The perfect summer sipping wines have arrived!

What is a hot summer without a beverage that can appease those white wine enthusiasts screaming for a back yard sip, or the red wine afficianado who’s relaxing on the deck just waiting for the steak off the grill?  Well, nothing without our new releases that you must try!

Just in time for our 90 degree temperature forecast this weekend; we are ready to release our long awaited 2007 Rosé  and back by popular demand… our 2007 Halbtrocken.

Our ’07 Rosé is a light and floral wine with bright flavors of peach, honey, and cotton candy with a lush and juicy mouth followed by a slightly sweet finish. 

It carries a balance of light color and sweetness.  For this wine we create a blend that has a bright and juicy feel while retaining the notion of being light-bodied while still adding variability, longevity and stability to the wine.  The natural occurring tannins in the red wine we use gives our Rosé a flavor structure that makes it more food friendly and balances for optimal sweetness. 

This wine is screaming for a weekend brunch, yet can be enjoyed with anything from BBQ to spicy foods (especially Thai) and afternoons on the porch.
$15/bottle
$12/bottle, Wine Club Members

Wait for it…..back by popular demand, our 2007 Halbtrocken. 
Don’t be alarmed by the new label because this year we have made a “Cathedral Ridge” Halbtrocken but have kept the blend similar… and as always a secret!

Meaning “half-dry” in German, this wine is a rare offering of the marriage between white and red wines blended to perfection.  
Our Halbtrocken is an opportunity to share the flavors of our bolder and heavier red wines by softening their texture, toning down their tannins, and adding light and bright fruit nuances to their flavor profile. 

Compared to our Rosé, our Halbtrocken is slightly darker in color and richer,  having the food pairing capabilities of a red wine, yet will not overpower lighter dishes, and is more approachable than a traditional bold red wine.

To me, this wine reminds me of a southern French style rosé and is absolutely perfect for the warm summer months.  Can I get a porch swing….say it with me…..!
Limited in production this wine won’t last long. 
And for this price you cant go wrong!  (It rhymes right?)
$16/bottle
$12.80/bottle Wine Club Members

For fans who like them sweet or not you are sure to enjoy these summer delights!
Stop by this weekend to celebrate the release of these wines!
If you can’t make it this weekend, you can always find them available at our online store!

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We are thrilled to announce our upcoming winemaker dinner at the Columbia Gorge Hotel.
Wednesday June 25, 2008
$95/person (package deals available, see below)

Join us for what we anticipate to be one of our finest winemaker dinners yet. Chef Paul Wade is a California wine country native with a national reputation for his creative, unpretentious approach to new American cuisine. His foodstyle speaks of hand-crafted, organic, sustainable and small farm food sources, all of which have become industry trends in recent years. Chef Paul Wade has paired our wines with a most impressive menu:

Reception:
*Domestic Caviar & Lemon Crème Fraiche “Gum Drops”
*Crispy Jumbo White Shrimp Tempura, Garden Basil & Roast Banana
*Oregon Pink Shrimp Cocktail, Green Chai “Latte” & Lemongrass Shoots
*Olympia Oyster Shooter, Cucumber Jus
*Vol  a Vent, Cowgirl Creamery Triple Cream Brie Rhubarb Confit
Cathedral Ridge 2006 Pinot Gris

Dinner:
Citronella Steamed Turbot ~ Gravenstein Apple Salad & Tarragon French Toast/Dungeness Crab & Meyer Lemon 
Cathedral Ridge 2006 Gewürztraminer

Olive Oil Poached Kona Blue Lobster ~ Black Cherry, Licorice,  Anise Basil & Irish Butter Pistachio Dumplings
Cathedral Ridge 2007 Chardonnay

Lychee & Green Tea Granite

Cedar Roasted Rock Dove & Sonoma Foie Gras ~ Maize Orzo Risotto, Caramelized Pineapple Jus
Serrano Ham Cracklin’
Cathedral Ridge 2006 Zinfandel

Gingered Duck Confit ~ Cipollini Onions & Preserved Tangerines/Roasted Huckleberry Tart
Cathedral Ridge 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Poached Snake River Beef Tenderloin ~ Perigod Truffle & Chestnut Soufflé/Hand Foraged Local Mushrooms
Cathedral Ridge 2005 Boardheauxd Red (available only at this dinner)

Crater Lake Blue ~ Caramelized Apple Wedges & Zambia Organic Rain Forest Honey
Cathedral Ridge 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir

Exotic Chocolates

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The Columbia Gorge Hotel has graciously offered up a full evening package for our guests.  If you want to celebrate something special, consider making an evening of this event:

$359.00 (excluding taxes and gratuity)
for a River view room & the winemaker dinner for two.
 
$339.00 (excluding taxes and gratuity)
for a Garden view room & the winemaker dinner for two.

Or just dine with us that evening for $95/person to experience a phenomenal food & wine event.

Space is limited so please call The Columbia Gorge Hotel at 800-345-1921  to make your reservation.

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One of the classiest and most well known wine bars in Portland is Noble Rot, on SE Ankeny Street at 27th Avenue. Some of you may remember that they featured a flight of our wines in January, and we have received great feedback. So it’s no surprise that we are extremely excited to announce our upcoming winemaker’s dinner at Noble Rot on Thursday, May 29th.

For those of you who haven’t been to Noble Rot yet, they feature 5 wine flights every day and a variety of local, seasonal small plates prepared by Chef Gregory Smith. They’ve been written up by the NY Times, Wine Spectator and Gourmet, and Willamette Week named them “Restaurant of the Year” in 2003.

Chef Greg Smith does some amazing things in the kitchen. Hailing from the Chicago suburbs, he has cooked with Charlie Trotter, has worked on a farm outside of White Salmon (just across the river from our winery), and has been at Noble Rot since 2003, assuming the role of Executive Chef in 2006. With a résumé like that, it’s no wonder his food is so great.

We just received a sneak-peak at the menu for the winemaker’s dinner, and we thought we should share…

Reception (6:30 pm):
Olive & goat cheese “coins”
Onion tart
Paired with 2006 Cathedral Ridge Pinot Gris
 
First course:
Smoked mussels Caesar salad
Paired with 2006 Cathedral Ridge Gewurztraminer

Second course:
Poached chicken with arugula, cherries & pancetta
Paired with 2006 Cathedral Ridge Pinot Noir

Third course:
BBQ pork shoulder with snap pea & potato salad
Paired with 2005 Cathedral Ridge Syrah

Fourth course:
Chocolate ginger tart
Coffee or a little more Syrah
 
Our very own Robb Bell, Owner and Chief Cellar Rat of Cathedral Ridge winery will be on hand to talk more about our wines, our grape-growing climates and anything else you may have questions about. This dinner promises to be an evening to remember!

The dinner will be held in Noble Rot’s intimate party room, and seating is very limited. Cost per person is $75 (gratuity included). Reserve your spot soon via email: noblerotgirls@aol.com. Please include “Cathedral Ridge Dinner” in the subject line of the email.

We hope to see you there!

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Our Annual Barrel Tasting Party was held this past Saturday April 12, 2008 and what an event to remember!

We could not have asked for a more perfect day.  It was truly the best weather on record for the year so far.  Sunshine during the day rose to close to 80 degrees, cooling down to the most ideal temperature for the evening event.

Guests were greeted with a taste of some of our newest releases as they awaited their barrel tastings presented by winemaker Michael Sebastiani, who came in from Sonoma for the evening, and owner/chief cellar rat Robb Bell.  As they entered the barrel room guests listened to Michael and Robb explain the ‘06 vintage and our anticipated wines and had  the chance to chat with the guys.  They were then given the opportunity to taste and purchase futures of their favorite barrel samples of our ’06 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Reserve, Syrah Reserve, and our Rock Star Red.
As they exited the barrel room they entered the patio greeted by the amazing sounds of Peabody ’s Daughter, a fabulous local band who entertained us all night with their talented band and vocal skills!  

The weather maintained its perfection throughout the evening as guests sampled our wine and food pairings, with hors d’oeuvres catered by the always delicious Cork & Bottle Catering!   We worked together with Cork & Bottle to create the perfect food and wine pairings for our featured wines.  Some of the guests favorites were the newly released ‘06 Pinot Noir Reserve paired with the Fig Chocolate Cake topped with a dollop of Black Cherry Jam. Equally popular was the barrel sample of our ‘06 Cabernet paired with the Sirloin Steak Bites Wrapped in Crispy Bacon and Gorgonzola.
Owners Talia and Dave Hammond did an amazing job on the food!
 
As the evening progressed guests mingled about on our freshly landscaped lawn with spring flowers blooming while sipping on their favorite wines.  
 
It was great to have the chance to get to know some of our wine club members and fans.

Wine Club members, such as the Getz’s, traveled as far as North Carolina to make it to the party (picture to the left).  They were particular fans of the ‘06 Rock Star Red, as were many other guests throughout the evening!

The great part for many of our Rock Star Red fans was that not only was our winemaker on hand to discuss how he makes that particular wine, but also in attendance was John Bangsund (pictured to the right)  who owns the famed Bangsund vineyard, where all the fantastic fruit for that very wine comes from!  So guests were able to meet the entire team of people who work to create our esteemed Rock Star Red, among many other of our guest’s favorites!  
Also on hand were the Zieglers, where our bright and crisp Pinot Gris originates. 
 
All in all, it was truly a night to remember. From all of the people who came out for the event, our entire CRW team, the wines, the food, the music, and of course the perfect weather!
 
Thank you first and foremost to all of our guests who attended, to Cork & Bottle Catering, to Peabodys Daughter, Michael and Robb for making such beautiful wines, to our skilled and hard working vineyard managers, and everyone who made the event possible.

We can’t wait to see you all next year!
Cheers,
The Cathedral Ridge Winery Team

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Here in Hood River, we are fortunate to have a wide array of great local restaurants. But being just an hour away from Portland gives us even more choices. And now a few of those great Portland restaurants are carrying Cathedral Ridge Wines.

Fife Restaurant, headed by Chef Marco Shaw in the Beaumont Village area of NE Portland, has made quite a name for itself as a conscientious restaurant with great food.  Its almost exclusively local ingredients, all coming from small farmers within 100 miles of the restaurant, allow Chef Shaw to change the menu daily, so there’s always variety. On the Fife web site, Chef Shaw tells us how they work with the local farmers: “We pick most of the seeds for the produce that is grown for us and we are able to specify the diets of most of the animals that we use. This relationship that we have with our farmers and ranchers allows us to bring to you the best of each season and of each day.” This philosophy also applies to their wines. Wine Steward Arin Hassell is often drawn to local wines to compliment the local flavors of the restaurant. That’s why they’ve recently brought in our Cathedral Ridge 2006 Zinfandel.

Dubbed “Portland’s most exciting new restaurant” by Gourmet Magazine in 2002, Bluehour in the Pearl has also added our wines to their list. Gourmet said, “It is clear that chef Kenny Giambalvo is cooking the most sophisticated contemporary food in town.” And we have to agree. Bluehour’s Mediterranean menu changes daily with seasonal availabilities and at the Chef’s whim. Sophisticated and modern, don’t be surprised if you see a visiting screen star in the dining room. Our 2005 Bordheauxd Red joined the Bluehour menu at the beginning of this month. Check it out soon before we sell out!

And one of our favorite restaurants, Navarre, on NE 28th at Burnside, has just started carrying our 2006 Gewurtztraminer. We’re happy to join the other 50 some wines on Navarre’s wine list. Having been favorably reviewed by the likes of Food & Wine, Sunset, and Wine Spectator since its opening in 2004, Chef John Taboada has made Navarre one of the top restaurants in Portland. Known for its small plates with a Spanish/Italian/French flair and local ingredients, Navarre’s casual atmosphere and ample selections of wine by the glass, ½ carafe, carafe and bottle allow you to choose whatever strikes your fancy. We hope our Gewürztraminer will make one of your decisions a little bit easier.

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Spring is officially here, bringing fresh blossoms, rays of sun and or course our annual barrel tasting party. We’re dusting off the wine thief, cracking open a few barrels and tasting some great wine accompanied by delicious food and live music. We will also be celebrating the release of two of our highly anticipated wines that evening!

The festivities will begin at 6 pm on Saturday April 12 with local band Peabody’s Daughter. There will be some delicious hors d’oeuvres to pair with the wine (bacon and gorgonzola wrapped sirloin steak bites with Cabernet Sauvignon- mmm mmm good!), which will be cooked up by Cork & Bottle Catering.

This year Winemaker Michael Sebastiani and Owner/Cellar Rat Robb Bell will be presenting our barrel tastings and offering the opportunity to purchase futures of our newly blended:

• ‘06 Rock Star Red
• ‘06 Cabernet Sauvignon & Cab Reserve
• ‘06 Syrah Reserve

For one night only, you can pre-purchase futures of these wines with a 5% case discount (10% for wine club members), and 10% on the regular Cabernet Sauvignon. Once bottled these wines will not be discounted (except to wine club members).

We will also be celebrating the release of our

• ’06 Pinot Noir Reserve
• ’07 Chardonnay

Tickets are available in advance or at the door.

• $10/person ($15 at the door), wine club members
• $25/person ($30 at the door), non-club members

As always the price also includes a souvenir logo glass filled with your favorite Cathedral Ridge wine!

These are beautiful wines and this will indeed be a party to remember!

Space is limited this year.
Call or email us to get your tickets before we run out!
Call 800-516-8710 or Email: crw@cathedralridgewinery.com

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