BY LANCE SPARKS
Empyrean Wines
T a s ty T ha i Ki t ch e n
How to experience the rare jewels
“
O
h, it’s you.” Not a friendly greet-
ing; not a friendly guy. Maybe 6
feet tall, 200 lbs., a little
paunchy, close-cropped gray hair, gray eyes,
clean-shaven, long nose he was looking
down at me. He wore a cream-yellow golf
shirt, brown slacks, nice cordovan
Cole Haan loafers peeking beneath
crisp cuffs. We stood before
shelves of French Burgundies.
He gripped his shopping list,
probably culled from pages of
Parker’s Wine Advocate, re-
quired reading for wine-
fiends. I checked the guy, did-
n’t respond, smiled. He contin-
ued: “You never write about the
great wines.” He tapped a long, ta-
pered finger against a fine Burgundy wear-
ing a $132 ticket. He pulled it off the shelf,
tucked it under an arm. I just nodded, touched
the brim of my battered fedora, meandered
into sale wines.
Wine is not a drink for snobs and elites,
LUNCH TIME
DELIVERY
lordlings. Experiencing a great wine can lay
down an unforgettable flavor/aroma memory
against which all others can be measured.
They become our benchmarks, our yard-
sticks, summits on which we’ve planted our
flags. So how to climb those unscal-
able peaks? Two simple strate-
gies:
Group action: Singly
we might be weak, but
together we are strong.
We’re members of a
tasting group, usually
about 10 people, no
snobs. We pool our
dough, gain access to oth-
erwise unreachable beau-
ties. Dr. Mark Lyon anchors
the group; he’s a clever buyer, keeps
abreast of the wine press, owns a sensitive
palate. He and his wife, Denise, put out a
spread of tasty nibbles — cold meats,
cheeses, salad, breads. The glassware is ap-
propriate to the wines. Last week, we sipped
11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
LUNCH SPECIAL!
Famous Original Thai Wrap
starting at $3.50
WEEKEND SPECIAL!
Honey Roasted Duck
Wine Tasting
Calendar
ACOUSTIC OPEN MIKE NIGHT
Wednesday, June 6, 5-8pm
WINE TRIVIA & TASTING
Thursday, June 7, 5-8pm
Fruit Smoothies
Vegetarian &
Vegan Options
Beer on Tap &
Wine Available
Bubble Tea
11AM-9:30PM DAILY
80 E. 29th & Willamette
302-6444
LIVE JAZZ PIANO
Friday, June 8, 7-9pm
TASTING THEME THIS WEEK:
BARGAINS & BLOCKBUSTERS
All week, regular wine bar hours
NEW SUMMER HOURS
Wed & Thurs: 12-8pm
Fri & Sat: 12-10pm
943 Olive • 342-8598
oregonww.com
Winner of the 2005 - 2007
Award for Best Wine Selection
Experiencing a great wine can lay down an
unforgettable flavor/aroma memory against
which all others can be measured.
though some part of the market has shaped up
that way: thousand-dollar bottles of
Burgundy, California cab at two grand, even
Oregon pinots hitting C-notes. Among folk
whose families have been making wine for
centuries, such prices evoke head shakes and
mutters. But if wine media and their marke-
teers can persuade economic upper-crusties
that their status and self-esteem can be con-
firmed and announced by imbibing (or at
least buying) such empyrean wines, all I can
think to do is shrug and whisper, OK.
My first encounter with wine came when I
was 10, living in what was then French
Morocco. Before lunch at a French class-
mate’s house, his dad grabbed a couple of
empty bottles and sent us running to the local
store for refills, a vin rouge and a vin blanc.
The old guy at the store filled the bottles from
barrels, stuck a cork in each, cheap, no fuss
— and no Puritanical posturing about our
age. He knew this was family shopping; we
could have been buying broccoli. And, in a
way, we were; in places where wine is a com-
mon part of common life, it’s just another part
— the liquid part — of a decent meal.
And so it should be.
This wine column has always been in-
tended for people who wanted to add tasty
quaff to good grub, shared with family and
friends, and call that a good life. So we’ve
pursued drinkable, affordable wines, but al-
ways looked for those that — for the money
— delivered a little extra soupçon of flavor
and style.
As for the great wines, we have to admit
that market forces drive prices of “great”
wines to heights unreachable by most of us.
And anyone who gets seriously bitten by the
wine bug should, we also admit, have the
chance to savor those rare and superbly deli-
cious vins usually reserved for economic
through eight very good reds, all blind (the
wines were in bags but we had a list for
matching our guesses). All were priced from
the high 20s to 60 bux, and included a good
Bordeaux (2000 Pontet Canet), a top-
quality zinfandel (Ridge ’05 Paso
Robles), an Italian from the Piedmont region
(Aldo Conterno ’03 Nebbiolo Langhe),
a high-rated Oregonian (Patricia Green
’03 Pinot Noir), a top Cal (Pride ’04
Merlot, super wine), a French Rhone
(Bosquet du Papes ’03), an Oregon twist
on a Spanish red (Abacela ’04
Tempranillo). The wine that blew up the
room was Australian: Two Hands ’04
Bella’s Garden Shiraz filled the air with
berry aromas, filled the mouth with flavors of
dark berries, hints of chocolate, sprinkle of
pepper, all on a silky frame; made us reluc-
tant to swallow. This was a Wine Spectator
95-point wine, #10 in the Top 100 of last year,
retailed at about $60, probably can’t be found
now (the ’05 can), probably has to rate as
among the best shiraz ever to cross my lips.
Without the group, I would never have had
that pleasure.
Strategy II: Hit the road to wineries.
Memorial Day opened the tasting season.
Load your flivver with pals (and a designated
driver) and roll around Oregon’s lovely val-
leys and into some charming facilities with
lovely views. Most of the time, tasting fees
are nominal, and you can enjoy close encoun-
ters with some unusual varieties (do not be
afraid of Muller-Thurgau or baco noir). Go
north, south, west; find out why Oregon has
become a wine-lovers’ destination
Wine might not be for everybody (but what
is?), but for those who seek a good life, it can
play a lovely role. As for the snobs, in wine as
in any other aspect of living, we can only wish
them the joy of their own company.
ew
Open Seven Days a Week • Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Wines by the Glass/Bottle/Case • Catering
Free Friday Wine Tastings 5-7 p.m.
200 W. Broadway
541.685.0790
oregonwineandmore.com
bringing Eugene fine wines since 1983
•
•
•
•
•
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•
Complimentary wine tastings ever Friday and Saturday 4-6 PM.
Huge selection of wines from the region and around the world.
More than 200 Oregon Pinot Noirs in stock.
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Large organic and sustainable wine section.
Stemware and wine accessories.
Knowledgeable staff to advise you.
2470 Alder St. Eugene 687 - 9463
www.orwines.com
JUNE 7, 2007 39