News Briefs: December 2019
Openings, a name change and a solid wine
Solid Wine
Deven Paolo, president of Solid Form Fabrication, a custom metal company in McMinnville, recently funded scholarships for seven students to begin their vocational education in the skilled trades. The scholarships, totaling $14,000, were made possible through the sale of almost 600 bottles of a custom wine made and donated by The Carlton Winemakers Studio called Rising Together 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
Some 25 percent of the fruit was donated by studio client Dr. Mark Wahle of Wahle Vineyards. The remainder of the fruit came from other various studio projects. Services like bottling and filtration were also donated as well as a portion of bottling supplies. The Studio’s production manager, Mel Liebeck, made the wines.
According to the Studio’s general manager, Anthony King: “Solid Form provides crucial local support for an industry reliant on a wide array of sanitary, stainless steel tanks and equipment, not to mention structures, catwalks and elements of design. Like other contractors that support our industry, we have become increasingly aware of the need to strengthen the system that feeds our industry as well as those that we work with. Solid Form has been a leader that we respect and aspire to follow.”
Given the sell-out success of the first vintage, Paolo and King are making plans for a slightly higher production Pinot Noir to be made from 2018 fruit. They may also add a Chardonnay.
Openings
On Dec. 6, the Domaine Serene Wine Lounge in Lake Oswego will open its doors.
Much larger in scale than its downtown Portland counterpart, the new venture offers a full wine-inspired dinner menu paired with selections from Domaine Serene, Château de la Crée and Maison Evenstad. An extensive menu of craft cocktails is also available.
More information, including details about the New Year’s Eve Bubbles Bash at the Lake Oswego location, 300 First St., can be found at domaineserenewineloungelo.com.
Tony Rynders, winemaker/owner of Tendril Wines and its approachable, playful counterpart Child’s Play Wines, establishes a new home for his brand in Carlton, 130 W. Monroe St. The winery’s new address lies adjacent to a forthcoming tasting room for Child’s Play.
For more information, visit tendrilwines.com.
This winter, winemaker Jonathan Scott Oberlander is set to open the J. Scott Cellars on 5th in downtown Eugene.
Across from 5th St. Market, the second tasting room offers wine as well as a menu serving appetizers and desserts made in house.
The WestSide Warehouse District tasting room at the winery on Commercial Street. will continue with its regular hours. Go online for specifics on both locations: jscottcellars.com.
Spindrift Becomes Compton Family Wines
Matt Compton, who’s been crafting wine in Oregon for more than 20 years, has chosen to reflect his family involvement in the winemaking process by rebranding Spindrift Cellars into Compton Family Wines.
“Our family does everything, from managing the vineyard, harvesting the grapes, making the wine, bottling it, managing the marketing and sales, and running the tasting room,” says co-owner Tabitha Compton. “Because of our loyal customers’ support, we’ve been able to expand. The new brand name better reflects the fact that our family does it all. We’re real farmers from beginning to end.”
In addition to running Compton Family Wines, located in Philomath, Matt also owns WestVine Farms, a vineyard management company, and manages the site from which his operation sources fruit. Previously, he was the viticulturist at Oregon State University’s Woodhall Vineyards, from which the Comptons still source fruit.
The Comptons offer three wine tiers: the old-vine series, the winery’s top-level wines; the garden series, which represents the former Spindrift collection; and a premium sparkling wine, SEA 02.
For more information, visit comptonwines.com or call 541-929-6555.