The Willamette Valley wine pioneers – legends of the wine industry

Written by Allison Levine on October 22, 2019

Lifestyle Wine

I have the good fortune of meeting lots of winemakers. I have met some of the icons in the industry, people who helped establish their regions and set trends. But, when I was in the Willamette Valley as part of the Wine Writers Educational Tour, we attended a seminar with the Willamette Valley wine pioneers. This was not just a discussion of the people or a tasting of their wines but they, the original wine pioneers of the Willamette Valley, were there. It was not lost on me how legendary this panel was. These are the people who built the Willamette Valley and they shared their stories which I wrote about in the Napa Valley Register and you can read here.

“It takes a village to raise a child. This is my village and I am the kid,” declared Jason Lett as he welcomed a group of wine writers to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Jason’s father, David Lett, first saw the potential of Pinot Noir in Oregon.

A Utah native, David Lett moved to San Francisco for dental school in 1963 and was introduced to Napa Valley. He decided instead to study viticulture at UC Davis and after graduating, he moved to Oregon. According to Willamette Valley Wine, Pinot Noir was the first post-Prohibition vitis vinifera variety planted in the north Willamette Valley and the reason Lett came to Oregon. After studying the geography and climate of western Oregon, he had an idea of what would do well in the cool climate. Lett planted his vines in the Dundee Hills, establishing the Eyrie Vineyard, and produced his first wine in 1970.

As Jason spoke about his father, he sat alongside Richard and Nancy Ponzi, David Adelsheim, Harry Peterson-Nedry and Susan Sokol-Blosser.

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Drinking Wine in Houston, Texas at Three Wine Bars – Light Years, Montrose Cheese & Wine and A’Bouzy

Written by Allison Levine on October 19, 2019

Travel Lifestyle Wine

When spending a few days in Houston with a fellow wine lover and wine writer friend, what else would we do but drink wine. Houston is a pretty happening scene and its food scene has been steadily getting buzz. And the wine scene is also pretty exciting. After spending a day heading from one wine bar to the next, drinking wine in Houston is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Light Years Wine Bar (1304 W. Alabama Street, Houston, TX 77006)

Located in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston, Light Years Wine Bar and Shop focuses on natural wines. While I am a fan of minimal-intervention wines, natural wines is not a term that resonates with me. But, I loved Light Years Wine Bar. Located in a charming stand-alone building that looks like an old house, Light Years has a long wine bar, as well as tables and chairs inside, and a patio outside. There are more than 200 bottles of wine on the wine shelves available for purchase. And at the bar, there are close to 40 bottles available to order by the glass. This list is not printed out and changes daily. The staff is friendly and after asking us what we were in the mood for, offered a few wines to taste to see what we preferred. Read More +

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Palmina 2018 Vermentino

Written by Allison Levine on October 16, 2019

Wine

Vermentino is an Italian grape that is widely planted in Sardinia, but also can be found in Liguria (under the name Pigato) and in Piedmont (under the name Favorita). It can also be found in California, planted in Santa Ynez Valley, Paso Robles and Carneros. And, one of the producers of Vermentino in California is Palmina Wines in Santa Ynez Valley. Perfect for the hot summer days, the Palmina 2018 Vermentino, Los Olivos District is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

Vermentino is a light-bodied white wine that can be likened in style to Sauvignon Blanc, without being quite as in-your-face, as Sauvignon Blanc can be. Typical aromas are lime, grapefruit, pineapple and almond. Vermentino produces a fresh, zesty wine with good acidity.

The Palmina 2018 Vermentino, Los Olivos District was fermented with 100 percent native yeasts and was aged in stainless steel and neutral French oak for five months. The youthful wine has notes of lemon, green apple, pear and a hint of mint. It is zesty and bright with a saline minerality on the finish. This is the wine to pair with ceviche, shellfish or seafood.

There were 600 cases of the Palmina 2018 Vermentino, Los Olivos District produced and costs $28 per bottle.