Blue Mountains over Yellowhawk Creek, Walla Walla Valley

These days, it’s hard to find any product that doesn’t claim to somehow benefit the environment. “Greenwashing” has become such an abundant marketing and PR move which fortunately hasn’t (yet) hit the wine industry in quite the profuse way as other products, but has nonetheless affected our business. We, along with select other Walla Walla Valley wineries, have always maintained a high level of social and environmental responsibility. At Reininger, we have believe that to create the best possible wine we must use the highest quality fruit and treat it with the most respect to ensure that no part of the fruit is unnecessarily wasted. We strive to create the best wines possible using the best Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley fruit while utilizing modified traditional practices that impact the environment in the least possible way. Though there are many squabbles in the office about the thermostat setting in the winter, which has led to a vast wardrobe of sweaters and coats, here are a few more significant ways Reininger Winery practices what we preach:

In production:

• Exclusively use recycled glass bottles for both the Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley varietals, manufactured by an environmentally responsible company, which we highly recommend (http://www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com/about/Sustainability.asp)
• Reduce the need for mechanical cooling by using specially sized and spaced fermentation bins that allow the natural heat from the fermentation process to dissipate without additional refrigeration
• Source fruit from sustainable and Certified Salmon Safe vineyards where possible (fruit from Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Seven Hills Vineyard, and Stillwater Creek Vineyard go into our Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Syrah, Carmenere, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot varietals)
• Use harvest waste – pomace (the skins and seeds from those beautiful little grapes) – as compost and mulch in our winery landscaping and gardens. The added bonus is seeing slightly intoxicated deer wandering around the fields during the month following harvest.
• Let the abundant and beautiful natural Walla Walla sunshine in to light the winery via skylights and double paned windows so Chuck, Raul, and Felix can work and get some of those feel-good rays during the work day.

In storage and the tasting room:

• Selectively use nighttime cooling fans to capture our arid climate’s chilly night air instead of running them all day
• Those beautiful wide-plank wood floors? Yup…those were the the siding of the original buildings. Our amazing tasting room and production areas were actually two reclaimed potato storage sheds, of which we reused every possible material within the re-design of the space.
• Not only do we save corks for our tasters’ and Wine Club members’ crafty ideas, but we also recycle used corks via the ReCORK Program (http://recork.org/)
• Recycle all capsules as tin

For me, it has taken many years of travel and living in super population dense cities to fully understand just how wasteful we really are. One of the reasons the Walla Walla Valley and Pacific Northwest are so prized is for their natural beauty and ecologically diverse landscapes (if you haven’t lived in smog, please trust me that the air is way better here, too). It affords us to be able to produce some of the most complex, rich, interesting wines available in the world, not to mention the ability to take off from the winery for a long weekend filled with climbing, skiing, boarding, kayaking, hiking, etc.! It has never been a marketing ploy for us at Reininger Winery, and we certainly do not claim to be perfect in our efforts, though we try. While we want to make an impact with our delicious wines, we hope to leave the smallest impact possible on our planet.

“We do it the right way because it’s the right thing to do.”

Chuck Reininger

Please visit Vinea, the Winegrower’s Sustainable Trust, to see more of the ideals that we support in our wine making practice at http://www.vineatrust.com/.

Provencal Sauteed Chicken

Serves 4 hungry people
Adapted slightly from Bon Appetit
1 4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or chicken breasts/thighs/whatever you like, but the skin on is always going to be better)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 oz thick cut bacon or pork belly, small diced
1 medium chopped sweet onion
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes with juices
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
6 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 tablespoon dried
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves

1 cup drained Niçoise olives
a handful each of torn basil and parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from Dutch oven. Add the bacon or pork belly; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add onion and sauté until almost tender and golden, 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, broth, wine, thyme, garlic and bay leaves and bring to boil. Return chicken to Dutch oven. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to large bowl. Add olives to Dutch oven and boil until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Mix in basil and parsley. Return chicken to Dutch oven and stir until heated through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to shallow serving bowl. Spoon sauce over and serve.
Serve to your favorite people with your favorite Walla Walla Valley Merlot (it’s Reininger, right?), big napkins, and a beautiful french boule to sop up the sauce. Happy Spring Release weekend!

Ann Tucker, a Reininger Winery owner, testing recipes for the Wine Club

Taste! It’s no surprise that most folks in the wine industry are a little unnaturally obsessed with food and we at Reininger Winery are absolutely not an exception. We get excited about it all, from party planning for our wine club to having after work bbq’s on the crush pad or just looking forward to leftovers eaten at our desks in the office. This enthusiasm has led to many, many hours spent looking for recipes for various wine pairings. Since we are focusing a bit on Walla Walla Valley Merlot and all of its deliciousness, I’ll share a few of our tips for pairing this rich and velvety varietal with some great foods.

The Do’s:

- Walla Walla Valley Merlots – especially Reininger – trend towards soft, lush, and smooth with juicy red fruits (think raspberry and currant) and earth, making them perfect for a meal that is too delicate for bigger reds such as Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Consider the intensity of the Merlot you’re planning to drink and match your meal to that. Merlot definitely has a range depending on the winemaker and style, so one could be fantastic with grilled ribeye but overpower spring lamb chops.
- Pork, salmon, bacon, mushrooms, grilled veggies, savory greens like swiss chard, and bitter foods such as radicchio and olives pair beautifully with a Merlot from a Walla Walla Valley winery.
- When looking for recipes, consider going to the roots. Merlot is a Bordeaux grape, so natural pairings will come from that region (Perigord truffles and duck, anyone?)…et voilá!

The Don’ts:

- Don’t forget that there are fantastic non-meat foods to pair with Merlot. Mushrooms and blue cheese are two excellent and super flavorful matches for Walla Walla Merlot (and would make an excellent tart when paired together).
- Complicated doesn’t always equal awesome. Keep it simple to let the ingredients speak.
- Don’t get too wrapped up in it. It’s hard to go wrong when you buy good ingredients and prepare them lovingly, then serve them with a fantastic wine.

Next post: a perfect recipe to pair with a fantastic classic Walla Walla Valley Merlot!

Mmmmmm...freshly harvested Merlot grapes

Call me a sentimentalist, but I have a serious soft spot for Washington state’s first famous grape, and no AVA (in my opinion, anyway) does Merlot better than Walla Walla Valley. Admittedly, it’s not 1984 and the Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley AVAs have moved far beyond Merlot as their go-to rockstar grape, but the Merlot craze of the Reagan administration has strong footing in deliciousness, and is now primed for a comeback – sure to be more successful than Madonna’s latest reinvention.

What are the reasons to love Walla Walla Valley Merlot? Similar to the bookish nerd in the back of the classroom, Walla Walla Valley Merlots showcase consistency by being bold, rich, velvety, affordable, and food friendly…all without being showy or smug. This varietal is a team player, with the ability to step up to the plate to deliver a fantastic varietal wine or to lend a helping hand (in the case of Washington state Merlot) to round out some of the harsher characteristics of its brethren Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Walla Walla’s climate offers cool growing conditions combined with long, hot hours of sunlight, and raises our Merlot grapes as one-two punch powerhouses.The flavor profile tends to be more herbaceous less astringent than other Bordeaux varietals grown in Washington, making it a natural pairing for a range of foods without being overbearing.

Here at Reininger, Merlot holds an especially dear place in our hearts. Though we all have our favorites from vintage to vintage, Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot is a perennial sweetheart – a food-loving wine that we are incredibly proud to produce, and one of the three original varietals Chuck bottled over 15 years ago when Reininger Winery opened. Chuck’s Merlots are packed with flavors of juicy currant, black cherry, plum, raspberry, chocolate, earth, and often show hints of violet, caramel, clove, coffee, vanilla, and even rose, while the finely structured tannins he coaxes out allow these babies to continue to improve in the bottle for 8 to 10 years (I bet you won’t wait that long, though).

Other favorites for consistently great Merlot around the Walla Walla Valley are Leonetti Cellars (duh), Saviah, Dusted Valley, Seven Hills, and Pepper Bridge. What are your favs?

Beautiful, dark Malbec grapes

Although not quite as finicky as Pinot Noir, Malbec grapes thrive in very particular growing conditions. Fortunately for Reininger Winery (and for all of our customers), Walla Walla AVA is perfectly suited to growing Malbec.

Ideal Malbec Growing Conditions

Because of the thick skin of Malbec grapes, the varietal needs a relatively high amount of sun and heat to mature, especially compared to Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Additionally, the best Malbecs are grown in areas with dramtically different day and night temperatures, which creates ultra-ripe juice with crucial acidity. Growers need to be careful not to let the vines get too cold because Malbec is sensitive to frost and additionally is prone to coulure. Malbec ripens mid-season.

Argentina vs. Walla Walla

As you know, Malbec is traditionally associated with Argentina. Perhaps one of the reasons Walla Walla Malbecs are so fantastic is that the terroir is somewhat similar to Argentina. Both regions have lots of sun, distinct day and night temperatures. Like Argentina, Walla Walla valley is known for hot days and cool nights. These conditions create smooth Malbecs with just the right amounts of tannins.

Growing Malbec can be a challenge, but when you do it right (and we like to think we have), it is well worth the effort. Try it for yourself and order a bottle of 2007 Reininger Malbec or stop by the Reininger tasting room.

Sangiovese grapes ripening in California

Now that you’re practically a Sangiovese expert, you know all about how Sangiovese is traditionally associated with the Chianti region of Italy, experienced a serious quality control issue, and was redeemed by the Super Tuscans. Sangiovese has come a long way over the years. But as with all many things in life, the story is more in the journey than the destination. Here’s the (abbreviated) story of the journey of Sangiovese from Italy to America.

Sangiovese in the United States

Unlike some varietals, like Carmenere, it’s unclear exactly who brought Sangiovese to the United States. What we do know is that somewhere in the 19th century, some Italian immigrants brought some Sangiovese stalk to the “new world.” Just to clarify, in case you missed our wine world run-down, when we say “new world” in the context of wine, we don’t mean the newly discovered continent of America (circa Columbus), we mean relatively new wine growing regions that fall outside the traditional/classic wine regions in Europe. But we digress, back to Sangiovese. Despite its fantastic potential, Sangiovese was pretty much ignored in the United States until after the Super Tuscan re-invigoration of the varietal. After American winemakers realized how delicious Sangiovese should be, they decided to plant some too. In California alone, the total planted acres of Sangiovse jumped from 200 acres in 1991 to nearly 3,000 acres in 2003. Most of the vines were planted in Napa Valley, Sonoma county, Santa Barbara, and the Sierra Foothills.

Rocky Start for Cal-Ital

As you well know if you’ve had the chance to taste the 2006 Helix Sangiovese, American Sangiovese can be pretty fantastic. We owe those early “Cal-Ital” pioneers a toast for starting an amazing new world wine trend. But once again, the final destination is only part of the story. As it turns out, those early Cal-Ital takes on Sangiovese left a lot to be desired. Stay tuned, and we’ll tell you all about the evolution of Cal-Ital and the finicky nature of Sangiovese in a few days.

In the meantime, order a bottle of the 2006 Helix Sangiovese from our online store, or visit the Reininger tasting room to do a little field research of your own!

A classic Old World label from Coteaux du Layon: Clos des Bois Sélection de Grains Nobles 1994

The Art of Wine Labels

Have you ever picked out a wine based on the label design?  We would like to pretend we’re way too refined and discerning to have ever done that, but at least one of us at Reininger has (fine, it was me). As we’ve acknowledged before, a well stocked wine wall, or even a decent wine list, can be fairly intimidating. Somewhere along the line, clever wine marketers realized that detailed specs, especially written in a foreign language, just made many wine buyers more confused and nervous. These marketers ditched the old world labels and designed splashy, simple, approachable labels that caught people’s attention and made them more confident in their purchase. More often than not, the designers would throw a friendly little animal on the label, hence earning these wines the nickname of “critter wines.” We know Helix wines have a snail on the label, but they are no critter wines, and we’ll tell you the difference.

The quintessential critter wine

Critter Wines Explained

Critter wines are technically just any wine that has an animal on the label. The varietal most associated with critter wines is Shiraz (for more on Syrah vs. Shiraz, brush up here), which started when a certain Yellow Tailed Australian kangaroo bounded into the American market on colorful bottles of Shiraz. As anyone who has sipped a bottle of Yellow Tail can understand, in the wine industry, the term critter wine carries certain connotations. These wines are typically mass produced table wines, specifically created to taste good and generic while providing a good value.  They typically taste very boringly representative of the varietal, with most of the personality smoothed over in order to appeal to the broadest audience.  Likewise, they are not wines to tuck away, rather, they are ready to drink when purchased. Critter wines are generally fun, approachable and playful. Instead of remembering to ask for a Burgundian red (or wait, was it Bordeaux?), you only need to remember to ask for the wine with a wallaby, or penguin. Honestly, if you want a good, simple, cheap wine, critter wines will do the trick. But why drink mediocre, dull wine when there are so many fantastic, interesting bottles waiting to be consumed?

Our Helix snail on the 2007 Helix Syrah

2007 Helix Syrah and the Helix Snail

Helix wines are certainly not generic, mass produced bargain basement wines. It doesn’t take more than one sip of the 2007 Helix Syrah (or any Helix wines) to convince you of their fine quality, but you’re welcome to drink more than a taste if you want. Just like any wines from Reininger Winery, Helix label wines are distinctive wines made from premium fruits by a passionate winemaker. So how did a little “critter” end up on wine labels from Reininger winery? Our Helix snail crawled onto the first label in 2006 when Reininger Winery invested in a second label after Kelly, Jay and Tracey got their granddad’s blessing to sell the family farm in Helix, Oregon. In order to honor their grandparents and the agricultural heritage of their family, the Reiningers and Tuckers named the second label Helix, after the town the farm was in, and depicted that with a Helix snail. The snail was also fitting because Helix, the genus name for the Burgundian snail, is the creme de la creme of “escargot,” often paired with wine.

Order a bottle of the 2007 Helix Syrah online or stop into the Reininger tasting room to taste your excellent choice in wine!

Boom Varietal – Teaser from Sky Pinnick on Vimeo.

Mike Veseth, a passionate wine scholar and enthusiastic professor at the University of Puget Sound (the Alma mater of two of the Reiningang- Chuck Reininger and me, Katie), recommended The Boom Varietal, describing it as “completely enchanting. The first five minutes are a feast for the senses. The film captivated me, drawing me into the world of Malbec and the people and places associated with it.”

If you’re looking for a low-key activity for this weekend, pop open a bottle of the 2007 Reininger Malbec, grab your favorite wine enthusiast or willing friend, and watch this wonderful film. Don’t blame us if you end up impulse buying a ticket to Argentina!

Order the 2007 Reininger Malbec

If you’re anything like me, in your perfect world, your wine rack automatically stocks itself with the very best Walla Walla wines. In the real world, you can order the 2007 Reininger Malbec online or stop by the Reininger tasting room.

Do you remember our quick pairing tip for any wine?  Just pick a traditional  recipe from the region the wine you’re drinking comes from. As you know by now from reading previous blog posts, Sangiovese is traditionally associated with Italy.  Ask anyone who has traveled through Italy, whether they stayed a few days or a few years, what food is most synonymous with Italy, and they’ll likely say pizza.  Not American style pizza with thick crusts and mounds of topping, but cracker-thin crust with scant tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella.  As you head into the weekend, keep this recipe in mind for the ultimate casual meal that pairs perfectly with the 2006 Helix Sangiovese.

Recipe for Pizza Margherita

We adapted this recipe from Food and Wine.  You can make this recipe one of two ways- either a super easy preparation, or a longer culinary adventure.  If you want an easy meal, buy pre-made dough and just add the toppings.  If you want a more authentic pizza, make the dough yourself according to this recipe.  Either way, when you pop open the 2006 Helix Sangiovese, it will be molto buono! The secret- whether you use this dough recipe or skip that step and buy pre-made dough (Trader Joe’s makes a great raw dough)- is to make the dough super thin.  The Italians only put one little sprig of basil onto their Pizza Margherita, but why not be crazy and put on as much as you like?

Ingredients

Dough

Preperation (if you bought your dough pre-made, skip to the very last step, whew!)

1. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with 1/2 cup of the warm water and the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of warm water, the 4 cups of flour and the kosher salt and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead, adding flour as necessary until a silky, but soft dough forms. Use a pastry scraper to help knead the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface; punch down and divide into 4 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Rub each ball with oil and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover the balls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, set a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°, allowing at least 45 minutes for the stone to heat. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill set over a medium bowl or pulse them in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Stir in the oregano and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. On a lightly floured surface, stretch one ball of dough into a 13-inch round; transfer to a floured pizza peel, adding flour where the dough sticks. Spread 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the dough to within 1 inch of the edge. Spread one-fourth of the cheese over the pizza and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with sea salt and pepper and slide the pizza onto the stone. Bake until the bottom is charred and the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Scatter one-fourth of the basil on top and let stand for 3 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

Analogy for Syrah

There can be so much to keep track of when learning about wine and we’ve found that sometimes it’s helpful to have a good analogy to keep everything straight. We love Leslie Sbrocco’s analogies that pair different varietals with various types of clothing- they seem to stick with people.  For example, Sbrocco describes Syrah as being the must-have red accessory, the “red-hot” red that adds sex appeal to any meal.  She describes Syrah as being exotic yet approachable and widely fun.  We couldn’t agree more!  By now you might be wondering what delicious meal you should be spicing up with a sassy glass of Syrah.  Don’t worry, we’ll share our favorite Syrah pairing with you.  Just be sure to order up some 2007 Helix Syrah and save us a spot at the table!

Syrah Food Pairings

Syrah pairs extremely well with tender, slow cooked meats such as pot roast or ossu buco. For a less meat-centric meal, Syrah is also amazing with earth, spicy, hearty flavors such as ratatouille, or mushroom risotto, or mole dishes.  But before we get to the main dish, we have to share our top-secret guaranteed crowd pleasing appetizer with you.  Seriously, if you have a crowd you want to impress, whip this recipe up, pop open a bottle of 2007 Helix Syrah and you will have your guest begging for your secret.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates and 2007 Helix Syrah

This is possibly the easiest appetizer- our favorite because the less time you spend preparing in the kitchen, the more time you have to enjoy your guests!

Ingredients

-Bacon, cut into small pieces (enough to wrap around a date)

-Dried, pitted dates

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

-Wrap a date in a small piece of bacon.  Place on a baking sheet and bake until the bacon is crispy. Tip: if you are having trouble keeping the bacon wrapped, stick a toothpick through to hold it together.

Buy 2007 Helix Syrah

If you haven’t been to the Reininger tasting room, we highly suggest you stop by.  Our tasting rooms staff is always thrilled to share our wines with guests.  If you can’t swing by the winery, order a bottle of 2007 Helix Syrah online.