Alien History in Oregon

May 16th, 2012 by nicolette

It was 1950 when the historic sighting of a UFO took place just outside of McMinnville. While it did not receive the national attention nor retention that other sightings in the ’50s had, from a historical and military perspective, it was as important as any. http://www.rense.com/general/mcmin50.htm

This year is the 13th annual UFO Festival in McMinnville on May 18 & 19th  http://www.ufofest.com/.  Not only is it a fun event, it is also one of great interest and educations to all those interested or curious about alien encounters.

What peaks my interest is that there is a TV series on the History Channel 2 titled Ancient Aliens that provides hypothesis and proof the there were alien encounters thousands of years ago that have been instrumental in who we are today. http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens If there were, in fact, alien encounters throughout our earth’s history, then more recent encounters like the one in Dayton do not seem so out of the realm of possibility.

Yes, maybe it is just an excuse to have a good time, drink some wine or beer, and to speculate. But many are here because they believe in these historical encounters and want not only to keep these stories alive, but to understand them better.

 Do you believe?

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As Our Garden Grows

May 12th, 2012 by nicolette

On Youngberg Hill, we are continuing the journey of healthy farming and living in a sustainable environment. As our daughters get older and our Inn occupancy increasing we find ourselves going through more and more fruits and vegetables every day.  Given that, we decided to plant about a half-acre organic garden this year.  Not only would we get great produce from it, it would be good for the girls to work in the garden this summer.

So we began planting this month. The girls have been very helpful and taken ownership for the results it brings. We started in the house with seedlings of tomatoes, basil, chives, and cloves in cardboard rolls and eggshells.  We have since planted the tomatoes in the garden. We will plant seeds of tomatoes in the garden as well as grow plants that will provide fruit later. We planted starts of strawberries and asparagus in patches that will come back every year, although the asparagus won’t produce for a couple more years.

We planted sweet corn in another plot with room to plant more in a couple of weeks. We planted all the usual vegetables – carrots, radishes, lettuce, spinach, pak choi, leeks, cucumbers, pumpkins (for Halloween), beans, peppers, and potatoes.

We have been planting in accordance with the Farmer’s Almanac’s guidance regarding timing on planting. This is in concert with our biodynamic farming of the grapevines and our holistic practices on the property. By timing our planting of potatoes at the full moon, they will produce much better and that will be in concert with the rest of nature on the farm. Part of the biodynamic philosophy is that all of nature be in balance and syncronized. That applies to all plant, insect, and animal life on the farm.

As our garden begins to flourish, the girls are excited to see the changes each week, and to soon taste, literally, the fruits of their labor!

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BUD BREAK!

May 5th, 2012 by nicolette

STAR DATE April 22nd, 2012:  We saw the first evidence of bud break; the first event of the grape growing season, when the new buds break open, and the first leaves and shoots begin to grow.  April 21st and 22nd were our first truly warm days of the year – over 70 degrees.  Because it was already late April, the vines had pent up energy and were ready to burst with the advent of some warm sunshine.  So last Monday morning as I took my early walk through the vineyard, I was thrilled to see that overnight the vines had exploded with new leaves.

Why is this so exciting?  First, it is the beginning of the grape growing process.  This is what life on Youngberg Hill is all about!  Second is the timing – after two years of very late seasons, seeing life begin on the vines in the third week of April causes great expectations as to what the vintage might bring.  Everything for the rest of the season is more or less determined by when bud break occurs.  We still have six more months of nurturing and coaxing, by us AND the weather, before we have fruit in the barn and can declare it a successful vintage. But with a more timely bud break, and warmer weather predicted for May, it is cause for excitement.  Last year, by the end of June, we had had only four days of temperatures reaching or exceeding 70 degrees.  As of today, we have already had three days above 70.

Don’t misunderstand – I am not anticipating a hot year, nor am I hoping for one.  Because I am influenced by the French style of winemaking, and because of where our vineyard is located, I much prefer a cooler growing season.  That said, gathering grapes in October is preferable to a November harvest.

Based on your experience with wine, which type do you prefer? A hot vintage that tends to be bigger, more fruit forward, and higher in alcohol; or a cooler vintage that is more elegant, balanced in fruit and earth flavors, and lower in alcohol?

CHEERS TO 2012!

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One Response to “BUD BREAK!”

  1. Wayne Bailey says:
    May 9, 2012 at 9:31 am

    Awesome!It is such an exciting time of year.

    Reply

CORK, OR SCREW CAP?

April 28th, 2012 by nicolette

The answer: It depends.

As a purist, who received his wine indoctrination in France, I believe there is no substitute for cork. That answer is based on the intent for wine to be cellared for decades, easy access to cork in France, minimal concern for recycling, and most wine being consumed locally.  Cork has the benefit of being a slow emitter of oxygen into the bottle over a long period of time. The risk is that cork can sometimes have a bacteria that will cause the wine to go bad over time. That risk is small (2-3%) and getting smaller as suppliers are getting better at detection and cleaning.  However, one customer opening one tainted bottle is one too many for me. And if the customer lives far from the winery, replacement is also expensive.

From an engineering perspective, screw caps are a no-brainer. They provide a cleaner, safer closure than cork. Therefore, I am confident that when anyone opens a bottle of our wine anywhere in the world, if it has been handled properly, it will be as good or better than when it went into the bottle. There is good data to suggest that screw caps also allow a minimal amount of oxygen into the bottle for aging. However, research indicates that fewer than 10% of bottles purchased are cellared for more than one year, so aging is much less of a concern. Screw caps are arguably more environmentally sustainable, and when they are recycled they have a lower carbon footprint than cork.

When we bottle our wine at Youngberg Hill, different aspects of quality come to my mind.  My first concern is that when anyone opens a bottle of Youngberg Hill, it has to be good; therefore the screw cap wins. Next is the environment, with many arguments on both sides, but sustainability favors the screw cap. Third is the matter of aging, and given the purchasing and cellaring habits of today’s wine lovers, this is just not an issue, so cork is not necessary.

To be continued.

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2 Responses to “CORK, OR SCREW CAP?”

  1. Ralph Youngberg says:
    May 8, 2012 at 9:38 am

    Just wondering if you know how Younberg Hill got its name. In that it’s my last name, it kind of intrgues me.

    Also, I know of no wine/liquor stores in the Chicago area that carry your wine. Are there any? I believe that I was told that a store called “The Noble Grape” carried your brand, but I don’t believe that’s the case. I think I received that info through the distributor. My wife is a big Pinot Noir fan, and her favorite to this point is Willamette. We’d like to try yours.

    Reply
    • nicolette says:
      May 9, 2012 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Ralph,
      Thank you so much for your interest in our wines. Our name ‘Youngberg Hill’ was named after Albert Youngberg from 1920 who owned the 1600 acres of land that our estate currently sits on. Do you have any relatives from Oregon?

      Our wines can be found at: Chris at Select Beverages has our wines available right now and can be reached at 630-432-9005.
      If that isn’t an option, you can always ask a Binny’s Wine Department (Ray or Jeff) at 3000 N. Clark AND Alex at The Noble Grape (at 802 N. Bishop on Chicago Ave) to place an order.

      We can also ship directly to you so let us know what you would like. When you can come for a visit?

      Reply

Looking for Youngberg Hill Wines?

April 24th, 2012 by nicolette

If you aren’t able to visit us at Youngberg Hill to enjoy our wines in person, here is a list of retail shops where you can find our wine.  If these shops are inconvenient to you, we are happy to ship direct to wherever you are.

Of course if you are in the area, we would love for you to visit our tasting room on the Hill, and sample all of the vintages we have to offer.  We’ve recently added a beautiful deck, and the view is outrageous!
Seattle, WA – Wine World

Portland, OR ( and surrounding area) – Korkage, Primrose & Tumbleweeds, Lamb’s Stroheckers, Fred Meyer Burlingame, Whole Foods Bridgeport, Barbur World Foods, Blackbird Wine Shop, Fred Meyer Stadium, Wine Up, Whole Foods, Tanasbourne

Eugene, OR – Sundance, Fred Meyer, Market of Choice

Jacksonville, OR- Corks, Jacksonville Inn, Chateaulin-Ashland

Bend, OR- Rays-Sisters, Fred Meyer, Good Drop Wine Shop, Wine Shop next to 900 Wall

Salem,OR- Fred Meyer on Commercial, Roth’s

Oregon Coast – Cellar on 10th in Astoria, Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach, and Nye Beach Gallery in Newport.

Minnesota- Byerly’s Wine & Spirits Burnsville, Byerly’s Golden Valley, Byerly’s Ridgedale, Lake Avenue Restaurant & Bar, Mike’s Liquor, North Loop Wine & Spirits, Skyway Wine & Spirits, Sorella Wine & Spirits, Zipps Liquor
Minneapolis: North Loop Wine & Spirits, Skyway Wine & Spirits, Sorella

Kansas- MDL Wine & Spirits (Overland Park),  Missies Discount Liquor  (Shawnee), Metcalf Discount Liquor 135th (Overland Park), Camelot Court Wine & Spirits (Leawood), Lancaster Liquor (Leawood), Lukas Liquor (Overland Park), Lionsgate Wine & Spirits (Overland Park), Rimann’s Liquor (Prairie Village), Ranchmart Wine & Spirits (Leawood)

Chicago – Tuscan Market & Wine Shop, Courtyard Wines, Wine Knows, Artale Wine Company, Everetts Liquor, The Noble Grape (will special order), Five Forks Market All Wined Up, Select Beverages

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4 Responses to “Looking for Youngberg Hill Wines?”

  1. Mark Goldberg says:
    May 8, 2012 at 10:50 am

    Can I find your wine in South Florida ?

    Reply
    • nicolette says:
      May 9, 2012 at 1:45 pm

      Thank you for replying to our Blog and your interest in our wines. We have been working on distribution in FL and are right now are in talks with Patrick Mahon at Bootleggers Beverage Distributors. We can always ship to you directly so please let us know what you need. Our Wine Club http://youngberghill.com/wine/wine-club/ offers great discounts on our library and newest release wines so just let us know what you would like and we can get it to you.

      Reply
  2. Mike Wallis says:
    May 1, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    Your Youngberg Hill wines are also available at the Cellar on 10th in Astoria.

    Reply
    • nicolette says:
      May 1, 2012 at 6:07 pm

      Your right, I missed the Oregon Coast but have just added it with your reminder. Thank you SO much.

      Reply

Call It Kismet

April 21st, 2012 by nicolette

I love to tell this story, because I love happy endings.

Shortly after Wayne and Nicolette arrived in the Willamette Valley some items were taken out of their mailbox.  Nicolette had a lively Greek exchange of expectations with the postmaster of McMinnville.  Just a few weeks later Nicolette and Wayne were out on a “date night” when they were sharing stories and a few glasses of wine with some yet-to-be-introduced new acquaintances.

Finally names were exchanged, and Nicolette realized she was sitting across from her adversary, the postmaster himself, otherwise known as Jess Davis.  The emotion of the earlier exchange resurfaced as a bond of friendship that might have otherwise not been as strong, and a new road to be travelled unrolled before me.  Winemaking holds an appeal for me that I didn’t know was there.

After cooking a couple of winemaker’s dinners and private parties at Youngberg Hill (I am a trained chef), I began assisting Wayne in the vineyard and at the winery – sorting grapes, and barreling and bottling the wines.  I spent my evenings and vacation time assisting in the winemaking for a few years, before Wayne convinced me it was time to change careers and become part of the family on the Hill.  So after 32 years of faithful federal service, I sold my acreage, and began the life of a farmer/vintner/barkeeper/winemaker/chef/inn manager.  On a farm, the day starts when your feet hit the ground, and stops when you do.  But a day on a John Deere beats a day at the office anytime.

I love spending my time bringing smiles to people tasting our wines, or helping them unlock the mysteries that wine presents.  I love welcoming guests into the inn, and I love being a farmer.  And when it is time to call it a day, I watch the sunset through a glass of my favorite Pinot Noir and cherish every sip of life.

Jess Davis

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One Response to “Call It Kismet”

  1. Merlynne says:
    April 22, 2012 at 5:32 am

    Well, when Jess moved to Youngberg Hill, from Walnut Hill, we lost our favorite neighbor. Our loss, their gain. One day, we will travel to visit and maybe Jess can give us a taste and a tour.
    Glad you are so happy, Jess.

    Reply

HARVEST HELP

April 14th, 2012 by nicolette

Harvesting the grapes from Youngberg Hill is exciting, exhilarating, exhausting, and down right fun. What makes this time of year so much more enjoyable is the camaraderie of neighbors and friends who come to the vineyard to help out. It reminds me of the old family farm days when neighbors came together to help each other plant and harvest. As soon as we decide when we are going to harvest the grapes, we put out an APB to an ever-growing list of individuals who have asked to help out. We also let our friends on Facebook know when we are harvesting, and invite them to join in.  Even our guests staying at the Inn come down to the vineyard before breakfast to get their hands purple.

Many folks who help in the vineyard then follow us to the winery to help with sorting and other activities.  Other volunteers come to the winery to help out during bottling, and hopefully get a taste of the new vintage from the barrel.

Friends come from next door, and as far away as Kansas City, Iowa, Atlanta, Seattle, and of course, Portland. Some come for a one-time experience. Others return year after year to enjoy the uniqueness of each season. Some come back two years later to purchase the particular vintage they helped create.

And year after year, as the grapes come in from the fields, are sorted and crushed, we wind down the activities with a harvest celebration dinner.  And we all come together once more, to share stories, laugh over mishaps, and anticipate the wine to come.  We appreciate the extra hands during harvest and other times of the year, but the final dinner is also a celebration of the love and friendship that goes into creating a great bottle of wine.

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OUR LOVELY NATIVE BIRDS!

April 7th, 2012 by nicolette

Last month we had the pleasure of welcoming to Youngberg Hill Ornithology Professor Don Powers of George Fox University, and nearly two dozen of his current and former wildlife biology students. Professor Don and his group conducted on March 17 the first ever Youngberg Hill Vineyards Native Bird Study.

It was a lucky day for bird-spotting, as forty different native species were identified in less than three hours! Highlights included a gorgeous Pileated Woodpecker, Merlins, Kestrels and a Northern Harrier Raptor. Our resident eagles made a regal appearance soaring over the vineyard rows. The students were an enthusiastic bunch, tramping through the muck of the vineyard and recording everything they saw.

We ended the experience with a hearty lunch in the warmth of the dining room. If you have been following our blogs this winter, you are probably well aware of our ongoing trouble with the non-native European starlings that eat so many of our grapes during harvest time. We were especially pleased to see that only one or two starlings were sighted, and that the avian diversity of our vineyard ecosystem looks very healthy.

Professor Don was very impressed by the species count and said that if the weather had been better (it rained, of course!) we would have seen even more native species. This initial effort was so successful that we have decided to monitor our native bird population’s health on a regular basis by conducting quarterly surveys with Dr. Powers and his wonderful George Fox students.

Upon the completion of our new vineyard panorama deck, we will also be launching a “Wet Your Beak” wine tasting, in honor of our feathered friends. Imagine spotting colorful native birds while sipping our tasty organically grown flight of Pinot noirs.

Now that’s our kind of birding!

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A Community of Friends

March 24th, 2012 by nicolette

Each year, we hire students from Linfield College to help out at Youngberg Hill. For the last two years, Melissa Davaz and Scott Heron have worked our events, worked in the vineyard, and done a lot of handy work around the Inn. We have been fortunate to have wonderful, reliable, and resourceful young adults from Linfield work for us over the years, and Scott and Melissa are no exception. They continued to work for us after graduation, and although Scott now has a full time job, Melissa still comes out to give us much-needed support.

Melissa and Scott have performed in concerts at the vineyard, and Melissa gives our daughters piano lessons.  They have both become members of our family.  Like many grads, they continue to come back to the Hill just to spend time here and see how things are going. We look forward to Melissa and other Linfield alumni working for us this summer.

Youngberg Hill is proud to be Partners in Progress with Linfield College – donating wine for functions, and supporting many other activities on campus that we love and feel are a benefit to everyone involved.  The college holds an annual benefit concert every summer to support the Linfield Orchestra, and we wouldn’t miss it.  Having a school like Linfield in our back yard is an asset to the entire community.

There are many others who make valuable contributions within the McMinnville area – CASA, YCAP, Henderson House, Virginia Garcia Medical Center, Rotary Club and Travel Yamhill Valley, to name a few.  We are grateful for the work these fine groups perform, and are honored to support them.  We feel it is important to the growth of the entire community that these organizations are able to thrive, because they give so much back every day.

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Artist Adventure- Painting the Vineyards

March 20th, 2012 by nicolette

Either hone your artist skills or explore your untapped talent with this specialized adventure.  Begin the day with a personalized workshop designed to meet your skill level and interests. Paint one of the most beautiful, and most painted, places on earth. Painters from around the world have come to paint and study the beauty of wine country. Learn to create our own interpretation of this majestic place. Enjoy a day of painting with Michael Orwick, renowned artist and world traveler with a sense of place and a warm and hospitable nature.

Join Michael Orwick in scenic Oregon Wine Country, Oregon, for 1, 2, or 3 days of painting some truly spectacular Youngberg Hill scenery.  Put life and personality into your landscapes. We will focus on the fundamentals of landscape painting while exploring the beauty and atmosphere of the area.  You will learn the importance of observation rather than using formulas and recipes to paint what you actually see and feel.

Each day will include a demo and a group discussion about painting techniques, materials and philosophy, and individual easel time along with helpful critiques. I like to concentrate on the basic elements of painting and will include an exercise or two to reinforce some of the basics that we all need to brush up on from time to time.

The workshop is open to oil painters of any level.  Look forward to Lots of personal painting time and help every day. We’ll all learn a lot and have a great time.  Demonstrations will be directed at oil painters, but concepts and principles will apply to all media.

Advanced Reservations Required.  Tickets available at  orwickillustration@comcast.net

June 8-10th
$100 a day/ or $250 for all 3 days
10am-4pm (Students are always welcome to join Michael for informal sunrise and sunset paint outs at no additional charge.)

Inn rooms, Picnic lunch (48 hr advanced notice required) and wine available at extra charge.

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