Going Pro with Online Wine Science Education

When Higher Learning recently talked to students in the WSU professional certificate program in enology, we learned that they not only come from all over the country, they’re also making connections, starting businesses and getting jobs in wine regions all over the place. Hear what certificate program students have to say in this short video.

The two-year certificate programs in viticulture and enology are continuing education programs offered through Washington State University Extension. These non-credit, professional certificate programs are tailored for people who are seriously interested in working in the wine industry — grape growing and winemaking — but are not interested in obtaining a college degree.

Mapping Complexity in Washington Wine Country

As you read this, a graduate student in Prosser is sitting in front of his computer, for the umpteen millionth hour, bashing his head against the mapmaker’s perennial problem: the map can never be as detailed as the terrain it represents.

But that doesn’t mean the mapmaker doesn’t try. Especially when there is tremendous pent up demand from Washington grape growers for a vineyard site-selection tool.

Ian Yau is the mapmaker, and he’s a grad student based at WSU’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser. Yau is trying to wrestle a vast amount of information to the ground in order to turn raw data into useful knowledge.

“It’s a lot of spreadsheet manipulation,” Yau said, the wry understatement of his project causing a smile to play across his face.

Consider what you’d want to know if you wanted to plant a vineyard in Washington. You’d want to know, of a given plot of land, how many growing degree days it got at a certain elevation on a particular slope. You’d want to know about the soil beneath your feet: is it going to drain properly so the grape vines don’t wallow and rot? Is there hardpan or some sort of other restrictive layer close to the surface that will prevent the plants from sinking their roots deep into the soil? And what’s the soil’s water-holding capacity and pH?

Seven Deadly Glasses

Forget Riedel; these conceptual glasses by artist Kacper Hamilton are not only provocative but sexy as hell. And apparently you can own them. Have a look and be sure to follow the link above to learn more about the glasses.

A House Divided: The Crumbling of Antiquated Liquor Laws

A house divided against itself cannot stand.
–Matthew 12:25

It seems appropriate to open here a little bit biblically, since what we’re about to talk about has as its roots the puritanical principles of the Prohibition Era, roots that have withered and died in many places around America, yet have lingered in Washington State. These anemic roots are the liquor laws that are simultaneously and paradoxically both nourishing and stunting the public’s consumption of liquor, beer and wine. But, there are exciting developments that may change that very soon.

Casey’s Top Ten: Wine and Book Pairings

Ah, summertime. The sun creeps over the edge of the earth a bit earlier every day, smiling down upon the bikini-clad, the surfer, the runner. God’s flashlight illuminates the previous night’s debauchery, but cloaks it in a warm smile that hides the regrets so akin to winter. Summer is a time of freedom, of possibility, of the shift in debate from “What should we do today” to “What will we do today.” An optimism infuses every dog-walk. A pep infects every step, and yet a walk takes a bit longer. Quite literally, a time to stop and smell the roses, the marigolds, the dandelions. Views become expansive, sun-drenching becomes a favored afternoon activity. Hope flies from the rapidly growing grass. Fireflies flit within the reach of children with dreams of overnight glows in a hole-punched jar. Sundresses replace sweaters, the hoodie finally gets a much-deserved washing and rest, journeys are undertaken to the edge of the earth, relationships flower, the scent of barbecue drifts on the breeze, the drinks go in a cooler, the fruit becomes fresher, the street performers go to another level. Patios open, and eyes hide behind dark lenses.

The city is abuzz with activity. You are going hiking, camping, rock-climbing, kayaking, shopping, walking, dancing, heading to baseball games, parks, frisbee golf tournaments, meeting friends for pub crawls, cooking out, hitting the beach and JUST A DAMN MINUTE! Can I get a little bit of ME time?

Indeed. After all, it IS summer. So take a second. Heck, take a few. Grab a good book, and a bottle of wine. Sit in the sun, breathe. Soak it in. Relax, and escape for a while the hustle and bustle that can take over during a summer, the feeling that you MUST NOT WASTE THIS WEATHER! I am offering you an alternative. I am presenting to you the Top Ten Wine and Book Pairings for Summer Escapism.

Pretty specific, huh? Well, there is a reason for that. Chew on this, if you will: Washington State alone has over 530 wineries. As for books? Good lord, I have nearly 15000 myself. There are literally millions out there, especially with Google Books offering many public domain titles in eformat. I love to read and drink, but trying all of that would take a little too long. And would involve quite a few bad wines and more than a few terrible books.

So what do I mean by “escapism?” I am not looking just for a book that is mindless entertainment. Truly enjoyable escapist books engage your mind in a way that allows you to forget where you are, and to get carried away to another place (you know, kind of like too much wine). They are also not filled with heavy themes, or difficult reading. The words flow like water through the cavernous depths of your mind. As an example, The Modern Library called Ulysses by James Joyce the best novel ever written. Please. You can appreciate Ulysses, but you will never convince me you enjoy it. If you have to stop every five minutes to process exactly what in the hell is going on, it is not escapist. They also need to be books that are easy to carry and read outdoors. Therefore, while my favorite book to read with wine is Griffin and Sabine, the opening of letters and envelopes risks too much in the breeze, and requires two hands, so it doesn’t make the list. So that’s how I narrowed the books down.

As for the wine, this one was much easier. As anyone who knows me can attest, I love a thick, full-bodied Cab Sauv that punches me in both jaws with tannins; however, I consider that a winter wine. In the summer, I like to sit in the sun and drink lighter, more fruity reds or delightfully crackling whites. I enjoy the melon flavors that creep into some dessert wines as well. So I am limiting wines initially by my consideration of them as “refreshing.” Obviously, this can mean different things to different people. This is my list, though, so there. Further, I have found that one of my favorite places to sit and read is the patio at The Tasting Room in Post Alley, simply because I can intersperse my reading with some FANTASTIC people-watching. So this list includes only wines available there. That makes it much more manageable.
So, dear friends, here is your summer reading list. Papers will be due on Labor Day:

10. The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster:
Nathan Glass has lung cancer, and has returned to Brooklyn to die. Any story that starts here would seem to be too heavy for a good summer read, but Auster’s time as host of NPR’s National Story Project taught him to appreciate the authenticity and humor of modern urban fables, and he brings that wide-eyed wonder about human relationships and the seemingly far-fetched to bear here. Nathan’s interaction with his long-lost nephew and his attempts to write a memoir of his life bring a surprisingly Victorian feel to a delightful novel. This novel starts out very simply, but finishes with a powerful explosion of smoke. Try it with: 2007 Semillon from Wilridge Winery. The nose and opening flavors start simply, with a hint of melon to refresh, but then the burnt oak creeps in, and you realize that there is a lot of redemption in this glass.

9. The Mouse that Roared by Leonard Wibberly: This is a one-afternoon kind of read. It tells a hilarious, laugh-out-loud story of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, a proudly pre-industrial nation only 3×5 miles in size that not only declares war on the United States, but through a series of mishaps, wins. Wibberly’s grand satire shows the laughability of superpowers that are actually vulnerable to their own progress and paranoia. Try it with: Well, the war starts because American winemakers produce a Pinot that is a rip-off of Fenwick’s only export, so you should probably have it with 2009 Pinot Gris from Naches Heights Vineyards. The grapes are grown in high-altitude volcanic soil, just like Grand Fenwick’s, and the fruity flavors have a deeper undercurrent of spice. The acidity and grapefruit give it a deeper meaning than just the light apple flavors would initially indicate.

8. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: Ignatius J. Reilly, the incredibly over-weight and over-educated “hero” of this picaresque fable, is one of those characters in literature that becomes a train-wreck: you hate how much you can’t stop watching him. His adventures in the seamy underbelly of 1960s New Orleans give an insight into white-trash Cajun culture that cannot be found anywhere else. He treats everyone around him with disdain, lives off his mother’s welfare checks, and pens (okay, pencils, he’s too fat to hold a pen) mighty Luddite diatribes in Big Chief tablets. And he turns the world of New Orleans upside-down in a raucous, good-time, Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy. Try it with: Justin Wilson, he of Cajun Cooking fame, always drank a strong shiraz while hosting his show. This leaves us with only one choice of wine, really, even though it kind of violates my rules for wine selection: the 2005 Minick Vineyard Syrah from Harlequin Cellars. This kicking little syrah carries a hint of beefiness and leather that hides behind a syrupy blackberry nose. Imagine a nice steak with blackberry cobbler, in a cowboy bar.

Bottleology – Lange Estate Winery with Winemaker Jesse Lange

An old soul, a go-getter, a bull-by-the-horns kind of fellow, a hot shot, a hard worker, an athlete and a winemaker who makes Oregon Pinot Noir exactly how it should be made: perfect.

Jesse Lange is a man that deserves a hug, a handshake, a pat on the back and your applause.  This arranged gratitude that I encourage is due to the fact that his winery, Lange Estate in Dundee, sets the bar for Oregon Pinot Noir–ask just about anyone.  Jesse has dedicated his life in no small way to delivering us pinot-philes the chronic pleasures that these grapes possess. Out of pure respect, I’m here to offer you his story and a glimpse into his world and the making of this fine wine.

Home Sweet Home: Jesse is a second generation winegrower and winemaker at his family’s estate winery in the heart of Oregon wine country: the Dundee Hills. He’s been growing grapes with his family since 1987 on their 60 acres, reserved especially for Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. LUCKY!

Neat Freak: Wine has some really neat aspects! Jesse was drawn to wine because he’s “always loved the way wine incorporates agriculture and science. And it’s such a compelling beverage.” He reflected on his first wine experience and said, “It was drinking a Pinot Noir straight from the basket press in our garage in Santa Barbara. Circa 1984.”

Haras de Pirque 2009 Maipo Valley Sauvignon Blanc

*Bottle #94: Haras de Pirque 2009 Maipo Valley Sauvignon Blanc
*Price Tag: $13
*Running Tab: $1,280
*Retailer: Village Wines

My statements usually come in pairs or triples. Pairs because I usually only have two reasonable points and triples because journalism school merited it as giving rhythm to words. Likewise, my glasses of wine also usually come in pairs and triples.

Statement #1: This wine has three different names. Front label identifies the wine at Haras Estate Sauvignon Blanc from Maipo Valley, Chile. Back label gives a Web address citing the name to be Haras de Pirque. Web address calls the wine Vina Haras de Pirque.

The issue here is product packaging/brand management. It’s like when you misspell the varietal on the label. Does no one check for consistency or copy-edit in the wine world?

*Please mind my type-os…

Bottleology – Dominio IV Winery with Patrick Reuter

The subconscious of the winemaking mind, aloud:

A fist full of dirt is not to be taken lightly in this world of wine; it is the essence of all that you help to harness.  A face full of sun today helps to mother and nurture your offspring of tomorrow, from seeds to grapes and juice to bottles.  The morning dew, an afternoon rain shower, the temperate night, the fog and the ocean, all rear the identities of your land and your fruit.  Your role, and that of your equipment, is to what? Ask yourself, “Do I play the role of the interpreter?” Or “Need I become the messenger?”  What’s the difference?  Here is a message from a winemaker in Oregon with a rather holistic approach, who’s well aware of his role:

Now and Then: Patrick Reuter is the winemaker and co-owner of Dominio IV Winery in Mosier, Oregon.  The winery began in 2002 and he has been working with fruit from Viognier, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Tempranillo ever since. Patrick has learned about winemaking while working harvests in Chile, New Zealand, Napa, Burgundy, and of course Oregon.  He’s also a graduate from UC Davis where he studied “terroir” while his wife simultaneously studied viticulture.

Art Imitates Life: I had asked Patrick what he enjoyed most about winemaking. Here’s what he had to say:  “I love the full circle aspect and necessity to integrate into the process. It’s not so much about showing who you are through the wines, but rather losing the self through becoming a part of the wine.”  He added, “Sometimes the only reason to do something is to see its beauty in the end. When you are done, you walk away feeling better than if you had not done that something.”

“Sexy Syrah” at Salty’s on Alki, 4/22/10: A Judge’s Perspective

For the 10^th consecutive year “Sexy Syrah” has been hosted by David LeClaire of Seattle Uncorked.  The beneficiary of this fundraiser  was FareStart, a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.  With the participation of Salty’s restaurant on Alki Beach, one amazing Seattle city view and fifty Washington wineries—the event was quick to sell out. If you missed it, it will be back next year. If you want to know the wines that stood out, read on.

Sadly for you this event is now over, however I’d like to offer you the names of the wines that I enjoyed most. To preface, I was invited to be a guest judge at this event; there was twenty of us.  We began tasting at 5pm and we had one hour before the event of 300, officially opened its doors. My mission was to taste roughly 80 wines throughout the evening, which included both Syrah blends; and single varietal Syrah bottlings.  I was to ultimately pick three wines for each category and give them medals of gold, silver and bronze.  This was a casual judging, in which we knew full well whose wine we were tasting, due to the fact that this was not a blind tasting.  This feature did however create its own challenges when rating the wines, because each winery had their own sales techniques. However for some wineries, there was little that could be done to alter my judgment—thank you spit bucket.  Here is a list of wines that I couldn’t help but swallow.

Syrah:

Bunnell Family Cellar – 2007 Boushey-McPherson  Syrah,  $43
Had it all going on, classic, complex, balanced

Gamache Vintners – 2005 Estate Syrah,  $28
Full throttle typicity, super meaty, glycerin,  great Syrah producer

Gilbert Cellars – 2007 Syrah,   $26
Biggest, most structured, young, nuanced

Kerloo Cellars – 2007 Les Collines Syrah,  $32
Not overdone, dark, winery to watch

Smasne Cellars – 2007 Block #3 Lawrence Vineyard Syrah, $35
Delicious, crowd pleaser, vanilla

Syrah Blends:

Bunnell Family Cellar- 2007 À Pic, $32
Good composition, balance, safe

Forgeron Cellars- Walldeaux Smithie, $16
Yum, juicy, thick, tasty, value

Rotie Cellars- 2008 Northern Blend, $35
Fantastic, firm acid, focused, fruit purity, cult wine in the making

Taste them, drink them, buy them, love them and read WINOMAGAZINE.COM on the regular.

Alvaro Palacios 2007 Camins del Priorat

*Bottle #93: Alvaro Palacios 2007 Camins del Priorat
*Price Tag: $23
*Running Tab: $1,267
*Retailer: McCarthy & Schiering, Queen Anne

I am first to admit that I don’t know right from left with Spanish juice. Unfortunately, amongst a group of wine industry peers, it took failing a pop quiz on Spain to outwardly own up.

Accept failure? Never. Use this necessary learning experience in my blog? Of course!

Starting from the basics, I went to a trusted wine shop, knowing that the lovely staff would step in as my guide dog on this blind adventure of a wine region I should be able to see with greater clarity.

That’s when I was introduced to Alvaro Palacios with sincere enthusiasm. Figuratively – the Man vs. Food host Adam Richman doppelganger was not in store but a fair representation of his wine was – the Camins del Priorat.

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