foodwineclick

Analemma Wines
We have been fans of Analemma wines since we visited back in 2014. Back in Oregon last August, we happily took the opportunity to visit them again. Analemma is located in the Columbia Gorge AVA, which spans the Columbia River at the spine of the Cascade mountain range. Winemakers in the AVA have taken their roles as pioneers seriously, and have planted a wide variety of grapes to see what performs best in the local climate. Analemma has found that some less familiar varieties from Spain and France do well, along with more familiar varieties. They grow Albariño, Godello, Mencia, Trousseau as well as Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

They are certified Organic and Biodynamic. Winemaker John Price took me on a walk to their garden, as he called it, the heart of the winery. In our walk, John gave a compelling description of their approach to Biodynamics, stressing their desire to encourage a healthy microbiome on the entire property. It’s an explanation that resonates with me, less about the cosmic energies and more about microbes. See John’s explanation for yourself below.

Walking the Vineyard
The Columbia River Gorge is full of spectacular scenery; steep cliffs, waterfalls, dense pine forests and the Cascade Range. Analemma is located at the point where the pine forests give way to the dry high desert east of the Cascades. While the river isn’t visible from the ground (spectacular view with the drone, though), the countryside around the winery is peaceful and beautiful. One of the highlights of visiting is likely to be your stroll past the cherry orchard and into the grapevines with plenty of opportunities to stop and take it all in.

Tasting
Care for the earth via Biodynamics and beautiful views in the vineyard are important, but if the wines don’t shine, then the effort isn’t well spent. Luckily, the wines are just as special as the other aspects of the farm. All that care in growing the grapes is carried on through the winemaking and the wines are something special. Not only well made, there are some grapes grown here that are rare in the US, and the wines carry their signatures. John took us through a group of wines which were about to be released, all were memorable. Since the wines weren’t yet released, I had to wait until the fall to order some, luckily they ship to a wide variety of states including Minnesota.

Visit Analemma
Analemma Wines is located in the hills near Mosier, just east of Hood River OR. Located in the Columbia Gorge AVA, this is an easy day trip from Portland or why not spend a weekend centered in Hood River! Analemma hosts a variety of visit experiences ranging from a simple tasting to farm tours and picnics. Make your reservation here! If Portland and the Gorge aren’t on your near term travel schedule, Analemma will be happy to ship you some wines, here’s their current offering.