Here are a few videos that we shot out at Bella Organic farm recently where I talk about some easy to recognize signs of ripeness that you should look for if you want to make your own fruit wine.
Picking Marionberries
Picking Blueberries
Just like with grapes, your fruit wine will only be as good as your fruit. There is also a misconception that quality fruit is cheap. Let me put that myth to rest right now, good high quality fruit is going to be at least the same price as wine grapes. In our case, organic blueberries are the same price as ultra-premium Pinot Noir grapes grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley! Something else people won't tell you is that a well made blueberry wine can be just as delicate and nuanced as a good Pinot Noir. Most wine snobs will tell you that what I just said is blasphemy, but most will also refuse to even taste the blueberry wine and give a fair comparison.
If you are in the Portland Oregon area, check out Bella Organic farm, you can pick your own berries, try our wines, and get some killer produce while you are out there. http://bellaorganic.com/
Friday, July 26, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Buddha Kat TV: Episode 4. Swirling
Buddha Kat TV: Episode 4
Ready to move on to "S" number two? Good, let's do this.
"What's the big deal about swirling?" you may ask?
Well, the big deal is aromatics. Everything you drink has an aroma. Good or bad it's there. Why is that a big deal? Well, because 70% - 80% of what we taste is actually what we smell. If you ask me that's kind of a big deal.
"Why swirl the wine? Why not just stick your nose in the glass?" What a great question! It has to do with surface area, the more surface area the wine is spread over the more aromatic compounds are released out of the wine. The more aromatics that are released the better you can smell the overall wine.
Surface area isn't the only factor to take into account though, some aromas are more volatile than others, being released easier than others. Curious? Try this, pour a glass of wine and just let it sit for a few minutes. Then stick your nose in there and get a good whiff. If you are using a red wine you probably smell a lot of caramel and oak. If it's white wine you probably smell fruitiness. Ok, now give the wine a couple of nice swirls to get that glass coated, now smell. That caramel and oak is now a part of something bigger...the grape. Take a sniff, wait a few seconds, sniff again. Is the aroma changing over time? It should be. As those aromas blow off the aromatics change, then when you swirl again it's starts the whole process over. But, because you are adding oxygen to the wine when you swirl it will never smell exactly the same every time. (Probably close enough that you can't tell the difference every time, but technically it's different)
Now, things a bit tricky here because we are starting to move into our next "S" which is sniffing, so to finish up swirling I just have to say, don't get over zealous and throw the wine everywhere, but enjoy those aromas and know what that little swirl can do.
-Josh
Ready to move on to "S" number two? Good, let's do this.
"What's the big deal about swirling?" you may ask?
Well, the big deal is aromatics. Everything you drink has an aroma. Good or bad it's there. Why is that a big deal? Well, because 70% - 80% of what we taste is actually what we smell. If you ask me that's kind of a big deal.
"Why swirl the wine? Why not just stick your nose in the glass?" What a great question! It has to do with surface area, the more surface area the wine is spread over the more aromatic compounds are released out of the wine. The more aromatics that are released the better you can smell the overall wine.
Surface area isn't the only factor to take into account though, some aromas are more volatile than others, being released easier than others. Curious? Try this, pour a glass of wine and just let it sit for a few minutes. Then stick your nose in there and get a good whiff. If you are using a red wine you probably smell a lot of caramel and oak. If it's white wine you probably smell fruitiness. Ok, now give the wine a couple of nice swirls to get that glass coated, now smell. That caramel and oak is now a part of something bigger...the grape. Take a sniff, wait a few seconds, sniff again. Is the aroma changing over time? It should be. As those aromas blow off the aromatics change, then when you swirl again it's starts the whole process over. But, because you are adding oxygen to the wine when you swirl it will never smell exactly the same every time. (Probably close enough that you can't tell the difference every time, but technically it's different)
Now, things a bit tricky here because we are starting to move into our next "S" which is sniffing, so to finish up swirling I just have to say, don't get over zealous and throw the wine everywhere, but enjoy those aromas and know what that little swirl can do.
-Josh
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wine and Music on Sauvie Island
What could be better than a beautiful summer night? Maybe a summer night with music? That sounds good. Maybe add some wine? Yes, please!
If that is what you are looking for well have I got news for you! We have partnered up with Bella Organic farm on Sauvie Island to bring you music and wine. Starting June 29th Bella Organic is starting their Saturday Harvest Concert Series. Eat some organic produce, listen to live music (starting at 6 pm), visit the farm animals, pick some berries in their U-pick berry fields or just have a glass of one of our delicious fruit wines and enjoy the evening.
For more information on the concert series you can check out their Harvest Festivals page at http://bellaorganic.com/saturday-harvest-concerts/
If that is what you are looking for well have I got news for you! We have partnered up with Bella Organic farm on Sauvie Island to bring you music and wine. Starting June 29th Bella Organic is starting their Saturday Harvest Concert Series. Eat some organic produce, listen to live music (starting at 6 pm), visit the farm animals, pick some berries in their U-pick berry fields or just have a glass of one of our delicious fruit wines and enjoy the evening.
For more information on the concert series you can check out their Harvest Festivals page at http://bellaorganic.com/saturday-harvest-concerts/
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Beautiful days and Organic wines
I'm going to take a break from the daily hum-drum of paperwork to write this. And I think I'll go sit in the sunny tasting room to do so.
AAAHHH much better.
Well, as most of us in the Portland area have been seeing, the weather has taken an up-turn. That's right 80's and sunny. It's not even July yet! What does that mean for us at the winery? Bottling. Lots o' bottling. Besides that we are getting certified organic, so come spring of 2014 all of our Buddha Kat label fruit wines will (or should) be Organic! Hurray! Keep your eyes open for them. They will be much less sweet than the Wasson Brothers label as well. Less than 5% R.S. And because I'm excited about everything here is a sneak peek at the new Blackberry label that will be coming out. 
Keep your eyes open for the new labels and if you want info on our release parties get signed up for our newsletter.
Keep your eyes open for the new labels and if you want info on our release parties get signed up for our newsletter.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Buddha Kat TV: Episode 3. Seeing
Buddha Kat TV: Episode 3
Starting down the road of wine tasting you will learn that there are 5 S's involved. They may seem a bit strange getting started, but you will find that you probably do half of them already and don't even realize it. Here we will formally cover all of them, and then it is up to you as to how frequently you use them when tasting.
The five S's are
Seeing
Swirling
Sniffing
Sipping
Swallowing (or spitting if you have to drive or plan on visiting more than 3 wineries in a day)
Here we will cover the first S which is Seeing.
Seeing your wine is important because it can tell you about the age of the wine, how it was treated before getting into a bottle, it's clarity, and overall how aesthetically pleasing the wine is.
Color - Notice the overall color of the wine, is the white wine almost clear? Is it a dark straw color? Is it almost brown? And about that red, is it more of a purple? Ruby?
Clarity - Is your white wine crystal clear or is there a haze to it? Maybe it's so cloudy you can't see through it? Reds can also range from such inky intensity that you can't see the bottom of the glass so a dark rose that you can almost read through.
If you tip a glass of wine slightly on it's side you will create different depths of wine in the glass. Around the edge of the wine, where it is the shallowest you can see different color hues as compared to the overall bulk of the wine. Is this area almost clear or is there a brownish hue? The brownish hue tends to indicate a wine that has aged for a while. There is nothing wrong with the wine but it's a good indicator of age.
All of these things should come together to give you an overall idea of what the wine will taste like and how it should feel in your mouth. Unless of course you are drinking a white wine that is actually brown, and so cloudy you can't see through it. That particular wine would probably never make it in my mouth.
Like everything in wine tasting it sounds pretentious, but let's face it, you take notice of all of these things when you drink any liquid. You probably wouldn't be too quick to take a big gulp of water that was murky and brownish, or drink that light lawnmower beer if it was a dark amber color instead of crystal clear straw color. Wine drinkers have just taken what you already do and put it into words. So congratulations you are well on your way to being an un-pretentious wine snob!
Starting down the road of wine tasting you will learn that there are 5 S's involved. They may seem a bit strange getting started, but you will find that you probably do half of them already and don't even realize it. Here we will formally cover all of them, and then it is up to you as to how frequently you use them when tasting.
The five S's are
Seeing
Swirling
Sniffing
Sipping
Swallowing (or spitting if you have to drive or plan on visiting more than 3 wineries in a day)
Here we will cover the first S which is Seeing.
Seeing your wine is important because it can tell you about the age of the wine, how it was treated before getting into a bottle, it's clarity, and overall how aesthetically pleasing the wine is.
Color - Notice the overall color of the wine, is the white wine almost clear? Is it a dark straw color? Is it almost brown? And about that red, is it more of a purple? Ruby?
Clarity - Is your white wine crystal clear or is there a haze to it? Maybe it's so cloudy you can't see through it? Reds can also range from such inky intensity that you can't see the bottom of the glass so a dark rose that you can almost read through.
If you tip a glass of wine slightly on it's side you will create different depths of wine in the glass. Around the edge of the wine, where it is the shallowest you can see different color hues as compared to the overall bulk of the wine. Is this area almost clear or is there a brownish hue? The brownish hue tends to indicate a wine that has aged for a while. There is nothing wrong with the wine but it's a good indicator of age.
Like everything in wine tasting it sounds pretentious, but let's face it, you take notice of all of these things when you drink any liquid. You probably wouldn't be too quick to take a big gulp of water that was murky and brownish, or drink that light lawnmower beer if it was a dark amber color instead of crystal clear straw color. Wine drinkers have just taken what you already do and put it into words. So congratulations you are well on your way to being an un-pretentious wine snob!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Seaside Wine Walk
Another week is beginning and things are perking up in the winery after the long winter. We've go our cellar crew bottling, we are coming up with some new White wine blends, which we are excited about. They should be perfect for sipping in the summer sunshine. Our new Buddha Kat labels are being sent off for approval, with their release set for spring 2014!
All of this nice weather we've been having here in the Pacific Northwest has got us itching to go to the beach. So, this weekend 5/18, we will be in Seaside Oregon for the Seaside Wine Walk. Join us and 16 other wineries and local businesses for some food, wine, and shopping at the beach! I (Josh) will be pouring our Merlot, Riesling, Muscat, and Cherry wines. Come out from 3-7, taste some wine, eat some food, and have fun with us on the beach.
I strongly suggest you make the short drive (from Portland) or I will have to start using empty threats to get you there. And nobody likes empty threats.
More information about the Seaside Wine Walk can be found here. See you in Seaside!
-Josh
All of this nice weather we've been having here in the Pacific Northwest has got us itching to go to the beach. So, this weekend 5/18, we will be in Seaside Oregon for the Seaside Wine Walk. Join us and 16 other wineries and local businesses for some food, wine, and shopping at the beach! I (Josh) will be pouring our Merlot, Riesling, Muscat, and Cherry wines. Come out from 3-7, taste some wine, eat some food, and have fun with us on the beach.
I strongly suggest you make the short drive (from Portland) or I will have to start using empty threats to get you there. And nobody likes empty threats.
More information about the Seaside Wine Walk can be found here. See you in Seaside!
-Josh
Monday, May 6, 2013
Buddha Kat TV: Episode 2. Glassware
Buddha Kat TV: Episode 2
Pretentious as it might sound, glassware is important in tasting wine. Seriously. And every wine has a different glass made specifically for it with slight variations on it from one glass producer to the next. They all have their own spin on everything, that's what makes their glass "better" than the competition. I'm here to tell you why glassware is important, then let you find whatever glass you like best. Even if it's a mason jar.
Seriously though, if you are just drinking wine, and not "tasting", mason jars are amazing! They can be so sturdy compared to a wine glass. But I digress...
There are 3 main types of wine glasses, Flutes - for sparkling wines, White wine, and Red wine glasses. All of the glasses have three main pieces that make them up.
The foot - the base of the glass.
The stem - The part that connects the foot to the bowl. (some glasses lack a stem)
The bowl - the part of the glass that actually holds the liquid.
Flutes - These sparkling wine glasses are tall and slender and designed to minimize the contact area between glass and wine to help keep the bubbles in. There is also no need to swirl sparkling wine because the effervescence naturally brings the aromas out of the wine.
White wine - White wine glasses have a larger bowl to allow for swirling the wine. The glass bowl should taper at toward to top to condense the aromas that are released when swirling.
Red wine - Red wine glasses have the largest bowl to allow for maximum surface area to wine contact while swirling. This releases the largest amount of volatile aroma compounds possible. This bowl should also taper at the top condensing these aromas.
With all of these glasses, the more the bowl tapers the more the wine aromas will be condensed for your olfactory pleasure.
If you are curious and you don't fully believe that bowl size and taper matters, get yourself 3 different glasses (wine glasses, jars, drinking glasses whatever) with varying tapers to them. Pour the same wine into each glass then swirl and sniff and see how the aroma differs from glass to glass.
One last word about glassware, when handling a wine glass, hold it by the foot or the stem. NEVER GRAB THE BOWL! Please! Again, some wine snobbery sounding stuff but it just looks terrible when you are trying to taste wine and the bowl is covered with fingerprints.
EXAMPLE: If you sat down at a restaurant and the server gave you a glass of water or a beer and all you can see are smudgey fingerprints all over the glass, you probably wouldn't be too psyched to drink out of it. Most people would probably ask for a clean glass. It just looks un-appealing. The same goes for wine. This is a prime example of people having high standards but not realizing it. Wine people just put those standards into words, but once they are put into words they just sound snobby.
With that, I leave you. Now go drink from your favorite glass, jar, or mug and enjoy some wine!
Pretentious as it might sound, glassware is important in tasting wine. Seriously. And every wine has a different glass made specifically for it with slight variations on it from one glass producer to the next. They all have their own spin on everything, that's what makes their glass "better" than the competition. I'm here to tell you why glassware is important, then let you find whatever glass you like best. Even if it's a mason jar.
Seriously though, if you are just drinking wine, and not "tasting", mason jars are amazing! They can be so sturdy compared to a wine glass. But I digress...
There are 3 main types of wine glasses, Flutes - for sparkling wines, White wine, and Red wine glasses. All of the glasses have three main pieces that make them up.
The foot - the base of the glass.
The stem - The part that connects the foot to the bowl. (some glasses lack a stem)
The bowl - the part of the glass that actually holds the liquid.
Flutes - These sparkling wine glasses are tall and slender and designed to minimize the contact area between glass and wine to help keep the bubbles in. There is also no need to swirl sparkling wine because the effervescence naturally brings the aromas out of the wine.
White wine - White wine glasses have a larger bowl to allow for swirling the wine. The glass bowl should taper at toward to top to condense the aromas that are released when swirling.
Red wine - Red wine glasses have the largest bowl to allow for maximum surface area to wine contact while swirling. This releases the largest amount of volatile aroma compounds possible. This bowl should also taper at the top condensing these aromas.
With all of these glasses, the more the bowl tapers the more the wine aromas will be condensed for your olfactory pleasure.
If you are curious and you don't fully believe that bowl size and taper matters, get yourself 3 different glasses (wine glasses, jars, drinking glasses whatever) with varying tapers to them. Pour the same wine into each glass then swirl and sniff and see how the aroma differs from glass to glass.
One last word about glassware, when handling a wine glass, hold it by the foot or the stem. NEVER GRAB THE BOWL! Please! Again, some wine snobbery sounding stuff but it just looks terrible when you are trying to taste wine and the bowl is covered with fingerprints.
EXAMPLE: If you sat down at a restaurant and the server gave you a glass of water or a beer and all you can see are smudgey fingerprints all over the glass, you probably wouldn't be too psyched to drink out of it. Most people would probably ask for a clean glass. It just looks un-appealing. The same goes for wine. This is a prime example of people having high standards but not realizing it. Wine people just put those standards into words, but once they are put into words they just sound snobby.
With that, I leave you. Now go drink from your favorite glass, jar, or mug and enjoy some wine!
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