A New Format, Starting at the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration

I am starting the newsletter while flying to Monterey for the DTC Wine Symposium. It's hard for me to believe that 6 years ago I started on this deep dive into the wine world, and now the wine world is all around me in so many ways. If you would have told me I would have created an experience platform, aka a reservation and ticketed event system for wineries, I would have laughed.

There are so many people I know going to the Symposium from Oregon, California, and Washington. I can't wait to hear Janie Brooks talk. She is quite the force! Seeing her not only be a voice for Brooks, but for the wine industry as a whole makes me beam with pride.

Did you miss the newsletter in January and February? I did! I have been thinking a lot about the purpose of this newsletter for a bit now. One of the reasons I created it was of course to learn more about the wineries in my backyard. Another reason is to put as much humanity and heart into a project in a world that is constantly whizzing so much information at us.

With that being said, I am going to switch to a slightly different format. In the past I have focused on just one winery with incredible depth. What I am noticing is there is so much I want to share, so I am going to include more little tidbits of stories that have grabbed me over the last month instead of focusing on just one winery.

I also want to grow this newsletter even more, and I need your help to make that happen. Please forward this email to a friend so they can follow along with all of the stories.

Let's kick things off with the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration, which was a couple of weekends ago, and as always it was fabulous! There have been some amazing memories for me over the years. Walking up to Jay's table from EIEIO and getting my first pour of the day. Having Ambar's Chardonnay for the very first time at OCC. The pre-OCC dinner Ambar hosted last year and hearing about Method Oregon. I remember when it used to be a two-day event where Sparkling had a huge spotlight on Friday night.

This year equally engraved some unforgettable memories for me. Several people asked me who they should go taste. In years past I solely recommended based on the wine and the people. This year was about suggesting from the heart. I sent many people over to Approachment and Lonesome Rock. Their wines are incredible, the people behind the labels are fantastic, and I want to do everything I can to help them succeed even more!

If you haven't visited either winery for a tasting, I highly recommend it! Here are the websites: Approachment, Lonesome Rock, and of course tell them A.J. sent you!

I had the pleasure of sitting down with *Stikky Wine*, a beginner's level wine book that someone was kind enough to put in front of me, and I'm genuinely grateful for it. The book is designed to be read in an hour or two across a couple of sittings, and its goal is straightforward: teach essential wine tasting skills to anyone with just a little time. I can tell you it delivers on that promise.

I wouldn't hand this to someone already deep in the wine world, or even someone with a season or two under their belt. But for the person who is truly starting from zero and just curious? This is the book. Quick, informative, and it gives you a real foundation to start exploring from. I also think about the person who needs a working knowledge of wine, say someone who regularly entertains clients but doesn't have the time or desire to go deep. This is their book too.

Here's a link to check it out for yourself.

A couple of years back I wanted to have Jessica West on the podcast. At the time she was working at Harper Voit, and she and her husband had also just launched their label, Approachment. I wanted to know more about Jessica's background and Approachment. After a date was set for the interview, she let me know her husband Paden West would also be joining. I am always of the mindset of, "The more the merrier!"

When I started my research about Paden, the rabbit hole got deep fast. He was assistant winemaker to Isabelle Meunier at Lavina, also worked with Andrew Davis, and has been making wine at Benza for a couple of years. A little unknown fact: when I finished the interview with Paden and Jessica, he was already in talks with Ron at Benza. And before the whole wine thing, he was going to be a rock star. If you search Paden West on Apple Music or Spotify, you will find him.

The reason I bring up Paden today is because he is going to be working with Andrew and Isabelle again as head winemaker for Lytle-Barnett and Aubaine. So freaking exciting! I wonder if Andy has let Paden play Dave Grohl's guitar in the tasting room yet. I am telling you, this is huge news. Paden's philosophy about Chardonnay is incredible! In fact, Approachment's Chardonnay hit a lot of lists last year. It sold out fast and I hear this year's Chard is selling quickly as well. In fact, it might already be gone.

In December, I visited Arborbrook off Calkins Lane. It has been on my list for quite some time and I just hadn't made the time to get there. Way back when this journey started I began to know Charles Hesson, who at the time worked at Alexana. A couple of years back Charles made the move from Alexana to Arborbrook, and many people told me I needed to visit.

Here are a handful of interesting facts about Arborbrook. It is owned by the same people who own Cooper Mountain. They only do biodynamic farming, you can purchase a 20-year-old barrel-aged balsamic vinegar, and part of the tasting room used to be a horse stall.

They are working with Adelsheim to create a walkway between the properties this summer for a very unique tasting experience! Charles is amazing and so are the wines. You have got to visit Charles at Arborbrook and tell him, "A.J. sent me!"

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With Gratitude,

A.J.

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PS - What did you think of the new format?

PSS - There is a text messaging group thing coming where I keep you up to date with all the little things happening. Would you like to sign up?