Self Enhancement, Inc. Donation
Willamette Valley Vineyards donated $1 from each bottle sold in June to Self Enhancement, Inc (SEI). This local non-profit provides invaluable support, guidance and opportunities for underserved youth to achieve personal and academic success.
Our wine enthusiast customers were eager to support the cause and as a result, WVV was able to donate more than $24,000 to SEI!
SEI is one of the region's leading multi-service organizations, providing thousands of youth, families and adults with a wide variety of education and social services on an annual basis.
To learn more about Self Enhancement Inc., click the button below!
Jul 21, 2020 at 4:15 PM
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Patio Pairing with Vintage 44 Pinot Noir
Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre shares one of his favorite vegetarian recipes to pair with our Vintage 44 Pinot Noir. We hope you enjoy this cooking tutorial video for a portobello mushroom and fried pepper burger.
YIELD:
4 burgers
INGREDIENTS:
- Portobello Mushroom, whole with stem removed - 4 each, medium sized
- Italian Parsley (leaves and stems) rough chopped - 2 bunches
- Green Onion, cleaned, roots removed & rough chopped - 1 bunch
- Shallot, chopped ½” - 1 each
- Oregano, dried - 1 Tbsp
- Thyme, dried - 1 Tbsp
- Red Wine Vinegar - 1 cup
- Whole Grain Mustard - ¼ cup
- Kosher Salt - 2 tsp
- Black Pepper, ground - 1 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 cups
- Chevre, goat cheese - 1 cup
- Anaheim Pepper, large 6-7” long - 2 each (if small use 4 each)
- Onion Rings, baked or fried - 4 each
- Micro Greens or Arugula - 2 cups
- Potato Burger Bun - 4 each
METHOD:
Using a Vita-Mix or a high speed blender, add the chopped parsley, scallion, shallot, dried herbs, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Start the blender on slow and gently pour the oil into the blender to make an emulsion. You will need to raise the speed of the blender to high as you start to add the oil. The vinaigrette is done when you have an evenly colored green emulsion that is thick and viscous. Remove vinaigrette from the blender and hold on the side.
Heat your BBQ grill up to 450° and cook your onion rings to desired temperature. Next, place the peppers on the grill and let cook for 8-10 minutes to achieve nice charring on all sides. Remove peppers from the grill and place in a bowl or Tupperware, then seal with a lid or plastic wrap and let sit.
Prepare your mushrooms first by basting all sides of the mushrooms with the vinaigrette and sprinkling a little salt and pepper to taste. Next, grill your mushrooms, about 5 minutes per side, basting them ever so often. While the mushrooms are grilling, remove the peppers from the bowl. The waxy skin should peel off very easily from inner meat. Then deseed the Anaheim pepper and cut to the size of the burger bun, roughly in half. Place the chevre in a separate bowl and slowly whisk in the remaining vinaigrette. You will not use all the vinaigrette, just enough to loosen the chevre to a creamy/spreadable consistency. Baste the mushrooms once more, then remove from the grill. After toasting the burger buns, spread the chevre mixture on each side, then add the grilled mushroom, pepper half and onion ring. Finish by placing the micro greens or arugula on the onion ring and the top half of the bun.
Serve and enjoy!
Purchase Vintage 44 Pinot Noir
May 20, 2020 at 12:00 PM
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Patio Pairing with Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir
Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre shares one of his favorite patio pairing recipes. We hope you enjoy this cooking tutorial video for artisan flatbread.
Flatbread with Beer Cheese Sauce
Pairs with 2019 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir
Beer Cheese Sauce
YIELD: 1.5 QUARTS
INGREDIENTS:
Garlic,minced fine - 2 tsp
Vegetable stock - 2 cups
Heavy cream - 2 cups
Your favorite beer - 1 can
Cheese (cheddar, brie, gouda, etc.) chopped into ½” chunks - 2 cups
Corn starch - ¾ cup
Bay leaves - 2 each
Black pepper, ground - 2 tsp
Kosher salt - 1 tsp
METHOD:
In a heavy duty stock pot over medium-high heat, add the garlic, vegetable stock and cream, then bring to a boil. Once a boil has been achieved, turn the heat to low. Add the spices and beer, then bring to a simmer. In a mixing bowl add the cubed cheese and cornstarch. When the beer broth is heated thoroughly again, add the cheese and cornstarch. Using a whisk, stir until the cheese starts to melt. Then use a hand immersion blender to break down the remaining ingredients into a thick creamy sauce. Strain cheese sauce through a strainer and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sauce should be very dense. Store refrigerated until needed.
Flatbread Dough
YIELD: 14 EACH x 9 INCH
INGREDIENTS:
Fast Rising Yeast - ¼ tsp
Warm Water #1 - 2 Tbsp
Pizza Flour, “00” Mimosa - 1,375 grams
Warm Water #2 - 875 grams
Kosher Salt - 22.5 grams
Canola Oil - 2 ¼ tsp
METHOD:
Mix yeast with warm water #1 in a small bowl and let bloom for 5 minutes. Then add the flour, water #2 and salt to the mixing bowl, then mix with the dough hook attachment. While mixing, add the canola oil. Mix the dough until it is not sticking to the sides and is wrapping itself around the dough hook — add more flour if needed. Dough should only stick to itself.
Leaving the dough in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, then add another layer of plastic wrap over the bowl. Leave the dough out overnight at room temperature.
Portion dough into 9 oz. balls (approximately 1 ⅛ cups) and place into a greased white proofing tray or covered Tupperware. Refrigerate any leftovers. Proof dough balls at room temperature for 1 hour. Any longer and the dough will be over proofed and loose. Alternately, if it is summer and the weather is hot, try proofing for only 30 minutes.
Dust hands and tops of dough balls with flour before stretching and tossing. Dough should stretch but not be loose and “runny.” Stretch dough to about 10 inches in diameter.
At this point you are able to add the beer cheese sauce and your favorite toppings. Then bake or grill at 400-450° for 8-10 minutes or until crisp.
For the remaining dough, you can cook both sides of the flatbread skin on the flattop or griddle set at 200°. Then let cool to room temperature for about 20 minutes. Transfer them to a large air-tight container and refrigerate/freeze until needed.
Apr 21, 2020 at 12:43 PM
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Patio Pairing with 2017 Père Ami
Food and wine can provide comfort during challenging times, so Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre is sharing one of his favorite patio recipes. We hope you enjoy this cooking tutorial video for wild mushroom and herb crusted steelhead to pair with our 2017 Père Ami.
Wild Mushroom and Herb Crusted Steelhead
Pairs with 2017 Père Ami
4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Steelhead, filet, cleaned - 1 side
Olive oil - 4 Tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp
Dried porcini mushroom, ground medium fine - 4 Tbsp
Dried shiitake mushroom, ground medium fine - 3 Tbsp
Dried black trumpet mushroom, ground medium fine - 2 Tbsp
Lemon zest, dried - 1 tsp
Granulated garlic - ½ tsp
Thyme, dried - 1 tsp
Rosemary, dried & ground - ½ tsp
Oregano, ground - 1 tsp
Kosher salt - 1½ Tbsp
Black pepper, ground fine - 2 tsp
METHOD:
Mix all the dry spices together with the mushroom powders in a bowl. Next, squeeze the lemon juice over the whole filet. Then cover the filet with the olive oil and season the entire fillet with the ground mushroom rub. Let the fish sit for 10 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to bloom. Place steelhead on a cedar plank and grill at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until desired internal temperature is reached (145° recommended). Serve with earthy vegetables and rice and enjoy!
Apr 7, 2020 at 8:00 PM
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Pantry Pairings with Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
Food and wine can provide comfort during challenging times, so Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre is sharing one of his favorite childhood comfort food recipes utilizing ingredients commonly found in your pantry. We hope you enjoy this cooking tutorial video for ranch stew garnished with hash brown waffles to pair with our Whole Cluster Pinot Noir.
Ranch Stew with Hash Brown Waffles
Ranch Stew
YIELD: 4 QUARTS
INGREDIENTS:
White Onion, diced ½” - 1 each
Garlic, minced - 1 Tbsp
Canola Oil - ¼ cup
Ground Beef - 2 lbs
Canned Corn, drained - 2 cans
Canned Beans, kidney, white, pinto, navy & drained - 3 cans
Canned Tomatoes, diced - 3 cans
Mushrooms, fresh sliced ¼” or canned & drained - 1 cup or 2 small cans
Kosher Salt - 2 Tbsp.
Black Pepper - 1 Tbsp.
Bay Leaves - 2 each
Oregano, dried - 1 Tbsp
Thyme, dried - 1 ½ tsp
Basil, dried - 1 Tbsp
Chicken Stock - 4 cups
Cheddar Cheese, shredded - 1 cup
Green Onions, sliced - ½ cup
Jalapenos, fresh sliced -¼ cup
OPTIONAL: Green Tabasco - ½ cup
OPTIONAL: Tomato Paste - ¼ cup
METHOD:
In a heavy duty stockpot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and garlic, then saute until onions start to sweat and become translucent. Next, add the ground beef and cook until it starts to brown. Then add mushrooms, corn, beans, tomatoes, stock and seasonings. Add optional ingredients at this time as well. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stew should thicken slightly, ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese, green onions, jalapenos and a hash brown waffle.
Hash Brown Waffles
YIELD: 4 WAFFLES
INGREDIENTS:
Dehydrated Idaho Spuds Hash Browns -1 box (4.2 oz wt)
Sea Salt - 2 tsp
Shallots, minced very fine - 2 Tbsp
Sour Cream - ⅓ cup
Whole egg - 1 each
Garlic Powder - 1 tsp
Onion Powder - ½ tsp
Black Pepper, ground - ½ tsp
METHOD:
Rehydrate hash browns according to the product's instructions. Then pour re-constituted hash brown on to a food-grade towel and sprinkle with salt. Let rest for 10 minutes. Then squeeze out all excess water from hash browns — the dryer the better. Heat waffle maker. In a small bowl, whip the egg. Next, add hash browns, sour cream, shallots, and seasoning. Mix together well. Using pan spray, spray the inside of the waffle maker. Layer the hash brown mixture over the hot irons about ½ inch thick. Close the waffle maker and let cook for 15 minutes until nice and crispy. Serve with ranch stew or on its own and enjoy!
Purchase 2019 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
Mar 23, 2020 at 3:16 PM
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Vines During Winter Dormancy
Although dormancy in the vineyard can make the vines seem stagnant and lifeless, there is actually a lot of activity happening beneath the surface. A sleeping vine is still a working vine! The dormancy phase helps vines tolerate the cold days of winter while also preparing them for the bud break, flowering and rapid cane growth that occurs in the spring.
Once harvest is over and all clusters have been picked, the vines move their attention to preparing for the cold winter ahead. The vines begin this process by growing new roots, also known as root flush, to absorb as many nutrients from the soil as possible while their remaining leaves continue photosynthesis. As the temperatures begin to drop, the water and nutrients within the vine move into the trunk and roots, causing the canes and cordons to become cold and develop hardiness (turning brown in the process). Sugars and protein complexes store themselves in the trunk creating cryoprotectants, a substance that prevents the freezing of the plant tissue. This storage of carbohydrates gives the vines the energy necessary for bud break in the spring.
Once the temperatures steadily increase, the vines once again show signs of life. The stored sugar in the trunk turns to sap and moves through the vine, escaping from the open pruning cuts — a clear signal that bud break is only days away. As bud break occurs, the vines are dotted with the first sign of green and will begin growing rapidly thereafter.
Dec 31, 2019 at 12:00 PM
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After Harvest - From Vine to Barrel
Once September rolls around and harvest begins, the jam-packed weeks of picking, sorting, crushing and fermenting fly by. With so much happening in such a short amount of time, it can be hard to follow all the steps in the winemaking process that occur after the fruit is harvested. Each step on the journey from vine to barrel (detailed below) is crucial to making our award-winning classic Oregon wines.
Processing Grapes
Grapes are transported to the production pad at the Estate from our different blocks on property and single-vineyard sites and are then sorted for quality. Wine grapes used to make our Pinot Noirs (excluding our Whole Cluster Pinot Noir) and other red wines are put through the crusher destemmer, then the juice (called must at this point) is placed with the skins into small bin fermentation containers. Wine grapes for our white wines are immediately sent to the press, with the skins separated from the juice right after pressing.
Sorting grapes as they arrive at the production pad.
Fermentation tanks in wine cellar.
Fermentation Tanks
After pressing, the juice for white wine and rosé is left to cold settle for a day, then racked off it’s solids into stainless steel tanks or barrels for fermentation. Reds will be placed in small fermentation bins or tanks, with the grapes separated from the stems or as whole cluster for our Whole Cluster Pinot Noir.
Yeast
Once in tanks, yeast is added. Yeast consumes the sugar from the grapes and produces ethanol, carbon dioxide and other compounds, such as the esters (a chemical compound derived from acid) that create each wine's unique bouquet. We use a few of different yeast strains, trying to work with yeast that are neutral in order to let the fruit express its uniqueness if it's growing site.
Adding yeast to grapes in fermentation bin.
Tracking fermentation progress in wine lab.
Fermentation Begins
Once the yeast is added, fermentation can begin. Red wines ferment at warmer temperatures than white wine, usually between 80-90 degrees, while white wine ferments at about 50 degrees. Red wines are purposefully kept warm to maximize the amount of color and phenolic compounds extracted from the skins, while whites and rosé are kept cold to preserve their fruit-forward notes. While the red wine ferments, carbon dioxide is released and remaining grape seeds and skins rise to the surface.
Punchdowns
Once fermentation is underway, punch downs for red wines can begin. Our cellar workers use long metal poles with round disks at the bottom to submerging the grape seeds and skins back into the juice to extract color and aroma. Punchdowns are done twice a day and last anywhere from 12-15 days.
Punching down grape skins and seeds to extract color and aroma.
Barrels ready for wine to be transferred from fermentation bins and tanks.
Wine is Moved into Barrel
White wines are left on their lees, which consists of no longer actively fermenting yeast, to keep the wines fresh and develop complex flavors and aromas. Reds are moved from their small fermentation bins to the press to separate grape skins from the wine before being moving into barrel.
Barrels add flavors and aromas such as vanilla, hazelnut or toast. The oak from newer barrels can also heavily impact tannins and allow for slow ingress of oxygen, making the wine smoother and adding complexity. Some barrels are inoculated (the addition of active malolactic acid bacteria cultures) to allow for Malolactic Fermentation, converting the naturally occurring Malic Acid (think green apple) into Lactic Acid (think cream), softening a wine and adding additional levels of complexity. We do Malolactic Fermentation for almost all of our red wines, as well as most of our Chardonnay.
Aging
Wines are left to age, being continually monitored, stirred and tasted to track their progress. As they age, some wine evaporates and/or soaks into the wood of the barrel, so barrels are topped off throughout the process. As maturation concludes, winemakers taste test each barrel, working on creating blends that perfectly balance the varietal character, oak, and best express the varietal terroir of the vineyard site.
Wine barrels.
Sparkling wine bottles.
Filtering and Bottling
Wine is then racked and/or filtered before being sent to the bottling line. After bottling, wines are left in the cellar to mature in bottle until they are ready for release.
Nov 29, 2019 at 10:00 AM
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2019 Harvest Update
Harvest started on September 5th with a pick for our sparkling wines. Following a short break to allow further flavor and brix (sugar) development for our still wines, in mid-September, we battled early fall rains finding pockets of sunshine whenever we could to bring in the crop. In the cellar, fermentations are active and our Pinot Noirs are being punched down by hand twice daily to extract color and aromas before being put to rest in barrel. An early look shows that despite the rains, the color is concentrated and there is depth in flavors.
The past few vintages, we experienced warmer than average summers; however, 2019 has been a throwback to traditional Oregon summers and falls, with mild steady temperatures and no extreme heat spikes. The accumulated heat units of this vintage are most comparable to the 2018 vintage. The early onset fall rains created a challenging harvest, including condensing the pick times, but our incredible harvest crews timed their picks during the sun breaks giving the grapes just the right amount of time to develop complexity, rich color and concentration of flavors. Our winemakers expect the 2019 vintage to be an excellent representation of a classic Willamette Valley vintage.
But don’t just take our word for it. We popped into our Winemakers’ office and got their feedback on this year’s harvest!
Joe Ibrahim - Winemaker
What is your favorite part of harvest?
I love all of harvest! Leading into harvest, I love the anticipation of new wines and what will come of the new vintage. When I'm in the middle of it, I love the focus, challenges, problem solving and adrenaline. In the end, it's a great feeling to look back on all the hard work and I feel most proud of what we have accomplished working together alongside an amazing, passionate and dedicated team.
What is the most challenging part of harvest and why?
Every harvest has its own challenges; there are a lot of moving pieces to coordinate while keeping your eye on making world-class wines. We produce several small-lot wines and we make wine from many different varieties from nearly every growing region in the state!
Was there anything different or notable about this harvest that made it stand out from others you have worked on?
This fall had amazing weather leading up to harvest. The weather then turned rainy and cold just as the grapes were ripening, which caused us to rush and pick as fast as we could. We all felt the pressure of a compressed harvest window. I'm happy to say we managed to get everything in on time and the wines are looking really fantastic!
Everyone involved in harvest has to adjust to a new schedule. I am so grateful to our amazing team and their families for not just their willingness, but also their excitement to place their normal schedules aside for 4-6 weeks each year and join in the fun of making wines together that we are truly proud to share with everyone.
Gabi Prefontaine - Associate Winemaker
What is your favorite part of harvest?
My favorite part of harvest is visiting the different vineyard sites to decide on picking dates.
What is the most challenging part of harvest and why?
The most challenging part of harvest is when we have used all of our available fermentors, but we have additional fruit ready to come in. It is a game of Tetris on the production pad as receiving fruit timely is important to wine quality.
Was there anything different or notable about this harvest that made it stand out from others you have worked on?
The weather made harvest very challenging as we had to pick the same amount of fruit as the previous year, but had to bring that fruit in over the course of 4 weeks instead of 6 weeks. It was very challenging, but the fruit was ready and our team made it happen.
Oct 25, 2019 at 10:00 AM
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Our Duck made an honorary Beaver!
This will come as a surprise to you having seen our Founder in yellow and green all these years ... Jim Bernau (former UO Student Body President and avid Duck) received the Joan Austin Honorary Alumni Award from Oregon State University this past Thursday evening!
Jim's support of OSU started back in the mid-1990s when he made a personal gift to the university to establish the first professorship for fermentation science in the nation. His groundbreaking work on behalf of the Oregon wine industry and ongoing leadership was also cited in the granting of this recognition.
Jim says there is only one day a year he isn’t championing OSU research and academic programs — the Civil War.
As many of us at the winery are OSU grads, we are delighted to finally see our Founder in black and orange!
Pictured above: OSU President Ed Ray presenting Founder Jim Bernau with the Joan Austin Honorary Alumni Award (left). Founder Jim Bernau surrounded by our OSU Alumni Staff and friends Nicole Markel, Betty O'Brien, Jan Green Bernau, Caitlin Craig, Christine Clair, Chris Day and Cara Pepper Day (right). Photos by Hannah O'Leary.
Sep 30, 2019 at 10:00 AM
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Wine Pioneer Bill Fuller Makes Vintage 44 Wines at the Age 82
A passion for wine led Bill Fuller, Founder of Tualatin Estate Vineyard, to achieve a successful career in winemaking and by doing so, carved a path in the Oregon wine industry for other aspiring vintners. Continuing to inspire us, Bill is still making wine at age 82.
Bill’s Story
In 1971, Bill Fuller began exploring sites in the Willamette Valley and eventually moved from California to Oregon with his family to pursue his dreams of starting his own vineyard and producing cool-climate Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. As one of Oregon’s original winemakers, Bill planted the Tualatin Estate Vineyard in 1973 in Forest Grove, Oregon. The name “Tualatin” originates from the local indigenous people and means “gentle and easy flowing” referring to the Tualatin River that flows near Forest Grove.
Many Firsts in the Industry
Bill Fuller’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir both took home the “Best of Show” for the “Red” and “White” categories in the same year at the London International Wine Fair, a first-ever occurrence in the wine fair. His 1989 Chardonnay was the first Oregon wine to be named on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list.
Creating our Vintage 44 Wines
Bill Fuller retired in 1997 after merging Tualatin Estate Vineyard with Willamette Valley Vineyards. Sixteen years later, Winery Director Christine Clair asked if Bill would come out of retirement as a Consulting Winemaker to assist in the making of wines produced from Tualatin Estate fruit. Bill agreed and rejoined the winemaking team to create the Vintage Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that expresses the classic techniques of his winemaking.
This August, we released the Vintage 44 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made by Bill Fuller with a sold-out celebration at Tualatin Estate Vineyard. Bill shared some of his many winemaking stories and signed bottles for guests.
2017 Vintage 44 Pinot Noir
Ruby in color, the wine opens with aromas of ripe red cherries, raspberries, cedar and violets. Medium-bodied, silky textured with bright acidity that carries fresh red fruits, florals, earth and wood spice notes into the palate. The finish is long-lived with integrated tannins.
2017 Vintage 44 Chardonnay
Light gold in color, the wine opens with aromas of lemon, toasted pineapple, pine and spice. Rich and supple in texture, flavors of golden apple, vanilla, brown sugar and brioche lift from the palate and flow into a lingering, round finish.
Aug 30, 2019 at 12:00 PM
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