Monthly Archives: May 2013

Interview With Simply Delicioso Star Ingrid Hoffmann: Part 2

31 Friday May 2013

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Ingrid HoffmannThis is part 2 of our interview with Ingrid Hoffmann. You can read part 1 here.

Total Wine: How can alcohol be included in a “Lite” Cookbook? Isn’t that making a dieting mistake?

Ingrid Hoffmann: Latin D’Lite is not a diet book – it is the opposite of being on a diet! Diets are meant to be broken. Life is meant to be lived in balance and exercise is a key component of being able to enjoy your indulgences.

If I know I am going to go to a party or dinner on the weekend with drinks then I add extra time to my work out or I am really good during the week so I can afford my splurge. Eating healthy does not mean depriving yourself of what you enjoy and that is why there are drinks and desserts in my book. It is about learning how to cut calories so that you can indulge here and there.

Total Wine: We’ve seen you create punches, sangria, and a diverse variety of cocktails. Are you known for any particular drink recipe? Do you have a favorite spirit? How about a favorite wine and beer?

Ingrid Hoffmann: I am known for my cocktails in general. People love my Blood Orange Tequila Beer Cocktail, Raspberry Passiontini (see recipe below) and Pink Caipirinha.

As far as spirits, I love whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka, aguardiente and wine.
I love Spanish Albariños for white wine, french pinks and Billecart-Salmon bubbly I adore. For red, a Vegas Sicilia, St Julien Léoville Las Cases.

Total Wine: We’ve read that you are a fan of quinoa, using it in extensively in your cooking. Can you think of the perfect quinoa dish and adult beverage combination?

Ingrid Hoffmann: I love quinoa and have various dishes using it. The Yellow Quinoa recipe from my book is a great side dish. I think it pairs well with an Albariño.

Total Wine: Finally, what’s next for Ingrid Hoffmann? Will you start working on another cookbook? Are there any exciting surprises slated for your TV program? Can you share any secrets with us?

Ingrid Hoffmann: I am launching my new houseware line “Delicioso” in August on HSN and retail nationwide in September or October, which includes lots of drinkware items.

I do have many great projects in the works and hope to soon announce!

Ingrid is quite active in social media. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Raspberry PassiontiniRaspberry Passiontini

Makes 2 servings

rosemary syrup:
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
3 3-inch fresh rosemary sprigs

4 ounces black raspberry vodka, chilled
¼ cup passion fruit pulp (available in the frozen section of Latino markets)
½ cup Rosemary Syrup, chilled
ice cubes
6 ounces ginger ale, chilled

2 fresh raspberries, for garnish
2 3-inch-long rosemary sprigs, for garnish

1. To make the rosemary syrup, bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the rosemary. Let stand for 30 minutes. Strain the syrup into a small covered container, pressing hard on the rosemary. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. (The syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 months.)

2. Shake the vodka, passion fruit pulp, and Rosemary Syrup in a cocktail mixer with ice until well chilled and combined. Strain into 2 large martini glasses. Top each with ginger ale.

3. Skewer each raspberry with a rosemary sprig (you may have to remove some of the leaves from the bottom of the stem to do so), and place a skewer in each glass. Serve immediately.

Interview With Simply Delicioso Star Ingrid Hoffmann: Part 1

30 Thursday May 2013

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latinDlite CoverWe recently had the opportunity to speak with Ingrid Hoffmann, star of the Cooking Channel’s Simply Delicioso and author of the recently published cookbook Latin D’Lite.

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today, Ingrid. Reading your biography, we see that you have been a successful actress, luxury retailer, restaurateur, TV personality and writer. And though you’ve continued with some of those projects, it appears that you have been most passionate about cooking. Total Wine and More is interested in your career and learning more about how it relates to the combination of food and drink–your relationship with wine, spirits, beer and cocktails.

Total Wine: Why cooking? Were your parents an inspiration for your culinary path? What is your earliest memory of cooking?

Ingrid Hoffmann: My parents were and are my inspiration. Mom was a Cordon Bleu trained chef that started her business from our home kitchen successfully expanding into her restaurant. Dad was an amazing cook and loved cooking. They did a lot of entertaining.

My earliest cooking memory was during a Christmas. All the girls where in the kitchen cooking together: my two grandmothers, sisters and mom. We each had tasks, and I helped prep and make the three-meat stuffing for the turkey.

Total Wine: Growing up in Colombia, is there a cultural cooking influence from there that shows through in your dishes? How would you describe your culinary approach?

Ingrid Hoffmann: I would say, that from my Colombian side you see several influences, mostly the Afro Caribbean influence of cooking with fruit, mixing savory and sweet, cooking with Coca Cola, rum and citruses. From Bogota, you see the Andean peasant food made more modern. I also have Bolivian and Peruvian heritage and you will see that I live to use ingredients from those regions as well, like Quinoa and Peruvian chiles. I also have Basque roots and therefore there is a lot of Spanish influence in my flavors.

SOBE Swine and Wine 2012

Total Wine: You recently released your second cookbook, Latin D’Lite. Is there a specific theme that you are trying to showcase? Are you making appearances where someone can get a signed copy?

Ingrid Hoffmann: The theme in this new book is to showcase great food, made lighter without sacrificing flavor. It is the anti-diet book! It’s about small lifestyle changes that add up to make a big difference. It is about living with balance with occasional splurges. It is how I cook for myself and eat at home, eliminating processed ingredients as much as I can. My food philosophy is about eating ingredients that came from the ground or had a mother. Yummy food from scratch done quick and creative and full of flavor.

The publishing world has changed a lot and the way people buy books is not necessarily at bookstores, sadly enough I might add. We are mostly touring to promote it on TV and print nationally! As far as signings, we are doing them in combination with other events, like food festivals and book fairs. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @simplyingrid to find out about signings.

Total Wine: The “cocktailicious — drink up your calories, chica!” chapter in your book tackles cocktails. Any favorite cocktail recipes you can tease the Total Wine readers with?

Ingrid Hoffmann: I am not much of a sweets eater and therefore always joke that I’d rather drink my calories and I do mean that. I love a cocktail and I love my occasional Coca Cola as a splurge and as a treat.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of our interview with Ingrid, which includes one of her signature cocktail recipes!

Celebrate Memorial Day With These Refreshing Drinks

27 Monday May 2013

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Memorial Day weekend is upon us and summer is around the corner. We can’t think of a better opportunity to serve up some refreshing drinks, perfect for the beach, pool, barbecue or picnic. Sure you could easily grab a delicious pilsner or IPA, a crisp fruity Chardonnay or a simple gin and tonic. But we are going to try to push a few boundaries and spice the ideas and options up a bit.

Let’s start with the ever-popular shandy (also known as a radler), a mix of beer and lemonade (or sometimes soda). You could opt for Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy but how about taking the adventurous route and preparing your own. Draft Magazine offered four recipes in this article. We suggest the half craft beer, half homemade lemonade mix to start, but the others sound great too.

Next up… Sangria. Very simple to make, very versatile, very refreshing. Total Wine has pre-made sangrias available, but if you are making your own, choose a decent bottle of red wine, perhaps a Merlot, Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. You should absolutely consider the alcohol content of the wine as this drink goes down easily and is potentially potent. Next you get to choose fruits to add: oranges and lemons are usually added, but you should also consider grapes and melons and apples and pineapples and mangoes, etc. Add those fruits to your wine. Add a sweetener which can simply be sugar or honey or even orange juice. Oh, and a shot or two of brandy.  Mix well and refrigerate overnight if possible. Serve by mixing with club soda or ginger ale if desired.

Mojitos are the perfect summery drink. But let’s try for something with some pizzazz. Wow, check out those amazing photos with endless possibilities. We decided we’d like to check out the Key Lime Pie Mojito, which sounds oh so awesome! Mojitos take some work as you need to muddle limes and mint to start, but the refreshing results are definitely worth the effort!

Beer cocktails have been growing in popularity over the past few years. Mixing beer with traditional cocktails can lighten up a heavy drink and add some tartness and refreshment. One such summery drink is the Beer Old Fashioned, using a Berliner Weisse beer to take some of the sweetness out of the original cocktail. This beer style is not extremely common, but there should be some examples locally that you can use no matter where you live. Ask your Total Wine associate for guidance. You will not be sorry you made the trip.

Those options should completely quench your thirst. However, we couldn’t resist showing you a few more fun ideas for your holiday weekend. Popsicles in Prosecco sounded like winning the jackpot. If you close your eyes, you can imagine the flavors right now! On the way home, be sure to stop off and buy a watermelon and other fruits because you’re going to try your hand at making a unique carving and filling it with with a spiked fruit salad. While it’s not exactly a drink, you still have a juicy and refreshing snack kicked up a notch with the addition of vodka.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend responsibly and be sure to let us know what drinks you enjoyed with family and friends.

Total Wine & More Opens New Kendall Store

23 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Grand Openings, Promotions

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Total Wine Kendall Store Front (640x480)Total Wine & More opened the doors this morning at our brand new store in Kendall, Miami. To celebrate the occasion, we invited our team members, executives from our corporate office, vendors and media to a launch party last night.

Smooth jazz played while several hundred guests sipped on fine wines, select spirits and enjoyed the Brewery District, a new concept designed by Total Wine to highlight a special beer area of our stores to give our customers an unforgettable beer experience. Ceviche, meatballs, cheese, fruit and several hors d’oeuvre were offered to balance the tastings.

Store Manager Ty Ball, along with Assistant Manager Janell Grigsby and South Florida District Manager Brett Pulisic, greeted guests as they entered and chatted about the new store. All of the staff was extremely helpful, courteous and ready to answer questions. Though this was not a selling event, some guests just could not wait to make their purchases until the official opening at 9 am this morning. And we were ready!

Vendors including Rich Nowak from Brooklyn Brewery, Peter Schnebly from Schnebly Winery and Brewery and Robbie Toombs from Gold Coast Distributors were also there to offer support for our new store.

After guests were given the opportunity to try Caymus Vineyards’ exquisite 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (among several other excellent wines), a few awesome Patron tequilas, Leblon Cachaca in Caipirinhas, and Goose Island and Back Forty beers, a toast was in order. Hundreds of champagne flutes were filled and guests congregated over by where the band played.

Total Wine Kendall Grand Opening Mark Powell Offers a Toast (480x640)EVP of Operations Mark Powell thanked everyone for coming and recognized all of the hard work that went in to getting the store ready for the launch. He introduced the store leadership and talked about the grand opening tonight. Then a toast to the success of the new store.

We’d like to invite you to our Grand Opening Extravaganza tonight (May 23rd) from 6-8 pm. We will be featuring tastings with the Wagner Family of Caymus Vineyards and having live music, giveaways and an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Total Wine will also recognize Read2Succeed as our local partner and make a substantial contribution to the organization during the event.

Total Wine & More
The Palms at Town & Country
(just east of the Florida Turnpike on SW 88th St. (Kendall Dr.))
11960 Mills Drive
Miami, FL 33183
(305) 630-3790

Tip: The store is located beyond the traffic circle and past the Valet parking lot on the right side of Mills drive (Google shows the location too close to the main road).

Hours: Mon-Thurs 9am-10pm; Fri-Sat 9am-11pm; Sun 10am-9pm

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Interview With Craft Beer Expert “Dr.” Bill Sysak: Part 2

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in American Craft Beer Week

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Dr. Bill Sysak's CellarIf you missed Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Bill, you missed half of an awesome conversation. Start there and we’ll see you back in a few minutes!

Total Wine: What is your personal favorite food and beer pairing? Everyone really does want to know.

Dr. Bill: One pairing that I think is absolutely amazing is also at the top of Garrett Oliver’s list. Although I often stray from Garrett’s pairing guidelines as I like to take pairings to the next level, there is no improving on a well-aged Colston-Bassett Stilton with an aged barley wine. The earthiness of the cheese with the caramel/toffee/winter fruit notes from the beer is seductively sublime!

Total Wine: Last night we dreamed of a beer pairing dinner battle so awesome, only the top beer pairing experts could compete. The final of the competition was an epic battle between Dr. Bill Sysak and Garrett Oliver in an “Iron Chef” meets “Bobby Flay Throw down” meets “WWE Caged Match” type format. What meal would be your ideal theme and how would you defeat the great Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster at this game?

Dr. Bill: Ha-ha, I could say a 12 course fast food dinner because knowing Garrett I’m pretty sure he hasn’t had any recently. Seriously though the food doesn’t matter, as I feel I can pair any food in the world and I’m sure he feels the same.

I recently did one of these with famous Canadian beer writer Stephen Beaumont where I beat him in a close competition. I will say it was also on my home turf though. All I would ask is to have the chef plan the menu and not delineate from it. Then give us both the option to taste and pair it prior to the event with a full quiver of 100 beers to choose from. I pair food and beer events without ever pre-tasting the food dozens of times a week for Stone accounts, acquaintances and fans. I know they are really good pairings but tasting the menu first allows you to go outside the box.

A chef is an artist. If I selected 12 chefs and asked them all to cook a Wagyu sirloin medium rare over a parsnip puree with a red wine demi glaze and sautéed greens. We would have 12 different dishes, from the spice rub or lack thereof on the meat, to the amount of reduction, to the greens selected. Not to mention one of them may decide the dish would be better with a truffle butter on the steak. I like to take a completed dish and see where it leads me. I will always have a classic pairing in mind when I see the menu, but then I like to go all the way to the left and all the way to the right and find that unique pairing that sings to my palate. The bottom line is we would all be guaranteed a night of amazing food with exceptional pairings.

Dr. Bill CellarTotal Wine: We noticed that you also have an expertise pairing beer with cigars. Could you give some guidance, perhaps offering a suggestion or two of what cigars to pair with some classic beer styles?

Dr. Bill: Yes although I’m known primarily for beer and food pairings I also excel at pairing wine, spirits, and cigars. I’m currently doing a Beer and Cigar Master Pairing Dinner here at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens with our president and brew master Steve Wagner. I take two world class cigars, six courses and six beers and do this triangular pairing where the first cigar goes with the first three courses and first three beers and everything works with each other then it segues into the second half of the dinner.

Here is an example of an upcoming menu: http://www.stonebrewing.com/calendar/bistro/pairings/cigar/130521/menu.jpg

When selecting a beer to enjoy with your cigar, here are a few guidelines to enhance your pairing. Finding a beer that complements without overwhelming the cigar is the key to a perfect combination. The most popular kinds of beer to pair with cigars are Stouts and Porters. Strong, dark, malty or slightly chocolaty, stouts and porters pair well with many cigars. Other beers that work well with a number of different cigars are; Barley Wines, Old Ales, Belgian Quads & Strong Ales. If you can find them barrel aged, all the better.

You don’t have to stop there though!

If you have a medium strength cigar with spice characteristics, another option is to find an India Pale Ale, Saison, or Bière de Garde. These beers can hold up to many cigars. Note that double IPA’s with their higher IBU count (bitterness level) have a tendency to overpower some cigars.

Lighter cigars with Claro or Candela wrappers pair well with beers as light as Belgian Wits or German Hefeweizens. The subtle springtime floral aromas of a candela when lit and the sweet grassy flavor work wonderfully with these lighter beer styles.

Total Wine: Finally, are there any special projects you are working on right now? Can you leak some secrets to the Total Wine readers?

Dr. Bill: As you know I always have a number of events coming up here at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens-Escondido, but with our new Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens-Liberty Station facility coming on line this week expect some cool new events there especially for San Diego Beer Week and the addition of a couple of new festivals there in 2014.

I’m also excited about the Gray Cloud Festivals being put on by the producers of the OC Brew HaHa. Why? Well because they are unique as the first Craft Beer, Artisanal Food, and boutique cigar pairing festivals where hundreds of fans can get together and enjoy themselves. They have a great charity named Yellow Ribbon America and guess who is doing all the pairings.

Finally look for me to revive my audio podcast Expert Drinking. I’ll be adding a third person to the podcast that I am very excited about.

Total Wine: Thanks again for all of your time, Dr. Bill. This was a very informative and entertaining conversation.

Interview With Craft Beer Expert “Dr.” Bill Sysak: Part 1

14 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by in American Craft Beer Week, Beer

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Dr. Bill SysakWith American Craft Beer Week taking place this week, we couldn’t think of a person more perfect to chat with about the subject than “Dr.” Bill Sysak. Dr. Bill is a Certified Cicerone® and holds the position of Craft Beer Ambassador at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens in Escondido, California.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for us today.

Total Wine: A beer doctor? That is extremely awesome. Most fans know the nickname comes from your time as a military medic and your professional experience working in hospitals. However, we believe you have earned the title just for what you’ve done within the craft beer movement. Could you highlight the top few achievements that you are most proud of in your craft beer career?

Dr. Bill: I could list the number of breweries I’ve been to or the amount of times I’ve visited Belgium or any number of stats, but those kind of things are not what I’m the most proud of. One thing that is close to my heart is that it has been over 35 years since I had my first craft beer. I guess you could say I grew up with the American Craft Beer movement. I was 15 in 1977 and great beer has been a passion of mine ever since. Being there since the beginning has allowed me to make 1,000’s of friends in the industry over the last 3+ decades. I’ve had amazing mentors; my father, Michael Jackson, Pierre Celis, Don Younger who through their words and actions helped shape my view of beer.

The achievement I am most proud of though is the tens of thousands of people I’ve introduced to craft beer over that time. I’ve always made it a goal to introduce anyone and everyone to the joys of a finally crafted ales and lagers. No matter where they are from or what they do for a living there is always a style or flavor that makes that Aha moment when they first taste it. That look in their eyes and that phrase; “This is beer? I never knew beer could taste like this!” How does that saying go, “If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that.”

Total Wine: Admiration and jealousy. We admire how generous you always are with your time and collection of beers. Jealousy? We just mentioned your collection of beers. We just checked out a 2004 interview you did on RateBeer where you said you had 1400-1600 bottles in your cellar. Can we have an update? What are your top five prized possessions and what is the plan for them?

Dr. Bill: Well as you said I’m all about sharing so a large portion of my cellar is constantly rotating, I currently have about 2,400-2,500 bottles in two locations, which I will not be disclosing at this time, ;). Let’s see if I can come up with 5 that stick out more than the others. Belle-Vue Selection Lambic from 1999, De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000, Thomas Hardy’s Ale 1968 (first bottling), Hurlimann Samichlaus 1980 (first bottling), Eylenbosch Kriek 1989. No set plans to try any of the bottles, except for the 1968 Thomas Hardy’s. I did a complete vertical tasting of all the bottling’s in 2004 and I think I would like to do it again.

Dr. Bill GlasswareTotal Wine: Your Master Pairings food and beer series with Chef Alex Carballo at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens seems to be one of the premier beer dinner events around. Can you describe the goal of the series? Who is the average guest and what can they expect?

Dr. Bill: The goal is to enlighten people to the fact that craft beer is the most versatile of all beverages when it comes to pairing with food. We have regulars, out of towners, beer geeks, and foodies. If you come to one of my dinners, expect the unexpected. With over 3 decades of beer and food pairings under my belt you can expect some eye opening pairings. Chef Alex’s food is always amazing and all his team’s creations for these dinners are unique and not found on our regular menus at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens.

Whether it is Beer and For the Love of Pork, Beer and Breakfast, or Beer and Sushi to name a few, don’t expect the kind of pairings you’ve seen before. There are numerous good books out there on pairing Stout with Chocolate for example but I want people to say why is he pairing Stone Ruination IPA w/ Carrot Cake, then they try it and have that Oh wow moment! I will take all the preconceived notions of pairings and throw them out whether it’s pairing a 12% beer with the salad course and finishing with a 3% beer with the dessert, or pairing an Imperial Stout w/ an arugula, pear, & prosciutto pizza.

Total Wine: Those beer dinner pairings seem to be developed for widespread appeal, something everyone will enjoy at your restaurant (and they sound spectacular). We’d like to hear about some extraordinary beer pairings that you’ve done. Could you tell us the most extreme dish you’ve ever had to pair a beer with? And then the most extreme beer you paired with food? What were the combos?

Dr. Bill: Wow, I’m having to think about that a minute. Ok, Balut (look it up) prepared in garlic and vinegar paired with a Port Brewing Hot Rocks Lager, excellent pairing, but I don’t think I need to try Balut again. Also How about Rocky Mountain Oysters pan fried paired with Stone Smoked Porter. I would definitely have this pairing again. As far as extreme beer; Westvleteren 12 paired with bacon wrapped dates stuffed w/ gorgonzola dolce.

Stay tuned for a very fun second half of this interview, coming soon.

Mint Julep Inspires Straw Invention and Thousands of Fans at Kentucky Derby

03 Friday May 2013

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mint_julep_smallWith the Kentucky Derby being run this weekend, we thought it would be fitting to explore the history of the Mint Julep, the traditional drink so closely tied to the race.

Juleps are the ancestors of centuries-old drinks from the Middle East known as julabs, which were made with water and rose petals. Juleps at some point made their way to the U.S. where their heritage dates to the 1700’s when the drink was probably made with brandy or rum or other spirits that were readily available.

In the early 1800’s, Henry Clay, a popular Senator from Kentucky, helped change the face of the Mint Julep to the bourbon cocktail we know today: mint leaf, bourbon, water and sugar prepared and served in a highball glass with a straw. He took Kentucky Straight Sour Mash Whiskey with him to Washington, D.C., where he introduced friends and colleagues to his drink at the Round Robin Bar inside the Willard Hotel. The Mint Julep was a hit and grew in popularity from there.

Willard_Intercontinental_Hotel

Willard Intercontinental Hotel, Washington D.C.

Decades later in the late 1800’s, Marvin Stone was sipping a Mint Julep and was dissatisfied with the natural rye grass straws used at the time. Those straws fell apart, imparted additional unwanted grassy flavors and left a gritty residue in the drink. He experimented by wrapping a piece of paper around a pencil and gluing the ends together, an invention that caught on. After several improvements to the initial design, including making a more sturdy paraffin-coated manila version, his drinking straw was patented in 1888. The invention was so successful, he turned his cigarette paper holder company into Stone Straw Company by 1906. Bourbon and the Mint Julep survived Prohibition and in 1938, the drink was officially promoted by Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.

Brown-Forman’s Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail has been “The Official Mint Julep of the Kentucky Derby” for over 18 years. Brown-Forman also makes Woodford Reserve, “The Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.” Woodford Reserve has been used to make $1000 ultra-premium Mint Juleps served in silver cups since 2006, with proceeds this year benefiting the Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center charity. And the Mint Julep is as popular at the Derby as ever, selling tens of thousands each year. So whether you actually make it to the Kentucky Derby or are watching from the couch with a few friends, a mint julep is the way to go. Here is a mint julep recipe with step by step instructions (start the night before). Let us know how it turns out!

It’s Wil-LAM-ette, Damn It: An Introduction to a Great Wine Region

01 Wednesday May 2013

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OR Vyd 4“Oregon grapes have it tough,” says Karen MacNeil in The Wine Bible. Unpredictable weather changes along with sun and heat shortages in some years pose challenges to winemakers, she explains. Yet somehow complexity and unique characteristics emerge from the struggle to make great wines, particularly in the coolest region in the state: the Willamette Valley.

When he established Eyrie Vineyards in 1966, University of California at Davis-trained enologist David Lett planted the first commercial Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in the Willamette Valley and the first Pinot Gris grapes in the United States. After spending the prior year in France’s cool winemaking regions of Burgundy and Alsace, the 25-year-old winemaker concluded that the best grapes grow in cool regions where ripening is a challenge. “California was just too hot. … That’s why I came to Oregon,” Lett told Wine Spectator in 1983.

Just south of Portland, the region runs along the Willamette River, which lies between the towering Cascade Mountains to the east and the Coast Range Mountains to the west. Here, vineyards dapple the many south-facing mountainsides to maximize sun exposure, while mountains insulate them from excessive rain and winds. The region’s red soils, known as “Jory” and “Nekia,” offer a well-suited grape-growing medium that is free draining with low fertility.

OR Winery Signs

Other pioneering winemakers followed Lett, building on his vision for the region. Today, Willamette and most of Oregon’s wine regions that emerged south of it specialize in Burgundy’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes as well as Alsace’s Pinot Gris. Known as “Pinot Grigio” in Italy, Oregon’s Pinot Gris wines—like their Pinot Noirs—are world class and have superseded Chardonnay as the state’s signature white grape.

Lett, who passed away in 2008, proved his California-Davis instructors wrong for their claim that European grapes would not survive in Oregon, let alone thrive. His 1975 Pinot Noir won first place in a French wine tasting in 1979 and again in 1980, prompting famous Burgundian wine merchant Robert Drouhin to buy land and open a vineyard in the Willamette Valley, as noted in The Oxford Companion to Wine.

Every year, the growing numbers of innovative winemakers meet in nearby McMinnville for the now world-famous International Pinot Noir Celebration—a testimony to the region’s triumph over the skeptics.

Should you take the opportunity to participate, be careful not to mispronounce Willamette (Wil-LAM-ette) to these many proud winemakers. As noted by wine podcaster Tim Elliot, it’s Willamette, damn it!