New Zealand Wines Muddy Water

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Muddy Notes, November 2008

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Belinda's Trip to The United States

The International Pinot Noir Celebration has been held in McMinnville Oregon every year since 1987. Muddy Water was honoured to be invited to be one of 2007s guest wineries.

There were 67 Pinot Noir producers from Burgundy (15), Australia (1), Chile (1), New Zealand (4), California (15) and Oregon (31). This year there was an emphasis on bubbles with 7 Champagne producers as well. Held on the leafy campus of Linfield College this is a unique event. The relaxed informal atmosphere hides what must be a slick and well organized operation. I was warned beforehand to take only clothes with easily expanding waistlines! The food was superb – there are 48 guest chefs involved in this event and as we know chefs are a competitive bunch which is great for the consumer.

For Muddy Water it was a great opportunity to showcase our wines to Pinot Noir lovers in a new and expanding market. Wine experts and appreciators from all over the US as well as Australia, New Zealand and Europe were treated to great wines, fantastic food and lively discussion. We started on Thursday evening as a guest winery at a dinner at Ponzi Wines where our 2006 James Hardwick Riesling was paired with Scallop Tartare and our 2004 Pinot Noir with Columbia River Sturgeon, salmon caviar, Jerusalem artichokes tarragon mustard and cherries from Mt Rainer – a surprisingly good match but you should also try it with duck. There are 2 “Grand” tastings where the wines from all producers are presented, a lunch at a winery (in our case we were lucky to be at Adelsheim one of Oregon’s oldest and most respected wineries), the Grand dinner was a logistical feat with more than 1200 people treated to a four course dinner matched with delicious older wines as was the famous salmon bake for more than 1500 people (a cell phone was a must if you wanted to meet up with anyone).

As well as IPNC I was very lucky to be able to go back to the Pinot Noir workshop at Steamboat Inn, Oregon. Steamboat Inn is on the beautiful Umpqua River in Southern Oregon. The workshop at Steamboat has been running since 1980, it is a winemakers’ forum dedicated to improving the standard of Pinot Noir. Imitation is the greatest for of flattery and there are now 5 Steamboat clones including New Zealand’s Southern Pinot Noir Workshop held each year in Hanmer Springs. Steamboat is a special place - the spawning grounds for both Steelhead Trout and young enthusiastic wine producers where the byline is “leave your ego at the door”. The wines (all barrel samples) are subjected to vigorous scrutiny and fierce criticism but it’s the same for everyone and I learn so much from every workshop and can’t wait for the next!

Life isn’t all about eating, drinking, fishing and having a good time, and overseas trips need to be justified, so I also did some work. A day in Portland Oregon and 3 days in California with the sales staff from Alexia Moore Wine Marketing. With enthusiastic people like this it didn’t even seem like work and I had a good look around San Francisco and the Bay area. There was one free day so, on the recommendation of my old friend and organic consultant Amigo Bob, I visited Lou Preston at Preston Vineyards in Dry Creek near Healdsburg. An inspiration to everyone Lou is one of those people who is already practicing the ideas I only dream of. The winery roof at Preston is covered in solar panels and they are a net provider of electricity, the tractors and 2 old Mercedes run on straight used vegetable oil, they are re-establishing native fauna in Dry Creek, the biodiversity in the vineyard has to be seen to be believed, surplus vegetables are sold at one of the most remote but busiest cellar door shops in Sonoma County (which also has a great stock of inspiring books – some are now on my shelves), Lou also bakes and sells delicious bread – and the wines are great too.

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