The Portland Indie Wines Festival’s back room was a quick 40 feet over a linking cement path that required a walk OUTDOORS. It was actually nice to walk outside for a few moments before plunging into the second wave.
Impressions shared later that evening included the following big pictures: (1) vintage preference was for 2007 over 2006; and (2) Ribbon Ridge is the region to watch. The tBoW team’s vintage preference was unpopular especially among vintners. One winery told us a subscriber wanted to refuse the 2007 vintage and wait for 2008. The 2006 vintage is widely viewed as ripe and bombastic sporting higher alcohol levels and forward fruit. The 2007 vintage is lean and limp, “disappointing” by comparison. 2007 was cool and late to ripen. Murray the K notes vintners who waited for Indian Summer did best in 2007. (more…)

tBoW and Dotor√© visited Portland just when the Portland Indie Wine Festival was being held. 40 wineries selected to pour their best efforts by a panel of know-it-all wine snobs. Our kind of people. The kicker is the wineries have to produce no more than 2500 cases. So you can see they are going for the craftsman, or as we observed in this case, “crafts-couple” winemakers.
Here’s how the tBoW team rolls when hunting the wild Pinot Noir. We roust our local wine snob pals, in this case David Russell of Woodland Hills Wine Co, to put us in touch with one of his fellow wine snobs in Portland. Thank you David for Murray the K of Great Wine Buys at 16th and Broadway on Portland’s Eastside. Murray turns out to be da man helping us winnow through wineries pouring at the festival; listing the top dining spots; and, finally, suggesting wineries for the road trip into Willamette Valley. Murray made like Manny, as in Ramirez, and hit it outtadapark! [ed. wrote this before Manny's 50 game suspension, could not let it go] (more…)

With Spring and Summer comes wine festival season. With so many many to choose from tBoW presents two festivals worth your consideration. How is a wine festival like a golf tournament? If you like golf you must go to a tour event at least once, see the pros hit the ball, make tricky putts, eat a hot dog. If you like wine then you should probably attend an event where the wineries are pouring their best stuff, you can attend an exclusive dinner in a winery, and talk to the winemaker over sips. [ed. photos show the Pipestone corner of paradise, the 10 acre vineyard and the wonderful owners/winemakers/farmers Jeff and Flo] (more…)

Some might say the wines reviewed below are wonderfully diverse covering the world of wine tasting. Let’s get real. These wines are from unusual places, even off the beaten path. tBoW hopes that is one of the reasons you visit this blahg. (more…)