Eugenia Keegan

I have been in France for a number of days.  I am returning to places that are familiar as I stayed in these same places last fall.  Europe must sprinkle some naïve dust on my head because I made the arrogant assumption that everything would be exactly as I left it……waiting for my return.  Although it has been only six months the changes are startling.  Mostly in people’s lives as they are marching forward, growing their homes, businesses, families.  And perhaps some of the naivety is really just a refection of my own life where my surroundings, people, have stayed the same.  Some subtle changes can be seen in the country side as well where roads are repaved, safety barriers are up where there were none before, new houses being built. It is a treat to begin to know the area well enough such that these changes can be noticed.

But, the point I am trying to make here with the conversation about all of the changes….I was out of internet access for over a week!  It was weird.  These were places that had WIFI before and for one reason or another there was no access this trip.  On one hand I hated it and on the other it was very freeing.   Yikes, no facebook, no email, no twitter, and in my case not even a mobile.  Other than not being able to let David know that I had arrived safe and sound it was not much of a personal hardship, but for business it is immobilizing.

The days in Maury were spent working on vineyard selection, blends, and business arrangements for the future.  Frankly, this is damn hard.  The language is less of a barrier as my French is always improving but the business climate is restrictive and bureaucratic (I believe that the French invented this concept!).  The laws rarely make sense (to me, an American that is) in that they continually inhibit one’s ability to do business, but on the other hand if one understands that some fee or tax is to be levied, then it all becomes clear.  Find a way to add a charge to every act of commerce and you have the rule.

Having said that, the K2 project is well underway.  Oh yes, K2.  I have used this label from time to time for special projects and this project is a great candidate.  The KEEGAN CELLARS label will be reserved for wines that I make myself.  K2 will act somewhat like a negociant label.  The first K2 bottling will be from Roussillon.  There are many details to finalize and until they are final I will wait to reveal them.  Nothing like retractions and rewrites to frustrate everyone.  Most importantly it appears that I have found a solid partner.

The weather my first week was perfect.  Mornings were chilly and the right time to head out for a walk.  I soon recognized my fellow walkers, all men with little to do.  Those who did have something to do were in their gardens toiling tirelessly to bring tasty fruits and vegetables to the dining table.  And as always, the women had more than enough to do.  The afternoons were warm and breezy.  One such lovely day I headed out to the famous French landmark, the Château de Quéribus.  I had made an effort to visit this monument of high altitude living last fall, but that day was socked in with fog.  I started up the winding road until I could not see five feet in front of me.  I knew that to the right of me was a drop of no return and rather than take that “flight” I turned around.  After driving up there this trip I know how wise a decision that was.  Remember those guard rails I mentioned earlier?  Well, that crew has not made it to Roussillon!

A lengthy walk uphill to the castle was heart pumping, and well….ruins are ruins. I returned to my auto and started down the “back” side of the hill.  I was now in Corbières, Department of Aude, heading for the quaint village (I know, aren’t they all?) of Cucugnan.

Château de Quéribus

The next castle is Château de Peyrepertuse.  Again, an interesting ruin and reminder of the need to have one’s home as high up as possible so there was plenty of time to see the aggressor heading toward you.  Although visiting a couple of castles was the “reason” for the trip what took my by complete surprise were the unbelievable number of wildflowers.  I think I stopped taking photos after 45-50 different lovely delicate flowers.  I hope that there is a book with all of this abundance of beauty.  For now here are a couple of teasers:

And Finally, Château de Peyrepertuse

Business in DC and a wedding in Virginia fit perfectly into the travel plans for this next visit to France.  We decided to make a weekend of it and WOW what a weekend.  I had been to DC a couple of times but it was strictly biz.  One of the partners in my old company Bouchaine was Austin Kiplinger, whose offices are in the District.  For me the agenda was arrival, meeting, departure, so in fact I have never seen the sites.  We arrived to a sultry evening and dined on fabulous Indian food at the Bombay Club and then settled into our hotel in Silver Springs, MD.  (We originally had a dinner in Baltimore that night but it was cancelled due to our plane taking an unexpected detour to Pittsburgh and therefore arriving late, hence the location of our hotel).

We awoke to a beautiful May day, sunny, clear, puffy clouds.  But before play there is always work.

Our first meeting was at 10:00 with David White, Founder and Editor of a new wine blog, http://www.terroirist.com.  David is a journalist/writer by day and a blogger by night.  He fell in love with wine a few years back and looks forward to the day when wine is all he is writing about.  It was so wonderful to talk with such a smart, enthusiastic, focused young man.   He is the kind of person who will make a difference in the evolution of the wine game, particularly in the US.  We could have talked the kid’s ear off and did until he indicated that it was time for him to get back to the office. I look forward now to his blog and his ongoing contribution to the industry.

The afternoon was ours to wander around Georgetown.  OK, so most of it was spent looking at fixtures and faucets for bathrooms and kitchens.  Yes, we are looking at that kind of thing for a remodel project, but the truth is that David LOVES this kind of “form meets function”.  No one does it better than the Italians and indeed there were a couple of exceptional showrooms that took more than an hour or two.  I had a few odds and ends that I wanted to pick up before the trip….really exciting stuff likes socks and toothpaste.  We headed back to the hotel as the sun was setting and dined that evening on some seriously good Lebanese food.  Georgetown is just as I imagined it, probably due to the many photos that I have seen over the years, quaint and collegial.

Typical Georgetown

Lots of Flags

Springtime in DC

More of the Same

The Vacant Lot Next Door to the House that David Lived in Until age 8

Up and out early on Saturday for the wedding, but first a visit to Monticello.  The building and grounds are lovely but the real interest lies in how TJ managed to have such a full life without the many conveniences we enjoy today.  He was a master tinkerer and gadget guy and his home was full of odds and ends that serviced his intellect and inquisitive mind.  The attention to food and drink were obviously of interest to me and I loved looking at his books with orders for wine (yes, lots of estates we know today including an entry for wine from Roussillon where I would be in a couple of days) and food.  His ice cistern was genius and the kitchen packed with inventive ways to cook, not to mention the largess of copper pots and pans.  His love of France felt right at home.

The Drive to Virginia

Vineyard at Monticello

Monticello

We charged to our hotel, changed and arrived on time to the wedding that was held on the grounds of an old stately home now used for events.  Intimate vows, delicious food and drink, old friends, new friends and a great DJ left me with aching feet (gawd, I hate heels!) and a slightly stiff back (no, not 25 anymore).  The father of the bride gave an absolutely marvelous speech.  It was a picture perfect day in the Virginia country side.

The next morning we headed back to DC and without a plan we ended up having one of the most jam packed, fun days that I can remember.  We started with the modern works of art at the National Gallery of Art.  Lots of goodies of course and fun to see another Pollock and a couple additional Rothkos just weeks after the ones we saw in LA.  The ceilings were dripping with Calders and there were plenty of other great works of art.

Calders

Matisse

O'Keeffe

In addition to the permanent collection two wonderful temporary shows were on display:  Gauguin, and a huge collection of Canalettos.

There was a surprise exhibit:  The Collection of Maud and Chester Dale.  As Dale himself said, “He had the money and the desire to collect, his wife had the eye”.  And what an eye she had.  My mouth hit the floor when we walked into the first room.  There were some of the most famous paintings the world knows:

Pablo Picasso, The Lovers 1923

Claude Monet, Rouen Catherdral, West Façade, 1894

Amedeo Modigliani, Nude on a Divan, 1918

Henri Matisse, La Coiffure, 1901

Auguste Renoir, A Girl with a Watering Can, 1919

A reproduction of the Renoir was over my bed as a child.  If you want to see the truly unbelievable, awesome collection, go to http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/daleinfo.shtm.  The entire collection is online and you will not believe that anyone could have this group of art in their home.  Oh la la!

We had to dash to make it to the new Behring Museum which houses the kitchen of Julia Child.  Talk about copper pots and pans!

Julia's, not Jefferson's

All the museums were closing at 5:30 as it was a Sunday, however the National Museum of Natural History was open until 7:00.  We had heard earlier that there was a concert that evening but had not pursued it.  However, upon entering the museum it was clear that the concert was there as a group of elderly types were heading into the building.  One look at them told you that it was classical, but nothing prepared us for what was ahead.  Apparently the Emerson String Quartet is in residence in DC and they were performing that night.  There were a handful of seats available and we jumped at it.  The program included Mendelssohn, Beethoven and a piece written for them by a modern composer, Pierre Jabert.  The piece was stunning.  We then visited the mall and some of the more familiar landmarks.  Of course we visited the Vietnam Memorial, which brings tears to my eyes just remembering.  It was too dark to take a decent photo, and perhaps that is fitting.  I am sure that we drove to our hotel, but it felt more like a magic carpet ride.

The Emerson String Quartet, Final Bow

The Washington Monument

The Lincoln Memorial

We stayed at the Washington Hilton which is apparently nicknamed the “Hinckley Hilton” as it is the site of the failed assassination attempt on the life of President Reagan.  It was getting rather late but we headed out into the evening for a bite and continued our good luck by finding a fantastic wine bar, Veritas, just a couple of blocks away.  We dined on prosciutto sandwiches and a delicious selection of cheeses, washed down with godello, albariño, bonarda, charbono, and anything else weird we could find.  We could not have enjoyed a better day if we were in charge of the world.

Monday was “departure” day for me but we managed to hurry out the door and made our way to our nation’s capitol.  The tour was surprisingly fun and a reminder of the guiding principles of our founding fathers.  It of course would have felt better if we as a people had lived up those lofty ideals over the years, starting with slavery, Native Americans, etc.  Frankly, no American should be allowed to graduate from high school without a trip to our awe inspiring seat of democracy.  In fact, it would not hurt for the members of congress to have to do a run through every six months or so to be reminded of these founding principles.  Perhaps it would help them put aside some of the petty bs they continue to engage in.

A quick walk through the Sculpture Garden was followed by lunch, packing, and an uneventful ride to the airport.  OH, did I say uneventful?  Except for being held up for several minutes while the Presidential motorcade passed by.  We have no idea where Barack was going but just knowing he was zipping through town in front of us in one of those very dark limos/SUVs was enough for me.

All in all, a magnificent send off.

Wow, what an amazing adventure can be had in just a day or two. There is so much culture available in any major city in the US that a weekend of submersion is a lifetime away.

We left Portland on Friday morning, arriving to a clear, warm day in greater Los Angeles. The hills barked back with clarity on one of those precious spring days in SoCal following a cool wind off the ocean. We chose a great priceline deal and stayed in Santa Monica although our event was in Beverly Hills (ah….the beach or Rodeo Drive??? My checkbook says the beach!). After a really spectacular lunch (who knew, a Sheraton?) of shrimp Provençal and heritage tomatoes with burrata cheese and baby basil, we dressed (cocktail casual) and headed to the Beverly Wilshire.

One never knows what one will get when attending wine related events.  Wine guys are asked to donate wine and time routinely. Some events are great, most pretty good, and then there is the occasional bomb. This event, a fund raiser for the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center,  featuring the Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award was really quite lovely. Gil Nickel, who owned Far Niente Winery in Napa Valley died of cancer in 2003. This award was established in his name as he became a large benefactor to the center that helped him in his fight against cancer.

The president of Far Niente, Larry Maguire (and an old friend of mine from Napa….that was a very fun reunion, one of several!) is a co-chair of the event. In earlier years only Far Niente wine was served but in recent years Larry has moved away from this to other wines, other regions. This year the theme was the wines and cuisine of the Willamette Valley, featuring Oregon Pinot noir.

Wineries included Adelsheim Vineyard, Archery Summit, Beaux Frères, Bergström, Brooks, Bethel Heights, Chehalem, Cristom, Domaine Serene, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Eyrie, Montinore, Ponzi, Raptor Ridge, and Willakenzie.

Restaurants that showcased their food were The Painted Lady, Wildwood, Lincoln, Beaker & Flask, and The Allison.

After a fabulous walk about tasting with great wine and super tasty tidbits we sat down to a cheese and charcuterie plate, more wine, and a short well executed evening. The auction was lively and brisk and raised almost $1M dollars.  The entertainment was great.

The Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award was given to David Nevins, President of Showtime so there were plenty of Showtime stars there. Laura Linney, star of the comedy “The Big C” handed out the award.

It is impossible to attend something like this and not be touched.  For one evening we are allowed into the lives of people we would otherwise not know.   Everyone there has had to deal with cancer in their lives.  The stories are raw and intimate.  The evening was very moving.

Getting Out of Dodge

The Dining Room "Before"

Matthew Morrison from GLEE

The following morning we headed down to the ocean for a walk along the boardwalk in 75 degree weather and a light breeze. I do love warm weather. We happened into the Saturday market. This being southern California the produce is ahead of the northwest as you will see by my lengthy photo shoot.

Santa Monica Pier

Retro LA

Lush

Bleached Blond and Carrot Top

Bulbous Beauties

Sweet Strawberries, but NOT Oregon berries!

Fresh

'Shrooms, non-Hallucinogenic

Chou-fleur

Get Rooted!

Screaming Summer

Sweet, Juicy Citrus

DTY Meat, Happening Everywhere, HURRAH

And Art for Dessert

The walk was followed by lunch at Junior’s, a true Jewish deli. Then a trip to the Getty with friends Harry Peterson-Nedry (Chehalem Winery) and Didi Nowers. We ended our day with a delicious dinner at a French bistro within walking distance of the hotel. The moon was one day short of full, the air was tinged with gardenia mingled with the scent of the sea.

Junior's, an LA Landmark

Prepping for Passover

Architecture as Art

Early Degas

Another Gorgeous Renoir!

Hmmmmmm

The View

Harry & Didi

Sunday breakfast was also in Santa Monica at a true German deli.  We opted out of the weisswurst.  I think David regretted that decision.

The cultural part of the day was spent at MOCA in downtown next to Disney Hall, the architectural conceit of Frank Gehry.  It will be interesting to see how the titanium holds up, but it certainly was beautiful and flowing in the spring sun.

MOCA has some incredible art as part of their permanent collection.  There is one room dedicated to the work of Mark Rothko.  Works included an earlier painting before the large canvases heralding the “abstract expressionist” movement of New York (although Rothko hated that title).  A large Pollock filled one wall.  I looked for the hidden message, but it alluded me.

We finished our visit with a side trip to the Geffen Contemporary.  We stumbled upon opening day of “Art in the Streets”, a tribute to the graffiti artists from the 60’s onward.  All I can say is, “what a trip”!!

I love LA!

Art in the Streets

The Street Artist's Medium

POW, SOCK, BOOM

Yes, Used.

Thousands of Railroad Cars

Keith Haring

A Wild Ride

Hangin' In The Shadows

Neighboring Disney Hall

Guided Home by a Lucious Full Moon

OK, I guess I have to acknowledge it. I am more sun sensitive than I like to admit. I have always believed that I could will my Vitamin D levels up…..of course I was living in sunny NorCal at the time.

But now I live in Willamette Valley, Oregon and it is very gray here…OK, so that is not news. We just broke some crazy record for number of days of rain, wettest March, all those kinds of things. But now that we have a bright sunny day (OK, diffused, but there are serious shadows), I am out of here.

Good thing that my lair has such engaging winter materials to absorb, enjoy. I’m still working through the goodies from Xmas (no, not the candies, those were gone ages ago); tons of new music, books, electronic keyboard……

Damned if by the time I hit the road there was nary a shadow in sight, but after a few minutes of doing my spoiled child routine I jumped in the car and headed out rain or no rain…ok, rain.

The destination was Left Coast Cellars in Rickreall. I am familiar with their wines and certainly their incredible estate (although I had only heard about it and seen photos) but just learned that they had a “truffle orchard” on the property planted in the early aughts. (Thanks Kimberley!).

I headed south on the Lafayette Highway through Amity:

Yeah, had to stop for one of those pies on the way home!

There is a small café at the Left Coast Cellars tasting room and I planned to end up there for lunch. In the same neighborhood are Cherry Hill Winery and Van Duzer. I did a drive by on both and then back to LCC for tasting, lunch, and conversation.

I had a chance to say hello to friend Mark Pape who started at LCC last August. Prior to that he was working at Witness Tree. AND had a great chat with Luke McCollom, winemaker and viticulturist. He clearly loves growing things. He currently has a black lab puppy in training to be a truffle dog.

As they had a white wine production meeting on the afternoon agenda I took my leave with an agreement to come back for an in depth discussion on growing truffles (both European and domestic) in Oregon.

No trip to rural Oregon is not without its moments.

Something For Everybody!

Winter in the Nursery

Beekeeping

Hand Carved

I should be apologizing repeatedly for not posting for ages, but something keeps me from getting this done (the posting, not the apologizing!). Not sure why. I am always pleased after I have chronicled what I am doing. But then there is this nagging sense that my days have no significance and this is egotistical bullcrap. Either way, I do enjoy it once I put my focus heretois*.

After working on the pruning videos I realized that the two styles of pruning shown were very useful and applied to many situations, but were not specific to the so-called premise of this exercise, Old Vine Grenache. The older bush pruned or spur pruned vines are fundamentally handled the same, but the look is very different. I asked my good friend (with whom I am having dinner this very evening….might be just the kick in the tuchus that I needed to post), if he would kindly help me demonstrate pruning for the style of growing common to most old vines (not just grenache).

Here is Jean-Marc Espinasse of Domaine Rouge-Bleu (http://rouge-bleu.com) with a demonstration of head/spur pruning in his outrageous Old Vine Grenache vineyard, Lunatique (the sound is a bit rough but the images are lovely; listen carefully for a first class pruning lesson):

*hertois: some knockoff of the legalese heretofore, heretowith, etc. But here, is is is.