the November , 2009 of Wine Enthusiast Magazine that I thought was very well written and sheds some interesting light on an agricultural crop we value so much: grapes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I only included some excerpts from the article which appears under the column known as "The Last Drop". It is written by Brian Heard and the full title is "What's so special about Grapes? Why isn't the world's finest beverage made from bananas?                                                                                                       

For millennia, wine has been made from grapes.Yes, a few "wines" are made from other fruits, but these are never more than a drop in the ocean of grape wines. In a world of fruit-from apples to uglis-why is wine made from grapes?What special qualities in the grape brought it to the attention of farmers-and then fermenters?

Harvesting.Picking grapes is relatively easy. (Tell that to the vineyard workers, right?)Many other fruits(blueberries, strawberries)demand much more tedious and backache-provoking labor.

Storage.Some fruits are suited to storage. A cache of apples will wait patiently, but grapes tend to crush under their own weight. This problem probably led to wine's accidental discovery.And still, if it's juice you want, frailty is an asset. Just try treading coconuts.

Bounty. Yields of any fruit varies, but let's take a moment to compare apples and oranges.An irrigated, warm-climate vineyard can quite easily yield 15 tons per acre.(Though quality suffers, vines have produced three times that number of table grapes.)At the above rate, an acre of grapes will squish forth 14,000 750ml bottles of juice.Other fruit range from nearly competitive(apples 12,500, oranges 11,000) to dismal(strawberries 3,000).

Clarity. Most fruits yield cloudy juice-think of farm-fresh cider-full of suspended solids, which encourage spoilage. Grape juice runs clear, so much so that red winemaking  requires effort to coax color from skins.

Spoiling. No juice is immortal. The trick-the winemaker's craft - is to encourage and harness the right kind of spoilage:the assault of a particular yeast. Type is essential: many yeasts are too short-lived, others leave behind an unpleasant stink. Fermentation (yeast feasting on sugar and spitting out alcohol)must be vigorous enough to bully it's unpleasant cousins aside. Happily, the alcoholic rise becomes toxic to most spoilage microbes:bacteria, and then yeasts themselves.(Amusing irony, or morality play?)

Sugar. To produce enough alcohol, yeast needs a lot to eat. Making "fruit wine" almost always requires the addition of sugar, but grapes are among the sweetest of fruits.Twenty percent(by weight) of a ripe grape is sugar. Apples average a respectable 13%:raspberries, a pathetic 7%. Fermenting cider runs out of gas by 4-6% alcohol-enough to upset a teetotaler, but only feeble protection against further spoilage. Of familiar fruits, only bananas are sweeter than grapes.But think juice:grapes squish, bananas squash.

Acidity. Yeasts dislike the zing of high acidity(grapefruit, cranberries). Yet acidity is preservative:juice with too little(mango, banana) quickly falls victim to bacteria. The acidity of grapes falls in between.

Nutrition. Yeasts require various nutrients, especially nitrogen-based compounds.Grapes are rich in these; almost all other fruits are deficient.

Color. For a drink to be appealing, color is important. Grape pigments are remarkably stable :the juice of many fruits-strawberries are the worst offenders- deteriorates to a sickly brown.

   New Eisch Wineglasses used in the winery tasting room.

August 27, 2009

In the past few weeks we have introduced a new and highly technical wineglass for use in our tasting room produced in Germany by a company called Eisch. We are excited to share this news with you as the decision to replace our current wineglasses with these new wineglasses was not made lightly, and was only arrived at after nearly unanimous consensus among winery staff as to the benefits and value of these new glasses Eisch calls Breathable Glasses. According to their literature, " a wine poured into this glass for just two to four minutes will show signs of aeration equivalent to the same wine that has been decanted and aerated for 1 to 2 hours."  After the manufacturing process, the glasses undergo an oxygenising treatment which gives the Breathable Glasses its unique properties. Come and and try them for yourself. We were all surprised at the difference in flavor we all saw in the same wine in one of the Breathable  Glasses  compared to the wine in other glasses. If you haven't visited the winery in a while, come on out and we will gladly pour some of our wines for you using these new Eisch wineglasses. Cheers!

August 1, 2009

The winery is pleased to announce that a new book covering over 200 wineries in our state has just been published by Steve Roberts. The book is so valuable and so well researched that I am endorsing it wholeheartedly and wish more people would discover this true gem that finally is a reference book we can use and rely on for accurate and detailed information on wineries in Oregon that have public tasting rooms open to the public. Coverage of the wineries is very detailed and each winery includes one page of biographical information about the winery and the second is a digest of phone numbers, website information, tasting room hours, fees, picnic areas, gift ships, lodging in wine country, spectacular views. and more. Steve Roberts has already written a similar wine book for Washington and believes that this book on Oregon wineries is better written and is the result of his experience writing the winery guide to Washington called "Wine Trails of Washington".  At 537 pages and beautifully illustrated with many photos, it is to be used and reused by all of us who love wine and always want to know more about our state treasure, our vineyards. The book sells for $24.95 and I highly  recommend it. It is in stock in our tasting room and would make  a great purchase for any wine lover.

Winter Festivals for 2009

At the start of this new year, many wineries begin to look to festivals around the state to promote their wine and find new customers to offset the quiet business season that prevails in the Willamette Valley Wine Country.  During the first four months of the year, it is not difficult to find a festival during at least one weekend during the month.  This month, Chateau Bianca is participating in the “Oregon Wine and Food Festival” held in Salem at the Oregon State Fairgrounds for the first time.  It is scheduled for Jan 9-10.  The month of February sees a shift to the Oregon Coast for the Newport Seafood and Wine festival on February 20, 21, 22. In March, closer to St.Patrick’s day and closer to us is the McMinnvile festival held at the Evergreen Museum.  The dates for that festival are March 13, 14, and 15.  If you are able to find some free time to enjoy some great wine and usually great food as well, it can be a good time to meet winery staff including winemakers who have more time to talk about their wineries and their best wines.  I have always stated that one of the unique qualities about wine is that there is always some treasure still to be discovered, and that treasure often is reasonably priced, widely available, and offers a taste sensation unlike many others.  Knowing some of the people who make a wine you enjoy, or help to craft one that is among your favorites makes that wine so much more special.  Those wine drinkers who are always open to new discoveries are often those who are rewarded for their adventurous ways.  Come and join us for all three of these events or at least one. 

 

Happy Holidays from Chateau Bianca;

 

November 22, 2008

 

The winery is still busy processing all the fruit from this year’s harvest, and although the fruit was high quality, there was not the quantity we sometimes have.  We did receive three new stainless steel fermentation tanks prior to harvest, so our storage capacity was slightly increased from the previous year.  I would like to extend an invitation to everyone to join us for an annual celebration we call Holiday Extravaganza.  Beginning the day after Thanksgiving and continuing until the December 31, we offer some added value wine discounts.  All wine cases are discounted at 20percent regardless of club membership.  This means that anyone can receive a 20 percent discount on cases of wine during this time.  Also for individual families, with the purchase of 2 or more cases of wine the discount is increased to 25 percent off per case.  We have recently also received some wines from a distributor buyback program that we are offering at significant savings, so these wines would make excellent stocking stuffers and are so reasonable in price.  Chateau Bianca is always a great place to shop wines with the unusual diversity we have and the affordable prices we offer.  For me the holidays suggest Glühwein, Vin de Glace, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Port and our excellent Pinot Noirs, and let’s not forget our Sparkling wine.  If any of you have wanted to enjoy dining at a winery and would like to discover how each successive course of the meal paired with wine is enhanced, the date on the calendar for this is December 6th.  Dinner is scheduled for 6:00 pm andthe cost per person is $65.00.  Advance reservations are required for this dinner, so please join us if you can and meet some members of the Wetzel family who own and operate the winery and have since it’s founding in the late eighties.  Bon appétit!  Cheers!  and Happy Holidays.  We are remaining very positive and focusing on all the good things the economy has not taken away like wine.  Bring your friends, your family and enjoy the holidays with us at the dinner in December or during the upcoming holidays.

 

Springtime in the Vineyard.
Date:  March 12, 2008

 

The calendar says that we are still a few weeks from the official start of spring, but here at the winery, we have almost completed our annual vine pruning. For those of you who don't know the importance of this, let me explain a bit further. Here in Oregon, vines always seem to struggle to ripen, yet it is crucial that they do so in order to extract as much of the flavor as we can. There are several ways that we accelerate the process and try to ensure that there is overall ripeness to our vines. Every year in late February or March, the winery undertakes vine pruning to encourage the vine to produce evenly and slowly and steadily over the next several months. Our goal at the winery is to receive 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tons per acre,which is considered a low yield by most world standards. By forcing the vines to start their growth from the lowest fruiting wire, this means there should be uniform growth and no vines overproducing or under producing because they are all at the same growth point. Forcing the vines to grow at a slower pace also ensures better and more even ripening which is crucial to the flavor development in the clusters. We know that the fruit is always superior when yields are kept low. Also during this time of year the winery is busy bottling some of our white varietals from 2007. We have bottled about four varietals from 2007. Both Rieslings, one Gewürztraminer, and one Pinot Gris. Keep in mind that we are offering a winelover’s dinner here at the winery on April 19, at 6:00 P.M., and this is always a nice way to eat gourmet food paired with our award-winning wines.Seeyou at the dinner or the winery.

 

Tasting Room Gets Contemporary Update.
Date:  January  24,2008

 

Some of you already know that the winery has been working on an update to our tasting room for several months .It began with removing all carpets in August, and now is almost complete with our new paint and new choice of paint colors. The transformation from then to now is fairly dramatic, and very much appreciated by our tasting room patrons. We have lowered the visual profile in the tasting room, and it somehow seems much more inviting and warm than its earlier representation. As happens with any remodeling projects, it is never easy to live through the project,but the final paint is almost dry now and the results are remarkable. Most of the winery staff agrees that the new look is indeed inviting, brings amore tasteful air to the room, and feels very luxurious as you enter. With all the time and effort the winery has committed to making the tasting room more attractive and contemporary, we hope you will make an effort to visit us. Keep in mind that our tasting room is open 7 days a weeks,so this would make a great weekend activity .With convenient tasting room hours from 10:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., it will provide you with the opportunity for a pleasant getaway. One of the highlights of your tasting room visit will undoubtedly be our new Wine Bar. This bar used oak sourced from the winery property, and was hand constructed by Helmut Wetzel, our resident Elder Wine Guru. Topped by granite counters, the Wine Bar delivers elegance and style. As a bonus, you will be greeted by friendly and knowledgeable staff members, who are happy to welcome you. For those of you unfamiliar with our tasting room, there are plenty of hard-to-find wine accessories and gifts. Our tasting room makes a great shopping trip for all wine lovers.

 

Off-Site Wine Festivals, Events, Expos
Date:   January  22, 2008

 

During the first four months of the New Year, there are numerous wine and food festivals to attend that usually take place on weekends. Chateau Bianca has plans to participate in events in Portland the first weekend of February, in Newport the last weekend of February, in McMinnville the second weekend of March, and in Astoria the last weekend of April. These events can often be a great way for those of you who live some distance from the winery to re-connect with the winery and possibly sample some newly released wines as well as find your personal favorites .It's a good way to introduce friends to affordable and high-quality wines. Here's a suggestion to make these events more enjoyable. Use commonsense and only sample a small amount of what's offered to you. Try and eat some food if available, and drink water when available. One of the highlights of these events can be meeting winemakers, assistant winemakers, and tasting room staff. If you can arrange to be at one of these events, it can be a way for you to stock up, meet new faces, and be entertained all at the same time. Many wineries that you may encounter maybe closed all winter and not have tasting room hours until the summer, so come support them and brighten up your winter months with some winecheer and good food. The dates for these events can usually be found on our winery website by clicking on the events icon. Many of you are always looking for ways to find that elusive bottle of "Glühwein" for your family, here's a great opportunity .The wine festivals usually allow wineries to showcase some of their wines, so don't expect to find every wine that the winery produces. Event space or booth-size often dictates what canbe brought. At the events Chateau Bianca attends, the winery tries to bring some of our most popular non-wine items: Riedel glasses, T-shirts,Grapeseed Oil, logo corkscrews, and elegant acrylic goblets and flutes. These events are also generally oriented toward adults, so it might be agood idea to leave the children at home. Also, we know from experience that if an event is being held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Saturday isoften the busiest, and Sunday the best day to plan on attending because it is usually quieter with fewer crowds.

 

Wetzel Wine Club
Date: January 11,  2008

 

As is customary at this time of the year, it is always worthwhile to re-evaluate, assess, and look ahead to the New Year. When some of the winery staff met recently, one of the topics that surfaced was how to improve our Wine Club. It was discussed at length, and we all concurred that greater value could be added to it with very little effort. Along with the changes, I decided to rename it. "The Taste of Oregon Wine Club" seemed too ambiguous to some, and it only made sense to give the new name more meaning and relevance. The more I thought about it, the stronger I felt  that somehow "Wetzel", which is the name of the family that owns and operates "Chateau Bianca", should be connected to the Wine Club.Visitors to the winery often ask why they see "Wetzel Estate" on some of our wines. This designation means that the wine varietal on that wine issmall in production, and made with 100% Chateau Bianca grapes. Some of our reserve Pinot Noirs are designated with this label starting in2003. along with our Sparkling wines and Port .The Wetzel Wine Club aims to be broader , simpler to use, and include greater value by conferring more benefits Effective now, Wetzel Wine Club members receive 10% single bottle discounts in the tasting room, discounts on our Wine Lover's dinners, discounts on stays at our Bed and Breakfast, complementary tickets to our summer BBQ, and more. The Wetzel Wine Club offers a nice way to receive our wines in four convenient shipments all year long. Members select quantity, indicate color preference, and in their first shipment will receive carefully selected wines along with information on the wines and often hard to find or almost sold out wines. The current schedule for Wine club shipments is March, June, September, and December. It is a unique way to stay in touch with a winery you already know and love. Giving the Wetzel Wine Club as a gift is easy and can be done on our website or in the tasting room. If you are not a member, why not consider becoming one. Receive great wine, information, and yearlong wine satisfaction.. If you are already a member, help us spread the word to others, and let them know how worthwhile the club can be. Wine Club Members often get a head start in tasting new wine releases, and inreceiving wines not available in our tasting room. Cheers!

 

"Cooking with the Wines of Oregon "cookbook includes Chateau Bianca Recipe

September 30, 2007

 I have to confess to a lifelong love of books and their power to focus attention and light on everyday things and still manage to entertain, amuse,and educate. I recently came across a copy of a new book called "Cooking with the Wines of Oregon". Written by a husband and wife team, it promises to be another valuable resource for Oregon Wines. Its authors ,Troy and Cheryl-Lynn Townsin, love to cook, enjoy wine, and try to introduce us to some wineries that we may not know and shed new light on those we already know. What I enjoy about the book is that it features proven recipes from many wineries, winery snapshots, grape varietal descriptions, and much more." Chateau Bianca "is featured on pages 100and 101. Our recipe is called "Chateau Bianca Pork Loins Pinot Blanc" and on the opposite page, the reader will find a summary of our winery as well as a grape varietal description of Pinot Blanc, and its characteristics as well as interesting info on the grape itself. We love to promote this grape as we suspect that it is only grown by a dozen or more wineries in the whole state. The book sells for $24.95 and was just published inAugust of 2007. There are a hundred different recipes included and many are published here for the first time. There is some first-rate photography also on display here, so this would make a wonderful gift for the wine lover in your family or for that special person who truly appreciates wine and food. At the winery, it is not unusual for us to talk about food and wine together as we all agree with the European view ofhow well food and wine work together, and how each enhance the other. Take a road trip, try some new recipes, discover some new wineries.Cooking with wine is always a healthy way to add flavor to your foods . Hope you enjoy the book and be sure to let me know which recipes have become your new favorites.

 

AVA's or Appellations of Oregon
Date: August 11,  2007

 

There seems to be considerable interest in Oregon in AVA's. The American system of AVA's is very loosely based on the French system, and bears very little resemblance to it. In Europe, where much of viticulture is so closely regulated and established, the system is known as Appellation Controlee. It means that the government sets standard grape yields, production levels, alcohol content, and so much more. It alsoassures the consumer that a wine that has a geographical area on the label is all grown, cultivated, or is from that area. In Europe, if a placename appears on the label, it is approved and sanctioned by the government, if there is an appellation system in place. In the United States,place names must still be approved, but they must also meet certain criteria. When the winery indicates on the label that the wine is from a certain area such as Willamette Valley, the wine must originate from there. The importance of the American AVA's is that it allows the wineries to show consumers that their wines are very distinct from one another because of soil differences, climate conditions, and elevations that all make the same wine taste very different. Oregon currently has 15 AVA's in use and probably the most familiar are: Oregon, Southern Oregon, The Rogue  Valley, Umpqua Valley, Applegate Valley, Columbia Valley, Columbia River Gorge, and Willamette Valley. The Willamette Valley AVA also includes six sub-AVA's that can be used. It is always better to have as much information when purchasing wine as possible, so that is why I like tosee the growth of the Oregon AVA's because they narrow down the growing areas and tell consumers where within a geographical area the grapes were grown. So when purchasing an Oregon wine, look for the growing area indicated on the label. It might be a broad area like the Willamette Valley or it might be a smaller area like Eola-Amity Hills within the Willamette Valley. Remember, it's always most important where the grapes are grown and that will often give a clue as to quality. The reputation of the winery is also important. Does it consistently produce high-quality wines? If the answer is yes, then choose a winery in a location you like and at the quality level you prefer. - Robb LeBlanc, Tasting Room Manager

 

A Toast to Sparkling Wine!
Date:   July 18,  2007

 

Sparkling Wine is one of life's special libations. When the sparkling wine is produced in Champagne, a wine region in northeastern France, it can be called "Champagne". Every other wine-producing country in the world must call it something else, by law. Many names abound, but "Sparkling Wine" is the most common in English-speaking areas. Because the French have been in the business of making "Champagne" for so long, manyof their techniques are imitated, studied, duplicated, and admired. Sparkling wine is made deliberately to produce bubbles, about 49 million per bottle. Broken down even further, that's about 4 million per glass. The presence of "Carbon Dioxide" produces all these tiny bubbles. The production of "Sparkling Wine” often involves two separate fermentations. In the primary fermentation, carbon dioxide is released, but in the second it is captured in the bottle. When this occurs in the bottle, it is commonly called "Methode Champenoise", and this tradition is widely practiced. True “Champagne” is made from three traditional grapes, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. The traditional blend is by these numbers: 60-70 % Pinot Noir, 20-30 % Chardonnay and the rest from Pinot Meunier. At Chateau Bianca, we produce our most popular sparkling wine called “Brut Blanc de Noir" from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. The red skins are separated immediately after pressing to prevent any red color.Thus, our version is made into a white wine from red grapes, and it is delicious, tasty, and highly recommended. Don't wait for special moments to enjoy "Sparkling Wine". It's what should be on the table every night, as it is so versatile with food, so compatible, and so charmingly bubbly.Cheers! Better Health is often a drink or two of your favorite “Sparkling Wine".

 

Oregon's Premier White Grape: Pinot Gris
Date: July 1,  2007

 

 As any resident or visitor to Oregon discovers, Oregonians have adopted Pinot Gris as their first choice when choosing white wine. Surprisingly,Pinot Gris was only introduced into the Willamette Valley {Oregon's important and major grape growing area} and cultivated a mere thirty years ago. Pinot Gris enjoys similar popularity in only one other region of the world, and that region is in Alsace, France. Because Alsace had a tradition of making varietal Pinot Gris for centuries, the style of wine produced there was imitated in Oregon and very successfully. It is also interesting to point out that Alsace was always one of the few places in France to label their wines with grape variety clearly indicated. No confusion or doubt as to what grape variety was contained inside the bottle. To me it's fascinating that the style of our Oregon wines is modeled on this very dry and full flavor that is so prevalent in Alsace. You might hear people discussing Oregon's style as " Alsatian", and they would be right in thus describing it. The flavors of Pinot Gris are very evident and mouth watering. They can be juicy, very fruit forward, and instantly likeable.Oregon plantings of Pinot Gris have now surpassed Chardonnay and are only likely to increase. If you have never tasted Oregon Pinot Gris, try it and be charmed by it's ease and friendliness. It is often not widely available outside the Northwest because Oregonians consume most of what is  produced. Discover a new summer wine that is food-friendly and delicious, or get reacquainted with an old friend. Pinot Gris is usually not meant to be aged, so drink it as young as possible and savor it's unique flavors . Robb Le Blanc Tasting Room Manager

 

Are wine ratings important?
Date:  June 24,  2007

 

 Even a casual wine drinker will often see wine scores, wine ratings, and wine endorsements. Are they meaningful at all? My advice is always to drink what you like and use any evaluations with caution. Use these ratings as a guide and never rely exclusively on them as a reason to buy any wine. Remember that price doesn't guarantee that you will like the wine, nor do wine ratings ensure satisfaction. Use them with common sense.Recently Chateau Bianca was awarded three medals for wines judged at a wine competition called "The Northwest Wine Summit 2007". Thiswas held April 22-24 at "Timberline Lodge" on Mt. Hood. This is a regional event including wines from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia.. Our "2006 Riesling , Willamette Valley" priced at $10.00, was given a gold medal, our "2006 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley" priced at$12.00, was given a silver medal, and finally our " 2004 Pinot Noir Cellar Select" priced at $20.00, was also given a silver medal. We are very proud of these wines, and it only reaffirms what we already know and that is that our wines are very well crafted , affordable, and delicious. For the consumer this often means that our wines don't linger for long in the marketplace, so seek them out and enjoy them while they are available. The next important wine competition to watch for is the "Oregon Wine Competition" held at the Oregon State Fair in September. We will try and post results for this when they become available. As summer begins, it is a good time to become reacquainted with white wines. We have at least a dozen to choose from. These wines are refreshing, light, and bursting with summertime fruit flavors. Cheers!

 

 

Oregon Pinot Noir Glass by Riedel
Date:   June  16, 2007

 

 First, let me welcome you to our enhanced website. It is yet another tool that we hope you will take advantage of , and enjoy . We hope to entertain, amuse, and educate. In "Oregon Wine Country", one of the most important developments to arrive here is the "Oregon Pinot Noir Riedel Glass". This glass is being sold exclusively at Oregon wineries and already the testimony is very loud and clear that the glass is effective and strikingly beautiful. It somehow manages to integrate the flavor and aroma so that the two components truly shine when tasted in the new glass design. Just a few sips from the new glass were enough to wow us all . The Riedel company, a crystal manufacturer based in Austria,committed to this new design only after extensive research and testing. The glass is already winning kudos from our tasting room visitors. It is on sale for $15.00 per glass.

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