When we left the house we were headed to Newberg to pick up a few copies of the hot-off-the-press first printing of The Theology of Wine. We decided to stop in to
Sokol Blosser on the way to taste some wine. This is a different kind of wine tasting. First of all you have to make some decisions. Do you want to belly up to the bar and do a usual tasting? Would you like to sit in a private room and taste some library wines? (Yes!) They also have a cheese and wine pairing options, but the kitchen was already closed down, so library wines it was!
It's a bit of a spendy option. The tasting costs $30 a person. We could have shared a tasting, but we had a gift card which was a thank you from Jenn and Ron, so we decided to to all out. I'm so glad we did. There are two couples in the room, and our host, Deven. It turns out the other couple are both university professors, and Jim is a sociologist of all things. I seem to be surrounded by sociologist. Deven is a wonderful host. He talks us through a tasting of the '10, '08, '06 and '04 Sokol Blosser Estate Cuvee Pinor Noirs. They are fairly warm vintages. I like the '10 the best, but the '06 had a noticeable smoky aroma that I tend to like.
Deven also explained the philosophy of how the winery was developed. "First we put our resources into the vineyard, then into the wine making facility, and (last of all) into a tasting room." I'm impressed how wineries are able to focus their resources as they develop and grow. Sokol Blosser's new tasting room is worth the wait. There is beautiful, natural wood used throughout. Every wall features large windows and every view is breath-taking.
Eyrie Vineyards is just next door, and I've been trying for several years to get a photo of their ancient vines. Above is my latest attempt. I'm amazed every time I see these old, gnarled creatures producing prodigious vines and abundant fruit. It kind of gives me hope for my own future.
As we head down the vineyard driveway, we call our printer, and the books are not quite ready. The press has been running a bit too hot, and the bindings aren't quite right. That's OK, we'll pick up a few on the way to an event tomorrow. We will be helping the
Mission of the Atonement (A Roman-Catholic/Lutheran shared ministry) raise funds to hire an intern. If you are in the area, come join us.
