Take A Quick Look Below

Do you get it? I cannot tell you how many times I have had friends (yes you Nathan and Leah) and even strangers pull up behind me and chuckle or coworkers (Randy) laugh because they think my license plate says "300 MEN"!

Ha! All I can say is that I cannot wait until I get my Oregon plates. The good news is that I finally own my XTERRA. I don't own many things. I am a simple person. What I do own and cannot be taken away from me is all the fond memories and experiences I have had in my travels and adventures. I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world, even a couch or a microwave (Yeah. That's right Jonas.)

Homework Night 1: 2007 Pinot Noir

School ended early tonight. I was disappointed so I decided to come home and do some homework. Extra credit.

Homework Assignment #1: Comparative side-by-side tasting of two 2007 Pinot Noirs from Oregon.

Oregon 2007 Founders' Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley AVA from Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Oregon

Our mission in growing cool-climate varietals is to create elegant, classic Oregon wines from the Willamette Valley Appellation. As native Oregonians, we treasure our environment and use sustainable practices in growing and vinifying our winegrapes.” - Jim Bernau, Founder/President

Founder, Jim Bernau, purchased the Estate site in 1983 and cleared away the old pioneer plum orchard hidden in scotch broom and blackberry vines. He planted Pinot Noir (Pommard and Wadenswil clones), Chardonnay (Dijon and Espiguette) and Pinot Gris. In the beginning he hand watered the vines with thousands of feet of hose. To find out more about WVV go to their website: http://www.wvv.com/

Tasting Notes Willamette Valley Vineyards:

Price: $30
Alcohol: 13%
Color: lighter brick red
Nose: anise, raspberry and cherry aromas
Taste: medium bodied, slightly spicy with rounded tannins and nice finish
Overall: Willamette Valley Vineyards uses Not my favorite Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot but a great steal at $30.

Oregon 2007 Trisae Pinot Noir AVA Willamette Valley from Trisaetum Vineyards in Newberg, Oregon

Fate and Good Fortune. Most good stories have a little of both, and this story is no exception. It actually began fifty-five million years ago when Trisaetum’s estate vineyard was on the floor of the Pacific near an extensive line of submarine volcanoes and fate chose that one such volcano would erupt in that very location, spewing lava through the ocean floor, scattering glassy basalt nodules across the seascape, and leaving a unique mixture of volcanic and sedimentary soil that just so happens to be perfect for grapes. Unfortunately for grapes, the soil was at the bottom of ocean. To find out more go to their website: http://www.trisaetum.com/

Tasting Notes Trisaetum:

Price: $36

Alcohol: 13.4%

Color: deep crimson red
Nose: vanilla, oaky, spice with red fruit
Taste: this wine is smooth and full of delicate layers of flavor
Overall: Fantastic wine! Winery staff is delightful, great art gallery and very small production. This is a newer winery and one to watch.

It's Willamette Dammit!

Another great weekend spent with a great friend. My Chicago friend, Mary, came to visit me this past weekend. Our weekend kicked off with a concert at Doug Fir. If you haven't been, it is a must do in Portland. We saw the Works Progress Administration which is a band formed with members of Stevie Miller Band, Nickel Creek and Toad the Wet Sprocket. What a great show! Thanks Nick!

The entire weekend was filled with delicious food, wonderful wine, Argyle sparkling and Deschutes beer. We even managed to get some exercise in: coin toss and 12 ounce curls to work the arms at Deschutes Brewery on Friday, a modified gym workout in my living room on Saturday and a nice 6 mile hike on Sunday in Leif Erickson Park.

More pictures and stories to come!

Mr. Construction Worker

This is a good one. My commute in California was 2 miles. I left my house in Capitola each morning and made one stop at Peet's Coffee for a small double shot soy latte and a pumpkin scone. There was a shortcut only the locals knew about. This is the street I chose to take each morning. I avoided a few stoplights by doing so.

Well, then construction started. At first I was annoyed. I continued to take this route because it was what I was used to. Then I noticed him. He was driving a yellow tractor. Each morning I couldn't wait to drive by and wave hello. This went on for months. I told everyone at work about the cute construction worker who drove the yellow tractor. I even showed them as we drove by.

One day I was driving to work and noticed him standing on the street. He was directing traffic. He stopped my truck and walked up to the window. I rolled my window down and thought he was going to yell at me for driving too fast or something. He pulled a piece of paper out of his back jeans pocket and said he had seen me driving by the past few months. He told me his name and said I should give him a call sometime. Traffic was backing up and I was pretty embarrassed. I took the piece of paper and said I would call him. All of his work mates watched me as I drove by. I gave them my daily wave and went to work. I realized that in the short time we had spoken, I hadn't even told him my name. Now what? If I called him, I had to say this is the girl who drives the yellow Xterra. It took me two days to get up the courage to call him. But it was worth it.

Mr. Construction Worker is a very sweet guy and now I have a great story to share. It is memories like this that make me smile. You have one life. The decisions you make on a day-to-day basis will change the direction of your life's path. To me, it is worth taking chances like this. If you constantly play it safe you will never truly live life.

I am looking for someone who isn't afraid to take a chance. Enjoy life and live it to its fullest.

Next up...Mr. NHL.

Going Back to School

I am going back to school. This time Chemeketa Community College for wine education classes. That means I will be enrolled as a student in two states: Iowa and Oregon. Taking Pacific Wines of the Northwest in Oregon and Cold Climate Wine classes in Iowa. Cool beans! I plan to be a student for life.

Here's a list of all the schools I have attended:

Viterbo University: Bachelor's of Business Administration with Marketing
UW-LaCrosse: German classes
University Nevada Las Vegas: German study abroad program in Luenberg, Germany
Philadelphia University: Fashion Design (one semester)
Napa Valley College: (Enology and Viticulture classes)
Cabrillo College: (Spanish and Enology classes)
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC): (Cold Climate Enology and Viticulture classes)
Chemeketa Community College: (Enology and Viticulture classes)

As Nelson Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Watch out.

Grape Stomp Day #1

Oh boy. What a day. Today I put my gumboots back on. I know what you're thinking...are you doing another harvest? Nope. Not this time. It's Grape Stomp at Willamette Valley Vineyards. It is a day to celebrate the harvest and have a good time. Our guests have three minutes to stomp the grapes and the team with the most juice proceeds to the final heat at the end of the day. The winner from Saturday competes against the winner from Sunday. The team who wins gets an all expense paid trip to Napa Valley to compete in the world championship grape stomp competition. Lucky!!!

After a slow start due to rain, traffic jams caused by Ducks and Beavers (college football fans that is on the way to the games) and a car accident on I-5 temporarily shutting it down, Day #1 of Grape Stomp at Willamette Valley Vineyards was a smashing success. There were lots of great costumes (pictures coming soon). The weather cleared up and it was just about as perfect as a day as one could wish for. My final task of the evening was hosing down and cleaning up the crush pad to prepare for tomorrow's stomp. It brought me back to the days of working harvest in Tasmania and California. Gosh...I miss the cellar.

The juice flows at 19th annual grape stomp

Statesman Journal September 19, 2009

Check out this article written by Justin Much about the Willamette Valley Vineyards Grape Stomp 2009

Thanks Justin for coming out!

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090919/UPDATE/90919015/The-juice-flows-at-19th-annual-grape-stomp&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

To Date or Not to Date...That is the Question

Single life is interesting. I am definitely more aware of my surroundings...that is the cute men. It has been a long time since I have even looked. What I have realized in a short time is not to judge a book or a guy by its/his cover. Sometimes a cute guy opens his mouth and he isn't cute anymore and sometimes the geeky, semi-cute guy ends up looking cuter after a long-depth conversation and a good laugh.

I haven't quite figured out whether or not I am ready to date again. I am kind of happy being single. I don't have to plan things for anyone but myself. Where will I meet my next boyfriend? I don't know. Let's take a look back at how I have met guys in the past.

(Fade out and cut in to me sitting on the Red Line Train in Chicago)

Mr. Red Line
I was on my way to work at a wine shop in downtown Chicago. I sat down next to a guy wearing a Cub's shirt and who was proudly holding a baseball. We struck up a conversation about the Cub's and he told me the story of how he caught this ball. We had a good laugh and he told me he was from Des Moines and he worked for a company that was just featured in the top 500 companies. My stop came and I got up to leave and so did he. I could tell he wanted to ask for my number but he never did. We proceeded to walk up the stairs and then said goodbye and went our separate ways.

All day I was super mad at myself for not having the guts to ask for his number. With just a few known facts including city, fortune 500 and name (Mr. Red Line), I was able to find him with a little tool called Google. I sent him an email and he responded. He said he couldn't believe that he didn't ask me for my number. Well, luckily I am a Google expert...right Dawn? We are still in contact to this day.

It is amazing to think back of how I have met some great guys. Some have turned into forever friendships and other just a good story.

Stay tuned for Mr. Construction Worker, Mr. Batting Cage, Mr. Florida & Mr. NHL.

The World's Shortest River

The D River is a river in Lincoln City, Oregon. Proclaimed the "shortest river in the world" by the State of Oregon, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's shortest river at 440 feet (130 m). This title was lost in 1989 when Guinness named the Roe River in Montana as the world's shortest. Attempting to reclaim the title, the people of Lincoln City submitted a new measurement to Guinness of about 120 feet (37 m) marked at "extreme high tide". Starting in 2006, the Guinness Book of World Records did not list a category for shortest river.

The river flows from Devils Lake, under U.S. Route 101, and into the Pacific Ocean, entirely within the city limits of Lincoln City. The river had been known by several names, including simply "the outlet", and earned its short name in a contest.

Getting Back to the Wine

I have been so busy at work that I have lost focus of what I truly love: wine. Today I am excited because I don't have to do anything. I have enjoyed sleeping in (10 whole hours of sleep), cleaned my apartment, went to the gym, got the oil changed in my truck, cooked and now I am going to read magazines and wine books. It is raining outside so I don't feel guilty about spending the day inside being lazy.

I have been living in Oregon for almost four months now. It is hard to believe how quickly time flies and the amount of changes that can occur during such a short period of time. I am still deciding if this is the right place for me. I need to give it some more time to see how everything unfolds. The hardest part is being away from my family and friends. Luckily I have a few visitors coming to visit over the next few weeks.

Harvest is about to start, and all the interns are arriving in the valley. I am jealous. I want to wear my gumboots again. I never imagined it would be so hard to let that lifestyle go. I thought I was ready to work a 9-5 job and dress up again, but there is a huge part of me that loves the excitement and hard work in the cellar. Not to mention it is a (H-E-double hockey sticks) of a lot less stressful.

Want to know how small of a world the wine industry is? Last weekend while winetasting at Domaine Drouhin I met an intern from New Zealand. H knew Gus. No last names needed. I worked with Gus at Oyster Bay. I will keep you up to date with harvest information. Right now we are just prepping the cellar so we are ready for fruit intake. The fruit is still ripening and has a little ways to go. Well, time to get back to enjoying a glass of wine while I read about wine. What a life!

HUG-A-THON Success

Thanks for all the HUGS!

Heaps of Fun

This week my friends, Leah and Nathan, who I worked with in New Zealand and Australia stopped on by for a visit. They have been traveling around the USA in their super sweet Chevy propane van for the past few months. Portland was one of their last stops before continuing onto Canada where they wil be working harvest before returning to Australia in November. It was nice to see them and spend some time at Somewhere Else Tavern, playing Photo Hunt (X Rated) and watching funny game show mishaps on You Tube.

Cheers to all my friends world wide. The wine industry is such a small world. For instance, today while winetasting, I met a guy from Australia who knew Gus from Oyster Bay. There were no last names needed because we knew it was the same Gus. I am excited for harvest to begin and am a little bit jealous I will not be wearing my gumboots this year.

Multnomah Falls

8/24/09
Multnomah Falls is a waterfall on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, located east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, along the Historic Columbia River Highway. The falls drops in two major steps, split into an upper falls of 542 feet (165 m) and a lower falls of 69 feet (21 m), with a gradual 9 foot (3 m) drop in elevation between the two, so the total height of the waterfall is conventionally given as 620 feet (189 m). Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the State of Oregon.

My friend Steve took me here. What an amazing place!

Minn. competition showcases wines from frosty northern states, where the grapes sure do suffer -- latimes.com

Minn. competition showcases wines from frosty northern states, where the grapes sure do suffer -- latimes.com

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Results of CATnip 5K

The results are in. This was not an official chip timed race.

REBECCA ROCHESTER wearing bib #269. Unofficial time of 22:39.5 (average of 07:17.6 minute mile).

96/351 finisher

22 / 192 female finisher

Not a personal record or anything, but better than expected.

http://jeffwhuber.com/CATnipFriday_2009/mile_results.htm

Willamette Valley Vineyards Blog

Hello! For those of you who follow my blog, you should also follow the Willamette Valley Vineyards blog. I don't write this blog but it is where I work. Here's the link: http://willamettevalleyvineyards.blogspot.com.

Also, I am featured in this blog posting: http://willamettevalleyvineyards.blogspot.com/2009/08/pouring-on-first-wednesday-at-travel.html

Check it out!

Friday Night CATnip 5K

Last night I ran in the CATnip 5K race in Sherwood. It was a fundraiser for CAT rescue and adoption. It was nice to run with a group of people. It is amazing how much faster I run when it comes down to a competition. Approximate unofficial time 22:40 (not a PR but acceptable). The creepy old guy (40-50 years old) who asked me out at the last race was there. He had the nerve to come up and ask me out again. He said he tried to call and left me a message. DUH! I didn't get a message because he had the wrong number and even so, wouldn't you think that if I didn't call back I wasn't interested? I ignored him and then when he walked away, I ran to my truck and got the heck out of there.

Training for the Portland Marathon has been hard for a few reasons: I really don't have a place to run like I did in Chicago. I have to drive 35 minutes to get to Forest Park in Portland and adding an extra hour of driving time a day just isn't possible. So I have been running at my gym on the treadmill...boring! Secondly, with the recent breakup from Mr. Wrong, I haven't been eating the healthiest or sleeping. I have made a promise to get back on track starting tomorrow. So at this point, I have decided to delay my marathon quest until next year. Right now I need to to get myself healthy and strong both physically and mentally again.

Pictures of the race coming soon.

Link to race website: http://catnipfriday5k.org/catnip/

Hug-A-Thon

I am taking it one day at a time. Work is keeping me busy and I am trying to refocus on all the positive things I have going in my life.

One of my favorite things to do each day (except Sundays) is checking the mail. Nowadays it is rare to receive anything in the mail besides bills or junk mail. So I am asking each and every one of you who reads this blog to take a few minutes out of your day to Mail Me A Hug. All you have to do is write on a piece of paper the word HUG and mail it to me. You can type it, scribble it or whatever. But I guarantee that, that little piece of paper will brighten my day.

For 44 cents, a piece of paper and an envelope help brighten up my day. To participate in the Becky Rochester Hug-A-Thon, send your HUGS to the following address:

Willamette Valley Vineyards
Att: Becky Rochester
8800 Enchanted Forest Way SE
Turner, OR 97392

HUGS
Becky

A Million Pieces

My heart is broken into a million pieces. Imagine saying goodbye to someone over three months ago and promising each other that you will meet again soon. You plan, you get excited and then one day everything comes crashing down. You realize that you will never see that person again. You never knew that that would be your last hug, your last kiss, your last goodbye.

That is what makes this so hard. I don't get a proper goodbye. I am left with so many unanswered questions because Andries will not answer his phone or send me an email to explain why he all of a sudden changed his mind. He says he loves me. That is his answer. Yet I have to sit here and pretend like I am okay. Everyone keeps asking me when he is coming and all I can say is never.

It is hard to move on, when you don't know why you are moving on.

Facts of Life

Fact: Alcohol does not cure sadness.
Fact: Too much alcohol will cause severe hangovers.

Last week I was angry. This week I am sad. After all I have been through with Andries, I still am in love with him. Can you believe that? I know a lot of people don't understand, but he is a good guy. He just is indecisive and over thinks things. He is the guy who makes me coffee in the morning. He cooks for me and makes me laugh. He encourages me to be a better person and not to give up when things get tough. He is my best friend. I wanted to point out some good things about Andries since there are so many and I never got the chance to explain what I liked about him.

I pray (yes I said pray) that somehow I will get through this.