Get Outta My Bunk!
Let’s debunk some myths right off the bat (and don’t you love that word “debunk” - like you are kicking someone out of your bed…)
Myth #1: Wine people are snotty.
I admit some wine people are snotty, although you will find that the snotty ones usually aren’t in the industry and they tend to get most of their wine education from reading The Wine Spectator. We had a gal visit our Tasting Lounge once who made fun of the fact that we referred to the winery as our “production facility” - for her, it had to be a “winery” (how romantic!) or nothing. Well, guess what, sweetie – a winery is a production facility for wine. Calling it a production facility is an industry phrase. Now SHE was snotty. And an idiot.
Scott and I don’t care if you’ve never had wine in your life – we love sharing our wine with others. All you have to know is if you like the way it tastes or not. The rest comes from drinking lots of wine and paying attention to what you are tasting – kind of a fun thing to practice at, don’t ya think?
Myth #2: Wineries are only owned by people who are filthy rich.
WRONG-O. Scott and I are not retired software executives, lawyers or doctors. We met when we were waiters in San Francisco. We are now in debt up to our eyeballs, but we are making world class wine. The best wine you’ve probably never had.
Myth #3: Oregon only makes pinot noir
No no no. Oregon is KNOWN for its Pinot Noir, but that is only a portion of the Oregon wine industry – the Willamette Valley is the oldest, the best funded and definitely the best organized region from a marketing standpoint. But, just because we little family run wineries in the rest of the state are struggling every day to find time to make our wines, let alone try to produce a cohesive, unified marketing campaign, doesn’t mean we aren’t producing world class wines. In the fall of 2007, The Wine Enthusiast declared that the best wine coming out of Oregon was NOT Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, but Tempranillo and Syrah from Southern Oregon.
Myth #4: Since Volcano Vineyards is "local," the wine can’t possibly be good.
Someone actually said that to Scott in the Tasting Lounge last year, that they had never been in before because, she said, and I quote, “We figured that if you were local, how good could you be?” Well, let’s see… our 2005 Syrah won Best of Show at the 2008 National Women’s Wine Competition, beating out nearly 2000 US and international wines for that honor. We have taken gold medals from the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition the last three years in a row, and we are one of only five Oregon wineries (and the only non-Pinot Noir producer) invited to pour at the 2009 Pebble Beach Food and Wine Classic. Yummy stuff!!!
Myth #5: There is nowhere to park in Downtown Bend
This one drives me absolutely bonkers. Our Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge is directly across from the Mirror Pond north parking lot and I see it full only between noon and 1 (lunch rush at The Pine Tavern) and the dinner hour. The rest of the time, there are usually spaces available. In the Mirror Pond lots, parking is free for two hours, then it is a mere dollar – yes, ONE AMERICAN DOLLAR - for that third hour. Three hours for $1. Four hours for $2. And still people complain. Unbelievable. The parking garage is off of Oregon just past Bond by the Post Office – when I park there it takes me 3 minutes to walk to the tasting room. Three minutes. Downtown is not that big. You can get pretty much anywhere downtown with a short 5 minute walk from the garage. I have seen the garage full only on Art Hop nights – the rest of the time it is less than half full. In the garage, you can park for THREE hours free, or pay $5 for all day. When we go to Portland we all expect to pay big money for parking, right? Waaaay more than $5. Maybe we should adjust to the fact that $5 is a bargain for covered parking.
I am Liz Ratcliff, owner of Volcano Vineyards. We (and by “we” I mean me and my husband, Scott) are a Rogue Valley winery. We grow and produce our wine in southern Oregon, but our company is based here in Bend. We have lived here since 2001. Our Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge is Downtown, just up Brooks Street from The Pine Tavern. We are planning on opening a winery production facility here in Bend this year from which we will do our second label, Magna Wines, and our famous Magmita Sangria. Pop on by or check out our website for more info: VolcanoVineyards.com
Published on: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/
Myth #1: Wine people are snotty.
I admit some wine people are snotty, although you will find that the snotty ones usually aren’t in the industry and they tend to get most of their wine education from reading The Wine Spectator. We had a gal visit our Tasting Lounge once who made fun of the fact that we referred to the winery as our “production facility” - for her, it had to be a “winery” (how romantic!) or nothing. Well, guess what, sweetie – a winery is a production facility for wine. Calling it a production facility is an industry phrase. Now SHE was snotty. And an idiot.
Scott and I don’t care if you’ve never had wine in your life – we love sharing our wine with others. All you have to know is if you like the way it tastes or not. The rest comes from drinking lots of wine and paying attention to what you are tasting – kind of a fun thing to practice at, don’t ya think?
Myth #2: Wineries are only owned by people who are filthy rich.
WRONG-O. Scott and I are not retired software executives, lawyers or doctors. We met when we were waiters in San Francisco. We are now in debt up to our eyeballs, but we are making world class wine. The best wine you’ve probably never had.
Myth #3: Oregon only makes pinot noir
No no no. Oregon is KNOWN for its Pinot Noir, but that is only a portion of the Oregon wine industry – the Willamette Valley is the oldest, the best funded and definitely the best organized region from a marketing standpoint. But, just because we little family run wineries in the rest of the state are struggling every day to find time to make our wines, let alone try to produce a cohesive, unified marketing campaign, doesn’t mean we aren’t producing world class wines. In the fall of 2007, The Wine Enthusiast declared that the best wine coming out of Oregon was NOT Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, but Tempranillo and Syrah from Southern Oregon.
Myth #4: Since Volcano Vineyards is "local," the wine can’t possibly be good.
Someone actually said that to Scott in the Tasting Lounge last year, that they had never been in before because, she said, and I quote, “We figured that if you were local, how good could you be?” Well, let’s see… our 2005 Syrah won Best of Show at the 2008 National Women’s Wine Competition, beating out nearly 2000 US and international wines for that honor. We have taken gold medals from the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition the last three years in a row, and we are one of only five Oregon wineries (and the only non-Pinot Noir producer) invited to pour at the 2009 Pebble Beach Food and Wine Classic. Yummy stuff!!!
Myth #5: There is nowhere to park in Downtown Bend
This one drives me absolutely bonkers. Our Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge is directly across from the Mirror Pond north parking lot and I see it full only between noon and 1 (lunch rush at The Pine Tavern) and the dinner hour. The rest of the time, there are usually spaces available. In the Mirror Pond lots, parking is free for two hours, then it is a mere dollar – yes, ONE AMERICAN DOLLAR - for that third hour. Three hours for $1. Four hours for $2. And still people complain. Unbelievable. The parking garage is off of Oregon just past Bond by the Post Office – when I park there it takes me 3 minutes to walk to the tasting room. Three minutes. Downtown is not that big. You can get pretty much anywhere downtown with a short 5 minute walk from the garage. I have seen the garage full only on Art Hop nights – the rest of the time it is less than half full. In the garage, you can park for THREE hours free, or pay $5 for all day. When we go to Portland we all expect to pay big money for parking, right? Waaaay more than $5. Maybe we should adjust to the fact that $5 is a bargain for covered parking.
I am Liz Ratcliff, owner of Volcano Vineyards. We (and by “we” I mean me and my husband, Scott) are a Rogue Valley winery. We grow and produce our wine in southern Oregon, but our company is based here in Bend. We have lived here since 2001. Our Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge is Downtown, just up Brooks Street from The Pine Tavern. We are planning on opening a winery production facility here in Bend this year from which we will do our second label, Magna Wines, and our famous Magmita Sangria. Pop on by or check out our website for more info: VolcanoVineyards.com
Published on: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/
Comment
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Comment by Liz Ratcliff on February 17, 2009 at 10:18am -
You are spot on with everything. I think I should have put the "rich" myth at #1 - the assumption is prevalent and I am stunned daily by that perception from folks trying to get charitable donations from us. But that is a whole nuther blog...
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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Comment by Dennis Grimes on February 17, 2009 at 9:53am -
Thanks for the DE-Bunk thoughts and posts.
Re. MYTH #1 I believe once you get beyond their "crusty outer layer", most wine snob's are willing educators and fun folks - you have to demonstrate a sincere desire to learn or they don't have time for you - and for those totally insufferable wine snobs (with no socially redeeming value) - Oh well! it's their loss.
MYTH #2 is partially correct the "FILTHY" part – just clean out a fermentation tank or lay some vineyard irrigation lines (yourself).
Forget the RICH - In California, numerically family owned and operated wineries make up the largest number of wineries - the joke is the largest of wineries spill more wine in a day than family wineries make in a year...
Rich!?!? The capital investment in a small (or otherwise) winery is immense. Economies of scale help the larger operations - the smaller ones have a huge cost burden to spread out across high quality but low volume wines. Profit margins are thin fro small wineries - even at moderate per bottle prices.
For the smaller wineries, grapes are grown and wine produced in part or largely for the love of the task. It's a lifestyle to be enjoyed and shared with others.
To help the sharing - and as if the vineyards and winery were not enough work - some wineries are incorporating the Italian "Agritourismo" model - for example we offer wine-themed vacation lodging on our estate to complete the tourist experience. Visit us at http://eaglesnestwinery.com or blog http://eaglesnestwinery.ning.com . You have to love it - If leading an honest life includes a lot of hard work - then vintners are amongst the most honest of folks.
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