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The Newest Portland Urban Winery Tasting - TOMORROW!

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Last minute impromptu get-together in a cavernous room that will someday house a winery. Jesse Skiles - Fausse Piste, Prop. - is opening up his new space in Industrial SE tomorrow and asked me to bring some wine. We'll be popping some corks, eating some cheese and talking smack. Also in attendance will be the-man-named-after-a-river, Ewald Moseler, pouring the wines he likes from Teutonic Wine Co. This will be a fun time and there will be some good wines open - many made in such small quantities that this may be your only chance to put them in your mouth. The Details Sunday 9/18 3-8pm 537 SE Ash St. (right behind J&M Cafe ((mmmm, delicious waffles))) 97214 $10

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It's Gonna Happen!

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Sunset View 8/30/11

This cool Spring and Summer has left a lot of winemakers wondering if we will ever get to harvest grapes this year. Well, of course we will. And the Pinot grapes will be red as proven out by these snaps taken on Tuesday at Bob Bailey's Sunset View Vineyard in the Eola Hills. See?

Sunset View 8/30/11

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Oregon's Best Wines!

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AwardPlaque

They blind-tasted over 400 wines. Four days of arduous sipping and spitting. They chose just 15 white wines and only four were Rieslings. Love & Squalor 2010 Willamette? No. 12!

I am extremely grateful to the tired palates at the Portland Monthly for their nod. I'll buy you guys a beer.

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No.12

Best-buy-graphic

Love and 
Squalor

2010 RieslingWillamette Valley, $18

Matt Berson’s zesty riesling—made with organic grapes—is sweet, lush, and refreshing, offering flavors of peaches and mangoes for a balanced palate that’d be a perfect picnic sipper. Pack a backpack with a baguette, smoked salmon, Peppadew peppers, and a corkscrew, and you’re set for a wonderful meal.

Here's the link.

Enthusiastic?

Wine Enthusiast Logo

I just got word that my 2009 Riesling received a 91-point rating from the quaffers down at Wine Enthusiast Magazine. I don't put much weight on these sorts of things, but I always am happy when someone likes the wine, and am happier still when they say so in print.

I agree with these guys - I think the '09 is my best yet, and, of course, it is almost completely sold out. Luckily for you the smart people at the brand new Ringside Fish House are pouring it by the glass until I run out. Also, there are a few bottles on the racks at two Whole Foods stores - Hollywood and Tanasbourne. I look forward to hearing how it scores with you. If you'd prefer to go the path of less resistance, the Love & Squalor 2010 Riesling is now available and plentiful, just contact me if you need some.

Summer of Love & Squalor!

Come and Get It! Whew! What a crazy busy couple of weeks. Rolling out the new wines, Serving up kegged Riesling all weekend at IPNC's 25th Anniversary (and my 10th year serving there), and tonight - Plate & Pitchfork with my Avignon and Brooks families. Here's the spots that have taken delivery of the Love & Squalor and Behemoth wines this past week:

  • Whole Foods Tannasbourne
  • Whole Foods Hollywood
  • Ringside Fish House
  • Ringside Steak House East
  • Ringside Steak House Burnside
  • Wildwood
  • Navarre
  • Portland WIne Merchants
  • Fred Meyer Stadium
  • Vino
  • Secret Society
  • New Seasons Happy Valley
  • New Seasons Cedar Hills
  • New Seasons Raleigh Hills
  • New Seasons Sellwood
  • Portland Bottle Shop
  • Laurelhurst Market
  • Le Pigeon
  • Farm
  • Ned Ludd
  • New Seasons Concordia
  • Metrovino
  • Dundee Bistro
  • Tina's
  • Thistle
  • Cafe Uncorked
  • Grain & Gristle
  • Bar Avignon
  • Blackbird Wine Shop

I am so grateful for all of your support and thanks for keeping me running around.

Pinot Invasion

I am happy to say that the new Love & Squalor 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir has met with a very warm reception. It is already available at a number of fine Portland restaurants (see previous post) and shops. Look for it by-the-glass at Laurelhurst Market (sorry Patty). I will get a formal mail-order release together after IPNC weekend, but let it be known that you can order at will. Pricing is the same as last year. If you want to know what some think about it, read the review below. Thanks to Shannon Fitzpatrick for making me blush with this piece she wrote for the Ponzi Wine Bar site:  

Matt Berson stopped by the wine bar yesterday to pour his new 2009 Pinot Noir for us. Let me say I was impressed. I have been a fan of Matt’s wines since the beginning and each year his Pinot and Riesling are fantastic but I must say that this 2009 bottling is amongst my fav’s to date.

The 2009 vintage was a mighty warm one here in the beautiful Willamette Valley and I have come to anticipate richer style wines from those being offered to me. What a pleasant realization then, when Matt’s Pinot from this hot vintage showed me the same grace and elegance I have come to expect from his wines. The color and body of the wine were my first hint- light but not by any means weak. The nose follows with a faint damp earth note, pleasant fruit and just a hint of orange oil. On the palate the wine is balanced and smooth. It lays down a nice core of sweet dark-toned fruit with a lovely underpinning of acid that lifts it and provides a nice lingering finish. The wine comes from four vineyards in the Willamette Valley: Momtazi, Temperance Hill, Winter’s Hill and Johan. All four of the sites are farmed either organically or biodynamically and are a nice blend of old and young vines.

Matt is fairly hands-off in the cellar using only native yeasts and some “old skool funk music” to coax his ferments along. When the wine is finished he gently racks it clean but never fines or filters. No wonder the wine is so expressive! The best, most amazing part? While he makes less than 300 cases he sells this rare commodity at a steal of a price- just $24. Grab yours now or you’ll miss out!

 

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Summer of (Oregon)Riesling

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I am happy that Paul Greico's obsession with all things Riesling has spread out from it's New York home and has become a national epidemic. Here in Oregon, nine restaurants are participating in the Summer of Riesling by pouring three Rieslings by the glass all summer long, with many others restaurants highlighting Riesling as well.The following are signed up:

Bar Avignon, Portland - featuring Love & Squalor

Clyde Common, Portland

Gruner, Portland

June, Portland

Le Pigeon, Portland

Heathman Restaurant and Bar, Portland - featuring Love & Squalor

Metrovino, Portland

Ned Ludd, Portland - featuring Love & Squalor

Olympic Provisions, Portland

Love & Squalor Riesling is showing up at these fine spots and is additionally ON TAP! at Kir and St. Jack. This is a special one barrel 2010 cuvee that I created for these guys. When it's gone, it's gone.

Check out more in this recent Portland Monthly article.

2009 Pinot Peeks Out

I am proud to announce that the 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot noir is now available at the following fine restaurants and retailers. (I will make the formal mailing list offering as soon as I have a break from deliveries and daddy duties.) In the meantime, find it here: Laurelhurst Market

Navarre

Bar Avignon

Garrison's

Blackbird

Tina's (Dundee)

Ponzi Wine Bar (Dundee)

Thistle (McMinnville)

Cafe Uncorked (McMinnville)

Portland Bottle Shop (Sellwood)

Del Inti

New Seasons Sellwood

New Season Cedar Hills

New Seasons Raleigh Hill

New Seasons Happy Valley

New Seasons Concordia

Division Wines

Vino

Noble Rot

Lincoln

Winestock (Oregon City)

Park Kitchen

Wildwood

St. Jack (also has Riesling ON TAP!)

2009 Pinot at Vino!

First chance to taste the '09 my friends. This Friday (tomorrow for those who haven't been paying attention). It's a sit-down tasting with my whole lineup of wines alongside Sauv blanc and Pinot from Patricia Green Cellars. This is pretty special for me seeing as it Patty was my first teacher on my winemaking path. And, did I mention that the '09 Pinot will be available to taste and purchase For The First Time! (oh, I see I did mention it earlier, well, twice is nice . . . ) 4:30-8:00

Bring your own snacks or feast

VINO 137 SE 28th Av Portland, Or 97214 ph: 503.235.8545 email: vinobuys@qwestoffice.net

Riesling on Tap All Summer Long!

Need some brightening up on a rainy Portland Spring evening? You need look no further than Kir Wine Bar. The lovely Amalie just converted her two beer taps to wine and she commissioned Love & Squalor to create a special Riesling for her to pour by the glass and carafe ALL SUMMER! (yes, I'm a bit excited) This is a unique blend of Riesling from three sites throughout the Willamette. It has just over 1% residual sugar which is well-tempered by a good whack of natural acidity. Green apple and zingy citrus all the way to the finish line.

Remember - Kir has an exclusive on this juice, so get on down there and give it a whirl.

Plate & Pitchfork Lineup

I am very excited to be invited back to play on the farm with the awesome folks from Plate & Pitchfork. These events are always a cool experience, and they support local food and food education charities. This year will be just like hanging out with family for me. I am paired up with the hep cats from Bar Avignon  and Din Din Super Club (not yet family, but soon to be I hope) and will be pouring my wines alongside winemaker Chris Williams, my friend and sort-of boss at Brooks Wines. Come join the party. Tix go on sale next week and it ALWAYS sells out fast. Listing is below. Buy tix here. Saturday August 6 at Viridian Farms Chef Jeremy Eckel from Bar Avignon and Chef Courtney Sproule from Din Din Supper Club Wine from Brooks and Love & Squalor. Reception with beer tasting from Widmer Brothers Brewing. Dinner begins at 5 pm - $125 per person

Memorial Day Weekend Event

If you are planning a trip to The Valley this Memorial Day Weekend, you will have a chance to taste Love & Squalor in Dundee, Oregon. I will be pouring Love & Squalor wines (including the new 2009 Pinot noir) and the new Behemoth Red Blend alongside a handful of other micro producers. Meet the winemakers! Eat some food! Buy some wine! Details follow:

Memorial Day Weekend Press Wine Bar | Dundee, OR | Saturday, May 28th + Sunday, May 29th | 11-4pm | $20 tasting fee includes heavy snacks and 5 wineries Directions here

Hope to see you there.

Sunny Rays of Riesling

I've been hearing a lot of grumbling and whining of late, mostly the 'it's so cold I'm going to die' and 'will the sun ever shine again in my lifetime' variety. I have a solution and it is liquid. Not to get all Robert Louis Stevenson on your butt, but bottled sunshine is better than none at all. Our particular form of refreshing sun comes in a Riesling bottle and smacks of fresh fruit, zingy minerality and, of course, a bit of alcohol to warm your insides.

There are three new opportunities to get some a drop of summer into your mouth right away. Randy and Nancy at Bar Avignon are fronting up this Wednesday (1/26) with Dungeness Crab and Riesling all night. The crabs this season are delicious and the sting of the sea pairs dramatically with the zing of the Riesling. Love & Squalor is also back on the big blackboard at Kir (NE 7th & Burnside). We hope we can hold our own among Amalie's lovingly curated list of European values and wonders. This week also trumpets our return to the Heathman Restaurant. Riesling is a great foil to Chef Philippe's NW/French cuisine - the best Happy Hour menu in town. Now get out there and bag some Riesling Rays!

Wine Press NW Reviews

Both recent Love & Squalor releases are reviewed in the latest edition of Wine Press Northwest. In addition, the magazine's editor, Andy Perdue, chose the 2009 Love & Squalor Riesling for his "dream case" on his Wine Knows blog. Here are the reviews:

Love & Squalor 2009 Riesling, Willamette Valley, $18 Recommended: Roza peaches, dusty golden delicious apples and pineapple aromas funnel into an expressive and juicy assortment of Elberta peach and Honeycrisp apple flavors. (185 cases, 11.4% alc.) Still available locally or mail order

Love & Squalor 2008 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $24 Excellent: Matt Berson, assistant winemaker at Brooks, shows he paid attention during his times at J. Christopher, Patricia Green and Dr. Loosen with this blend of Temperance Hill, Winter's Hill and Left Coast vineyards. Toasty oak leads into notes of black cherry, plums and violets with nutmeg and milk chocolate accents. There's more smoky plum and sweet cherry pie among the flavors, backed a structure that's easy drinking. It's capped by cherry skin tannin. (175 cases, 13.3% alc.) Sold Out. Look for the new release this summer

What Up with WineUp!

I was just driving around industrial Portland with a case of wine in my trunk when I happened upon this strange purple door. Turns out behind that door is where the force of nature known as Wayne WineWizard has his secret lair. Wayne runs wine tours, has an online and storefront wine shop, and maintains a website with all sorts of crazy content - including a heap of winemaker interviews. I just casually wandered in the door and was sucked into Wayne's vortex. He was wheeling and dealing and interviewing me, that's right, on the spot. Here are the results. That's also the lowest price on my Riesling anywhere. Get it before Wayne WineWizard turns me into a rabbit.

Wizardly Interview