It’s gratifying, being a wine critic and competition judge, to have my initial impressions of a winery validated on a subsequent encounter. I first discovered Newport Vineyards of Rhode Island last year, when their 2007 Riesling won Best of Show in the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition. Recently, a friend brought a bottle of Newport’s 2008 “Tranquility” to an all-girls party my wife was hosting. Thankfully, my wife put the bottle aside with a last taste until I got home that evening.
When she handed me the glass, I took one sniff and said, “Alsatian. Good quality.” Was it Riesling? There seemed to be some Gewurztraminer, but also a floral/peachy note that disguised the grape content. I was delighted when she showed me the label, because since last year’s contest I hadn’t had the opportunity to taste any other Newport wines.
Tranquility is 47% Gewurztraminer, 35% Muscat Ottonel (that elusive note that eluded me), 11% Pinot Gris and a mere 7% Riesling. It is great stuff, and should delight any fans of Alsace. It sells for $20 at the winery.
Everything you may have ever heard about the International Pinot Noir Celebration is true. Over the past 23 Julys, pinotpheliacs have congregated in McMinnville, Oregon, to spend a weekend pickling themselves in their favorite wine. This year's IPNC, held July 24-26, was a little less crowded than recent years, according to some regular attendees I spoke with. But the economy did not dampen the enthusiasm of about 800 wine lovers who ponied up $1000 each for the chance to mingle with winemakers and sample the cuisine of some of the best chefs in the Pacific Northwest.
This year's featured wineries included 46 from North America (including one Canadian) and 14 from Europe (two Austrian wineries, one from Alsace and one from Champagne, the rest from Burgundy – the lack of German participation was surprising). Australia and New Zealand sent four. British wine writer Jancis Robinson served as master of ceremonies. On Friday and Saturday, about half the attendees enjoyed seminar tastings designed to show the terroirs of Oregon and Chambolle-Musigny, while the rest boarded buses to vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley for tours and luncheons. And then of course there were more tastings, a petanque tournament, tastings, and dinners, including the annual salmon bake.
A threatened heat wave held off, though late-afternoon temperatures did climb into the 90s. Locals wilted in the heat, but District denizens reveled in the low humidity.
Bill Sanders of Washington, D.C., was attending his third consecutive IPNC. Sanders, a “workforce development consultant” who also blogs about wine and olive oil, said he values the connections and friendships he has forged with winemakers.
“I love to travel to the wine regions of the world, especially France,” he said, “and when I come here I meet the vignerons, then I go to Burgundy and there's an open door. I've made great friendships with the French winemakers here, and that makes travel to their region much more rewarding. It can be hard to get into Burgundy.”
As for the wines at the event, Sanders likened the exploration of pinot noir year after year to peeling the layers of an onion. (That reference may not endear him to many winemakers, actually.) Every year, you learn something new. “The pinot here is across the board, from syrupy monsters to laser-like fruit,” he said. Sanders has already registered for next year's conference.
Bob and Susan Crenshaw own two natural food stores in Goldsboro, N.C., and were here in McMinnville attending their 18th consecutive IPNC. “Every meal you make new friends and meet up with old friends,” Bob Crenshaw said, pointing out three winemakers by name among the crowd milling around after the Saturday night salmon bake.
The tables on the lawn at Linfield College in McMinnville were littered with the detritus of a bacchanal – empty bottles from the featured wineries and from the personal collections of the attendees. Part of the fun at an event like this is walking around, glass in hand, looking for someone you recognize and seeing what they're drinking.
Photos: Bertrand Ambroise, of Domaine Ambroise in Burgundy, demonstrates petanque technique, left; a traditional Native American salmon bake capped off the festivities, above.
This month, Americans will sip more fizz than they have all year. That's a shame, actually, considering how delicious and food friendly sparkling wine can be at any time. But 'tis the season for celebration, and as we flit from holiday party to office reception to family gathering, we will raise our glasses and down some bubbly - and then proceed to the serious matter of dinner.
Oh well. At least we can down some good bubbly. And here's one that I flipped for over Thanksgiving - the Willm Cuvée Leon IX Crémant d'Alsace. At $15 a bottle, it's a downright steal.
I'm not normally one to be overimpressed with the bottle itself or the label artwork, but this was one of the most elegant and beautiful packages I've ever seen. And the wine lived up to it - floral peach flavors, delicate and aromatic, yielding to an incredible 13-second finish. This does not try to be Champagne - it doesn't go for the heft and power. But it has complexity and tremendous finesse. At this price, I almost prefer it to Champagne.
Imported by Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd., New York, N.Y.
