Vinum Blog

Cortes de Cima was just voted 2008 Best of Nation - Portugal at the San Francisco Wine Competition!  Cortes de Cima received a Gold Medal for their 2004 Reserva Red Blend, Alentejano, Portugal; Silver Medals for their 2005 Red Blend, 2004 Syrah, and 2005 Touriga Nacional; and Bronze medals for their 2007 Chamine, 2005 Syrah, 2005 Aragonez, and 2005 Syrah “Incognito”.  This is a producer worth trying if you have not tried Portugese table wines.  

For more information see:  www.sfwinecomp.com/pdfs/best_of_show_08.pdf or www.cortesdecima.pt

For Cottonwood Winery owners Aaron and Phil Leiberman, the key goal is that their customers should not have to simply accept that the quality of a wine will go up and down with the vintage. They are committed to providing consistent high-quality wine at reasonable prices. With this in mind, Aaron, who is also the assistant winemaker at Owen Roe Winery, keeps separate individual grape harvests until barrel aging so that each source can be assessed for fruit quality. Cottonwood sources Pinot Noir fruit from several vineyards, Cottonwood Meadows Vineyard in the Eola Hills AVA planted with 8 different clones of Pinot Noir (Dijon 375, and 10-18, Wadenswil and Pommard) as well as small amounts of several other varietals; Durant Vineyard in the Red Hills of Dundee planted with the Dijon 114 clone; and the Bayliss Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton area planted with Wadenswil clone. The different soil, elevations and micro-climates of these vineyards allows them to use this process to create consistently great vintages, albeit with unique wines with very small productions. Beyond Pinot Noir, Cottonwood also produces a Syrah from fruit sourced from Crawford Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. Despite this minor diversion, Aaron’s primary intention is to marry new world Pinot Noir with Burgundy.

NOW SOLD BY VINUM IN WASHINGTON & OREGON

Vinum Importing and Distribution is please to announce August/ September visits to the Northwest for the following producers:

August 18-19   Francois Ginglinger of Alsatian producer GINGLIGER

August 20-21   Akiko Freeman of California producer FREEMAN 

September 15-19  Gabriel Fay of Champagne (Epernay) producer BOIZEL

If interested in speaking with any of these producers, please contact your VINUM REPRESENTATIVE regarding availability.

Efeste, pronounced “F-S-T”, represents owners Daniel & Helen Ferrelli, Patrick Smith and Kevin & Angela Taylor.  Efeste’s roots start literally in some of the best vineyards in  the world.  Together with winemaker Brennon Leighton and consultants Chris Upchurch & Jay Soloff of DeLille Cellars, they embrace the idea of marrying old world techniques with new world fruit; producing earthy yet elegant wines highlighted with robust fruit. 

SOLD BY VINUM IN OREGON & WASHINGTON STATE EXCEPT KING COUNTY

Beckmen Vineyards has emerged as one of North America’s premier producers of Rhône varietal wines, while also helping to establish Santa Barbara County as one of California’s most highly regarded winegrowing regions.  Founded in 1994 by Tom and Steve Beckmen, this is a family-run, estate winery located in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. Beckmen Vineyards produces a full line of exceptional estate-grown Rhône varietals including Syrah, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Rosé, Marsanne, and the Cuvée Le Bec blend. It also produces small quantities of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Hailed for the excellence of its portfolio, Beckmen Vineyards was named Food & Wine’s “Most Promising Winery” in the magazine’s 2000 American Wine Awards.  Beckmen Vineyards has lived up to that promise, and was selected as one of the “Top 100 Wineries” in the world by Wine & Spirits magazine.

SOLD BY VINUM IN WASHINGTON 

Please hold the date September 15, 2008 for our Fall Warehouse Open House and Tasting for the trade.  Information will follow shortly with details on time and the wine list for sampling.  Since our Spring tasting we have added over 25 new labels and plan to have many available, as well as the new vintages of popular wines of the 2007 Fall/Winter Season!  

Please join us for the VINUM SPRING 2008 WAREHOUSE TASTING in Seattle Monday, May 19, 2008. We will be pouring a wide array of wines from 11am until 5pm, so please stop by at your convenience at our Seattle warehouse at 1938-D Occidental Ave, South in Seattle. It is located just behind the Starbucks on 1st Ave South and South Walker Street about 3 blocks south of Safeco Field. Short-term parking is available on Occidental and Walker in front of the warehouse and also in the loading docks behind the building (access off South Holgate Street next to the rail line). Tasting booklets will be available. Please see below the extensive list of over 70 wines to sample at this event:

Rose Table—

Handley Pinot Noir Rose 06
Sousa Vale de Raposa Rose 06
D’angles Languedoc Rose 06
DomaineCalet Rose 06

Bordeaux Table—

Chateau du Glana 04
Moulin d’Angludet 04
Chateau Bibian 02
Chateau de la Nauve 05
Chateau la Gatte Blanc 06
Mayne-Viell Cuvee Alienor 02

Sparkling Table—

Boizel Brut NV
Boizel Rose NV
JallianceVouvray Brut NV
Jaillance Bordeaux Rose NV
Casa de Cello Espumante 02

Dessert Wines Table—

Caussade 05
D’OrignacPineau 06
Bernardins Muscat 05
QDR White Porto NV

California Table—

Frank Family Chard 06
Frank Zinfandel 05
Rubissow Cabernet 02
Rubissow Merlot 02
Victor Hugo Hunchback 05
Handely Chardonnay 04
Handely pinot Gris 06
Niner Sauvignon Blanc 05
NinerSangiovese 04
NinerBarbera 05
Niner Merlot 04
Niner Syrah 04
Niner Cabernet 04

Washington Table—

Maninna Merlot 05
ManninaSangiovese 06

Oregon Table—

Westry Pinot Gris 07
Serene Soliel Chardonnay 05
Apolloni Pinot Blanc 06
Apolloni Pinot Noir 05
Cancilla Pinot 06
Cherry Hill Papillon 04
Stag Hollow Yamhill 06
Matello Willamette 06
Serene Del Rio Syrah 04

France Table—

GinglingerWahlenbourgGewurtz 04
Schoenheitz Pinot Gris Herrenreben 05
Schoenheitz Muscat 05
SchlossVollrads Riesling 04
Lagrezette Dame Honeur 01
Calet LongRerme 05
Calet Esprit de Blanc 06
D’anglesLanquedoc White 05
D’anglesTerrior de la Clape Red 04
Hecht and Bannier Cote de Roussillon Village 05

Portugal Table—

Sousa GaivosaBranco 06
Cello San Joanne VV 06
Sousa Estacao Tinto 05
Sousa EstacaoBranco 06
EsporaoReserva White 05
EsporaoReserva Red 04
Conde de Vimioso Tinto 05
Bagieras Tinto 05
VT 05
Sousa ReservaPessoal Tinto 03
Casa de Cello PortaFronha 05
Quinta Vale Dona Maria Douro Tinto 05

Spain Table—

Arzuaga la Planta 06
Pago Florentino 04
IzadiCrianza 04
Cillar de Silos El Quintanal 06

We hope you have a chance to explore our site and have designed this with two purposes in mind.

First, we wanted to provide as much access to information from our producers and links to technical information about the wines we represent. Given the wide array of regions we represent, Oregon, California, and now Washington wines in the US; and most French and Portuguese wine regions along with some selected Spanish producers.

Second, we wanted to provide a means to electronically access our catalog and company information and contacts, as well as providing a feedback mechanism via our new BLOG. We welcome comments on wine, the wine trade and certainly how we can continue to improve it to serve you better.

—-The VINUM Staff