At PROJECT M, there are specific attributes that we want our Willamette Valley Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Sparkling Rosé, and Pinot Noir to possess. We refer to these as the four virtues
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Like the photographer, each winemaker has their own light, frame, lens, and angle from which they see the vineyard. But is a wine's greatness defined by the exactness of its reproduction?
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Daily, we are bombarded with the suggestion that ChatGPT or other Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms can “automate” our content creation. Is AI a plague descending on mankind, making us irrelevant? Or is it the ultimate manifestation of technologies promise to help humans reach their full potential?
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This post breaks down the growing season into three periods; budbreak to bloom, bloom to veraison, and veraison to harvest, discussing how weather events during these periods might impact your favorite Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
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I saw in Dick, then in his late 60’s, a youthful restlessness. He was always thinking about another experiment or another project.
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In this post, I want to discuss another aspect of the success of the Willamette Valley: Antifragility.
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Aren't the holidays supposed to be about family?
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The real problem with wineries making health claims like “zero sugar”.
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Writer EB White said, "luck is not something you can mention in the presence of self-made men." Like most success stories, the story of the Willamette Valley understates the role of luck.
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I'm uncomfortable with the word terroir. It isn't that I don't believe in the dramatic influence that a vineyard exerts on a wine. Instead, my discomfort is rooted in the word's lack of certainty.
Read More“…you realize that the world doesn't change overnight. It's not a big, monolithic Herculean effort that changes the world.”
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Revisit the 99 Points we made, not scored, to promote our 2017 99 Points Pinot Noir we produced for Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction.
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Creating something and putting it into the world is a heroic act. An album, painting, or a bottle of Pinot Noir is like a small child placed in a basket and pushed into the river. The creator hopes that whoever finds it will love it. They do this despite the possibility it might be hated or ignored.
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There is an uncomfortable truth that the world of wine has learned to comfortably live with. It is uttered by winemakers in hushed voices in dark cellars. Marketing departments deny it. Sommeliers offer fake smiles as they pour examples of it. It is the 500lb gorilla in the room. THE LIE: BIG WINES ARE HARD TO MAKE.
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If you ever get a winemaker to tell you the truth about how they make Chardonnay, you’ll get a philosophy more akin to a drill sergeant or high school football coach.
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March 13th is Riesling Day! You would think that from such an honorable history, Riesling would be spoken about with much love and adoration. Alas, instead of the world's most beloved white wine, Riesling qualifies as the world's most misunderstood wine.
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One of our best customers asked which wine he should serve on Date Night; Sparkling Rosé or Pinot Noir? While I'm inclined to suggest both, if forced to choose, I've written the pros and cons of Sparkling Rosé or Pinot Noir to help in that decision.
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Wine has inspired poems, paintings, and songs. Our constitution was drafted under the influence of wine. It has been suggested that wine’s role rivaled that of the Roman Legions in conquering the barbarian tribes that would go on to join the Empire. Wine is the beverage of civilization.
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