Many Thanks to Those Who Keep Me Busy

A highlight of IPNC: having lunch with Jason Lett and trying his 1986 Pinot Noir

As I sit here looking at two of the four bottles I have left of Best Case Scenario Oregon Pinot Noir  (contemplating whether it’s too early pop the corks now – actually, it’s never too early), I’m reminded of the incredible summer I’ve had.  Opportunities came my way that I had only previously dreamed of; such as, attending the ultimate of all Pinot Noir events: International Pinot Noir Celebration – also know as IPNC.  A special shout out to my friends at the Oregon Wine Board who graciously hosted me for three days of bliss at Linfield College, where IPNC takes place each year – and has for 27 consecutive years.  I had the time of my life (thanks Jason Lett, for that marvelous taste of your 1986 Eyrie Pinot Noir), and I have so many stories to share about the many excellent wines I tasted, the scrumptious foods I ate and the best wine-related seminars I’ve ever attended.  IPNC stories, photos and more are coming soon.

I also had quite an adventure, thanks to marketing gurus Dixie Huey and Janel Lubanski of Trellis Growth Partners,  in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of eastern Washington where I tasted some of the best big reds and bold white wines I’ve ever had, while meeting some truly incredible people.  This unique AVA actually has vineyards that look over the towering cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge and is home to small family-owned wineries like Martinez and Martinez; as well as, big-name giants like Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste. Michelle.  So much was learned and experienced, many articles will be coming from this unforgettable trip.

Jennifer and I at The Benches, Horse Heaven Hills

Another unforgettable trip this summer was to Murcia, Spain, where I learned all about the delicious Monastrell varietal.  Visiting wineries that were a couple hundred years old, dancing at the 1,800 year old Jumilla Castle, having lunch lunch under the trees next to a vineyard and touring a cave home are just a few of the many highlights from that trip.  Thanks to Spain’s  Regional Development Agency,  Instituto de Fomento de la Región de Murcia (INFO), our guide and host extraordinaire, Mike Matilla of Argos Consulting, and Amy Gross of Vinesleuth Uncorked, I was one of eight lucky wine writers chosen to explore three of the incredibly unique Denomination of Origins (DOs) of the Murcia wine region: Yecla, Jumilla and Bullas.  This trip to Murcia still has many articles in the works, as well.

Right after returning from Spain, I found myself up in the gorgeous Chehalem Mountains for the Origin ’13 event.  Rex Hill was gracious and put me up in their vineyard home for the night so I could enjoy the  event and explore the wineries of the Chehalem Mountains AVA with the one and only Wine Consultant, Sales and PR pro, Carl Giavanti of Giavanti Consulting.

Yep, there’s Amy (Vinesleuth) and I dancing at Murcia’s 1,800 year old castle. Good times.

One more trip that kept me busy this summer was to Penticton, Canada, the heart of Okanagan wine country for the Wine Bloggers Conference.  My first time ever to Canada, taken via a bus tour through the incredibly gorgeous Lake Chelan Wine Valley of Washington state, I was able to try my first Okanagan wines, as well as the incredible wines from Lake Chelan.  Excellent wine seminars and excursions are still fresh in my mind as they were impressive and memorable.  There are at least ten pieces that I plan to publish about this journey from Eugene, through Washington and Canada.

In addition to all of the excellent trips I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of this summer, I regularly receive wine from wineries and PR companies around the world, from south Africa to Australia, my taste buds continue to graced by stellar wines each and every day.  I participate in a slew of live virtual tastings on a regular basis, and I love constantly learning about the wines of the world, including those from my own Willamette Valley.  It’s a journey I’ve been on since early 2012, and I look forward to continuing down this amazing path while meeting new friends along the way.

Many, many thanks to all those who keep me busy with so much magnificent content!  My only challenge is time to write about all of it, but have no fear, there is much to come.   I truly appreciate your readership and recognition.  Thanks to my readers and the Wine Blog Awards for selecting WineJulia.com as the Best New Wine Blog 2012, and also to Millesima Blog Awards for selecting WineJulia.com as one of the Top 10 Wine Tasting Blogs of the world, 2014.  A very special thanks to my business partner, Kelly Asay, of Eugene Daily News, who convinced me to start the blog and continues to make it look pretty, always. cheers.