Joe the Winemaker – The Official Blog of Oregon Winemaker Joe Dobbes

 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.

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.

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.

Look who is featured on the “Powered By Orange” website this month! We are so proud of our new mama and amazing VP Gretchen Boock.

“When you think about Gretchen Boock’s background, it’s unsurprising she chose a career in the wine industry. She grew up in Mt. Angel, Oregon, a beautiful, hilly town known for its proximity to some of the most fertile agricultural lands in the state. She spent her summers helping her family tend to their strawberry and broccoli fields, and spent the rest of her free time outside.”   Read More…

We held our first Vino & Vinyasa event on January 16th and are so excited about how well it went. Everyone had such a great experience that we are still getting positive feedback on it and have decided that it will now become a regular event here at the winery! Blogger Renae Walter posted a great write-up on the event, portland-and-one-of-the-best-winery-experiences-ever-thank-you-dobbes-winery. Check it out and then email: nicci@winebyjoe.com to reserve your spot at the next one on February 27th!

Hey everyone! Just a quick introduction, I’m Mary Bellando and I’m the Northwest Sales Manager for Dobbes Family Estate and Wine By Joe. I asked to be a guest blogger to let you all know about this amazing vintner dinner we are putting together with this tiny little restaurant called Ruth’s Chris Steak House, maybe you’ve heard of it? I went to Ruth’s Chris restaurant in Portland a couple weeks ago to put together the menu with the food and wine pairing for the Dobbes Family Estate wine dinner on Jan. 13th . It was awesome! I was with two of my sales reps from Young’s Columbia. We tasted each course they (Ruth’s Chris) want to serve at the dinner.

We started with an appetizer of BBQ shrimp in a zesty creamy BBQ sauce served with their yummy garlic bread. We chose the 2007 Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Gris to pair with that dish. Next was a fabulous harvest salad with mixed greens, dried cherries, toasted pecans and a little goat cheese, we decided on the 2008 Dobbes Viognier for that dish.

The entrée was their signature filet toped with a crab cake and drizzled with a béarnaise! We couldn’t decide on which red we wanted to use for that course because the Pinot Noir and Syrah were both excellent with the dish, so we decided to use both! That filet course will be served with Dobbes 2005 Cuvee Pinot Noir and the 2005 Grand Assemblage Syrah. We thought it would be a good food and wine pairing education to taste two different varietals with the same dish. The last course was Ruth’s Chris famous Crème Brule we of course paired that dish with the Dobbes 2007 Late Harvest Viognier.

I am really looking forward to this dinner on January 13 at Ruth’s Chris. There are only 30 seats available it should sell out quickly!

Mary

Michelle, one of our wonderful tasting room employees, chose the organization to receive funds from the Dobbes Charitable Giving Program during the winter quarter. Brain tumors have affected two of her family members which motivated her to select the National Brain Tumor Society as the beneficiary of the donation. Please take a minute and read her story below.

When I was asked to choose the charity for the next quarter I instantly knew the Oregon chapter of the National Brain Tumor Society would be my choice. This charity hits home to me personally because my aunt and cousin have both dealt with and are still dealing with brain tumors.

My aunt, Eileen Risser, was diagnosed in August 2006 with an extremely large brain tumor. The good news was that it was benign, the bad news was that even though benign, without surgery it would eventually take her life. She endured two surgeries four months apart and Gamma Knife radiosurgery three months later to remove the tumor entwined in and around her pituitary gland and carotid artery. I am very happy to report that her surgery and radiation removed the majority of the tumor and she is living an active and busy life with her husband and 21 year old son. Although the majority of the tumor is gone, her health will continue to be monitored and she will continue to go in every 12 months for an MRI to make sure the tumor remains dormant.

My cousin, Brittany Bolliger, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 6, though her doctors believe it probably was there since her birth (she was born 3 months premature, weighing 1 lb-15oz., and had many surgeries during her first three months of life spent in the hospital). When her tumor was first diagnosed, her doctors were able to implant a shunt to relieve the fluid on her brain but her tumor was determined to be inoperable. It was an extremely sad and worrisome time for our family because the initial diagnosis and prognosis was not good. However, subsequently, her doctors determined that with the shunt in place, and no further complications, she would be able to live a normal life. Since then she has had MRIs at least every 6 months to check the tumor. We had another scare recently when the tumor had grown slightly, but a subsequent MRI and the doctor’s evaluation calmed our fears. Brittany continues to do well and is now an active 10 year old.

“This year, more than 190,000 Americans will be diagnosed with a brain tumor.” The National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure and creating programs and services for those affected by brain tumors, their families and caregivers. It also provides educational programs on topics ranging from new patient orientation to the latest clinical trials. This last September 2009 marked the 4th annual NBTS Portland, Oregon 5k run/walk to help raise money for the NBTS. On September 12th more than 800 people (including my aunt’s team To More Success!) participated in this event held at Willamette Park. I encourage anyone who is interested in this annual event or would like more information to check out the NBTS website at www.braintumor.org.

I am very proud and appreciative that Dobbes Family Estate will be donating 10% of all sales from the 2007 Skipper’s Cuvée Pinot Noir from October 2009 through December 2009 to the National Brain Tumor Society.

We have grapes arriving consistently now. Harvest is in full swing! Here are some more pictures of all the great stuff going on at Dobbes these days…