Corks and Caftans

Carey and I were looking through some of my Oregon pictures the other day and I realized that there was still much left to be said. Much. What I stumbled into 6 months ago was life changing. And as I whittle my way through the wine I brought home, and those liquidy, sinewy connections to [...]

Then: We are down to the final hours. Carey’s final packing list is being organized and laid out on the floor as planned outfits and crosschecked for compatibility and hypothetical adaptations. In less than an hour, Carey and I should be going to bed and in 12 hours we will be well into our first [...]

Last night Carey and I were sitting by the fire after dinner in the common room at our magnificent hotel, The Allison, passing a glass of Penner-Ash Pinot Noir. We were playing “guess what I’m writing on your leg,” trying not to crumble into hysterics as the people around us discussed the very important matters [...]

Oregon is on the brain, as is Pinot Noir. Corks + Caftans will be northwest bound in less than a week. The itinerary is still coming together but Lange, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Stoller, and Genius Loci are looking promising so far. For me (I can’t speak for Carey, of course), this trip is about meeting [...]

Chardonnay. My mother was a light drinker from what I recall as a child. I remember her small, tulip-shaped, etched wine glass that would appear on weekends. Packed full of half-moon ice cubes and drizzled in something sweet and sticky—the 80′s wine scene as I remember it. I am convinced now that my mother was [...]

Carey and I were thoroughly rewarded by the discovery of Dukes Family Vineyards on WineBid.com. After recovering from a long line of losers about a year and a half ago, I almost gave up on buying wine by auction.

The 2002 Tyrus Evan horizontal tasting continues. Unfortunately I’m missing about half the line, so my horizontal claim is pretty much unfounded bunk. Interestingly, not one of the bottles I’m missing—or already have acquired—is a Pinot Noir. This might seem odd at first considering TE is in the heart of Oregon Pinot Noir country. The [...]

I just spent the last 30 minutes trying to figure out where I picked up this particular Pinot Noir. I was on Nantucket with Carey—this I know. I found the ’07 Willamette Pinot Noir at Murray’s on Main Street for $22, which I purchased and reviewed. The next day, Carey and I wandered into a [...]

I consider this post to more of an introduction than a wrap-up or review. I read a book this past summer call The Grail by Brian Doyle, which documents a year spent shadowing the winemakers and operation at Lange Winery in search of the world’s best Pinot Noir. Despite the highly exuberant, passionate, drive-the-point-home writing [...]

I first learned about Tyrus Evan 3 years ago while dining at American Seasons on Nantucket. Owner/sommelier/all-round hip resident Nantucketer Orla Murphy-LaScola didn’t hesitate to recommend the Ken Wright offshoot label. It was a perfect bottle for a spectacular dinner crammed with foie gras 3 ways and bison filets.

The final Pinot Noir tasting from Willamette Valley Vineyards just wrapped up. I chose an order that started with the Whole Cluster—a popular, accessible Beaujolais Nouveau-like Pinot Noir with finesse and fruit purity. The Founder’s Reserve marked the middle tasting, with a stunningly silky white chocolate and red berry flavor profile. The final bottle, the Elton [...]