Midwinter is an opportunity for reassessment: planning for the future and learning from the past. I am steeped in budgets, planning for production of grapes and wine. Looking for ways to improve everything we do.
Christine, Three Feathers General Manager, at work
Vineyards, as all farming endeavors, give new opportunities and new problems every season. This is what is meant by a vintage: wine is produced not only by the location and the cultivation of the vines, but also by weather conditions that year.
In the past 10 years that we have been growing grapes there have been hot seasons, cool seasons, short and long growing years, fire, drought, disease, birds, to name a few challenges. I do my best to counteract these factors, but I try to remind myself regularly that growing grapes and making wine is a multi-faceted art form, like a dance with three acts.
2023 Growing Season
We have had a wet December and January – in some cases, breaking records. This is what used to be called an El Niño year, with mild temperatures and wave upon wave of rain and wind coming from the Pacific. Except for a brief cold spell with some ice, temperatures have ranged from 38-45 most days. This gives us plenty of ground water, reducing fear of summer fires and making the mountain peaks look like huge ice cream cones when it’s possible to see them. It’s hard to capture the dramatic sunrises and sunsets as the light reflects on the snow caps.
Three Feathers Block One
Pruning the Vines
Soon we will be pruning the vines to start the 2023 season. We will be planning for limiting production this year just in case we have another late spring as last year; only the next few months will tell.
Three Feathers Overview
Midwinter Gardening
Our home is situated among 80-year-old Douglas Fir. As the trees get older, they create more and more cones, needles and debris from the storms. I do what I can to rake up the worst of the mess and figure that this will continue for a little more, so why try to clean it all up now?
The gardens could also use a cleanup and I am tempted to get out with my tools and work. Being an Oregonian means rushing outside as soon as the sun shines whenever the opportunity arises. In the meantime, I sit at the computer thinking about where we have been and where we are going.
Christine, Scott and Torio removing clips in Torio Vineyard
Our 2022 Vintage takes us back to the 1990s | Harvest Wrap-up
Wrapping up this year’s harvest and our 2022 Vintage takes us back to the 1990s. A cooler, wetter Oregon when harvest was pushed late into the year and ice wine was the latest thing. Compared to recent vintages, bud-break was a full three weeks later (May 1st on Chehalem Mountains). A late April freeze on the young shoots in the valley inspired dire predictions for the crop.
As it turned out, the frost affected some but not many. Plants at Three Feathers were still sleeping when the frost hit so that was not an issue for us.
Spring Rains
The late spring rains damaged cherry, apple and plum crops as the rain and frost hindered pollination. But the extra moisture was welcomed by the grape vines and plants grew vigorously and bloomed heavily. Our cover crop of Crimson Clover at Three Feathers Vineyard was exceptional this year.
Bloom at Three Feathers Vineyard
In fact, yields everywhere were higher and once again we exceeded expectations for harvest.
New Growing Challenge | Balancing our crop with the seasons
In this type of short summer season, our high-elevations are a handicap because vines need a minimal amount of heat to ripen to desired levels. With the heavy crop and time crunch it was necessary to sacrifice some yield for the best quality. Our plants are now reaching full maturity, so the challenge every year from now on will be balancing the crop with the seasons.
Victor and I picked our last grapes in Three Feathers’ Pinot Gris Block on October 24 and delivered them to our winemaker in our own truck.
We sold 32 tons of fruit to buyers, kept fruit for Three Feathers 2022 vintage and still left grapes in the vineyards! Our wine-making strategy with the fruit from this harvest includes our Pinot Gris, Pinot POP and a new Three Feathers Rosé of Pinot Noir.
We feel very fortunate to have avoided all the pitfalls of the 2022 vintage. Fall rains and cool temperatures arrived on October 28th, after we completed harvest.
Stay tuned for new reports as our 2022 wines progress!
Carving a Smoked Turkey cooked on a Weber Kettle barbecue to be served with our 2016 vintage Three Feathers Pinot Noir.
Three Feathers Vineyard vintage 2016 Pinot Noir for a summer evening dinner party
Victor’s Infallible Smoked Turkey Weber-style
This lip-smacking Smoked Turkey recipe is back by popular demand!
Friends from out-of-town came to dinner. After a long week of hot weather spent tending the vines, we wanted to serve them something perfect from the barbecue and decided that a good wholesome smoked turkey would fit the bill. After all, who says that turkey is only reserved for the holidays?
If you want to impress your guests with a recipe that always pleases, and you have a Weber grill handy, try this recipe:
Materials 1 Weber Kettle grill 1 bag of good quality charcoal (we use Kingsford) 1 aluminum pan to catch turkey juices
Ingredients 1 fresh turkey with pop-up thermometer (if the turkey is frozen, defrost completely) Salt and cracked pepper
Cooking time Average 2 1/2 – 3 hours for a 10-13 lb turkey Or use a temperature gauge for other sizes
Smoked Turkey Preparation
Lightly season the turkey with salt and pepper. Do not grease with butter or olive oil. Make sure that the wings and thighs are tied back and not loose.
Prepare the first coals as follows:
Position a barbecue chimney into the Weber grill and add 54 charcoal briquettes. When flames begin to shoot out of the chimney (do not overcook the coals), turn out the coals into the lower grate and separate them in equal portions of 27 briquettes on either side. Place the aluminum drip pan in the middle of the lower grate and add 1/2 a cup of water to it. Insert the upper grate and ensure that the grate doors are positioned exactly over the coals. Position the turkey on the upper grate directly over the aluminum drip pan. Place the hood on the Weber and ensure that the upper and lower vents are open.
Add new coals as follows:
Every hour, precisely to the minute, open the upper grate doors and add 9 charcoal briquettes to each side on top of the existing 27 briquettes. Close the grill hood and avoid opening it back up so that the heat is contained for the smoking process. The turkey is cooked when the thermometer pops up (or your thermometer registers the correct temperature). It should be tender and juicy and not overly smoked with a dark brown skin. Remove the turkey from the grill and let it sit for 10-15 minutes covered in aluminum foil before carving.
Pinot Noir jelly made from the Precoce clone of Torio Vineyard.
Brix, Birds and The Worlds Most Expensive Jelly
Waste Not, Want Not is part of our continuing effort to find creative uses for our harvested Pinot Noir grapes that don’t go into wine-making. As I explained last year in my recipe for Blackberry Pinot Noir Sauce, I have a problem with wasting grapes.
During pre-harvest months, while we wait for the grapes to ripen, a lot of testing is done to gauge the sugar level in the grapes. If I am being very stingy, I take one big fat grape, squeeze the juice onto the portable refractometer and check the sugar level that way. As we get closer to Harvest, however, I must pick numerous clusters, crush the grapes to extract the juice and and test it. Most of the time the grapes and the juice after discarded after testing.
Portable refractometer for measuring grape sugar levels.
I have found that Pinot Noir grapes make marvelous jelly. The seeds are full of pectin, the substance that allows the juice to gel, so it is easy to cook up a batch from the juices after testing. I make a few jars at a time. When I told Dan, my winemaker at Lady Hill, he said, “ well, that must be the world’s most expensive jelly”; so that’s what I call it!
Précoce Grapes at Torio Vineyard
One of the clones in Torio Vineyard (our second vineyard property), is an early ripening varietal called Précoce. We planted it keeping in mind our higher elevation and the advantages of a quicker ripening clone; an advantage that depends on a short cool vineyard season. This year, however, has been a warmer vineyard season with little rain. The Précoce has ripened before our other fruit and we had to make a strategic decision between holding it longer on the vine to pick with the other fruit, or picking it earlier and making a separate wine. Our solution this year is to tackle the logistical challenge by covering the plants with netting and waiting until the whole vineyard is ready for picking.
Ripening Pinot Noir grapes on the vine, Precoce clone, protected by bird netting before harvest.
This is where the birds come in. As the fruit gets to 21-22 Brix, the birds find it very attractive. Without netting there would be no fruit to pick by the time the other plants are ready. We only netted the mature plants, however, thereby leaving several uncovered rows to our feathered friends. What could I do with the fruit before the birds ate it all? Make the Worlds Most Expensive Jelly!
How To Make The Worlds Most Expensive Jelly
Making jelly is tricky. The hardest part is getting it to “gel” without over cooking it or using too much sugar. It is the pectin in the fruit that causes it to set and some fruits have more pectin than others. You can add a commercial pectin according to the directions or add a few apple peels to the grapes as they cook to help them gel.
As shown in the photo above, the grapes are cooked up, seeds and all, and then strained in a jelly bag. To test if the jelly is ready, take a metal spoon and drip some of the jelly from the spoon onto a cold dish. The jelly will start to solidify on the spoon before it drips onto the dish. The jelly that lands in the dish will set and you can take a knife and run it through the jelly. If that leaves a line then it should be done.
Waste Not, Want Not – Pinot Noir Jelly Recipe
I have excerpted the recipe for grape jelly making from an old book that I have used for years:
Remove the grapes from the stems, put over a slow fire in an agate or white-lined saucepan, and let simmer very gently, until the fruit is softened throughout; then pour into a bag and drain off all juice possible. Take one cup of sugar for each cup of juice; heat the sugar, spread on shallow dishes, in the oven; meanwhile heat the juice to the boiling point and let boil rapidly about five minutes, skimming as needed; add the sugar and let boil until a little will jelly on a cold saucer or from the tip of the spoon. Have ready jelly glasses on a folded cloth and surrounded with water heated nearly to the boiling point. The glasses should also contain hot water. When the jelly is done, pour the water from the glasses, fill with jelly, and remove from the pan of water. When cold, cover with paper.
As an alternative to making jelly, which I can’t really eat any more because of the sugar content, I extract the juice from the berries in a steam juicer and can the juice in jars. That is great for making smoothies or just drinking and it keeps for years.
Harvest Party at Three Feathers – Visit the Vineyards and Taste our 2021 Pinots…
This year’s Harvest Party Wine Tasting Open House has been scheduled a bit earlier than usual to take advantage of the peak of the season in the gardens. As usual, this wine tasting event gives you a rare opportunity to visit with the family and friends of Three Feathers Vineyard, taste wines straight from the site and relax in a tranquil setting.
2022 Harvest Party presents two pre-release 2021 Pinot Noirs!
We will be featuring our latest wines, giving you a preview of the newly bottled 2021 Pinot Noirs (Cuvée Virginia & Pinot Madeleine), and pouring wines that are last chance buys before they sell out – such as our 2018 Blanc de Noirs and 2016 Pinot Noir.
2021 Three Feathers Cuvée Virginia, Just Bottled!
2021 Three Feathers Madeleine, Just Bottled!
Of course, we will offer delicious home prepared food to accompany your experience.
Three Feathers 2020 Madeleine with Smoked Duck Weber-Style
This event is a rare opportunity to sample delicious Burgundy-style Pinots and to taste and purchase our wines.
We look forward to sharing our production with you!
From Hillsboro 219 South to SW Bald Peak Road. Turn right onto Bald Peak Road. Drive approximately 6 miles, pass Bald Peak Park on your right. Turn left onto Finnigan Hill Road (gravel road) about 1 mile past the park. Address is the second driveway on the left on Finnigan Hill.
From Beaverton Take Route 10, Farmington Road, south to 219. Turn left onto 219 and take the first right turn onto Bald Peak Road. Drive approximately 6 miles, pass Bald Peak Park on your right. Turn left onto Finnigan Hill Road (gravel road) about 1 mile past the park. Address is the second driveway on the left on Finnigan Hill.
From Newberg Go North on 219 out of downtown Newberg approximately 2 miles. Turn left onto Bald Peak Road. Drive approximately 4 miles on Bald Peak Road. Continue on Bald Peak Road past the blinking red light about half a mile. Turn right onto Finnigan Hill Road (gravel road). Address is the second driveway on the left on Finnigan Hill.
About Three Feathers
Three Feathers wines are the product of our unique location, soil, elevation and micro-climate. These elements combined make our wines different from any other. Every vine is nurtured on wind blown soil high in the Chehalem Mountains.
We produce handcrafted, small-lot wines using 100% Estate Grown Grapes. Tending the vines can often be intimidating but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the efforts we make produce succulent clusters of grapes that with the magic of wine making become the “Nectar of the Gods”.
Waiting, Watching and Worrying – Anticipating a Successful 2022 Harvest
In anticipation of a successful 2022 harvest, a certain degree of waiting, watching and worrying is in process at Three Feathers.
At Three Feathers and Torio Vineyard, we have reached the stage in the grapes development that the fruit is letting us see its potential. Comparing photos from this same day last year, we can see that we are three weeks behind.
Last year at this time, the grape clusters in our Précoce/Madeleine Block had turned fully purple and we harvested September 16th. This year, our early ripening Précoce/Madeleine Block is just beginning to change color – a process called veraison. During veraison, grape color gradually changes from green to purple and this takes about three weeks.
In addition, the weather has gone from hot and dry to cooler and dry. The coastal mist has come inland to Chehalem Mountains, causing us to have early morning drizzle and heavy dew and at this point we are concerned about molds and fungus. This year’s crop is heavy and dense, so we must thin excessive leaf coverage to ensure proper spray applications for mildew and mold.
De-leafing Torio Vineyard
Grape clusters that have been de-leafed for optimum ripening and disease prevention
We are truly grateful for our steady and hard-working vineyard management crew during this period!
Marcellina working in Torio Vineyard
Vigilant and Attentive to the Finish Line
This is all a delicate balance and I am out in the vineyard daily looking for problems and pulling off excess growth. Our plants look terrific and the fruit is abundant so now I just hope that things continue to go well through harvest.
We have decided to hold our Fall Open House a little earlier this year on Sunday, September 25th. Although we may be harvesting at that point, we will hope to avoid rainfall and enjoy the gardens in their fall glory. We have just bottled our 2021 Cuvée Virginia and 2021 Pinot Madeleine and are thrilled to offer pre-release tastes of these spectacular new wine. We will also be pouring wines that are last chance buys before they sell out; 2018 Blanc de Noir, 2016 Pinot Noir, etc. We look forward to seeing you then!
2021 Three Feathers Cuvée Virginia – just bottled!
2021 Three Feathers Pinot Madeleine – just bottled!
A 2022 Vintage Tale – How Beautifully Blue The Sky
A 2022 Vintage Tale reminds us of lyrics from Gilbert & Sullivan’s – The Pirates of Penzance. We find ourselves spending a lot of time minding the weather as our 2022 wine growing season unfolds.
How beautifully blue the sky, The glass is rising very high, Continue fine I hope it may, And yet it rained but yesterday. Tomorrow it may pour again (I hear the country wants some rain), Yet people say, I know not why, That we shall have a warm July.
At Three Feathers we escaped the frost damage as our plants were still dormant: bud break was two weeks later than 2021.
During months of May and June, we were stuck in a cool wet coastal weather pattern that delayed plant growth and delighted the grass and weeds. All the rain made gardening and vineyard maintenance a challenge especially keeping up with weeds. Coincidentally, this pattern ceased on the Summer Solstice – June 21st.
Bloom, or inflorescence
The vines are growing vigorously, fueled by all the rain and now some sun and warmer temperatures. Bloom began around July 5th and is progressing nicely. As harvest dates are determined by bloom time, we expect to be picking two to three weeks later than last year. We will therefore be working diligently to keep the crop loads at a level where we can obtain optimum ripeness.
The additional rain has invigorated many plants, trees and shrubs and created lushness in the gardens. One unexpected result was that the crop of crimson clover we planted in the vineyard two years ago flourished and produced a beautiful and luxuriant display of blooms.
Three Feathers 2021 Pinot Noirs – New Vendors, Venues & Partnerships
Our Three Feathers 2021 Pinot Noirs are in the pipeline, to be bottled in August!
We already bottled our 2021 Pinot Gris in March. The release came at our May 29th Memorial Weekend Open House and was well received. Our Pinot Gris has a characteristic fruitfulness created by our Laurelwood soils and high-altitude (800 feet). Our terroir yields a full-bodied Pinot Gris which is then enhanced by aging in stainless, without any oak at all.
Three Feathers 2021 Pinot Noirs
In addition to our 2021 Pinot Gris, our 2021 Pinot Noir wines will be bottled in August. We made two Pinot Noir wines for this vintage; a single-clone Pinot Madeleine and Cuvée Virginia barrel-selected blend of Estate Grown Pinot Noir clones. Experimenting with vinification methods for these reds has enabled us to emphasize the fruit-forward aspect of our wines and minimize woody tannins.
These two Pinot Noir wines promise to be a clean expression of our fruit grown in Laurelwood soils. They will be released late this fall so stay tuned!
NEW VENDORS, VENUES & PARTNERSHIPS
Elise arrived, fresh from her Paris tasting event at the US Ambassador’s Residence (photos and article here), in mid-May. She has been “promoted” from Vineyard Worker to Sales Associate and has been very busy helping Sandra with business development. This started June 5th with the Oregon Winemakers Association gathering: Crush on Oregon in Portland.
We are thrilled to be chosen by Cellar 503 as winery partner!
Cellar 503 is an Oregon Wine Club run by Carrie Wynkoop focusing on Oregon Wines that she has curated. Members receive a monthly selection of wines, often around a theme (organic, women winemakers, unusual varietals, etc). Carrie visited us this winter at Three Feathers and tasted through our portfolio of wines, selecting our 2021 Pinot Gris and Pinot POP! for her next club release.
Elise and our Sales Associate, Sandra, have been focusing this quarter on introducing Three Feathers wines to new vendors. Response has been strong and we are pleased to present new accounts with; NW Food & Gifts in McMinnville, Skywater Wines in Hillsboro and John’s Marketplace Multnomah location.
How fun to find a nice sparking pinot noir for under $20? This one is made with fruit sourced from Three Feathers Estate’s Torio Vineyard in the Laurelwood District American Viticultural Area.
“Pinot Pop” catches the eye with a fuchsia color that matches its aromas of red raspberries and strawberry bubble gum. Its slightly off-dry red cherry and nectarine fruit flavors intersect with traces of chamomile, lemon and fresh-baked brioche. The bubbles feel soft and lazy on the palate.
If your evening involves a swimming pool or a deck with a view, the summery “Pinot Pop” will not disappoint.
This refreshing, lightly sparkling red wine is a playful product of the Pommard clone of Pinot Noir. Purchase this sparkling wine to accompany barbecues, potluck, picnics and more. Just Pop the Top and Enjoy!
Three Feathers Wines traveled to France in May 2022 for a European Wine Tasting Event. The California Wine Institute invited the Oregon Wine Board to participate in a gala presentation at the US Ambassador’s Residence in Paris.
Entrance to the US Ambassador’s Residence, Paris, France.
It is difficult to imagine what lies behind this austere Parisian facade on Rue Saint Honoré, right next door to the French and British Embassies. We got our first glimpse inside when we delivered several cases of Three Feathers wine for the tasting. I simply handed the cases of wine to the guard at the entrance.
Inside the US Ambassador’s Residence
Our arrival at the US Ambassador’s Residence on Rue Saint Honoré at 10 am on the morning of the tasting event presented quite a different atmosphere. Various VIPs lined up for clearance to enter the Ambassador’s residence and we were asked to wait.
Numerous security guards ran scanners, ID checks and baggage checks and laptops were refused. (Happily, I had asked permission to take photographs ahead of time so they did not confiscate my camera!) Access was given to a VIP on a bicycle and various unmarked cars who made their entrance to the park in the inner courtyard. Only then were we allowed to enter the courtyard.
Elise Prudhomme, Three Feathers Estate & Vineyard
Setting up Three Feathers Wines and meeting Oregon exhibitors
François and I set up our tasting space alongside David Adelsheim and Eugenia Keegan (Jackson Family Wines). Howard Rossbach (Citation Wines) shared our table, 00Wines was on our right and across from us were Frédéric Drouhin (Domaine Drouhin) and Jean-Nicolas Méo (Nicolas-Jay), to name a few.
Frédéric Drouhin with 00Wines Elise Prudhomme (Three Feathers) with Jean-Nicolas Méo (Nicolas-Jay), Paris, France.Stately ballrooms on the ground floor of the US Ambassador’s Residence
The Oregon exhibitors enjoyed a cozy room on the ground floor of the Ambassador’s residence overlooking a generous stone terrace and extensive lawn. We strolled around the flower gardens and learned that the gardeners are in charge of supplying roses and other flowers to decorate the residence.
Oregon exhibitors room on the ground floor of the Ambassador’s residence.
The Tasters
The 400 confirmed attendees arrived – mostly French, but also from neighboring European countries such as Belgium, Italy, Switzerland. Many of the visitors were curious about Oregon wine. As a result, our little room was full to the brim in a predictably “un-socially distanced” manner until the event ended at 6 pm.
Visitors tasting California wines
Tasters from the French Alsace region enjoyed our 2020 Pinot Madeleine. One man said ‘it tasted just like home’. A discussion erupted in French over whether the 2018 Cuvée was preferable to the 2019 single-clone Oregon Pinot Noir and our 2020 Pinot Gris was a big hit. Surprised and elated guests appreciated our lighter burgundy style wines because they are pleasantly acidic, fruit-forward and not overwhelming in alcohol.
Elise and François Prudhomme presenting Three Feathers wines
The US Ambassador to France, Denise Campbell Bauer, made a lovely speech to inaugurate the tasting event. By the end of the day, clean glasses had dwindled down to nothing and journalists, restaurant & wine merchants, sommeliers and critics took their leave.
Tom Danowski (Oregon Wine Board) with Elise Prudhomme (Three Feathers Estate) in Paris, France.
A Truly Beautiful Venue
It was gratifying to showcase Three Feathers wines in such a beautiful and illustrious setting. Heading for home, we looked back at the carved stone and imposing portico of the US Ambassador’s Residence. Who would have thought that our wines would cross the threshold?
