Cheers to 2009!

The Domaine Serene 2009 vintage will be completely pressed off in a matter of days. The winery is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of regular days off.

We are currently one intern down as Emmanuel has returned to France to finish up a school project. He received news a week before he left that his school was actually closed because of the swine flu. We all tried to convince him to stay a little longer until the flu was clear, but I think he was set on seeing his girlfriend, which tells me that in France, love is much more important than getting sick. Needless to say, we all miss Emmanuel and wish him the best.

With the presses no longer running, we have a lot of man power to focus on my favorite part of harvest … BARRELING DOWN! Our barrel cellar is completely organized with barrels waiting to be filled with the 2009 bounty. Since we use over 15 different coopers with multiple timbers and toasts, it can be quite a challenge getting everything organized. Then again, it’s nothing a week on a forklift can’t take care of. Cheers to 2009! - Justin Cox, Cellar Assistant

A Day Off?

36 hours. It’s not quite a weekend, but in the middle of a busy harvest I imaged it to be akin to the rumspringa tradition. Leaving the “farm” on a Friday night and knowing I did not have to be back until 10am on Sunday was a wonderful and anxious feeling. Anxious in the sense that there is always work to be done during an eventful harvest and wonderful since it was my first day off since September 20th! There is so much to accomplish in such a short amount of time. Perhaps sleep, talk to family and friends long since neglected for grapes. Maybe some laundry?

In my case all of this fell by the wayside in favor of the Oregon Kickball Club tournament weekend! Forget resting up and making sure you stay fit and healthy to finish out another vintage, it’s time to stand in the field and get soaking wet and slip and slide around en route to a championship game. Fortunately, I play for a fantastic team with an amazing cast of characters that there was no hesitation that this day, October 17th, and this day alone would be the one I asked off for.

As we have begun rotating through days off here and there I think we now realize that being away from the “farm” not only gives you the chance to tell the tale of the tireless hours that go into creating Domaine Serene wine but to reflect on how the vintage is unfolding, and how important it is to have balance not only in your wine, but also in your life! - Sam Poehlman, Lab & QC Technician

Today is the best day of harvest so far ... the last day of 2009 fruit processing! It is a little strange and slightly unbelievable that it is actually here. All of the fruit for 2009 is in! It was a fabulous day to end things as well and we were able to process both whites and reds. There were three lots of Chardonnay from our "Cote Sud" vineyard and three lots from the "Mark Bradford" vineyard. We were also treated to a fabulous lunch that Ken and Grace cooked for us and a wonderful Champagne toast at the end of the day. To say the least, it's weird that it is finally over.

Fruit receival went really smooth this year thanks to so many hard workers. I really can't thank our amazing interns enough. They sorted the fruit at the beginning and then our amazing temps sorted it till the end. Truly a team effort. Also a HUGE thank you to Nick and Chris for their hard work. Nick was an amazing fork lift driver and got along really well with the temps. He made them feel at home and always tried to boost their moral when they felt a bit "burned out". He told me one day, “I would go stand in the middle of the room on my head if I knew it would help out”.

Chris also did an amazing job receiving the grapes at the bottom of our slide and getting them into the different fermenters. He also dealt with countless one ton plastic ferments ... always a little trying. I think we ended up having more than 150. I also cannot forget to thank the vineyard crew. They made it so easy to communicate and get a better idea of when the grapes were arriving day to day, which made things run very smoothly. They also had such a cheerful , happy attitude every time they delivered the grapes. Maybe it was because they knew they to were closer to the end with each drop off.

I feel so lucky that I was able to be apart of fruit receival this year. I feel like my knowledge of the process for when grapes come into a winery and when they end up in a bottle is a bit more rounded. You get to taste grapes from each vineyard - the acid, the sweetness, the tannins - and then follow them throughout the year to see how the grapes change and grow into fine wine. I feel like I was able to be apart of the "toddler years" of the amazing wine that is to come. Even though some days were taxing and difficult, it was all worth it in the end.

Thank you so much to everyone. But now, even though it was one small ending in the grand scheme of harvest, time to get back to work. - Katie Santora, Cellar Assistant

No fruit coming this last Tuesday. It was half-time break, as we can see on the big harvest calendar in the lab. Half of the grapes are in tank, half of the grapes are still ripening in the vineyard. I can tell you that this year’s harvest is very tasty. I tasted them on the sorting line and in the vineyard when I was sampling at the beginning of harvest. Sampling, I love this particular job! The Dundee Hills are so gorgeous. I sampled early the morning and I saw the sun rise above the Willamette Valley mist. I am French (sorry for my English), so I have the culture of terroir. For me, in the great vines terroir, there is a beautiful light. With their red volcanic soil and this light, the Dundee Hills are definitely made for vineyards. How I can describe the Evenstad Estate? Magic! There are vines in every direction except on the North slope. From the top of the Côte Sud vineyard you can see Mount Hood. Grace vineyard, Gold Eagle vineyard and Clos du Soleil are on the East Slop. Here, the sun is so sweet in the morning, but my favourite vineyard is Mark Bradford on the West slope. The Pommard Clone is so tasty from these vines.

I am part of the Domaine Serene Dream Team (the Night Team) with Kelley, Lauren and Shri. All of us miss our boss (and the daylight) a lot. We work well with Griffin and he is a great cellar master. Usually, we start at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and finish between midnight and five o’clock the next morning. It depends on how busy the day is. For example, punch down and pump over are a long process every night. Maceration and fermentation are made in small tanks to keep every block of vines (different locations, different clones, different rootstocks…) separated so that Domaine Serene can find exquisite and consistent blendings to make Yamhill Cuvée and Evenstad Reserve. Punch down and pump over are interesting jobs. You can smell and see how maceration and fermentation are progressing.

I miss the other interns working on the day team too. Still, we remain one big team in spirit. We built a strong complicity before the harvest rush. It is just fantastic to live and to talk about wines and life with young people from all over the world. We have a very good relationship with the full-time Domaine Serene staff and a real bond. It is sweet to work as a team to produce the best wine we can. I particularly love to work with Katie on the sorting line, to help Chris filling the tanks, and to smash grapes for Sam’s samples in the lab.

I come from the Loire Valley. My parents are winemakers in Anjou. They produce notably Chenin blanc and Cabernet in the Family Estate called Domaine Ogereau It is very funny to process fruit here at Domaine Serene and to follow harvest at home by phone at the same time. The weekly call to my parents (between presses) lasts at least a half an hour because of my Dad’s numerous questions. I am very lucky. It seems to be a great vintage on both sides of the Atlantic: Willamette Valley and Anjou. I have definitely had a great time in Oregon and I’m already a bit sad that I Will soon leave this place and these great people at the beginning of November. It is too short! – Emmanuel Ogereau, Harvest Intern

Harvest Fuel ... Kentucky Butter Cake!

Ken and I have been cooking for the winery harvest crew since the mid 1990’s. In our old winery in Carlton we had no kitchen and everything had to be prepared at home and eaten room temp, and the dishes brought back to the house to be washed. We were a lean crew then with dear friends and neighbors on the sorting line volunteering their time. When we built our new winery in time for harvest 2001, we knew we needed a kitchen so our hard working crew could get proper meals. Until 2007 Ken and I cooked every meal, often feeding 30 or more people at a time. Last year we hired a professional chef to cook 5 days a week, so Ken and I cut back to cooking on his 2 days off.

This year we have 8 interns from around the world, and 2 shifts each of 8 or so temporary employees on the sorting line helping our regular production crew of 5. Over the years there have been favorite recipes that everyone likes. I have been requested to blog some of these.

My Kentucky Butter Cake recipe came to me 30 years ago from my sister-in-law, Suzie Evenstad. It is a buttery pound cake without frosting, and was the perfect cake to Fed Ex every year to our kids, Serene and Mark, for their birthdays when they were away at college. I would package it up with candles and unblown balloons and birthday banners with love and kisses. It travels well in its bundt pan and doesn’t get stale. – Grace Evenstad

KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE

3 Cups sifted flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Combine these ingredients in small bowl and set aside

1 Cup room temp butter

2 Cups sugar

Cream together in large mixing bowl with electric beater

1 Cup buttermilk

2 tsp pure vanilla

Combine and set aside

To the butter and sugar mixture in the large bowl add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, add your set-aside dry ingredients, alternately with your buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and beating after each addition.

Pour into buttered bundt pan or 9x13 pan and bake in 325 degree oven for 60-65 minutes. Run spatula along edge of pan. Prick cake several times with a fork, and pour sauce over the cake.

SAUCE

Heat in saucepan:

1 Cup sugar
½ Cup butter

¼ Cup water

When melted together and sugar is dissolved, add

1 T. vanilla

1 T. rum flavor

Pour sauce slowly over cake. It will all soak in.

For harvest, make 2 or 3 cakes

Sticky, sweet, and yummy!

Berries! They arrive by the bucket load from the vineyard all for me to analyze. And what a process it is. Upon arrival we will note berry size, color, cluster formation, and even all of our friendly and helpful ladybugs. The exact same meticulous and gentle care with which we treat all of our fruit in the cellar must also be observed in the lab. Every day we spend at least 2 hours gently popping individual pristine berries from our many vineyards and blocks. Once every berry is popped we do a cold soak in the fridge in order to simulate the famous pre-fermentation Domaine Serene cold soaks that our lots will undergo during processing. After the cold soak is complete the real fun begins; TAs, Brix, pH, and tasting!

All of this analysis allows us to make picking decisions that will optimize the flavor and potential of the grapes. This process also makes the lab a veritable brain trust during the harvest months. If you want to really know what’s going on and where the action is, forget the crush pad … come to the lab! Not only will you get the latest info on picking decisions and analysis numbers, but you can also get a thrilling play by play of the latest Badgers (Wisconsin) or Ducks (Oregon) football games. And please pardon the sticky floors and counters (there is a complete scrub down about 4 times a day … feel free to help out). And be sure to be especially kind to the many ladybugs, or “coccinelle” in French. Clearly the lab is also a place to learn other languages. – Sam Poehlman, Lab & QC Technician.

Let the rituals begin. If you have a beard you shaved it, and if you are courageous, a buzzed head will always do the trick. It is funny even to see myself beardless. I barely recognize the clean shave. My mother would be happy to see my clean face. We received our first fruit of the harvest this week. For fun we weighed in to see who loses or gains the most weight during the hard long days of harvest. We all rocked the new 09’ Harvest Team shirts. Sixteen tons of Syrah came from the Seven Hills Vineyard in Walla Walla AVA. The day one of processing for harvest went smooth and we all had the hang of it by mid-day. It helped that by that time, our stomachs were full and we were happy. Ken, Grace, and company cooked some great food pulled pork, cornbread, coleslaw, and a warm plum tart to satisfy the sweet tooth and fill the stomach. I feel spoiled getting fed throughout harvest, but absolutely no complaints from my end. I met Sean today too. Sean will be our "chef de harvest"; I am curious what is in store for the menus.

It has been so beautiful out. It felt like autumn was coming last week, but this week it is a taste of summer again. This week is mid nineties and high eighties. Perfect. Well it could turn everything ripe all at once. I just heard mention of some California winery getting sixty five tons all in one day. Will this happen to us? If it does, we are prepared. We have a day team and a night team. Processing will run around the clock if necessary. Day team 6 to 6, Night team 6 to 6. We all know what our assigned jobs and tasks are to make this a successful harvest. Receiving, processing, inoculating, temps and brix monitoring, punch downs, pump overs, racking, pressing, and barreling down. Bring it on! - By Nick Sansone, Harvest Intern

Sorting the Syrah ...

I am very excited to get my hands purple again. I have worked in New York’s Hudson River Valley making wine. I moved out to the Portland area just over three months ago and plan to establish myself in the winemaking community here in Oregon. Oregon (pronounced Or-e-gun, not Or-e-gone for all my fellow east coasters) is a great change in lifestyle and will allow me to learn as much as I can. So far it has been beautiful.

Life is all about experiences. After a twenty day cross country trip, I spent three weeks looking for work and checking out the city and Oregon’s beautiful Northern Coast. I have secured a serving position at Farm to Fork Restaurant, open only fourteen weeks, and I’ve been there since day one. I'm working at the custom crush facility, 12th and Maple, doing bottling, Barrel racking and blending 08 Pinot Noirs at Torii Mor Winery with Jacque Tardy and Jon Tommeselli, and now working hard again and living on the property of Domaine Serene. I would say everything has gone as planned. Hit a bump here and there, but can not complain. - By Nick Sansone, Harvest Intern

“The true story of seven strangers, all living and working under one roof at the world famous Domaine Serene Vineyards and Winery”… While MTV’s “The Real World” will probably never make it to the Dundee Hills, America’s original reality TV program does have certain parallels to starting life at Domaine Serene. Of the seven interns currently sharing space we represent three countries, two genders, varying degrees of experience, and one common love; great wine. Our residence is lovingly referred to as “The Ritz” and the highlight so far has to be the culinary expertise and diversity of our housemates. We are lucky to have two French natives (always food critics and experts), an Indian Curry master, and even a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. I recommend the Eggs Florentine ... divine. Between the 7 of us we have already run through our first tank of propane on the BBQ. The weather has been beautiful. - By Alex Kenzler, Harvest Intern

Another Great Vintage!

We are possibly three weeks away from another fabulous vintage at Domaine Serene Winery! The weather this summer has been beautiful and the fall seems to feel like it has already crept into the valley creating very cool nights and bringing in our beautiful fall colors into the Northwest. Eleni and I were able to walk through our Legacy Hill Vineyard earlier this week and things are definitely moving along there as sugar levels are already at 19 degrees Brix (% sugar). I have no doubt that we will some great Pinot Noir this vintage and we will likely see it before the month is over.

Before harvest is here we have a lot of things to get done at the winery. We will begin blending on our 2008 Yamhill Cuvee next week and I am thoroughly impressed with how the 2008 lots taste right now. Another great vintage! - Lindsay Boudreaux, Harvest Enologist

Four Glorious Days

With first fruit merely weeks away, weekends turn into a very special time. One reason is that we only have a guaranteed 4 days off before the grapes arrive, and another is because we have interns from ALL over world right here in Oregon who actively want to take in the beautiful Oregon scenery. Four days to take in the sites. Four days to visit with friends and loved ones. Four days of sleeping in ... then wave it all goodbye ... ITS HARVEST TIME!

The excitement for the crush is picking up. We have been spending the last week getting the winery in tip-top shape. With eight interns, all armed with scrub brushes, it turns into a dizzy whirlwind of cleaning and prepping. Luckily we have a great group of interns this year that know the importance of maintaining the Domaine Serene standard. Not only are they excellent at scrubbing down floors, drains, and fermentors, but they individually bring a lot to the harvest team. With that said, throughout the blog, you will meet them all individually, and find out what they are experiencing throughout the 2009 vintage. It’s going to be a good year! Stay tuned! - Justin Cox, Cellar Assistant

2007? The proof is in the bottle!

There has been a lot of negativity surrounding the 2007 vintage in Oregon. I’m happy to report that proof to the contrary is in the bottle! The 2007 vintage will answer all requests for lower alcohols. The wines are beautifully integrated and drinking much softer at an earlier age – that is to say these are beautifully nuanced wines that are enjoyable now. The vintage, though initially criticized by those with little understanding of year-long viticultural practices, has recently been lauded by more independent critics such as Jancis Robinson and Jay Miller.

Tick tock ...

It's almost time! We are scant weeks away from the start of Harvest 2009 and everything is looking good. Currently we are experiencing veraison .vuh-ray-shun. (noun, taken from the French): the period when grapes stop growing and begin to ripen. They usually get softer and change color. White wines become more golden in color and red wines more purple.

There does not seem to be a set amount of time from when veraison begins until the grapes are ready to pick. Also, grapes do not ripen at the same speed. Crop yield estimates are made at this time, and all but one cluster per shoot may be removed and discarded to achieve the desired yield of under 2 tons per acre.