“Terroir is Where it’s At” Talk and Tasting with Geologist Dr. Burns

We've Got the DirtPresented by renowned Geologist Dr. Scott Burns and Winemaker Jesse Lange

 

Get the Dirt Here!

 

Saturday August 3rd at 11 am

 

With intoxicating enthusiasm, Dr. Scott Burns will explain how millions of years worth of geology–in the form of volcanoes, tectonic shifts and massive flooding– created the unique soils of the Dundee Hills. Winemaker Jesse Lange will then present a guided tasting of our coveted 2010 Lange Estate, Freedom Hill & Yamhill Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs, paired with delicious appetizers.

 

LIMITED SEATING

 

RESERVATIONS BY ADVANCE TICKET: CLICK HERE

 

$40 per person

 

Cru Club $34 per person

 

*Scott Burns is a Professor of Geology and Chair of the Geology Department at Portland State University. He has been teaching at the University level for 43 years and has taught in Switzerland, New Zealand, Washington, Colorado and Louisiana before returning to his native Oregon 23 years ago when he started at Portland State. He is a 6th generation Oregonian. His specialties include natural history, geological hazards, the Missoula Floods, terroir (the relationship between geology, soils, climate and wines), Quaternary geology, geomorphology, engineering geology and environmental geology. His book “Cataclysms on the Columbia, the Great Missoula Floods” is in it’s third printing. It is an honor to have Dr. Scott Burns join us for this talk at Lange Estate Vineyards.

Picks and Pinot: Live Music at Lange

Peggy Seeger

Peggy Seeger

In addition to making phenomenal wines, Don Lange is also an accomplished folk singer and songwriter who just so happens to keep in touch with many other fine musicians. Because of this, we’ve been fortunate enough to host a few of them over the years for intimate live concerts at Lange Estate.

In April, we welcomed the legendary Peggy Seeger – half-sister of folk revivalist, Pete Seeger; muse for Ewan MacColl’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face;” and master of many instruments: 5-string banjo, guitar, Appalachian dulcimer, autoharp, English concertina and piano. Peggy performed a two-hour set of Anglo-American songs and ballads, traditional songs, and contemporary songs — including a few pointed and humorous numbers on social, political, and environmental issues.

Peggy Seeger & Don Lange

Peggy Seeger & Don Lange

Our Rockstar Winemaker has gotten the hang of making cameo appearances, so in the second set, he and Peggy teamed up for “Here’s to You Rounders” — a Don Lange original. We’ve received many requests for a Don Lange concert, but he’s known to be quite modest about public performances. Lately, your best bet for seeing Don perform is to attend one of our concerts, where he just might pick up a guitar and sing a tune or two.

Alison Brown & Garry West

Alison Brown & Garry West

Alison Brown Quartet

Alison Brown Quartet

On June 25th, we hosted Grammy award-winning banjoist, Alison Brown. In an invitation to the concert, Don Lange shared these sentiments:

We met Alison, her husband and business partner Garry West, and their drummer Larry Atamanuik at the Kokanee Café in Camp Sherman last summer after their show at the Sisters Folk Festival.   We sent a bottle of Lange Three Hills Cuvee Pinot Noir to their table to thank them for the wonderful set they had performed earlier in the day at the festival.  They loved the wine and asked us to join them at their table.  We soon discovered that we had much in common—music, wine, old friends in music, and, not least, spouses doubling as partners in business!  Alison and Garry own and operate CompassRecords, one of the finest independent record labels in America.  Alison toured with Alison Kraus (after graduating with an MBA from UCLA) and has a Grammy to her credit as well as a dozen records.  Larry has a long list of music credentials, including touring and recording with Emmylou Harris.  The quartet is rounded out with keyboard wizard John R. Burr.  These are thoroughly accomplished musicians who also just happen to be fine, intelligent, witty, self-effacing folks.”

Alison & Don

Alison & Don

Due to weather, we’ve always held our concerts indoors. On this particular day, the forecast was iffy, so Plan A was to hold the concert in our formal tasting room. The day turned out to be gorgeous, so we made a last-minute decision to set up on our beautiful patio/veranda area. In our panoramic vineyard setting (complete with Mount Hood as a backdrop), concert guests enjoyed a lovely musical performance by the Alison Brown Quartet, complimented by fantastic Lange wines.

Stay tuned for future live music performances at Lange Estate Winery. The best way to stay in touch is by joining our mailing list, which you can easily do on the home page of our website. Until next time, happy summer and many cheers!


 

 

Dundee Hills Half Marathon a Success!

fbfwThis past Sunday, the first annual Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon was held in the Dundee Hills. This difficult, yet beautiful, 13.1 mile course ended at Billick Park in Dundee, Oregon with an amazing wine tasting celebration featuring Dundee Hills AVA wineries.

Lange Estate poured the 2009 Pinot Blanc for the thirsty runners and spectators. A refreshing summer favorite, which was perfect for the mid-80′s weather!

Team Lange was represented well, with the first two team members finishing 15th & 16th out of 777 runners! We had about 25 runners sporting the “Team Lange” shirts, which were the talk of the race. Congrats to the whole team for finishing!

The first three "Team Langers" to finish the race. (Mike Zulauf, Chase Whitney, & Ryan Sherlock)

The first three "Team Langers" to finish the race. (Mike Zulauf, Chase Whitney, & Ryan Sherlock)

The entire event was expertly organized and executed, especially for being the first year! Most of the runners agreed with the race tag line: “You won’t run your best time- but you’ll HAVE your best time!” The grueling hills were soon forgotten with the taste of world class wines, and everyone was looking forward to doing it again next year. Here’s to a fabulous event!

A well deserved glass of Lange Estate Pinot Blanc after the race. GO TEAM LANGE!!

A well deserved glass of Lange Estate Pinot Blanc after the race. GO TEAM LANGE!!

Craft Wine Dinner with Chef Tom Collichio

Chef/Owner Tom Collichio, Craft Atlanta

Chef/Owner Tom Collichio, Craft Atlanta.

I made a trip out to Atlanta, GA last month and attended a fabulous wine dinner at Craft Atlanta.  We were hosted by noted “celebrity” chef and Top Chef Judge, Tom Collichio, who flew out from NYC for the event.  Tom was very thoughtful and cool, and he is an avid guitar player, so we’ll plan a concert portion next year with Don Lange!

This was one of the nicest all around wine dinners I’ve ever been a part of.  There were 130 guests and the event was sold out three weeks prior to the event!  Very well thought-out pairings, and well constructed menu.  I brought soil samples from Freedom Hill and Lange Estate Vineyards to illustrate the effect different soil types have on the wine, especially Pinot Noir.  People were taking notes on the wines/food, which was great to see folks that involved.  Suffice to say that I lost my voice for the next day!

Lange Wine Club Members

Lange Wine Club Members, The Campbells & Mark Kirkley enjoying the first course.

Several Lange Estate wine club members were in attendance, so nice to have some homers in the crowd!  The five course meal included raw tuna, chorizo, pork belly, octopus, duck, and lamb loin… delish!  During the main course, I poured the single vineyard designate Pinot Noirs from Freedom Hill and Lange Estate Vineyards side by side.  Using the dirt to highlight terroir differences was well received.  I love educating people who really want to learn!

Me, Director Derrick Borte, and Chef Tom Collichio.

Me, Director Derrick Borte, and Chef Tom Collichio.

I also found out that there were two “celebrities” in the crowd!  A Hollywood director, Derrick Borte, enjoyed the food and wine pairings as well.  It was great to meet him and hear about his new movie, The Joneses, now in theaters.

All in all, this was a fabulous event, and I can’t wait to do it again!  Thank you to everyone who helped put it on, and a special thanks to Lange’s own Shani Roesner for getting the dirt samples out to Atlanta!

Cheers!

Jesse Lange
GM/Winemaker

Photography by Sara Hanna.