My colleague and friend, Courtney McHill shared recently that her favorite vineyard view is at Vista Hills. Yesterday a group of us wanted to go enjoy some scenery (and wine) so we took Courtney's advice and headed for the Dundee Hills.
The road up to Vista Hills is a filled with a who's who of wine in the Willamette Valley. You turn off the highway near Sokol-Blosser, head up the hill past Eyrie Vineyards, and then pass Domain Serene, Winter's Hill and White Rose en route. The views from this part of the Dundee Hills are amazing.
There are six of us in our party, and we wanted to enjoy some food along with our wine tasting. Our host, a recent Linfield College graduate named Katie, was extremely accommodating. "Take over the deck" she offered. We did! As we were making our way through their generous $10 tasting another couple came in the back door. I never saw a car arrive and wondered how they arrived. When I went out to the deck I saw their horses tethered to some fir trees! How fun to go wine tasting on horseback! I want to try that someday. Our friend, Cathy, was on the back deck preparing the food, so naturally I made my way back while enjoying my wine.
Our friends, David and Delia, were locked in an animated discussion with the couple who have arrived on horseback. "What were you talking about ?" I asked. "Bull semen" came the answer. Apparently there is a universe where a discussion leads naturally from "Isn't this great Pinot Noir" to an intimate conversation of the sexual reproduction of bovines. I just can't imagine that universe.
The view from the deck is spectacular. It looks out over the vineyard and down into the valley out past Lafayette and beyond. The oak trees supply just enough shade from the sun to relax and enjoy the setting. Cathy made us a wonderful feast of cheese, fruit, and salad. It was the perfect food for a warm summer afternoon.
I brought along the galley proof of my book, "The Theology of Wine" for Steve and Cathy to look over. They are the publishers of the book under their imprint of Hand in Hand Publishing. We are getting close to having the book printed, which is so exciting.
I had mentioned to Katie that I had recently interviewed Jesus, the winemaker at White Rose next door. It turns out that Jesus makes a reserve wine for Vista Hills that is only available to their club members. She opens a bottle and provides us with a taste of the 2010 Sky Rider Estate Reserve Pinot Noir. It is such a unique wine. Jesus likes to use whole cluster fermentation with a minimum amount of agitation to the must as it is fermenting. I'd love to taste this wine in another 10 years. I think it will mature beautifully over time and develop wonderful flavor components. It is wonderful right now as well.
Mondays are a great day to head out and enjoy some wine in a vineyard setting. My wife, Robin, has been looking for ways to slow down the hectic pace of life, to breath a bit and relax. Sitting down for several hours with wonderful friends, eating and drinking wines which have been lovingly made from the vines you are sitting above is an intentional and pleasant way to do that. It would be wonderful to make such experiences an everyday part of my life. What a blessed way to spend an afternoon.
