Dear Sokol Blosser Wine Drinker,
Can it get any hotter this July? Dang, we made it up to 102°F a few days after July 4th which was a bit on the hot side. This newsletter will start with the International Pinot Noir Celebration and end with the Willamette Pinot Auction.
Since an Irishman last won the Tour de France (Stephen Roche, 1987 for the fellow gear heads) we have been celebrating the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) on the Linfield University campus the last full weekend in July. This coming July 26th, 27th, and 28th will be the 37th running of the IPNC. I hear there are still tickets for the event and you can get individual tickets to events this year as well and do not have to buy full tickets. You can buy tickets at www.ipnc.org. We are also hosting a Pre-IPNC dinner at Sokol Blosser Winery on Thursday night, July 25th and I will be co-hosting the dinner with Three-Sticks Winery out of Sonoma. You can buy tickets for that dinner by clicking here. Come join me and we will bring in the 37th IPNC with great food prepared by Jesus and our culinary team and wines from our cellar, and Three-Sticks Winery from Sonoma.
Do you like dance? Ever thought about what our Dundee Hills Pinot Noir would look like if it was put into dance choreography? Well, think no more!! “Sip, Savor & Swirl” will happen at 7:30pm, Saturday, August 3rd at the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga, New York. This is for real folks, and you can watch the Nacre Dance Company dance out what six wines might look like if put into dance. After the show you will get to vote for the best one. Come on, we know that the passion put into our Dundee Hills Pinot Noir will tighten the thighs of anyone watching. If you go, vote for us!
Yes, it has been hot all over the country including here in the Dundee Hills. How have the grapes fared? Well, I watched the vines grow 2’ in three days as the temperatures got up to over 100°F! Vines like the heat, and since there is still a lot of water moisture in the soil, they were growing like crazy. Now if this kind of heat happens closer to harvest, then we might be in trouble……
We are members of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA), and have been since its inception back in the 1980s when it was the Yamhill County Winery Association. The WVWA puts on numerous tastings around the country (Pinot in the City), wine trade events (Oregon Pinot Camp), and the amazing Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction. This auction will happen on Thursday, August 8th at 1pm, and there will be over 60 lots of Pinot Noir made by that many wineries. We made a five case lot and also collaborated with Et Fille Wines on a 10 case lot and both are delicious. These lots are only made for this auction and you can sign up to bid on these special Pinot Noirs by going to this link or go to the WVWA website to learn more.
Stay cool!
Cheers,
Alex
