I'm not much of a religious man. In tact until last year
I had never been to a mass. All 1 learned from that
experience is there is a lot of handshaking, kneeling and
things that are just downright odd that go on in that big
religion. My mother was the daughter of a missionary
stationed in India. She married a heathen from Brooklyn and
gave up all that thick before I came on the scene. She did
try reading me the Bible when I was a kid but it didn't take.
However it is now the month of September The most
religious of months in Oregon’s wine industry. By and large
the winemaker crowd (that I have run into) is a downright
agnostic one. This month there will be penitent folk in the
vineyards. Perhaps they will look for guidance and
blessings from the Rastafied Church of the Cowboy Buddha.
Whatever the spiritual bent people will be praying for warm,
mild, sunny weather to prevail until at least late October.
This is the make or break time for the harvest. Too
much heat and sun can cause the fruit to ripen too quickly,
too early as well as causing reduced crop weight and incrased
delicacy. Too much rain is a nightmare. Mildew problems
at this time of year are among the worst situations that
winemakers have to deal with. Spraying sulfur on grapes
close to harvest (to keep the mildew down) can lead to all
sorts of problems in the winemaking process. Rain can also
dilute the concentration of the fruit and lead to thin, watery
wines.
There is a fine line between the two situations that
winemakers pray for. This summer has not exactly been a
hopeful forbearer of things to come. Inconsistent weather,
patchy rains and fog have been common, at least in Yamhill
County. Right now people would say things have basically
been fine, but they would be sucking in air and crossing
their fingers as they said it.
I thought, in light of the spiritual transformation that
occurs across the Western part of our great state, I would
offer up a few prayers for the upcoming months and year.
I pray that as the '94s begin to come out that the price of
Oregon Pinots does not go through the roof. The signs,
unfortunately, are not good. Already the '93 Beaux Freres
was seen for as high as $45/bottle and a re-released Ponzi
Pinot was marked at $40. I am certain that the first $50
Oregon Pinots will show up from the '94 vintage. The crop
was very small, anticipation is unprecedentedly high, and,
judging by early tastings, quality is indeed very high. My
prayer is that the wineries that have produced quality $10-
$15 wines aren't suddenly asking for $ 15-$20. This may be
the reality that is born out of our supply and demand market
though. Two Hail C. Buddhas and on to the next one.
I pray that when the Big Boys come to the state to make
wine they choose to do it with the style that Archery
Summit is exhibiting in the construction of their new
winery in the Red Hills of Dundee. Sure, it is a
frighteningly large project and untold amounts of money
have been poured into it with more to go. The thing is, it
fits. Frank Lloyd Wright would at least be pleased. The
building works with the landscape. In fact most of the
winery is built directly into the hillside. There is a flow to
it that comes with good architecture, careful planning, some
class and care for how it looks. It will not be audacious and
awful. The folks with the really big bucks poised below the
border are looking at this part of the world with more and
more scrutiny all the time. Come they will, build they
will. Let's pray that we aren't overrun with gaudy Chateaux
that ruin it for the people who love this land.
Let's all pray that the Yamhill County Commissioners
take their heads out of their butts and allow Basecamp Bravo
to remain where it is. This has nothing to do with wine,
but it is in our neighborhood and it's about human decency.
For those of you who don't know what Basecamp Bravo is
pull up your chair and put your feet on the woodstove. This
is a refuge for Veterans on rural land outside of Yamhill that
has been operating for the past 10 years. It is a place for
homeless Vets to go to have support, a place to stay where
they continue to stay, where they won't be hassled, a decent
meal and an opportunity to sort things out. Apparently, to
continue to stay on this land Basecamp Bravo was going to
have to get the area rezoned. They were dinied this rezoning.
Now, unless some type of intervention occurs, they will be
forced off this land, and presumably back onto the streets and
into the inadequate VA services most of them have been
denied previously ("Agent Orange, you say? Never heard of
it. Next."). More power to you folks out there in Yamhill.
And to finish, some random prayers: Let's pray the
Cubbies can find themselves a placekicker who can hit those
extra points, three more touchdowns and the Rockies would
have had them. I pray that in the year of Mickey Mantle's
death the Boston Red Sox can shed The Curse and ride the
fluttering pitches of Tim Wakefield to a World Series title.
I pray that the franc plunges against the dollar and French
Burgundy becomes something I can afford. I pray that the
new Danish study, which shows that the consumption of 3-
5 glasses of wine per day reduces health related deaths by
50%, is wildly accurate. And lastly I pray that someday the
good Reverend will put down his can of Bud and pick up a
bottle of red wine, at least for a day.
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Fresh. organically grown produce and whole foods
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Laurel's
Cannon
Beach
Wine Shop
263 N . Hemlock
(3 0 3 ) 4 3 6 -1 6 6 6
— T & --------------
We feature a wide selection
of domestic and imported cheeses,
cold cuts, and freshly baked
b reads.
Fresh salads and hot or cold
entrees daily.
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Check us out, we're worth the drive.
312 Pacific Hwy S. Long Beach, WA
Open at 10 AM; Closed Tuesday l-(360)-642-
2535.
Cannon Beach
In Coaslcr Theater Courtyard
Established 1977
Featuring Northwest. California
& Imported Wines
Collector Wines Front 1875
Through Current Vintages
Featuring Over 1000 Wines
Wine Racks, Classes &
Wine Related Items
Wine Tasting
Every Saturday Afternoon
1-5 PM
QUIET COTTAGES
CLOSE TO BEACH
N ational O rganization for the
R eform of M arijuana L aws
1001 C onnecticut A venue NW
S uite 1010
W ashington , D C 20036
Autumn Wind 1993 C hardonnay Reserve I know
people who have tasted this who swore it was Napa
Chardonnay. Oregon is not so famous for good, let alone
stellar Chardonnay but this is the real deal. Tons of rich,
188 E. VAN BUREN
P.O. Box 426
CANNON BEACH, OR
436-1100
124 N Hemlock
P.O. Box 6S2. Cannon Beach O R 97110
T he n a tu ra l
choice for
clo th in g -
from b each
to b o u le v ard .
ANTHONY STOF’F’IELLO
= = = = = = = = = = A rchitect
M- Sellin
E arth friendly architecture
C onsultant - Educator •
El M undn
^W O M EN,
Passive solar design
Conscientious m aterial use
Licensed in Oregon and Washington
310 Lake St • FOB 72. Ilwaco. WA 96624 (206) 642-4266
215 N. Hemlock
Cannon Beach 436-1572
Portland 239-4605
RENTALS • SALES • TRIPS • CLASSES
A N N IE 'S KAYAKS
5 0 3 /3 6 8 -6 0 5 5
4 8 7 H W Y ÌO1
IN W H E E L E R , O R E C O N
Casual Dining
Overlooking the riestucca River
KAYAKING ENHANCES LIVES
ART SAVES LIVES
Spirits • Mot Sandwiches
Fresh Seafood Dinners • Home Baked Desserts
Live Music Every Saturday night
pacific c it y , oreqom
tropical fruits mingle with sweet apples, pears, and nuts.
Generous French Oak lends layers of cinnamon, vanilla and
nutmeg that complement without overwhelming. The
weight of the wine is significant and your entire mouth is
coated with this golden Chardonnay. Only 90 cases were
made and they arc literally giving it away at $15.
Availability is pretty much limited to the winery. Call or
visit soon to ensure your stash.
Bridgeview 1993 Black Beauty M erlo t:
From the
winemaker who brought us one of the stars of the '92
vintage. La Merleausine, comes this supple wine. A tip ot
the hat to Bridgeview and their packaging. Nice job. The
wine is the real star of the show. Broodingly dark fruit is
accented by a touch of sweet French Oak, licorice, espresso
and leather qualities. The wine finishes with a rush of dark,
bitter chocolate. Not loaded with big, soft tannins, which
makes one wonder how this wine will hold up over the long
run, but damn it's nice to drink now. Especially for about
$12.
10 VPPLR LLFT EDGE OTIttK 1115
(503) 436-2237
Open 11 AM-5 PM - Closed Tues.
Intellect annuls fate. So fa r as a man thinks, he
is free.
Ralph W aldo Emerson
Torii Mor 1994 Pinot Noir: It's not available yet.
That's the bad news. It will be available in early October,
and it is fantastic! Rich Dundee Hills fruit cascades over
your palate and is followed up by exciting spices that linger
on the tongue for ages. This wine is delicate in nature but
has fine structure, decent tannins and a firm backbone. You
should be able to pick this one up for $13 or $14.
YOUR HOST
PATRICK KEALEY
HIDDEN
VILLA
MOTEL
Different Wines
From Around The World
Each Week
(5 0 3 ) 9 6 5 -6 7 2 2
Recommended Wines for the Month: I have
stumbled across a few wines that will make even the most
skeptical get down on the their knees and see the Holy
Light! Amen! There will be no need to pray when you
open up this stuff. Your faith will be rewarded here on
earth.
for the health of it!