Purple Cow Vineyards

Good luck saying 'no' to this

As Lee lifts Sophie (4 yrs old) to a new level, it occurs that I should consider making her a Divison of Purple Cow Vineyards so she can be her own Sales and Marketing Director. Who's going to say, "sorry little girl, but I don't want your wine"? Look at that face.

In case you missed the news, there are 2 different 2006 Pinot Noirs from Purple Cow Vineyards.  The girls had a blind tasting, and through a scoring system, selected the wines that they liked best.  It has sparked quite a debate among insiders about which mini-Armstrong is right.  The competition and debate is entertaining, but the point is to enroll my family in the business so that they might choose to carry on the tradition.  So far, I'm happy with the results.

Kelsey edition get's bottled on Sept 1 so there will be more photos to share. -Jon-

Join us at Urban Decanter's Grand Opening 9/1

Celebrate the Grand Opening of Forest Grove's wine lover's dream! The upcoming hotspot in the historic downtown portion of town is the creation of Forest Grove locals Hope Kramer and Danielle French. Urban Decanter offers wine by the taste, glass, bottle, and case. They also offer non-alcohol drinks, bar and table seating, a small food menu, cheese & chocolate selections (eat in or take home), and a humidor stocked with cigars! Open daily, with hours extending to evening and weekends, Urban Decanter is a perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine with your friends, participate in special events, and shop for that perfect bottle of wine.

Stop in Saturday between 11am and 10pm and taste some of the finest local wines brought to you by the people that made them, including Purple Cow Vineyards, Thistle, & ElvenGlade. (excerpt from Urban Decanter's ad ... blush, thanks)

You'll also enjoy:

• 10% off Purchases
• Door Prizes All Day
• Free Appetizers All Day

2030 Main St., Forest Grove 503 359-7678 www.UrbanDecanter.Com

Message in a bottle to Industrial Hemp Companies

Hey, I'm no hippy, but I do care about where I live.  As a small wine label, we don't have a lot of choices about whether or not we don't something environmentally conscious.  It's pretty much economic driven.  It works both ways.  For example, I can't afford a machine harvester.  That means we pick using an environmentally sustainable practice whether we like it or not.  The reverse is true in bottling.  Cork is in decline in both quality and renewability.  Plastic alternatives are made from petroleum.  Screw tops require an expensive machine.  However, I've seen a lot of buzz about simulating plastics via industrial hemp and also some more recent news about making "plastic" water bottles from canola oil.  I've directly solicited a couple of companies about using hemp to make corks but I haven't gotten much response yet.  So I cast this net into the internet river hoping someone with means to produce such an object will contact me.  We're looking to use a plant product (canola or hemp-based, whatever) as an alternative to plastic or cork.  I am willing to risk some wine to do trials.  Email me if you can help.  I'm also interested to hear from intelligent naysayers; post your comments if you think I'm crazy, but please include some reasoning.  -Jon-

Bottling '06 August 25th

That's right - the wait for 2006 Purple Cow wines is coming to a close.  I know there has been many questions regarding when the 2006 wines will be released.  Now that we have a bottling date, we remove one of the barriers to releasing the wines.  We will not release all 2006 wines on the same date.  We will consider the potential of the wine as well as the supply of the previous vintage.  Please check in on occasion as we will be publishing release dates for each wine as they are determined. -Jon-

Forest Grove Main Course raging success

July 21st has come and gone.  Having time to digest the outcome, I comfortable saying I'm proud to have participated in the 2007 Forest Grove Main Course Dinner. Both the wines and food were excellent.  What I'll remember most, though, was the atmosphere.  Eating outside late into the evening with friends and new acquaintances at the same table - it was very old world.  The 2004 Tempranillo paired with the main entree, the buffalo, was a highlight.  Special thanks to Teri and the staff at the Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce for their fabulous event management. -Jon-

Join us August 1st in Forest Grove

It's 1st Wednesday again! This month we'll be pouring at 21st Avenue Hair Salon located at 1918 21st Avenue just 2 blocks from the University (the Farmer's Market booths are on the same road).