Peter Pinot Speaks: “That Bobcat Has No Taste”
A Talking Vine, a Curious Fawn, and a Yoga Mat Walk Into a Vineyard…
First, a quiz. What animal do you think this is, captured in one of our wildlife cameras? Answer is at end of the newsletter.
In a famous episode in “Portlandia,” a couple ordering dinner in a restaurant inquires about the chicken they are about to eat — and are relieved to learn that his name was “Colin the Chicken,” that he had dined on sheep milk, soy and hazelnuts, and ranged free over four acres until his unfortunate demise. Satire has since moved into real life: Caroline brought home a dozen eggs the other day from Vital Farms, and the eggs came with a tribute to the “bird of the month,” Headstrong Helena.
Not to be outdone, we’d like to introduce you to one of our Pinot Noir vines, “Peter Pinot.” Here’s Peter (he’s the one closest to the camera; to the right you see Mabel, Antonio, George, Alexandra and a few thousand others).
Peter is a sturdy, happy vine who wants you to know that he’s nurtured with TLC, gets plenty of sunlight and fresh air, and particularly enjoys the sunsets and sunrises on the farm. He was offended when a bobcat urinated on him and he worries a bit about bears, but he says that Chief Security Officer Connie Kuvasz Kristof will protect him and the other vines. And he hopes you enjoy the (fermented) juice from his grapes.
“I take pride in the wine I contribute to,” Peter told us, wagging a leaf for emphasis. “We all want purpose in life, and I find it meaningful to produce some of the world’s best Pinot Noir. That damn bobcat may not respect me, but Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast do!”
Peter explained that, like his neighbors in Block 2 of the Kristof vineyard, he has a rootstock called 3309 that is disease-resistant, with a Pinot Noir Dijon clone called 667 grafted on top. “We 667 grapes are known for small grapes, which result in intense dark-fruit flavors and notes of Christmas spices,” Peter told us. “Other parts of the Kristof vineyard are planted with different clones, and we enjoy meeting each other during blending. When folks relish Kristof Pinot Noir, I hope they’ll appreciate that the nutmeg note is mine.”
Peter suggested that if connoisseurs really wanted to understand his grape flavors, they should learn about an ancient clam, Gertrude, that 40 million years ago helped form the marine sedimentary soils that feed his roots. We’ll have to tell you about Gertrude another time.
We’re opening up our farm again to visitors on the weekend of Aug. 16-17. From 1:30-4 p.m. on Saturday, we’ll host a special flow and ferment yoga session and tasting, led by yoga instructor Jamie King. And from 4:30-6 p.m. on the Saturday, we’ll have one of our Pinot & Perspective sessions, in which Nick and Sheryl invite people to taste our ciders and wines and tour the vineyard — even as we collectively discuss wine, agriculture and national and international affairs.
On the Sunday, Aug. 17, we’ll have two more 90-minute Pinot & Perspective tasting/tours, at 2:45 pm and 4:30 p.m. Reserve your spot soon (email: info@KristofFarms.com). Spaces are limited!
Here’s a previous session:
Meanwhile, remember the newborn fawn we showed you recently from our wildlife camera? She’s growing fast. Here’s another appearance:
One of the questions we get asked the most is how to order our wines and ciders if you live some distance away. We can’t ship abroad, but mostly we sell through our website, KristofFarms.com, and through that you can order and get wine or cider shipped right to your door (as long as someone over 21 will be there to sign for it). It’s simple and straightforward.
In addition, we recently signed on with a California distributor, Vinifera, so if you’re a restaurant or bottle shop in that state, let us know and we’ll connect you to the folks there.
If you’re in Pennsylvania, you have it really easy: just pop into a state liquor store and you’ll see our Pinot Noir and Rosé. You can check this link to see precisely which of our wines are available in which stores.
And remember that while we only rarely have visitors on our farm, we are part of the Carlton Winemakers Studio in Carlton Oregon, and its fine tasting room is open 11 to 5 every day. You can try our wines and also sample other wines from outstanding local winemakers.
Oh, and our quiz? That animal in the wildlife photo at the top of this newsletter is a deer. It’s a doe who was checking out the camera and sniffing it — and probably sending a message to us about how she mocks our “deer fence.”
Would you please provide the link for how to check for your wines in Pennsylvania? It didn't get included in your post.