The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below… – Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement Moore Celebrating the New Year and two Full Moons… We all know the poem. In this case it was not Christmas Eve and there was no snow in Oregon. It is midnight on … Read More
On Winemaking, Pinot Noir and our 2017 Vintage
Technical progress makes it possible to always improve the quality of the wines, but it seems that this very technicality leads to a standardization of the product. With filtration and the imperatives of competition, it becomes difficult to say whether a Chardonnay wine has been made in France, Italy or California. The professionals want drinks that are acceptable to … Read More
Lines on the Vines
2017 Vineyard Season Update We have been frantically busy since our last post about the vineyard at bud break in May. I analogize the season in the vineyard to a horse race with us in a race to keep up with the pace of the vines as they grow. There’s weeding and mowing, fertilizing and disease control and the perpetual … Read More
Three Feathers Estate & Vineyard celebrates a glorious Oregon summer with a family photo session
Photo Session at Three Feathers Estate & Vineyard We are having glorious weather in the vineyards in Hillsboro, Oregon. Time for our family to enjoy the best that Oregon has to offer and an excellent opportunity for a photo shoot. Three Feathers Estate & Vineyard owners Christine Stimac (left) and daughters Cynthia Stimac (middle) and Elise Prudhomme (right) pose in … Read More
Stirred, not Shaken
Stirred, not Shaken: Clarification of our 2016 Three Feathers Pinot Noir We received a text message from Dan Duryee, our winemaker at Lady Hill Winery, to say that our Three Feathers 2016 vintage Pinot Noir would go through the filtration process that day. “Is there anything to photograph?”, Christine texted back. Up pops a photograph of a strange machine and … Read More
Barrel Tasting at Lady Hill Winery
Barrel Tasting with our Winemaker Dan Duryee Our tasting compared the four barrels against each other. Winemakers do this to ensure that none of the barrels are bad or “off” tasting before they are blended. One of the barrels was noticeably different. The simplest explanation was that the barrel manufacturer was different from the other three. Interesting that that would … Read More
New Buds on Pinot Noir Grapevines
New Buds We go out frequently to see if the vines are coming to life. Today I could detect the tiniest little swelling on a new bud. We have had a record breaking winter of ice, snow, rain and mud with many slides in the valley. With the coming of spring it has warmed a bit and we have had … Read More
Harvesting and Custom Crush at Lady Hill Winery
Custom Crush at Lady Hill Winery with Winemaker Dan Duryee Recent genetic studies of grape varieties has identified Pinot Noir as one of the oldest grapes in the world. A small cluster variety, Pinot Noir has a reputation for being a finicky grape. It prefers cool nights and warm days. The wine is light in color and flavor and on … Read More
First Grape Harvest at Three Feathers
First Grape Harvest Block 1, Pinot Noir #667, Brix 22, TA 3.1 Friends and Family gathered to pick our first grapes. We sent 12 tubs to the state-of-the-art wine making facility at Lady Hill Winery in St. Paul for a custom crush. We watched as the wine making team, Dan and Tony, escorted our grapes on the path to greatness! … Read More