Collaboration. This word was used frequently by David Adelsheim, President of Adelsheim Vineyard, as he addressed the scores of wine lovers at the Boarding House in Chicago. I met this intelligent, gregarious man, a pioneer in the Oregon wine industry, when I was invited to attend a five course dinner featuring wines from Adelsheim paired with a carefully chosen menu created by talented Executive Chef, Tanya Baker.
After tasting succulent oyster shooters with yuzu, chili, and cilantro, sipping a racy Pinot Blanc 2012, and meeting more wine aficionados, I located my table at which I was seated to the right of David Adelsheim, a perfect spot for lively conversation . As the guest of honor, he stood and shared his story with the attendees who were enjoying the delicious first course of chicken salad with boston bibb, roasted pearl onions, creamy dill vinaigrette, and chicharrons paired with a glass of crisp and velvety Pinot Gris 2013.
David Adelsheim founded Adelsheim Vineyard in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains in north Willamette Valley with Ginny Adelsheim in 1971. Although a handful of people including Bill Blosser and Dick Erath had entered the Willamette Valley wine scene at this time, none had planted vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains. And with no background in the wine industry (his college major was German literature), David was a true pioneer. He told me that there was a “certain contagion from others in the wine industry in 1971” and he “was hooked.” In the autumn of 1973 he spent time with David Lett, founder of Eyrie Vineyards in McMinnville, with whom “information was traded leading to his understanding of the process.” Adelsheim was quick to remark that “without the collaboration of the wine growers and business leaders, the vineyard would not be where it is today. The ten people who started together ultimately crafted something that worked. Collaboration has been responsible for putting Oregon wines on the map. You can’t do this alone.”
Our second course of tagliatelle alfredo with rock shrimp, pickled lemon, asparagus, and sorrel was paired with the rich “Caitlin’s Reserve” Chardonnay 2012, a pairing so delicious that all of us at the table looked at each other with amazement before we savored more tastes and sips. Adelsheim feels that “wine refreshes the palate and food adds elements not in the wine so that one doesn’t overpower or underpower the other. A great pairing is when you can’t figure out where the food and wine start or stop.” In this case, he knew that the cream sauce enveloping the tagliatelle was the key to this exquisite collaboration.
While enjoying our next course, Faroe Island salmon with mushroom ragout, rapini, and bacon vinaigrette along with the elegant and focused Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012, those of us at the table discussed our choices for the most interesting wine we had tasted while our guest of honor talked with other guests. Later, Adelsheim explained to me that an interesting wine is “any bottle you open which excites you.” For him, it can be one which is sipped for pure enjoyment or one which is “ twenty five years old and shared with friends to show how it can age.” For me, the most interesting wines I had were those enjoyed that night at dinner paired with delicious food and good conversation.
Adelsheim admitted that “it’s hard to find things that don’t work with Oregon Pinot Noir.” How true that is…especially while appreciating Chef Tanya’s roasted duck leg with merguez, French navy beans, duck fat bread crumbs and a succulent Boulder Bluff Pinot Noir 2011. A sip of the Pinot Noir and a taste of the rich duck were so compatible that my palate was in Oregon Pinot Noir heaven. I was wondering if Adelsheim had any thoughts about what he considers the next “big wine growing region”. “The world is not waiting for the next warm place to grow grapes – there are already enough places”, he shared. Growing in “cool climates is difficult” since the wines must be “nuanced and delicate. Yet, could it be northern Michigan?” Perhaps…
The light and oh so satisfying dessert arrived at our table. The Greek yogurt panna cotta with summer berries and ginger crumble was served with Adelsheim Deglace Pinot Noir 2012, a firmly textured dessert wine omitting the cloying sweetness you may expect. Knowing that the evening was coming to a close, I asked David about the future plans for Adelsheim Vineyards. He explained that there will be a “gradual change of management to younger people who want to maintain independence, meet continual challenges, and collaborate in order to raise the bar on Pinot Noir. The idea of collaboration must be uppermost in people’s minds. Inclusivity not exclusivity is key.”
Wines from Oregon account for 19% of wine production in the United States. “It’s a challenge to educate consumers as to why Oregon wines are important and why they should have it”. Consistently on the cutting edge, the Boarding House offers almost twenty wines from Oregon including those from Adelsheim in a collaborative effort to introduce more consumers to the varied nuances of wines from this region. Whether you are already an Oregon wine lover one who is unfamiliar with the region, you will want to visit your local wine shop or enjoy a lovely evening at the Boarding House for a glass or two.
Since 1971, David Adelsheim has helped propel the Oregon wine industry to what it is today through passion, commitment, hard work, business acumen, and of course, collaboration.
Cheers to David Adelsheim ~ Cindy
Note: David Adelsheim was the first chairman of the Oregon Wine Board which granted him the industry’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. He has worked on clonal importation, wine labeling regulations, created statewide and regional industry organizations, and established the International Pinot Noir Celebration and Oregon Pinot Camp. Currently, his role is “strategic planning, financial planning, and overall direction of vineyard and winemaking activities” at Adelsheim after having worked as “vineyard manager, winemaker, and the person in charge of sales, marketing, accounting, and fixing broken plumbing.”
David