Finding the Mother Lode In Baker Oregon

Bella's in downtown Baker City

Last week, while traveling to Boise to hang out with family I stopped in a little place that I’ve promised to stop at for many years. I’ve promised Beverly at Bella’s in Baker a visit many times since first meeting her at Graybeal back in 2007. It was definitely time to make a stop.

Bella’s market in downtown Baker, just a few short paces down Main Street from the famous Geyser Grand Hotel, and nestled among several little boutique stores, is a regular oasis in Eastern Oregon for wine.

My memory of Baker was back in the 1970s when my dad helped to pave all the highways around that area. Our family spent several summers in Baker, Sumpter, and Austin Junction during my formative years. The memory that serves me, was that Baker wasn’t what you’d call “wine friendly”. It was more of a whiskey and beer kind of town.

What I found to be most interesting was that Bella’s is very wine friendly, and the town of Baker, which encircles it seems to be much more wine friendly as well. Bicyclists in their tight little spandex shorts sped down mainstreet, and there were several great pieces of art hanging in stores around. Bellas clearly reminded me of a cute little european market with wines, meats, cheeses, and espresso.

As I sipped on my San Pellegrino Aranciata, I wandered through Bella’s, including the substantial wine shop. I was amazed at the depth of selection in the shop. Far better than I have here in many of the shops in the Tri Cities, and many more labels and varietals than I’ve found anywhere else in Eastern Oregon.
One bottle that I happened on was a 2011 Rose’ by Mother Lode Cellars. It was placed among some pretty upscale Bandols that I was also eyeing. The bottle tells the story about the Mother Lode Mine, located just outside of Baker near the Cook Family Homestead. The mine, which produced 8,000 oz. of gold, and 4 million pounds of copper is now long closed.
Travis Cook, graduated with a degree in Horticulture from Oregon State University and returned to Baker with the intent of starting a winery at the Homestead. It only made sense that the wine be named after the mine. (Afterall, the name Cook’s had already been taken.)
I was talking about the wines with one of the staff, Cody, at Bella’s. She suggested that I try the Mother Lode Wine. Little did I know until later in the conversation that her name is Cook, and the wine-maker is her brother. Tricky having an inside salesperson hiding in the ultimate wine shop for the area!

Mother Lode makes a Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley grapes, a Vineyard Reserve Red that uses grapes from the family’s nearby Keating Vineyard, and a Rose’ which I mentioned, that is a blend of Riesling grapes and Counoise which are also grown at the Keating Vineyard.
I purchased the Rose’ because I knew it was going to be a hot one and I wanted a good porch wine. The 2011 is very low in residual sugar, with most of the flavor being from the fruit itself. A nice Malolactic creaminess leads back to the blueberry and black licorice flavors and nose. A very nice bottle. I’m looking forward to going back through Baker to pick up a bottle of the red blend next time through!

Cheers!

Take A Trip to France Without Leaving Town

Usually I’m a pretty simple guy who is more than willing to eat the local fare and enjoy local wines. I’m really not much into imported stuff. After all, it’s been pretty much proven that we here in the northwest produce wines just as good as any country or region on this great planet.

However, there are times when I just want to get away and try something different. It could have been the rains or the freezing frost outside on the ground the other night. But, for some reason I was really in the mood for a good Cotes Du Rhone. I went down into my closet and pulled out a good one.

Now, this may sound really fancy, but all it means is that the wine is from the Rhone “AOC” of France. “AOC” means the same as “AVA” in the U.S., which means that the wine is from a legally determined area that is determined by the government of that country.

When I say that I drank a Cotes Du Rhone it could mean red, rose’, or white. In this case, which is usually the case, I am speaking about a red wine.

What I love about Cotes Du Rhone red wines is that they are made out of some of my favorite grapes. The red grapes grown in the Rhone River region of France are primarily Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Cinsault. Fantastic grapes, bold and rich in color and texture, that finish smooth and velvety with fine light tannins. These grapes all produce juices that are deep ruby red in color.

The Cotes Du Rhone region is quite laid back. They are very relaxed in their business methods, as well as their cooperative farming lifestyles. Few wineries in the region actually produce wine from grape to bottle. That would be too much work. Most produce smaller lots and allow merchants to provide the marketing and distribution of their wines outside the winery. Only a few produce “mis en bouteille au domaine” which means bottled on premise.

The bottle that I enjoyed this evening was a Domaine de Couron. It is one of the larger vintners in the Rhone. Located at the Saint Marcel d’ Ardeche commune in Southeastern France, the wine is grown, picked, fermented, and bottled on site. It is 60% Grenache, and 40% Syrah.

Pouring the wine from the bottle, it comes out a deep ruby red into the glass. The nose is veggie and lightly sulfur initially, but turns into aromas of bing cherries. On the palate the wine opens with a combination of plums, cherries, and canned green beans. It finishes soft and round, with a slight lack of tannin.

Another Cote Du Rhone that I regularly enjoy is Pont D’ Avignon, a vintner that was recently purchased by the Gallo family. Very affordable, and very tasty, I suggest trying this wine when you want a soft, supple, red other than a Pinot Noir. Once again, not very sophisticated, but it is reasonably priced and a lot of fun. Both it, and the Couron, are priced in the under $15 range.

So, when you are tired of drinking the local stuff, I suggest you try a Cotes Du’ Rhone. There are several available locally. Give one a try!