Oregon: Abacela Winery

A half century ago only a handful of people knew how special Oregon's Willamette Valley was for grape growing. Cal Knudsen was among them, and as word got out, Brian Croser made the journey from Australia to see, and taste, for himself.  With his expectations confirmed, Croser teamed up with sparkling wine guru Rollin Soles to start Argyle, with Knudsen fruit as their founding vineyard. To this day, the Argyle-Knudsen partnership lives on in, and in this episode Croser joins Page Knudsen-Cowles and Host Brian Bushlach to reflect on what brought him to Oregon, and what keeps bringing him back.

We've all heard the saying "it all starts in the vineyard". It's a cliche because it's true! When the legends of the Oregon wine industry needed an expert hand on their vineyards, they called Allen Holstein. In this episode, Brian invites Page Knudsen Cowles to co-host another episode as we celebrate Knudsen Vineyards 50th Anniversary with the man who made it all possible in the vineyard.

The Burgundian influence on the Oregon Wine Industry, particularly the Willamette Valley, is inescapable. The Drouhin Family, led by Veronique, planted the French flag in the Dundee Hills in the 1980's and in doing so, legitimized the Oregon industry and fostered a partnership and friendship between the two regions. In this episode, Veronique joins us from Beaune to reflect on the relationships and growth of the industry with Brian and Page Knudsen Cowles.

1971 was a landmark year in Willamette Valley Wine Country- they just didn't know it at the time! Both Knudsen Vineyards and the Sokol Blosser Winery were founded in '71, and a half century later, they're both celebrating their 50th Anniversary. The parallels don't end there- both operations are now run by each family's second generation. In this episode, Brian welcomes back Page Knudsen Cowles to co-host as Alison and Alex Sokol Blosser join us for a fun conversation comparing notes on the past five decades in Oregon Wine Country.

You've probably heard of Argyle Wines thanks to Rollin Soles, who put the winery, and Oregon sparkling wine, on the map. There's a Knudsen connection in the DNA of Argyle, as Cal Knudsen teamed up with Brian Croser to found the Dundee Wine Company, giving birth to Argyle. To this day, Argyle is still sourcing the Knudsen Vineyards fruit for its award winning bubbles. In this episode, Brian invites Page Knudsen Cowles and Rollin Soles to share their journey in a fun and entertaining download.

There are many iconic names associated with the Oregon wine industry, but perhaps none as widely recognized as Dick Erath, who partnered with Cal Knudsen in 1971 to form the iconic Knudsen-Erath label. In this episode, Brian welcomes Page Knudsen Cowles and Dick Erath to revisit the roots of the Willamette Valley and the rolling Dundee Hills, reflecting on the past, present and future of the Oregon wine industry.

The Island Lifestyle, and the drinks that go with it, can now be enjoyed from the comfort of your home. A decade in the making, Tommy Bahama brings us the finest craft spirits from it's Coral Cay Distilling. Rum is obviously a prerequisite here, but Coral Cay is also delivering hand crafted bourbon, gin and vodkas. For those on the go, "Tommy Travelers" provide refreshing & handy canned sparkling cocktails. Beer is also on tap later this month. In this episode, Brian welcomes Jeff Soehren & Jamie Crain, the gents who teamed up with Tommy to make this dream a reality.

You never know what Mother Nature has planned for harvest in the Willamette Valley. This year, a cool spring and early summer impacted the vineyards. Then, just when it appeared fall was ready to arrive, a heatwave hit forcing vintners & vineyard managers to scramble. In this episode, Brian welcomes Winemaker Katie Santora and Vineyard Manager Jason Tosch from Chehalem Winery to provide the latest update from the vineyards and a recent bottling report.

We return to one of our favorite destinations, the Applegate Valley and Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden. Brian reconnects with Bill Steele, who co-founded the winery with his wife Barbara. They revisit the backstory of this iconic winery and what prompted Bill & Barbara to become the industry leaders in biodynamics. Ultimately, it's all about the Rhone varietals, perfect for this site in Southern Oregon. They are all showing well, all are highly rated, but it's the "drink now" aspect that we appreciate most of all.

How many times have you dreamed you were at your favorite winery or vineyard? Probably often these days... Unfortunately, your favorite winery or vineyard is hours away, requires a reservation or must limit capacity due to the virus. What if you could experience it pre-COVID? No masks, no crowds, in virtual reality? That's what Stoller Family Estate is doing with their groundbreaking Immersive Experience Center. We explore the experience and get an update on the Oregon industry with Stoller President Gary Mortensen in this episode of Vintage.