We had our first ever winemakers dinner at the shop last night. (www.wednesdaywines.com) It was a wonderful event. We could not have picked a better winemaker for our first dinner than Joe Dobbes. Joe, the owner and winemaker at Dobbes Family Estate, is a highly accomplished winemaker, but knows that not everyone can afford $50 for a bottle of wine. That's why he makes his no-nonsense "Wines by Joe." We sampled his Pinot Blanc, Joevino Pinot Noir, Dobbes' Family Estate Syrah, and a wonderful Late Harvest Viognier for dessert! We have always liked Joe's wines in our shop because they are great values for the money. I was not as familiar with Joe's upper end offerings. The Syrah made from grapes sourced from Southern Oregon was particularly good. The event was a lot of fun and very informative. Joe explained that because of the way it is made with additional contact between yeast and wine that his Pinot Blanc would age well. I asked him what to look for in a wine that we would want to age, what are the characteristics of wines that will age well. Among the answers were how the wine was made. Find a winemaker you like and buy their wines. Also making a difference can be the age of the vines from which the grapes were harvested. "Older vines have more character, and make more complex wines which are more likely to age well over time." 
We were also blessed to have Dave Erickson, the head chef and owner of Orchards Bistro preparing our food. And what amazing food it was! We started with a cheese plate from our own in house cheese counter called Abbie & Oliver's. Then Dave kicked into gear. He started with a beautiful salad in which he deconstructed a pear. The skin was deep fried and added to the top as croutons, the flesh was cooked in a Pinot Noir reduction all set on a field of baby greens. Just a beautiful combination with Joe's Pinot Blanc. The we had the plate you see Dave assembling in the photo above. The star was a breast of duck cooked to perfection with three sauces. A molded risotto accompanied the dish. Joe served both his Jovino Pinot Noir and his Dobbes Estate Syrah with the dish and let us decide which we thought best matched the dish. I preferred the Syrah, most of the crowd went for the Pinot Noir. (Go figure!) Apparently Joe is not a died in the wool Democrat by nature, so it must have been a little tough to have us so openly land enthusiastically celebrating a new president (and not too subtly celebrating the end of the last regime.) Joe was a great sport. He was also very gracious in answering my non stop questions about wine and wine production. I just love to learn about wine, and the more I learn, the more there is to know. I'm impressed with the wines that Joe makes, and with his pedigree. He did internships with prestigious winemakers in Germany and France before working with some of Oregon's best wineries. Joe has been a winemaker (or in training to be a winemaker) all his life. In Oregon that makes him a bit unique. Most winemakers here (like most pastors) come to this calling after doing something else and in the case of winemakers, something else where they hopefully made a LOT of money! Joe is wonderfully down to earth and personable. Both Dave and Joe share an outlook with our shop--that you should be able to enjoy good quality at a reasonable price. Joe is particularly well suited to weather this economic storm, I feel because of his having both exclusive and entry level wines. I wish more Oregon wineries were able to do this. Joe said that September was the best month of sales they have ever had. Not many businesses are saying that! Dave's Orchards Bistro is a great combination of comfort food served up in new ways. Their tomato soup is particular favorite of mine. If you'd like to dine out without breaking the bank go see Dave. If you'd like to enjoy a Pinot Noir that has wonderful value for the money, go see Joe (or stop into our shop.) I learned a great deal listening to Joe last night, and I felt superbly blessed to be able to share in some of the fruit of his labor and calling as a winemaker. Thanks Joe! Thanks, Dave!