Hippies and jug wine!
I apologize for my journal writing delinquency last weekend. Leslie and I took a well-deserved jaunt to the Big Island of Hawaii to celebrate my Internal Medicine mentor’s 70th birthday. We pulled off a surprise party for Bob and he was duly touched. It was great to spend that time with him and his brilliant and hilarious wife, Trina. Oh, and breathe some island air! We were once again blessed with an invitation to join them for their weekly gathering of friends. The Sunday evening potluck, at a beach-side park as the sun sets over the horizon, is exactly the type of community that we wish to replicate at the Mason Hill vineyard. It is a celebration of the uniqueness of the human spirit, brought together around food and libations (including ShuVin Pinot Gris and Blanc de Blancs!). This life is so rich when you connect with others. We invite all of you to be a part of this. You won’t be disappointed.
Now, back to the memories and experiences that have shaped me. People often ask me why I got into the wine industry. This is a long story with multiple factors, but I will share a couple of my earliest memories about wine. First, wine was always present in our household, paired with a can of “Planters Redskin Spanish Peanuts” (yes, that’s an AI rendition of a 70’s kitchen on the photos below). But, not the kind of fine wine that Shumaker Vineyards crafts. No, we’re talking about the ubiquitous jug wine of the 1970s. In hindsight, I’m not even sure what type of wine Carlo Rossi was producing when they decided to slap the moniker “Vin Rosé” on the label. And, I am equally certain that the grapes making the wine in that “Burgundy” growler did not express the terroir of central France, and likely weren’t even Pinot Noir. That being said, these “vintages” were an integral part of our celebration and at an early age I was introduced to the rich tradition that wine plays in the social fabric of our human existence. One that would continue throughout my life.
The next indelible memory of Oregon wine lore was a 1973 invitation for my parents to attend a “hippie” picnic at the fledgling Ponzi Vineyard near our home in Scholls. My five-year old brain recalls the joy and excitement attached to these early years of wine in Oregon, punctuated with long hair, unshaved armpits, bell-bottom jeans and free-flowing Pinot Noir. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have “grown up” right alongside Oregon wine. The Ponzi’s were one of the OG wine pioneers in Oregon, along with David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards, the Coury’s in Forest Grove (now David Hill Winery), Dick Erath, the Sokol Blossers and the Adelsheims. I love the history of Oregon wine and feel incredibly grateful to help continue the tradition of making world-class wine in one of the premiere wine growing areas on this planet. If you want to read an interesting book about Dick Erath and the other early Oregon wine makers, pick up a copy of “The Boys Up North”.
What’s happening in the vineyard?
Can I tell you how excited I am to be back in college? The week before last we had the privilege of being trained in sap-flow pruning by Francesco, an Italian vigneron from Liguria in Northwest Italy. He works for Simonit and Sirch, the company who trains viticulturists around the world in their innovative pruning technique. Two days in the vineyard with Francesco have helped hone my pruning skills and boost my “snip-snip” confidence. I am thrilled to begin applying this technique to my own vineyard. It will bring a new level of health and stewardship to my beloved vines. The next challenge will be to pass on this knowledge to my vineyard manager and his crew. Chemeketa offers a Spanish-language course in December to help teach this revolutionary technique to my team, but that will have to wait until next vintage. In the meantime, I will introduce the concept and focus on shoot thinning this year. Converting to sap-flow pruning from the traditional method is a multi-year process. Valentin, my friend and vineyard manager, will return from his hometown in Mexico in a little over a week and we will begin pruning soon thereafter. I have practiced on several vines at Mason Hill already. Please enjoy the photos of my efforts below. In addition, I spent most of last Thursday pruning two rows of vines assigned to me for this growing season at the Chemeketa Eola vineyard in Salem. I feel so blessed to be gaining this knowledge and applying it to the ShuVin vines.
Latest update, we continue to work on the new tasting room. Unfortunately, the new 12-foot doors to the beautiful patio have been further delayed at the factory. We now have an estimated arrival date of February 16th. Even though the new space won’t be ready, it won’t slow down our ability to share our wines with you at the Estate Vineyard in North Plains. We will host all wine tasting groups in our living room until the space is finished (and a sneak peed at the new tasting space). So, please click the “VISIT US” tab above to make a reservation now. Our opening date HAS NOT CHANGED, Saturday, February 7th. We will be taking reservations every Saturday and Sunday between 11:00 and 5:00 pm. We will even be open on Super Bowl Sunday for those looking for something else to do (though we will have the game playing silently in the background!). We look forward to seeing you!
