Oregon Wine Month
May marks the official celebration of Oregon's wine community, as named by the Governor; we'll drink to that! Each week, all our McMenamins locations in Oregon are offering $7 per glass all day, every day, on a featured Edgefield wine – and a specialty stamp in your McMenamins passport.
May 16 - 22
2015 Pinot Gris, Dampier Vineyard
May 23 - 31
2013 Cuvee de l'Abri Rouge |
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New Wine Club Offerings
We are rolling out exciting changes to our Wine Clubs! Members can now use the club discount at the Anderson School Market in Bothell and effective June 1st they will be able to use it at the 23rd Ave Bottle Shop. The discount will also be coming soon to the Edgefield Gift Shop.
From here on out, we’ll be offering a pick up option for quarterly club releases at the Anderson School:
Anderson School Wine Tasting and Club Kick-Off Party
Sunday, June 12
1 p.m .'til 4 p.m.
Anderson School (Bothell, Wa)
Free for club members and up to 3 guests, $10 per person for non-members
We will also be holding a Portland-area Wine Club event on Saturday, June 11. Club members, watch your email for more details!
This Month's Wine Club selections: |
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Gateway Club
• 2014 Poor Farm
Pinot Gris
• 2015 Pinot Gris, Dampier Vineyard
• 2014 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
• 2014 Vintage Select Pinot Noir, Yamhill County |
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Red Shed Club
Two bottles each:
• 2014 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
• 2014 Vintage Select Pinot Noir, Yamhill County |
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White Rabbit Club
• 2014 Poor Farm
Pinot Gris
• 2015 Pinot Gris, Dampier Vineyard
(Two Bottles)
• 2015 Pinot Noir Blanc, Havlin Vineyard |
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Join the Edgefield Wine Club
Interested in joining the fun? Club members get a 15% discount on our wines (20% for purchases of 12 or more bottles), complimentary tastings in our tasting room, invitations to member-only events, discounts on tickets to wine events, and priority access to new and limited releases. The wines can be shipped to you directly or picked up at Edgefield Tasting Room. Gift memberships are also available. See more details. |
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What's Happening in the Vineyard
Grapevines are deciduous, woody perennial plants with an annual cycle of growth, fruiting and dormancy. This year, we’re following the cycle of growth in our Poor Farm Estate vineyard at Edgefield.
 When we last left our vines, they had experienced bud break and the initial rapid canopy growth for the first few weeks of the growing season. Cluster inflorescences (groups of flowers) are now visible, marking the first signs of what will become the grape clusters we harvest in the fall.
The next step is bloom, where the flowers will open and become fertilized. Wine grapes are self-pollinating, meaning they do not need pollinators, such as bees, or a separate cultivar to produce fruit. Each fertilized flower will produce a grape berry. The weather during bloom affects how many berries are fertilized. High winds or rain can lead to low fruit set, because fewer flowers become pollinated. Conversely, mild weather during bloom can lead to large clusters and a big crop at harvest.
 Up until this point the vines have largely relied on stored carbohydrates from the previous season for energy, but as the new leaves become fully expanded, they begin to get energy from photosynthesis. Over the next 5-7 weeks the berries will experience a rapid growth due to cell division, then another growth period as the cells expand with water and sugar.
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Interview with Edgefield Winemaker Davis Palmer
How did you get into the wine industry?
I started as a homebrewer and talked to a bunch of Portland brewers who pointed out that McMenamins was a good place to learn the trade. I applied and first started out working as a grill cook in the Power Station, then quickly moved to the brewery. After I had been brewing with the company for five years, I decided I wanted to stay in fermentation as a career, but I wanted to try winemaking. I worked my first harvest with Edgefield Winery in 2000, then came on in 2001 as the cellar master. In 2004, I was promoted to winemaker and I’ve been here ever since.
How is the winery different now from when you started?
Fundamentally, the process remains the same but we’ve added much more intricacy in terms of new wines and additional vineyards that we work with. Also, the explosion of cider in the last few years has substantially increased the amount of product we’re making.
What’s your favorite wine to make?
I love Cabernet, so I’d say that’s my favorite. Also I’ve enjoyed the focus we’ve put on the Columbia Gorge and Columbia Valley. While we enjoy working with the cool climate varietals from the Willamette Valley, it’s exciting to have access to such a breadth of different grapes.
What is your winemaking philosophy?
We work with so many different grape varieties, it’s important to me to let the character of the grapes shine through. We try to be somewhat minimalist with the oaking of our wines and allow them to express a sense of where they were grown. |
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Best Cidery Nomination
McMenamins has been crafting cider to serve in our pubs since 1992, offering clean, crisp flavors that highlight the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. This year those efforts have been recognized and we have been nominated as “Best Cidery in Portland” by Willamette Week’s 2016 Best of Portland Reader’s Poll!
Voting continues until May 30
Are you a cider fan? Check out McMenamins’ Cider Bars at Tavern & Pool and Greenway, try a cider flight in the Edgefield Tasting Room, or come see us at PDX Cider Summit or OMSI After Dark during Oregon Cider Week, June 16 – 26. Make sure to follow @edgefieldcider on twitter and facebook for more details. We’ll also have our Edgefield hard cider on tap for $5.50 during this time in Oregon locations, so raise a pint and cheers! |
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Food and Wine Pairing: 2014 Pinot Noir
This pork chop recipe will pair equally well with our 2014 Pinot Noir or a glass of our Edgefield Cider. Cheers! Recipe |
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More Upcoming Events
Where we’ll be hosting or pouring!
Willamette Valley Wine Dinner * Hotel Oregon, McMinnville
Saturday, June 4th, 7 p.m.
Edgefield Cider & Alter Ego Cider Tap Takeover * 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop, Portland
Saturday, June 25, 5 p.m. ‘til 8 p.m.
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