Usually it’s April showers, but this year after late February snow and then a cool March in the Willamette Valley, spring sunshine is in high gear. The vines just starting to bud out for the new growing season, right on the typical mid-April timeline. Recent years have been starting earlier so this is nice to see.

Here’s the view yesterday at the venerable Temperance Hill vineyard high in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Organic and dry farmed, our Pinot noir vines here were planted back in 1983. Our 2018 Pinot Noir Temperance Hill is sold out – yields were tiny. But we do have a little of the 2017 still available and the 2019 will be available to the mailing list on prerelease this August.

What’s coming up? Two big things:

Cellar 503’s virtual Pour Oregon wine festival is happening in a couple weeks, but you need to register by April 19 so you can receive food and wine supplies to taste along with your selected seminars. Vincent is doing a seafood and wine cooking class with Grochau Cellars and Chef Matt Hobbs on Sunday, May 2. Details and registration here.

Also, because we’re still not doing our big tasting events, we’ll be offering spring special pricing in May to celebrate Oregon Wine Month. And…and…and…burying the lede, we’ll be offering our first Rose wine ever, just two barrels from the 2020 vintage of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and a touch of Pinot Blanc, naturally fermented and unfiltered just like everything we do. You must be on the mailing list to get this offer, sign up here.