We had a quick visit from a precious friend yesterday. Megan Carlson was a part of our church community in Great Falls, Montana. Now she's a beautiful young woman teaching in the inner city in Arizona. She had traveled to Portland for the wedding of a friend and had time to swing by McMinnville for a visit. Noel, and her friend, Mike are also here, so we pulled out all the stops.First I did an intro to wine class for Megan and her beau, Jason. In this class we help folks learn to identify different components of wine, and try to teach them the do's and don'ts of visiting wineries (The biggest is don't wear perfume or cologne, followed closely by no lip gloss, and no pouring your own wine.) On Saturday I check with Couer de Terre to make sure that they will be open on Sunday. I ask their tasting room manager, Ryan, if it would be OK if we brought
some food to enjoy while we did our tasting, and he said it would be fine.
This is a really fun way to do a tasting. The folks who had just finished when we arrived loved the idea and almost sat down to join us! Enjoying food with a wine tasting does several things. First, and most importantly, it slows you down. I think our tasting took over an hour from start to finish. Jason was great. He would walk out and check on our progress, and then reappear at just the right time to pour our next wine. And the setting is so glorious. The next couple to arrive get the picture and check in with Jason and head out to the Adirondack chairs to do their tasting. It was a glorious day of perfect weather for outdoor tasting.
For our picnic we are enjoying one of my favorite meals which we call quality noshing. We have some Red Fox baguettes that we have cut length wise and toasted. Then there is pita bread and humus that we purchased at the Saturday Market. I've made a chicken salad out of some of the chicken breast left over from Pizza Night. I've also made a caprese salad made up of cherry tomatoes also from the market, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. We also have grilled zucchini and fresh vegetables with ranch dressing. I have some fresh berries at home for dessert.
For our picnic we are enjoying one of my favorite meals which we call quality noshing. We have some Red Fox baguettes that we have cut length wise and toasted. Then there is pita bread and humus that we purchased at the Saturday Market. I've made a chicken salad out of some of the chicken breast left over from Pizza Night. I've also made a caprese salad made up of cherry tomatoes also from the market, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. We also have grilled zucchini and fresh vegetables with ranch dressing. I have some fresh berries at home for dessert.We start with a beautiful Riesling with fruit sourced from the Highland Vineyard. I love this wine. The vines are four decades old and the fruit reflects that age in wonderful complexity of flavor. The aroma has the most unique quality of minerality that I describe as asphalt and I've heard described as telephone pole (I know it doesn't sound good, but it is wonderful.) I took a class on German Rieslings and this is the exact aroma component of the most expensive wines
we tasted. We move on to a Pinot Gris which was sourced at Coleman Vineyards just a little west of where we are sitting. Our third wine is a Rose` that was made with Syrah grapes gown on sight at the vineyard. Scott, the winemaker, explained that he is only going to make a Syrah in certain vintages. This year's vintage wasn't exactly what he wanted to he opted to make a Rose` instead. It is a great experiment. The wine is dry with a beautiful, spicy taste which is just right on this warm day. Scott has a Syrah which he is releasing, but it is not yet labeled. I've tasted it and it is great. I'll keep checking back to see when it is officially released. It's a wine I want to put in my cellar and bring out in a decade or so to drink. After our picnic and wine tasting we decide to walk down to the rock which gives this winery it's name. It is a huge chunk of cracked, grey stone which stands just to the side of a service road above Rennelle's block. It's a great way to end the day. As we exit the vineyard half of the entry gate is already shut and the sign on the road says closed. Is that possible? Could it be 5:00 PM already? Yes, it is. We've been at the vineyard for over two hours. It's a relaxed, and glorious way to taste beautiful wines in a fantastic location. Try it yourself, but call ahead and check with the tasting room manager to ensure that it's OK for your location. And if they say no, head out to Coeur de Terr and talk to Ryan.