This heat spell we’re having this week might set record high temperatures, just as this spring set record low temperatures, and everything is great in the vineyard. One the clouds parted two weeks ago, the vines who heretofore been thin and lacking in vigor exploded in growth. A few days ago, the flowers started unfurling and the period known as fruit-set began during perfect climactic conditions for a vintage year.

We’re working around the heat, trying to keep up with the rapid growth of the vines before the heat of the afternoon weighs too heavily. Starting at 5:00 and ending at 2:00, we avoid the worst part of the day and work as quickly as we can in the cool morning air.

This sudden spike in temperatures couldn’t have been more perfect after a dismal, dreary sort of spring. Crisis seemed to lurk, but whoever’s in charge must have listened to the prayers of every vineyard worker in Oregon. The vineyard looks great and everything so far makes 2010 look like a great vintage.

Safety is very important around here. Our Safety Committee meets monthly and the Chairperson presents the meeting minutes and action items to the rest of us at our All Staff meetings. The company hosted a CPR training class a few months back and this month, staff members attended a fire extinguisher class. Now our employees not only know where each of our extinguishers is located, they also know the steps to take in case of a fire and how to properly use the extinguisher to put a fire out. Here are a few pictures of our Wine By Joe fire fighters in training.

Dobbes Family Estate Vintner Dinner

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

 7:30PM

Winchester Inn

35 S. 2nd St.

Ashland, Oregon 97520

RSVP

First Course

2007 Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Gris 

Wild Mushroom Strudel with Gaufrettes and Pear Compote

Second Course

2007 Dobbes Family Estate Grand Assemlage Pinot Noir

 Trio of Sockeye Salmon Tartare, Salmon Wellington and Wine Poached Salmon Roulade

Third Course 

2006 Dobbes Family Estate Cuvee Noir Pinot Noir

Smoked Duck Carpaccio with Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Fourth Course 

2006 Dobbes Family Estate Sundown Vineyard Syrah

Coco Nib Encrusted Rack of Lamb with Caramelized Shallots

Dessert

2007 Dobbes Family Estate Late Harvest Viognier

Spiced Poached Pear dipped in White Chocolate with Hazelnut Crust

Chef de Cuisine, Timothy R. Nelson

$45 per person

Spring is here, and the wildflowers are abloom in the upper pastures of the vineyard. The geese, who overwinter in the grass fields nearby, are starting to leave, flying North for the summer. The grapevines, dormant for the winter, have woken up and are starting to grow.

We finished pruning and tying the vines a few weeks ago, and since then, its mostly rained. We’ve been busy finishing the final and yearly repair work on our trellis system, and we’ve been perfecting our gopher hunting skills. While most people anxiously await the warmer temperatures, I for one, will miss the winter. It is cold, and we are often wet, but it is the calm time of the year, when things are quiet and there isn’t much to worry about except the calm work of forming vines with pruning shears.

Now, tractors are once again making their way through the vineyard, mowing, disking, and spraying to prevent mildew. There are new insect pests on the horizon to learn about and monitor. The vines now growing, and a late season freeze could cripple our vines. You see, from bud break to harvest there’s all sorts of things to worry about, and it’s true that it’s warmer and sunnier, but I’ll miss the cold and the rain of the winter.

This weekend, we’re going to start preparing the soil in front of the winery to seed with wildflowers. Poppies, daisies, and sunflowers will be among the many pretty flowers beckoning wine country visitors to stop and maybe sip a bit of our wine. It is springtime and we are busy, but when the labors of your work are dedicated towards wine and flowers, it is easily worth the sweat and strain of it all.

MENU:

Chef’s Selection of Hors d’oeuvres

2008 Jovino Pinot Gris

Maine Lobster Gallontine with Grilled Melon

Marcona Almonds, Arugula & Citrus Foam

2007 Dobbes Family Estate, Willamette Valley, Pinot Gris

Goat Cheese “Sundae”

Scoops of Humboldt Fog, Siskiyou Crest and Cypress Grove

with Berries, Nuts, Orange Blossom Honey & Fine Herbs

2008 Dobbes Family Estate, Rogue Valley, Viognier

Intermezzo

Star Anise Crusted Duck Confit

Cherry & Marshmallow Risotto

Brased Fennel and Spring Peas

2007 Grand Assemblage, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir

Cocoa Nib & Green Peppercorn Crusted Filet Mignon

Pancetta Wrapped Potatoes, Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Tartlet

Bordelaise Syrup

2006 Grand Assemblage, Rogue Valley, Syrah

Apricot Bread Pudding

Green Cardamon Honey Ice Cream

Hazelnut Praline

2007 Late Harvest, Rogue Valley, Viognier

$75 all inclusive

“The LIVE certification is centered around three core principals — asking whether practices are good for the environment, good for business and good for the community. If a winery can’t meet or exceed these goals, they won’t be certified.” – Statesman Journal

Hello Everyone,

My name is Tom Dodson and I’m Joe’s Production Manger. I just wanted to bring everyone up to date on what’s keeping us busy other than making great wines for our customers. We’re going GREEN! Our facility has just been certified LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology). This is certification that proves that our practices in the field and in the wine-making process are in line with sustainability efforts.

Over the last year the team and I have been preparing our facility for a LIVE certification audit. This refers to the practice of limiting the amount of raw materials (inputs such as pesticides, fertilizer, water, chemicals, fuel, etc.) used in vineyard and winery production. It starts with preparation and then an inspection. If all the standards are met you become certified by LIVE. Sounds easy right; not so fast, LIVE will continue to work with and drive wineries and vineyards to continually reduce the impact our industry has on the environment. Reduction, reduction, reduction. A noble prize: superior wines produced in a sustainable continuously improving industry.

What does this mean to you the consumer? This will ensure you that the wines purchased from Joe are produced using a world class winemaking process (yes, Joe’s Midas touch) but also in a certified facility that is focusing on waste reduction, environmental safety and energy conservation. In addition, let’s not forget that Joe’s facility is also a custom winemaking site. If your fruit source or vineyards are LIVE certified having your wines made here will meet the OWB criteria.

We are ecstatic to be participating in such a forward thinking program. I will be updating everyone on our progress. Please feel free to write me with questions or comment: tom@winebyjoe.com

Thanks and talk to you soon,

Tom

BEFORE

So, picture this: You’re driving down 99W and you’re looking for tasting rooms. You see a couple blue signs that read, “Wine By Joe” and “Dobbes Family Estate Winery”. And you think, “Wine By Joe, that’s pretty catchy,” and “Dobbes Family Estate, I’ll bet they have some great Pinots.” You decide to stop. Once you figure out where the tasting rooms are located. You look right, see an elementary school and assume, much to many of the teaching staffs’ dismay, that there is not wine being served there. Look left and see two very large metal production buildings and wonder what kind of canned goods are produced inside. So, you keep driving and wonder where in the world you can taste those wines, but don’t know at that point, you’ve already passed your opportunity because you missed the turn a mile ago. And that canned good production facility was really a wine production facility with a great little tasting room tucked behind it.

Well, I am happy to report that passing the Wine By Joe and Dobbes Family Estate tasting room will soon be ancient history and here’s why- reclaimed wood. Yes, that’s right, the outside of our not-so-pretty metal building is getting covered in barn wood from a local barn as well as the flooring from an old tobacco plant in Kentucky.  Check out the progress so far.

AFTER

Just want to remind everyone who hasn’t made plans for Valentine’s Day yet to stop by the Dobbes tasting room for aphrodisiac and wine pairing. We’re holding the event both Saturday, February 13th and Sunday, February 14th. You can expect delicious gourmet goodies like espresso brownies, baklava and lemon squares with a  raspberry drizzle to be paired with our sumptuous wines.  All of the desserts contain several aphrodisiac ingredients so you’ll be sure to leave with a smile on your face!  The event will be held during normal business hours- 11 am to 6 pm. RSVP with Charles: charles@winebyjoe.com or call 503-538-1141.

We continue to prune all day, and have finished more than sixty percent since the start of the year. Pruning is a dialogue with both the past and the future. By cutting away and reforming each vine, we’re working with those who did the work before. By thinking of the work to be done in the future, we’re making decisions to facilitatethe work of growing future vintage’s wines.

Ours is a vineyard not grafted to American rootstalks, which makes for both challenges and opportunities. One of the most amazing things about working with ungrafted grapevines is the ability to propagate a new vine by “layering” a new vine in. That is, we select and grow a long cane during the previous year, and once pruned, we bury it in a way that it’s still connected to the mother vine and growing towards and up into a new vine position. The cane will begin to self-root in a matter of days. Within a year, we’ll have established the production of two vines where once we had just one. In another year, we’ll cut the new vine away from the mother vine, thus making two distinct vines.

February 14 isn’t just St. Valentine’s day, but is also another wine Saint’s day, that of St. Trifon the Pruner, patron saint of wine growers. Celebrated mostly in Bulgaria, at the end of the day the women join the men who’ve been pruning all day to feast and dance. So next Sunday, there are two saints who would very much like you to drink some pinot and celebrate wine and love.