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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2004)
BY LANCE SPARKS Davey’s Night The love of wine, a helping hand. T ONIGHT ONLY! Huge Benefit Wine Auction and Raffle! Thursday, June 3, 5 to 7:30 pm Eugene Wine Cellars Tasting Room 255 Madison St., Eugene Be there! Bring bux, lotsa love! O K, OK, I’ve seen too many TV ads, admitted. Buncha jive hype mostly pushing useless crapola at usurious prices. But this is real: As you read this column (don’t stop), a gaggle of good people will be assem- bling donated goods and services for an event at EWC intended to benefit little Davey Untz and his adoptive mom, Lynn Untz, very sweet person, valued col- league, fine teacher of writing and literature at LCC. Davey is battling leukemia, Lynn with him all the way while also struggling with crushing medical bills. Friends, colleagues and decent folk from all over the city are trying to help. This little guy deserves a life. David Victor Untz was born in strife-torn Colombia, and his prospects were not rosy — until he and Lynn Untz found each other. From his in- fancy, he rapidly grew into a strong, healthy boy, robust, at 3 years old built like a budding middle linebacker. But he was a truckboy, knew backhoes from skiploaders, could tell a Deere from a Cat in the best sense. Wouldn’t seem possible, completely unfair, in 2003 Davey was diagnosed with acute lympho- cytic leukemia, rare form, very nasty. Next month, Doehrnbecher Hospital docs will try an experimental bone marrow transplant, risky, time-consuming, very expensive. Davey and Lynn need all the help they can get. And the wine community of Lane County has stepped up with some remarkable contri- butions. More about that below, but first: The handful or so readers of this monthly column have been wonderfully indulgent as I have grappled, especially in the months since 9/11, with personal demons, particularly the nagging sense that writing about the beauties of food and wine in times like these is kinda like playing the piccolo while the world roasts. Lately, especially, I’ve descended into blistering rants because I couldn’t stand by and blithely observe the opening of festering, gangrenous wounds on the American body politic inflicted by Bushite neocons whose only sense of values can be measured by their personal bank accounts — grim-eyed, slaughter-minded zealots who lie, cheat, steal, murder and torture, then hide behind God’s name and the masquerade of piety to disguise their crimes and their utter indiffer- ence to the suffering they cause in order to in- flate their puffed-out egos and their ob- scenely swollen bottom lines and .... Sorry, I’m back. Again. Trying to find the love, again. But, see, it’s just that I know that most Americans really are among the world’s most decent, honest and generous people, do anything to relieve others’ suffering, rush to help in times of mass disasters and tragedies, but then conniving greed-heads twist and dis- tort those altruistic impulses, grind honest concern into corporate cash-flow and .... Dangit, slipped again. Well, here’s the good message: Winefolk of our area have shown me why it’s OK to do this work. When I went to them for support on Davey’s behalf, they opened up, as they have so often before, for so many causes. So here’s the line-up: King Estate: 2002 Pinot Gris; 2002 Reserve Pinot Gris; copy of New American Cuisine, Pinot Gris Cookbook, with recipes from various fine American chefs. Thanks, Miles. Thanks, Ed. LaVelle Vineyards: Wine tasting and tour of their lovely facility. Thank you, Lori. Secret House: Patty and Ron are in with a Secret House gift basket, wines, locally pro- duced jams, other yummy stuff. Hinman/Silvan Ridge: The Chambers family have been strong support- ers of Davey through the UO’s Sparrow Club; they offer two of their best, Silvan Ridge 2001 Pinot Gris and Silvan Ridge 1999 Oregon Pinot Noir. Sundance Wine Cellars: Steve reached into the collectors’ specials for one of Oregon’s best, Beaux Freres 1997 Pinot Noir, Yamhill County, unfined, unfiltered. Chateau Lorane: Winemaker David Hook, on behalf of owners Linde and Sharon Kester, enters a beautiful etched magnum of Ch. Lorane 1995 Estate Pinot Noir in its own box, noted as #18 of 50 in their collector se- ries. High Pass: Owner/Winemaker Dieter Boehm tenders six bottles of fine High Pass 1998 Pinot Noir Reserve. Iris Hill: Keith Tabor, IH’s new manager, steps up with three Iris Hill Bottlings, 2001 Oregon Pinot Gris, 2001 Chardonnay, and 2001 Pinot Noir, in their own carrying case. Broadley Vineyards: The Broadley family serves up a bonanza for lovers of pinot noir, a full case of Broadley 2001 Pinot Noir, Claudia’s Choice (!), their finest reserve, mega-value. Benton Lane: Loren Muse submits for your consideration a bee-ootiful acid-etched, gold-embossed magnum of Benton Lane 1999 Oregon Pinot Noir Reserve. Briggs Hill: Ron Kuhn generously ex- tends a magnum of Briggs Hill 1998 Pinot Noir, well-beloved by pinotphiliacs, just reaching its early maturity. Territorial Vineyards and Wine Company: Eugene’s newest winery and tasting room (3rd & Adams) comes in with a magnum of Territorial 2001 Equinox Vineyard Pinot Noir, Gold Medal winner, Double Gold at Wine Press Northwest. More about these folks later; for now, pay your visit! PC Market of Choice: Wine Manager Steve Johnson reached into PC’s abundant cellar and found — a surprise. Trust the man: Does Steve know wine? Eugene Wine Cellars: Special thanks to Bruce and most especially Bettina Biehl for hosting this event, providing space, staff and time so that Davey Untz’s friends and sup- porters have a chance to extend their hands and hearts. Join us, for the love of wine, for the love of life, for love alone. ew T as t y Th ai K i tc h en T ra di t i on al T ha i C ui s in e by Owner and Chef Pismai WEEKLY SPECIALS FOR LUNCH & DINNER VEGETARIAN & VEGAN OPTIONS AVAILABLE BEER & WINE NOW AVAILABLE NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH ON SATURDAYS! Mon - Fri 11 AM - 9:30 PM • Sat & Sun 12 PM - 9:30 PM 80 E. 29th & Willamette 302-6444 JUNE 3, 2004 31
