Sokol Blosser Wine Blog

I think it’s safe to say that our first luau was a success. We had fun, so presumably our guests did as well! Mother Nature gave her full cooperation (now, if only she can help this year’s crop with the same level of enthusiasm and commitment…) – the sun was out, and then after sunset at about 8:30pm a light, cool breeze started. Even though Mother Nature played a critical role that night, Evolution 9th Edition took center stage! Check out the cake we had specially made to help celebrate the occasion. But, perhaps the highlight of the evening was the limbo contest. Maybe it’s because people don’t have the opportunity to limbo very often. Or perhaps people practiced in anticipated of the event, but people of all ages attempted to see how low they could go. The winner was a guy named Joe. Wow – was he limber! The crowd cheered him on throughout the competition and especially at the end, and he certainly deserved the Evolution-themed prize that he won at the end!

We also loved introducing our Evolution fans to one of our favorite non-profits, SOLV. SOLV works to preserve the natural beauty of Oregon, and they are one of the largest volunteer organizations in the country. All in all, the event raised more than $2,000 for SOLV. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this such a fun and memorable event. In fact, it was so much fun that we’re going to see what kind of excuse we can come up with to throw a similar party next year!!

Posted by Alison Sokol Blosser at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was the lucky one to go to Dallas to represent Sokol Blosser at Gourmet Magazine & Dean Fearing's Annual Summer BBQ Fest in Dallas, TX. Wow - those Texans really know how to put on a show!

During the day on Saturday, three chefs gave fabulous cooking demonstrations. I never knew that chefs could be so funny! Aaron Sanchez (Paladar & Centrico, NYC) had the crowd laughing about his story of Pupusa Ninja's while he prepared Pupusas - Salvadorian stuffed corn turnovers that was paired nicely with Sokol Blosser's Pinot Gris. Bobby Flay did a great job preparing his spice rubbed New York steak salad, and then Gianni Santin of the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas stole the show with stories of his family's immigration to America (They moved from Italy to Nigara Falls, but on the Canadian side: "Dad - you missed it by one mile!").

Next was the wine panel, which featured six wines, including Sokol Blosser's 2002 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. I loved telling the story about how my crazy parents started the vineyards and winery (believe me - they were truly nuts, but I love them for what they did!).

After a nice nap to get rejuvenated, it was time for the Summer BBQ Fest. Guest chefs from all the world came together to prepare their favorite dishes for 500 lucky guests. My favorites were Aaron Sanchez's grilled Peruvian lamb skewers with mint and a citrus garlic sauce, Nobu Matsuhisa's (Nobu Restaurants) spicy tuna and California hand rolls, and James Wagner's (Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas) apple sour cream crumb cake with vanilla ice cream.

The evening was topped off with performances by Holly Williams (Hank Williams' granddaughter), Wynonna Judd, and, of course, The Barbwires - Dean Fearing's band of chefs and local foodies. Oh, and how could I forget the amazing fireworks?

Throughout the weekend, I kept running into these four great chefs from premier Rosewood properties around the world. I had such a great time with them and wanted to capture the moment forever. From left to right: Shoji Hirota, Executive Chef at Hotel Seiyo Ginza in Tokyo; Michel Gehrig, Executive Chef at Las Ventanas in Los Cabos, Mexico; Joel Wilkinson, Executive Chef at Jumby Bay in Antigua; and James Sakatos, Executive Chef at The Carlyle in NYC. For further proof that it is truly a small world, Shoji remembered when my brother Alex had done a special wine dinner at the Hotel Seiyo Ginza in Tokyo about a year ago! Wow – great memory! I loved hanging out with you guys and will do my best to come visit you at your beautiful hotels and resorts one of these days…

Thanks to Paul Botamer, Dean Fearing, and all the others at Mansion on Turtle Creek for an outstanding and memorable weekend. Thanks for including Sokol Blosser and I hope to see you again next year!

Posted by Alison Sokol Blosser at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As part of a training program for our Tasting Room staff, we all got together and made a recent hike through the vineyards with the perfect tour guide- Susan Sokol Blosser. Susan hand-planted our first vines way back in 1972, so she knows a thing or two about the vineyard. We don’t have to twist our staff’s arms too hard to get a chance to take a walk through the vineyard, take in the views of the Willamette Valley and get a chance to have a one-on-one lesson with the President.

Part of the Tasting Room staff requirements is to be able to answer questions like: “What Pinot Noir clones are planted in your vineyard?�, “What type of soil do you have?�, “What is the definition of ‘terroir’?�, “What qualifies as ‘Old Vines’�?, and many other interesting questions. Because the average wine lover may not know the answers to these questions, it is our job to figure them out and pass them on to our visitors.

We all picked up at least a few new facts and realized that our customers also might be able to benefit off of a vineyard tour. So, we are offering a rare chance to take a walk in the vineyard with one of the family members on August 20. If you let us know you are coming, we will even reserve your picnic lunch.

If you are not able to join us for the Estate Vineyard Tour and Tasting, our tasting room staff loves to answer your questions, so be prepared to bring them with you on your next trip out to Dundee and we will do our best to answer them. But, please remember that wine is very complicated and has endless amounts of information to learn. So, if you happen to have a question that ‘stumps’ us, please don’t be disappointed. We promise to provide you with an answer the minute we can track down the right person.

We hope to see you soon and make some sense out of the mysteries of wine.

Posted by Patty Meuchel, Tasting Room Manager at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)