TDG: Rollin Soles, Winemaker

[Fat Guy]

This thread is for discussion of Rollin Soles: Winemaker, if you wish.

[LaurieA-B]

It's rather odd to see the locales of my childhood (Portland suburbs and California's Central Coast) become winemaking destinations. I'm glad they're making good wine.

I've never posted on the Wine board because I'm a wine novice. I especially enjoyed this article because it discusses wine from the people and farming perspective (rather than the expensive bottle/special glasses angle, which I relate to less well). Thanks for this detailed and lucid explanation of winemaking. And who knew that Corvallis had a (good?) sushi restaurant? (It's a while since I've been there.)

Ellen, one of the best things about the Daily Gullet is seeing more of your photographs. I love the wine barrels. And it would have been cruel not to include a photo of Rollin, after describing his mustache. His life is an excellent story.

[Fat Guy]

We ordered so much that at the end of the meal the chef proudly presented us with a complimentary special dish: Fresh shrimp, as in still alive and still moving. This scared the heck out of several people at the table, so I got to eat extra.

[Ellen Shapiro]

Could you guess that I was one of the people who "got the heck scared out of her" by the live, still-moving shrimp?

[Suzanne F]

Thank you, thank you for that article! We both love Pinot Noir from Oregon, and have had wines from Argyle several times at restaurants. So neat to learn about thewine, the winemaker, and all those other, um, folks!

[Jinmyo]

That was a wonderful article, Ellen. Very engaging as well as informative. And yes, it's nice to see more of your photographs.

Steve, beer with miso-shiru. Feh.

[Beachfan]

I'll have to try their champagne some time.

[Jim Dixon]

I got to hang out with Steven, Ellen, and Rollie for a day at Argyle. One of my favorite things about Rollie is that he's got this Texas accent and demeanor in an area overrun with pretentious wine snobs, and while he's describing some aspect of his wine-making he'll say, "It's cooler than shit."

Jim

[mamster]

Damn, I wish my biochemistry professor had sent to me stay with his buddies in Switzerland.

What I liked most about this piece--well, okay, it was the goat story. But aside from that, Ellen, you did a great job of establishing yourself as a knowledgeable amateur and bringing the reader along on your learning experience. I really enjoy that type of piece--when it's done in the right spirit and intelligence, it's a lot more approachable than "I am an expert and am going to tell you all I know about Pinot."

-mamster, who didn't come here to raise goats

[Ellen Shapiro]

Jim obviously I'm totally with you (you got a belly laugh out of me on that one). Rollin is such an accessible guy--he'll go into the technical details of exactly how he produces what he does and then, with a Texas size smile and a twinkle in his eye he'll exclaim, "it's cooler than shit" or, in polite company, "cooler than snot." Where else are you going to get that kind of tasting notes?

And Mamster I'm glad you liked it and the thing about it is I'm really just a person who appreciates (as in I like it) good wine. I'm not like Fat Guy--I don't retain the facts and figures of things in my brain but I can tell you what I like and I have a very specific idea about it. I think there are a lot of wine drinkers out there like me--we're "the people." I feel you don't have to be a collector, member of a wine club with a notebook full of notes, or even a consistent (as in daily or weekly) wine drinker to drink, enjoy, appreciate, and occasionally engage in meaningful discussion about good wine.

[Andy Lynes]

Ellen, a really terrific article, one of the best things I've read on this site yet. I'm going to send a link to my local wine merchant Henry Butler who I know will be interested in the article, and maybe I can even get him to stock some of the wine.