Thomas Jefferson on wine:

"I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens."

Yes that is correct you can thank our founding fathers for making the Unites States of America the greatest country in the world in terms of fine wine.  You can find more of the world's greatest wines here in the USA than in any other country and that’s because the tax on fine wine is based on gallonage instead of dollar value like in every other country in the world.  Not only can you find more of the world's greatest wines here but you have a better price than anywhere on Earth as well!! 

This week we have three chances to come out and drink with our first seated event in the new Wine Store on Saturday night! 

Thursday, June 21

1970's Disco Party Wine tasting the best from this deranged decade

Friday, June 22

Cru Beaujolais Tasting in the new Wine Cave

Saturday, June 23

Adelsheim Party - one of the pioneers of Oregon will be serving 20+ years of Pinot Noir this evening!!

Check out the Calendar of events at www.winewatch.com for more information on these and all the upcoming wine tastings at the Wine Watch.

And today we have an offering and wine tasting opportunity for one of the founding fathers of the Oregon wine industry Adelsheim Vineyards.  This is one of my favorite Oregon wineries and both Michael and David Adelsheim have been to the Wine Watch and I visited the winery back in 1995 on my first and only visit to Oregon's Wine Country.  All of their wines are outstanding that is why I didn’t try find reviews on any of the wines, these are very rare single vineyard offerings and we have vintages going back to 1995, including rare large formats.  I did include a bit of information about the individual vineyard sites when appropriate.

You have the option to come in and taste the new releases along with one of the older selections from Adelsheim winery for only $35+ tax..  This tasting will start at 7pm and there are only 16 spaces available for this part of our evening with Adelsheim.  We have an incredible collection of older vintage wines from this great producer and for $95 + tax you can taste all the new releases and then sit down for a tasting of 8 additional wines that go back 20 years to the 1998 vintage.  This $95 price also includes dinner but only the first 16 people that respond can do both the current releases of Adelsheim and the older releases with dinner.  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Vintage Adelsheim Oregon Pinot Noir Tasting at Wine Watch
Saturday, June 23rd
7:30pm

1998 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Elizabeth's Reserve
Price: $69.00           Your Price: $60.72        Quantity in Stock: 1

The Elizabeth’s Reserve is a blend of a combination of all or most of the vineyards using select barrels that make a unique blend that changes in composition every year but the style of this wine stays true to the Adelsheim philosophy of utilizing the best qualities of the terroir from their various vineyard sites they get fruit from.

1998 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Bryan Creek Vineyard Magnum 1.5L
Price: $129.00    Your Price: $113.52          Quantity in Stock: 4

First planted by Adelsheim Vineyard in 1989, Bryan Creek has long been part of our estate portfolio. However, the land had always been under a long-term lease from the Adelsheims' neighbors, Jess and Joy Howell, until it was purchased by the winery in 2014. 

At an elevation of 700+ feet, this vineyard is on the upper limits of where Pinot noir vines are typically planted.  Bryan Creek has rich, deep volcanic soils that provide moisture throughout the season and an excellent southern slope.  The wines produced from the cool site have distinct mineral flavors that are unique in our estate vineyard portfolio.  Our Bryan Creek Pinot noir displays the wild cherry and mineral notes that are characteristic of this site, along with a firm texture that unfolds slowly over many years.

2002 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Quarter Mile Lane
Price: $69.00    Your Price: $60.72               Quantity in Stock: 6

Quarter Mile

In 1971, founders David and Ginny Adelsheim were looking for land in the country outside of Portland.  After meeting with the fellow pioneers of the Oregon industry – including David Lett, Dick Erath, and Bill Blosser – they were on a mission to find a volcanic southern slope.  When they found the current Quarter Mile vineyard site later that year planted with poppies and vetch, they knew that this site could produce great grapes.  However, they could not have imagined the importance of this vineyard that led to the foundation of Adelsheim Vineyard’s many years of success.  Every year the 2.4 acre block 1 contributes to the single vineyard designated wine with lean, focused cherry notes and a structure that stays youthful and elegant for many years in the bottle.

2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Elizabeth's Reserve
Price: $59.00    Your Price: $51.92               Quantity in Stock: 5

2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $39.00    Your Price: $34.32               Quantity in Stock: 10

2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Magnum 1.5L
Price: $79.00    Your Price: $69.52               Quantity in Stock: 5

2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Quarter Mile Lane
Price: $69.00    Your Price: $60.72               Quantity in Stock: 15

2006 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Bryan Creek Vineyard Magnum 1.5L
Price: $155.00    Your Price: $136.40          Quantity in Stock: 4

Menu

Charcuterie Selections

Udon Noodles with Shitake Mushroom black garlic and sherry crème

Duck Breast with Epoisses Cherry Pie Cheese Cake Mashed Potatoes

The fee for this tasting and dinner is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  You get to taste all the current releases as well as the older vintage wines and several will be from magnum format!  There are only 16 spaces available to taste everything and sit down for dinner in the new Wine Watch wine cave. 

We will also be tasting these new releases!! If you just want to come and taste the new releases and not sit down to dinner with the older wines the fee for tasting these wines below is $35 + tax and there are only 16 spaces available for the tasting.  The tasting of these 5 wines will start at 7pm.

Current Releases from Adelsheim:

2017 Adelsheim Rose
Price: $21.50       Sale $18.92

This delicious wine offers aromas of fresh Oregon strawberries and raspberries, apricot, and rose petal which follow through on a rich, well-textured palate that offers juicy, ripe fruit. Though a perfect summer beverage on its own, this Rosé will pair with all manner of summer meals, from bouillabaisse and grilled shrimp, to goat cheese, ham, and poultry entrees.

Appellation: Willamette Valley
Farming: LIVE certified
Composition: 100% Pinot noir

2015 Adelsheim Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Price: $27.75       Sale $24.42

This 2015 Chardonnay features intense aromas of apple, kaffir lime, and white flowers with a vein of minerality. The palate shows tremendous balance between bright youthfulness and rich texture. This combination will allow the wine to pair beautifully with a wide range of foods.

Appellation: Willamette Valley
Farming: LIVE certified
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Aging: Neutral French oak, 18% fermented, not aged

2015 Adelsheim Staking Claim Chardonnay DEBUT RELEASE – 2015 VINTAGE
Price: $38.00       Sale $33.44

(92 Points) This 2015 Chardonnay opens with vivid aromas of lemon curd, Asian pear, white flowers, Bergamot orange zest, and cardamom. The flavors of lemon curd and Asian pear carry into the mouth, accompanied by a wet stone minerality. The firm structure and rich textural components linger on the palate. VINOUS 

Appellation: Chehalem Mountains
Farming: LIVE certified
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Aging: French oak, 21% new, 10-16 months

2015 Adelsheim Breaking Ground Pinot Noir     
Price: $41.00       Sale $36.08

(92 Points) This 2015 Pinot noir offers aromas of roasted spices, black raspberries, lilacs, dark loam, and bramble. Flavor follows with notes of cocoa nibs, toasted anise seed, and black cherry. Textures are rich and silky, with supple acidity. This wine has a lingering finish. VINOUS

Appellation: Chehalem Mountains
Farming: LIVE certified
Composition: 100% Pinot noir
Aging: French oak, 27% new, 10 months

2016 Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Price: $31.50       Sale $27.72

2016 Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (HALF BOTTLE)   
Price: $19.75       Sale $17.38

(91 Points) With its broad array of origins and clones, this 2016 Pinot noir displays aromas of cocoa, pomegranate, and raspberry on the nose and the palate as well as a light touch of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. True to our house style, it is elegantly textured with seamlessly integrated, silky, polished tannins. VINOUS

Appellation: Willamette Valley
Farming: LIVE certified
Composition: 100% Pinot noir
Aging: French oak, 25% new, 10 months

2014 Adelsheim Elizabeth's Reserve Pinot Noir               
Price: $59.25       Sale $52.14

(92 Points) Elegant and intense, offering layered aromas of red raspberries, fresh Oregon strawberries, brown spice, and cedar. It is exceptionally balanced with silky tannins and a persistent finish. This wine would pair well with lamb, duck, salmon, and aged cheeses.  VINOUS

Appellation: Willamette Valley
Farming: LIVE certified
Composition: 100% Pinot noir
Aging: French oak, 29% new, 10 months

The price to taste these 7 wines is $35 + tax and there are only 16 spaces available for this tasting which starts at 7pm here at the new Wine Watch wine cave.

Here is the Adelsheim time line for the Oregon wine industry which only goes back to the 1961 vintage.  The Willamette Valley is celebrating their 55th birthday this year as a wine producing region, hard to believe that in this short time it has become one of the premier regions in the world for Pinot Noir. 

1961 - Oregon’s First Post-Prohibition Vinifera Grapes

Richard Sommer planted Oregon's first post-Prohibition vinifera grapes, including Pinot noir, in the Umpqua Valley.

1965 - First Pinot noir in the Willamette Valley

David Lett planted Pinot noir and related cool-climate varieties in the Willamette Valley. 

1968 - First Oregon Pinot noir available for purchase

The first Oregon Pinot noir, from Hillcrest Vineyards in the Umpqua Valley, becomes available in the Oregon market.

1970 - Five bonded Oregon wineries with 35 vineyard acres.

1971 - First Property Purchased

On a beautiful June day in 1971, David Adelsheim and Ginny Adelsheim stood above an open field and were taken with the beauty of its orange and purple wildflowers. Five hundred feet below, Oregon's north Willamette Valley stretched out in a patchwork of orchards, pasture and native trees. The field, rich with clay-loam soil, had a gentle southern exposure and was sheltered by the Chehalem Mountains. The Adelsheims had dreamed of planting a vineyard in the area since returning from a summer in Europe, where they were inspired by the artisanal foods and wines they encountered.

1972 - First Plantings

In 1972, the Adelsheims began planting their original 15-acre vineyard at Quarter Mile Lane with Pinot noir, Chardonnnay, Pinot gris, and Riesling, relying on family and friends for assistance. Although the Chehalem Mountains were, at this time, an unproven viticultural area, the Adelsheims were undaunted in pursuit of their dream to produce exceptional wines in Oregon's north Willamette Valley.

1975 - First all-Oregon wine list

L’Omelette Restaurant, the trendy Portland spot in the 70’s, introduced the first wine list featuring an all-Oregon wine section.  The wine list was created by David Adelsheim, then sommelier, now president of Adelsheim Vineyard.

1978 - First Commercial Vintage

Working in a cramped basement winery with a simple crusher and press, and 20 Burgundy barrels, David Adelsheim made Adelsheim Vineyard's first 1,300 cases of wine for commercial release in 1978; tiny quantities of Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Riesling from the estate vineyard were produced, along with Semillon and Merlot. As the Quarter Mile Lane vineyard matured to full yield and grapes were purchased from other growers, annual production doubled every two years.

1980 – Three are only 34 bonded wineries with 1,100 vineyard acres.

1997 - Second building phase at Calkins Lane

In 1997, a state-of-the-art, 35,000 square-foot, gravity-flow winery was completed at Calkins Lane Vineyard. Combining function with understated elegance, this 40,000 case capacity facility provides the quality controls demanded by a "hands-off" winemaking approach. A two-level, gravity-flow fermentation room allows for gentle grape movement and four underground barrel caves utilize pre-cast concrete arches and temperature-controlled floors to provide optimal temperature and humidity for slow, cool aging of their Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.

2015 - Today

Today, the Adelsheim Vineyard estate has grown to include ten exceptional vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley, totaling 223 acres. A new generation of experienced wine industry professionals has joined with David Adelsheim in our passionate endeavor to lead the industry in crafting consistently transcendent wines.