Summer 2015 Newsletter

Wine Club Pick Up!

Saturday, June 27 * 2 p.m. ‘til 4 p.m. Edgefield Winery

Join us for a tasting of Pinot Noirs from our library and a walk in the Edgefield Vineyard with our winemaker Davis Palmer—and get your wine! RSVP by June 25 to wineclub@mcmenamins.com.

If you haven’t joined yet, our Wine Club is a great way to try all of our wines! We offer four different clubs: The White Rabbit Club, the Red Shed Club, the combination Gateway Club, and the Fireside Club featuring our dessert wines. You can join one or as many as you like (the Fireside Club makes a particularly nice combination with one of the others).

Club members get a 15% discount on our wines (20% for purchases of 12 or more bottles), complimentary tastings in our tasting room, invitations to member-only events, discounts on tickets to wine events, and priority access to new and limited releases. The wines can be shipped to you directly or picked up in our tasting room. Gift memberships are also available.

For more information or to sign up, visit edgefieldwinery.com or email wineclub@mcmenamins.com.

Wine Region Spotlight: Burgundy

This French region is the ancestral home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and is known for producing some of the finest wines in the world.  

According to archaeological evidence, wines have been made in the area since at least the second century AD, and historical records show that grapes were likely grown in the region beginning as early as 600 BC.

Burgundy is terroir-oriented, with much emphasis placed on the location of the vineyards rather than the producers. The vineyards were first classified by quality in 1855 and were incorporated into the national appellations d’origine contrôlées system in 1936, with the best vineyards being labeled Grand crus. This differs from Bordeaux, where it is the Chateaux, rather than the vineyards, that are so designated. The Grand Cru Pinot Noir from the region is considered to be some of the best (and most expensive) wine in the world, although it is possible to find good deals on some excellent AOC village wines.

The Willamette Valley here is often compared to Burgundy in terms of climate and quality of the wines. Our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Vintage Select Pinot Noir are great examples of Burgundy-style wines. Try a glass! 

Vineyard Spotlight: Hidden Rocks Estate

Fruit from Hidden Rocks has formed the base of our Pinot Noir program since we started sourcing grapes from them in 2011. The vineyard is located on southeast-facing slopes in the Willamette Valley’s Eola-Amity Hills. Prior to being planted to Pinot Noir in 2001, the site was home to an 80-year-old Italian Plum orchard.

Fun Fact: Hidden Rocks is named for the large amount of volcanic basalt uncovered during the preparation of the vineyard. They dug up enough rock to build a large retaining wall, rock gardens for several friends, and additional rock work on site. There are still large piles of rocks scattered around the vineyard.

Recent Releases Featuring Hidden Rocks Fruit: 2013 Vintage Select Pinot Noir, 2012 Pinot Noir

Summer Food and Wine Pairing

Low in tannin and high in acidity, Pinot Noir is one of the most food-friendly wines out there. Mushrooms, such as the seasonal Morels found in Oregon are a perfect pairing for the earthy undertones of our Pinot Noirs.

Roasted Double Rack of Pork with Morel Mushroom Pan Sauce
(Bon Appétit Magazine, December 2005)
Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients:

2 oz dried whole morels (about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp brandy
2 Cups low-salt chicken broth
1 Cup whipping cream
3 large garlic cloves
2 shallots, quartered
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp coarse kosher salt
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 6 lb frenched racks of pork (8 bones each)
½ cup slightly sweet Sherry (such as Dry Sack)

Instructions

1.  If using dried morels, reconstitute with 2 C boiling water in an 8x8x2 inch glass dish. Let soak for 1-3 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a small bowl, reserving liquid. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and sauté 3 minutes. Add brandy and shake pan until it has almost evaporated. Add chicken broth and cream. Slowly pour in mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Add mushrooms. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate.)

2.  Chop garlic and quartered shallots in mini processor. Scrape down bowl. Add olive oil, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper; blend until paste forms.
 

3.  Arrange roasts, bone side down, on work surface. Make 6-8 shallow slits in fat on each. Rub some of herb paste into slits. Rub remaining herb paste all over roasts. Stand roasts in large roasting pan, bone sides facing each other and rib bones pointing upward. Interlock ends of rib bones, pushing roasts together. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Uncover; let stand 2 hours at room temperature before continuing.)

4.  Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350˚F. Roast until thermometer inserted into pork from center of top registers 140˚F, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let pork rest 20 – 30 minutes then transfer roasts, still interlocked, to platter. Cut between ribs into chops.
 

5.  Pour all pan juices from roasting pan into a small bowl. Spoon off fat from top and pour juices into mushroom base in saucepan. Place roasting pan over 2 burners set at medium heat. Pour in sherry. Boil 1 minute, scraping up browned bits; pour into mushroom base. Boil sauce until reduced to 3 cups, about 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Serve with pork.

Upcoming Events

Al Fresco Wine Dinner • Grand Lodge • July 10, 7 p.m.

James Beard Dinner • Gearhart Hotel & Sand Trap Pub • July 25, 6:30 p.m.

Estate to Table Dinner • Edgefield • July 29, 7 p.m.