Seufert Winery

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

This time of year is quiet in both the vineyard and the winery.

So we had our own little private wine and food festival. The Coleman’s (Randy, Kim, daughter Kristen, and birthday boy son Ryan) along with the Ramey’s (Tim, Karie, and daughter Miranda) came out to my place on the Oregon coast.

The Coleman’s own Coleman Vineyard and Winery, and the Ramey’s own Belle Provenance Vineyard. By all counts, everyone had a great time. The almost balmy weather allowed us to head outside. Some went for the beach – taking long walks and climbing the giant sand dune, while others took the kayaks out on the bay. Rumor has is that Miranda was practicing her gymnastics on the way down the dune, and Ryan was mastering his solo kayak skills.

Saturday evening started with Karie’s to-die-for appetizer tray. My favorite was the fresh goat cheese log hand rolled is herbs from her garden. Yummm. Randy opened their Coleman Vineyard 2004 Estate Pinot Gris to accompany this round.

Chef Kim and her able assistants prepared an awe-inspiring dinner. Kim brought a tenderloin from Carlton Meats, and ALL of the trimmings. She flew around kitchen creating a masterpiece of a meal. Too bad I didn’t have my camera.

Tim brought two wonderful wines for the meal – a 1998 St. Innocent Pinot Noir, and a 1998 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir. For contrast, we included a 1997 Rosemount GSM. Tim carefully decanted each bottle and returned the contents back to the original bottle (after it was cleaned out). Each wine was stellar in its own way, and was a good match for the food. The Pinot’s go well most foods; the GSM had peppery notes that matched nicely with Kim’s pepper sauce on the tenderloin.

If all that wasn’t enough, we topped the meal off with birthday cake for Ryan and a tawny port.

Miraculously, by morning the kitchen was clean and ready for action. I have a sneaking suspicion that Kristen did most of the clean up. Thank you.

Karie stepped into the kitchen Sunday morning. In no time, she whipped up an incredible breakfast/brunch. She made her secret-recipe scones topped with home-made preserves, plus bacon, sausage, potatoes, fresh fruit, and some additional items that escape me now. Meanwhile, Tim brewed non-stop batches of French-press coffee to greet each person as they emerged.

Tim disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a re-supply of half and half – and a Dungeness crab! He quickly cleaned the crab and then manned the stove. His specialty is omelets, and in no time everyone had a custom-made version on their plate.

WOW.

We talked business, food, taxes, trellising, and a myriad of other topics. The Ramey’s are about to build a wedding and event facility on their property. It sounds wonderful, and I’m sure it will be a great success.

This weekend reinforces my interest and commitment to winemaking. We’re all suppliers, customers and even competitors with each other, yet there is a real and tangible camaraderie in the Oregon wine business. Perhaps it’s a bit odd, but I like it.

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