All their infinite backgrounds, personalities and from all walks of life do they come. Opening freely to us here in the tasting room sharing their personal interests, appreciation and their individual love for wines. As some of you can imagine we enter into numerous discussions with virtually every customer that we are fortunate to come into contact with. There has been one that personally holds a special place with me that ‘pop’s’ up occasionally is “…how did you get your start in the wine industry Jerry?”

My response is pretty simple actually. “Just expand your mind in your love of wine”. By this I mean look to learn new ways to network or interface that make-up this fantastic industry. One of the sure ways to get a positive start in this endeavor is to begin by volunteering. I always encourage people to study the variety of annual seasonal activities that go on each year at virtually every winery across this great state of ours. I always like to recommend the summer and fall months that bring to us the most beautiful and inviting seasons of the year. Look to Craigslist or WineJobs.com, for example, at all the opportunities in becoming a volunteer harvest intern or work on the sort line in preparation for first crush.

There are a few hundred large, medium and small boutique wineries around Oregon that you can choose from in most regions throughout Oregon. Please do not be shy either. Next time you are at one of your personal favorite wineries, just take a few minutes to make inquiry to the wine maker, the owner(s) or the wine tasting manager letting them know you would like to volunteer in this season’s harvest activities. Be prepared though, most wineries, whether you may realize it or not, count on people like us to support the wine industry AND generally welcome you with open arms and a big smile. I guarantee you, you will not only experience the time of your life but the possibilities of networking with others like you. It is a priceless time that will bring you back year after year for more of the same. From these initial efforts will raise possibilities to further expand your interests, often by personal invitation, to work on bottling runs, barreling and even perhaps to work side-by-side with the wine makers themselves.

If you have a passion for this industry as much as we do here at the WINES OF OREGON all these opportunities and many more await your first inquiry to lend a helping hand to OREGON’S bountiful wine producers. I promise you will wonder why you haven’t shared in the fun up to this point. The end result: knowing that you have now grown in your fond appreciation of one of the finest businesses in the world!

What a deal!

And these were just the red wine samples!

YUM!

It’s June! It’s time for enjoying the outdoors, sun worshipping and cookouts. But before that, we would like to thank everyone who attended our Memorial Day Open House! We enjoyed having you and introducing you to new Oregon wines. We know there is a lot going on in Oregon wine country during the holiday’s so if you did not get a chance to make it this time just know our door is always open. This Memorial Day we were happy that everyone enjoyed our food pairing’s. We wanted to show how simple foods you can make at home will enhance any wine.

I generally hear of people overanalyzing the union of food and wine. A food and wine pairing does not need strict rules or culinary mastery to be successful. The views that state whites must only go with seafood or poultry and red with beef are a thing of the past. A good combination comes down to this simple rule … eat and drink what you like! I have found many whites that go with pork or Pinot’s that pair well with fish. The key is finding flavor combinations that inspire you to enjoy both at the same time. When you make dinner you pair ingredients you think will work well together right? It’s the same thing with food and wine, you are looking to achieve a balance between their characteristics. For example, introduce something spicy to a sweeter style wine; let the sugar and heat play off each other. A great example is a sweet Riesling or Gewurztraminer paired with Thai food. If a wine is very acidic such as a Pinot Blanc, find something rich and fatty that will help cut through the acid and expose the wines fruit, like crab cakes. If you like smoked meats find something bold with a good structure that will stand up to the smoke flavor. BBQ and Syrah are one of my favorite combinations! Once you get a feel for establishing flavor combinations you enjoy food and wine pairing will become easy!

We are planning several events over the summer to showcase just how easy food and wine parings can be. We hope to see YOU at the next one, check the website and our Facebook page for upcoming events.

At Wines of Oregon we are eager to share our knowledge of wine with people because that is our passion.

My name is Dan, I have just recently moved to Oregon from the east coast, Florida to be exact. Why move away from the land of sunshine, great beaches and the magic of Disney you ask? I desperately wanted to seek out change and new opportunity for myself. What opportunity could be worth all that? Simply put the pursuit of passion.

I have been a wine enthusiast for 6 years now, two of my greatest passions in life are food and wine. The third would be sharing that passion and experience with other people. I love to host, entertain and discuss what excites our palates. To me wine and food are all about experiences, whether exploiting our senses or discovering something new, its best when shared amongst friends.

Being given the chance to get into a grass roots business and operate your own tasting room is not something you come across everyday, especially in this economy. If you believe as I do everything happens for a reason, than you should see why making this decision was easy. Taking risks in life can often yield great reward, especially when driven by the determination to succeed.

So I sold my house and drove 4011.3 miles to rediscover what I am in fact passionate about … life.