Charcuterie Wars: King Estate Winery vs. The Commons Brewery
King Estate was invited by 16 Tons to participate in a delicious battle at their South Eugene location (Supreme Bean) on May 11th. The 5 courses of charcuterie were provided by Falling Sky Brewery, while King Estate and The Commons Brewery (from SE Portland) battled head to head to determine the best charcuterie pairing. Each course was carefully paired with a different wine and beer, and each participant was encouraged to take tasting notes and discuss which pairing they enjoyed most. Representatives from The Commons Brewery and King Estate gave educational insight into beer and winemaking as well as the delicate art of food pairing.
The People Have Spoken: King Estate is Eugene’s Best Winery & Best Wedding Venue
King Estate stood out in the 4th Annual Register Guard Reader’s Choice Awards. We are honored to have won the reader voted contest in two categories as Eugene’s Best Local Winery and Best Wedding Venue. Make sure to check out the rest of the winners. We also pulled in second place for Eugene’s Best Outdoor Dining option, not bad considering we are 20 miles out of town!
Earlier this year we also took home “Best Winery” in the Eugene Weekly’s annual ‘Best of Eugene’. They summed it up pretty well:
King Estate, with its pristine setting in the heart of the Willamette Valley’s wine country provides the perfect spot to sample its array of masterful wine. One can sit and enjoy a glass and a gourmet meal overlooking the certified organic vineyard in a most picturesque setting. This year the vineyard celebrates its twentieth anniversary and continues to produce some of the most exceptional wines with grapes grown in its own vineyard as well as from various other Northwest regions. King Estate’s creations illustrate time and again why the Northwest is known for its wine.
The Domaine Pinot Noir Story – Animated Infographic
This month, members of the Ultimate tier of the King Estate Tower Club, will receive a limited edition magnum of our Domaine Pinot Noir. The screen printed, wax sealed bottle will arrive in a unique box featuring an infographic that tells the story of the wine and the meticulous barrel selection process that ensures only the best estate organic fruit makes it into our Domaine blend. We’ve posted an animated version of this same infographic for your viewing pleasure.
2008 Roserock Pinot Noir Scores 95 Points
Wine Spectator has given 95 or more points to only 18 Pinot Noir bottlings in Oregon’s history. Only three Oregon Pinots have ever scored better than 95, one with 96 and two with 97 points. The average price of those three Pinots was about $80. By contrast, the release price of our Roserock was $55.
Roserock Vineyard is perched on a ridge towards the southern end of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. In cooperation with our winemakers and viticulturists, Roserock grows fruit to our specifications. During the growing season, ocean breezes push through the Van Duzer Corridor in the Coastal Range maintaining a consistently cool climate that is the hallmark of all great Pinot Noir winegrowing regions. Shallow, well-drained volcanic soils of the Nekia series dominate this area. Roserock is LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe Certified. The 2008 Roserock Pinot Noir aged for 15 months in 87% new French oak barrels.
VIDEO: King Estate 2011 Harvest, Our Twentieth Vintage!
2011, though challenging in many ways, appears to be a year of above average-fruit quality. The vines bore a lot of fruit, and with the late season it became worrisome that all the fruit would ripen, so measures needed to be taken. In a late year like 2010 and 2011, we really ride the razor’s edge, waiting with bated breath to see how ripe the fruit can get before the rainy season begins. In an effort to ensure that fruit fully ripens, it is often necessary to cluster thin, dropping clusters of otherwise perfect grapes in order to ensure that fewer clusters fully ripen and develop concentrated flavors. Often cluster thinning enhances the character and concentration of flavors in the remaining grapes since the vines are stressed and have less fruit to focus their energy on. In the end, the harvest at our 470 acre certified organic vineyard at King Estate can be characterized as a year of lower than typical yields but high quality. It is always a difficult decision to drop so much fruit on the ground, and it comes at a great economic expense, but it is also the only decision if you want to improve quality, harvest good fruit, and ultimately make the best wine possible in a challenging year. The goal is to overcome whatever obstacles are presented to make the best wine we can.
Excellence of Oregon’s 2010 Vintage Reflected in our Signature Pinot Noir
“The 2010 Pinot Noir Signature Collection was tasted from a barrel sample. It displays a more expressive bouquet … excellent depth and concentration, ripe red and black fruit flavors, and a medium-long finish. It reflects the excellence of the 2010 vintage.” – Dr. Jay Miller, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Acrobat Pinot Gris is Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Week!
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King Estate Makes the List of Oregon’s 100 Best Green Companies
Each year Oregon Business compiles a list of, the 100 Best Green Companies to Work for in Oregon. This year we are proud to make the list! The list recognizes Oregon companies that approach their daily work with green values. As a leader in Organic viticulture we are very proud to be recognized for our practices, and at the same time understand that there is much more we can do. We are committed to continually analyzing, evaluating, and improving our business practices to become even more environmentally friendly.
Wine & Spirits Magazine’s Top 100 Value Wines & Value Brands of the Year
Those of you who enjoy our Acrobat Pinot Gris & Pinot Noir won’t be surprised to hear that the June issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine has some hefty value-oriented praise for the wines. Acrobat was recognized as one of 50 Value Brands of the Year and one of only 17 American brands. With over 8,000 U.S. wine brands for their editors to choose from, that’s a big honor.
WHAT: Ready-to-drink Oregon Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from King Estate’s entry-level brand.
STANDOUTS: An exuberant 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir ($18) with juicy red fruit and the stuffing to match, and a bright, succulent ‘09 Pinot Gris ($12) with a lean, refreshing grip.
WHERE: Based in Eugene, with fruit sourced from all of Oregon’s viticultural regions.
WHEN: Open the Pinot Noir with a smoked trout salad; pour the Gris anytime.
VIDEO: King Estate Sponsors FOOD for Lane County’s 2011 Chefs’ Night Out Benefit
FOOD for Lane County’s annual Chefs’ Night Out fundraiser took place at the Hult Center in downtown Eugene on April 5, 2011. King Estate Winery has been the Title Sponsor of the event for the last three years.
The best restaurants, wineries, and breweries in Eugene donated their time and products to create a memorable evening full of delicious food and drink. All money earned from ticket sales to the event went directly to FOOD for Lane County.