Sunday,April 29 from 6-9 p.m.
Recipe – A Neighborhood Kitchen
115 N. Washington St., Newberg, OR 97132

“Oh What a Night….”
Once again, the last Saturday in February, Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) proved to be one of the most memorable nights of the year. A change in venue to the Portland Art Museum proved a delightful way to start the evening. Guests were treated to a private tour of the newly opened Rothko Exhibit before settling in for a night of memories, sharing and tasting some truly remarkable wines.

2012 was the first year where no wines were flawed. There was not a corked or bad wine among the 26 bottles opened; a first in our history of the event. Quite an accomplishment considering one of our guests shared a 1927 Rivesaltes Domaine Bory dessert wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon. We are happy to report that a 1967 Bertani Amarone was still young and alive and a 1978 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon blew us all away. And it wasn’t just the old wines that surprised and delighted us. Everyone chose well those younger wines they brought to share including a 2006 Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon; a 2006 Panther Creek Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard Magnum; a 2007 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum and a powerful yet elegant 2009 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon.

Before we share the stories, let us share all of the wines that were opened.

1927 Rivesaltes Domaine Bory
1978 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
1967 Bertani Amarone
1978 Diamond Creek, Volcanic Hill, Cabernet Sauvignon
1979 Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
1987 Elk Cove, Dundee Hills Vineyard, Pinot noir
1988 Rex Hill, Archibald Vineyard, Pinot noir
1989 Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah
1990 Rombauer Vineyards, Napa Valley, Cabernet Franc
1995 Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Camp Gros Martinengo
2000 Stags’ Leap, Estate Grown Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon
2000 St Aubin Premier Cru, En remilly
2001 Ken Wright, Meredith-Mitchell Vineyard, Pinot noir
2001 Domaine Des Relagnes Chateauneuf du Pape
2002 Lemelson Vineyards, Theo Selection, Pinot noir
2003 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo
2005 Duckhorn, Patzimaro Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Rombauer, Fiddletown, Zinfandel
2006 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Panther Creek, Freedom Hill, Pinot noir (Magnum)
2006 Chateau St. Jean, Eighty Five-Fifty Five, Red Wine
2006 Black Cap Pinot noir
2007 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon (Magnum)
2007 Stoller, SV, Pinot noir
2009 Descendientes de Jose Palacios “Petalos de Bierzo” Bierzo
2009 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

If you haven’t experienced OTBN with us, let me tell you what we do. The owner of each wine takes the wine to their table of 6 to 8 guests. Throughout dinner, each bottle is opened and the wine and the story of the wine is shared by its owner. Each table decides on the most compelling story behind the wine, and the owner of that wine is asked to share their story with all of our guests. The teller of the most compelling “table” story receives a bottle of Winderlea Pinot noir and the teller of the most compelling story overall receives a Magnum of Winderlea Pinot noir.

The story telling gets more interesting as the night progresses. We are very specific that the story must be compelling, we do not have fact checkers establishing the minute accuracy of each account!

Let me share the 6 most compelling table stories with you.

We start with the providence of the 1978 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. This bottle was shared by Jason Moore and Minami Yamaguchi. Jason is a professional musician and guitar teacher. Jason took on the responsibility of providing guitar lessons to a talented youth whose father did not have the financial means to pay for his son’s lessons in cash. The Dad, who no longer drinks, learned of Jason’s love of fine wine and offered to exchange Jason his last “treasured bottle” of 1978 Diamond Creek for his son’s lessons. We all agreed, it was a wonderful exchange.

Susan Meredith and Frank Mitchell shared the last bottle, they ever plan to open of the couple they have remaining, of their 2001 Ken Wright Cellars, Meredith Mitchell Vineyards, Pinot noir. Susan and Frank are the owners of the famed Meredith-Mitchell Vineyard which they still personally farm. The 2001 Ken Wright Cellars they opened is the first commercial vineyard designated wine produced from their vineyard. Everything they had worked so hard for in the years since they purchased the vineyard in 1990, rested on the success of this one wine. It was a smashing success then, upon its release, and it is still just stunning.

Reid Oliver, Winderlea’s Tasting Room Manager had the most compelling story at his table and this is what he shared with us about the 2006 Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. Reid started collecting wine in college (only a few years back), spending most of his paychecks on wine at the Bellevue Market in McMinnville. He and his now fiancée, Suzanne, built a fine cellar of about 100 cherished bottles. During the summer of 2010 – on a warm summer night when he left street level windows to his house open – bandits entered, snuck into his basement cellar and walked off with the bulk of their treasured collection. Somehow, they left behind this very fine bottle of Leonetti – which proudly demonstrated the quality of what Reid and Suzanne had collected over the years. The wine was sublime – but the story comes with valuable lessons for all of us collectors. First, know what is in your cellar. Reid and Suzanne had not kept an electronic inventory of their wines. They now keep everything on Cellar Tracker. But the real lesson for all of us is to “drink the good ones more frequently.” Thank you Reid and Suzanne for the wine and for the lessons.

Sam Sirkin, a classmate of Bill’s from Bates College, and his wife Erin shared the gorgeous 2003 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo they seemingly smuggled out of Italy. It seems Luigi Einaudi’s son Luigi was Sam’s neighbor in Washington, DC in the 70s. Sam, Erin and their two young sons visited Luigi Jr on his family estate and purchased the bottle there in 2007. Sam shared that Luigi Einaudi Sr. was the first president of Italy after WWII and the first President of the Republic of Italy. His son, Luigi Jr, was the US Ambassador to the Organization of the American States. This family represents the Patricians of Dolgiani and their home estate one of the grandest. What made us all giggle was the way this very grand wine was transported out of Italy. It was unceremoniously wrapped in dirty laundry and tucked into their young son’s back- pack for its journey to America – and to our very thankful glasses on OTBN.

Jeanne and David Beck (and owners of the Crawford-Beck Vineyard) shared a 1995 Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Camp Gros Martinengo with us at OTBN. It is a wonderful story that begins when David and Jeanne felt compelled to accompany their daughter and new husband on their honeymoon to Piedmont Italy in 1999. Their daughter married a chef and they spent leisurely days having cooking lessons in the morning – tasting sessions in the afternoon – and then a pairing of both for dinner. Their most memorable day of the “honeymoon” was July 3rd 1999 spending the morning learning to make agnolotti and the afternoon having the amazing good fortune of visiting Marchesi de Gresy and spending the afternoon with their New Zealand winemaker who provided them with a private tasting through the cellar. The pairing of the ’95 Barbaresco with the angolotti was a highlight of the trip. The bottle of wine shared by the Beck’s brings back the happiest moments of a legendary trip.

And finally, Liane and Rich Cabot who brought a cherished 2001 Domaine Des Relagnes Chateauneuf du Pape purchased on their honeymoon as they traveled throughout Europe shared the story that brought the house down. The details of the telling were marvelous as they squirreled bottle after bottle away in luggage and carriers as they made their way from country to country, past border guards and sentries and secretly accumulated and safely transported 2 cases of wine back into the US only to have a porter at Newark Airport drop a piece of their cargo with their precious possessions – leaving them this 1 bottle of wine. Tears of laughter, joy and sorrow were shed by us all, along with many thanks for sharing this most special bottle with those of us at OTBN.

So, there you have it. Open That Bottle Night 2012 was a magnificent evening of food, wine, storytelling and friendship. In case you’re wondering what we poured from Winderlea – we introduced some of our 2010 vintage, including our:
2010 Winderlea Chardonnay
2010 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot noir
2010 Winderlea Legacy Pinot noir
and from the Winderlea Library
1987 Elk Cove “Dundee Hills Vineyard” Pinot noir
1988 Rex Hill “Archibald” Pinot noir

We hope these bottles will become part of your stories one day.

Until next February 23rd, 2013, always remember to “drink the good ones more frequently.”

Your hosts,
Bill & Donna

Winderlea is making its debut in Chicago with its new relationship with Fine Vines. Be on the look out for Winderlea wines in your local fine wine shops and restaurants. Join us for dinner on Monday, March 26th at Nightwood Restaurant on 2119 S Halsted, Chicago. To reserve a seat at our first Winemaker dinner in Chicago, call Donna at 503-554-5900 or email at Donna@winderlea.com.

Executive Chef Jason Stoller Smith of The Timberline Lodge has created a fabulous 6 course menu paired with Winderlea wines for the evening in the clouds at the Silcox Hut. Seating for this rate dinner is limited to 24. Reservations may be made by calling the Timberline Lodge at 503-272-3251. Take a look at a preview of the evening’s menu (PDF). Price is $175 per person.

Most of you who know us also know about Open That Bottle Night (OTBN). It was started in 2000 by the wine writers for the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher (for an interview with Dottie and John on the origins and evolution of OTBN follow this link http://palatepress.com/2010/02/dottie-and-john-on-open-that-bottle-night/). In short, they learned that people were holding wine that had become so dear to them that it was almost impossible to find a reason special enought to drink it. So, they created a night, originally in September, now held the last Saturday in February, designated as the night to open whatever bottle of wine you can never seem to find a reason to drink.

Donna and I have celebrated many (if not all) of these over the years, with family and friends. We knew that when we started our own winery, OTBN would become one of our flagship event. On Saturday, February 27th, we held our third annual Open That Bottle Night for Winderlea. It was an amazing night with temperatures in the high fifties with blue skies, cherry trees and daffodils in bloom, and, when the sun went down, a full moon (known as The Hunger Moon according to our friend, David Beck). It was glorious (note to all our east coast friends – this is Oregon winter).

We had a delicious four course meal created by chef Jason Stoller Smith of the Dundee Bistro (Jason does his thing at the Bistro, a wine country institution, but he really shows his creativity at private wine dinners). Sadly, Jason’s grandmother passed away and he had to go to Utah, but his sous chef of nine years, Chris Flanagan, executed his plan perfectly. The food and the service were wonderful. The menu and wine pairings are below.

We use OTBN as an opportunity to pour our new vintage each year and it’s a treat for us to do so, but honestly, the fun really begins once our guests start opening the wines they’ve brought. This year they really outdid themselves and shared some stunning wines. The list is below.

Donna did a fantastic job as MC and really kept the festivities moving. Ingeniously creating some competition with prizes, she actually managed to get all the guests to write down their stories for us. Each table selected their best story and the winners shared the tale of their precious wine with the room. The grand prize winner, and recipient of a magnum of the 2007 Winderlea Vineyard (Estate) Pinot noir, were Jim and Karen Halliday. Jim is a gifted story teller who told a wonderfully romantic story about the wine he and Karen brought with them.

Our winemaker, Robert Brittan, generously agreed to talk about the 2008 vintage and our wines. Given the high percentage of wine geeks in the room, this was a real treat. Robert is not only one of the most knowledgable winemakers/viticulturalists you’ll ever meet but he’s also very eloquent and charming. I love our wines but I always appreciate them even more after listening to Robert talk about them. I think you all know this, but if you don’t, Robert has his own label, Brittan Vineyards, and his estate wines are gorgeous (Robert produces two wines each vintage and Portland Monthly Magazine put them both in the top thirty in Oregon this past year – out of more then 600 tasted). www.brittanvineyards.com

OK, so here’s the list of wines people brought in order of their arrival:

2000 Rene Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques
1995 Caymus Special Select Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 St Innocent Shea Vineyard Pinot noir
1946 Albert Pochon Hospice de Beaune Cuvee Guigone de Salins
1989 Elk Cove Vineyards Dundee Hills Vineyards Pinot noir (original name of Winderlea)
2005 Fidelitas Optu Red Wine Columbia Valley
1994 Stags’ Leap Winery Merlot
1991 Quichotte Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Chateau de la Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape
1961 Lynch Bages Grand Cru Classe Pauillac Medoc
1996 Stags’ Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
1995 Cascina Bongiovanni Barolo Pernanno
1999 Cristom Louise Pinot noir
2005 Sedouce Harris Bridge Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot nori dessert wine
2005 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
1993 Hafner Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
2006 Cobos Bramare Malbec Lujon de Cuyo
2002 Cakebread Rubaiyat Red Wine
2004 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
2004 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits Saint Georges La Perriere (white pinot noir)

Not a bad list, eh?

And here is the menu created by chef Jason Stoller Smith and brilliantly prepared by chef Chris Flanagan.
Appetizers
Chilled Curried Onion Veloute with Pink Lady Apples
Smoked Trout with Radishes in Crispy Parmigiano Cup
Golden Beet Tapenade Crouton with Fra Mani Salametto
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Chardonnay

1st Course
Applewood Bacon Wrapped Sturgeon with Razor & Manilla Clams,
Tomato Broth, Fingerling Potatoes, and Crispy Fried Onions
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Ana Pinot noir

Entree
Pinot noir Braised Short Rib with Torchon of Foie Gras,
Parsnip Puree, Braised Celery, truffle Bordelaise, Gremolata
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot noir

Cheese Course
Ancient Heritage Dairy “Adelle” Oregon Sheeps Milk Cheese
5 Years Aged Prosciutto Riserva
Pickled Mustard Seed Grisini
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Dundee Hills Vineyards Pinot noir

Truffles & Coffee

Thank you so much to our incredible guests. The wine was astonishing, the food exquisite, but it’s the people that make the party.

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Boasting some of the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley – the vineyard was planted in 1974 — the property sits on the south side of Worden Hill Road with ideal elevations of 480 to 570 feet. The original plantings include Pommard, Wadenswil, Dijon and the so-called Coury clones of Pinot noir. Today the site is composed of 13 blocks entirely devoted to Pinot noir.

Winderlea’s new sustainably-built 4000 square foot tasting room, which includes a commercial kitchen, offices and equipment storage, was designed by Ernie Munch and Travis Butler of Ernest R. Munch, Architect & Urban Planner, LLC of Portland, Oregon. The firm was chosen for its reputation as a leader in sustainable architecture and experience with winery related projects. Winderlea’s new building was designed and built to take advantage of its site and minimize the use of electricity. The building is designed to conserve energy and shift its source of energy to that which can be harvested on-site, principally sunlight. Winderlea® has installed solar hot water heaters and Day4 Energy photovoltaic modules to meet its energy needs. The building also relies on passive solar heating, natural ventilation and daylight harvesting for lighting. And, with an eye toward the future, the parking lot will feature a station for electric vehicles to recharge.

The modern structure was designed to perform its function as a gatherer of solar energy and to highlight the expansive views of Winderlea® and neighboring vineyards. Many of the materials used for construction contain recycled components, are sustainable and produce a healthy interior environment. The east and south sides of the building are made up entirely of glass and aluminum providing dramatic views. An elevated patio off of the south side of the building further blurs the line between indoors and outdoors. The tasting room was built by R&H Construction of Portland, Oregon..

With the opening of Winderlea’s tasting room, Morris and Sweat are releasing their inaugural 2006 vintage made up of 3 bottlings: the 2006 Winderlea® Goldschmidt Pinot noir – a single vineyard designate from their estate vineyard, the 2006 Winderlea® ANA Pinot noir – a single vineyard designate from the highly regarded ANA vineyard which abuts Winderlea®, and the 2006 Winderlea® Inaugural Reserve Pinot noir made up of fruit sourced from the neighboring ANA and Weber vineyards. Acclaimed winemaker Robert Brittan formerly of Stags Leap Winery makes Winderlea® wines.

Winderlea’s Tasting Room, located at 8905 NE Worden Hill Road in Dundee, will be open Memorial Day through Thanksgiving on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11AM to 4PM. On Fridays during July and August, Winderlea® will offer a 3-course lunch paired with wines for up to 12 guests. These menus will be created and prepared by some of the most popular chefs in the area. Advance reservations will be required.

All proceeds from the winery’s $10 tasting fee will be donated to ¡Salud! – a unique alliance between Oregon winemakers, Tuality Healthcare and medical professionals to provide education and access to healthcare services for Oregon’s seasonal vineyard workers and their families.

Winderlea® Wine Company, LLC was founded in 2005 by Donna Morris and Bill Sweat, as an outgrowth of their passion for great Pinot noir. Winderlea® wines will also be available through a limited number of fine wine stores and restaurants as well as online at www.winderlea.com.