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May 23rd, 2022, Threemile Vineyard hosts a wine tasting event with the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association.

 

We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who came out to taste “weird whites” at our vineyard this past week. It was our honor to host fellow winemakers of the Gorge, and have our vineyard lay backdrop to CGWA’s May tasting event! What made this event all the more special for us was introducing our newly bottled Albariño to this esteemed group of winemakers and grape growers. 

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Each month, the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association hosts a themed familiarity tasting for the purpose of cultivar and varietal education as well as increased regional awareness for members and invitees. These events provide an opportunity to share and taste new wines within the Columbia Gorge region. 

Winemakers gather to share their most recent endeavors and flavor inspirations. While each attending member offers their own wine for group sampling, the community shares stories of the wine making process, from seasonal vineyard growth, to fermentation, to blending.

Lineup of bottles of white wine

May’s familiarity tasting was themed “weird whites”, meaning wine varietals made from white grapes that are not yet prominent in our area. Since the Willamette Valley has begun to gain recognition in recent years for its quality chardonnays, this tasting encourages the more unusual flavors of alternative whites grown in our region. 

The Event 

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In the early evening at Threemile, the sun moves across the sky and stretches afternoon shadows across the wine rows. Cars drive down the vineyard road, small specks on the horizon gradually approaching.

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People begin to stream in with wine bottles in hand. Under the shadow of an oak tree in the grove and sheltered from the winds, white wines are lined up next to vibrant charcuterie boards provided by Gorge Wine Provisions.

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Threemile Vineyard’s general manager, Edwin Martinis, pours and guides the group through each wine, from driest to sweetest. Winemakers then, one-by-one, introduce themselves and present what they have brought as the group swirls, smells, and savors each sampling.

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In attendance are fellow Gorge wine labels from: Phelps creek, Maryhill Wines, Mt Hood Winery, Doubblé troubblé, Buona Notte, Cathedral Ridge & Tetrahedron Wines.

Threemile Albariño 

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Newly bottled and yet to hit the market, Threemile Vineyard presents an Albariño for the evening’s tasting, excellently crafted by winemaker John Grochau from Grochau Cellars.

With tasting notes of orange rind, underripe apricot and a hint of minerality, this Albraiño perfectly captures our terroir with balanced acidity, structure, and texture. As the first grapes of the vintage are tasted, the story of this varietal has commenced.

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Threemile Vineyard would like to thank Jan Byrkit and Darren from the Gorge Winegrowers Association for allowing us to host the May familiarity tasting. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to join the community and contribute our space for a sunset tasting at the edge of the Columbia Gorge.