From Vine to Wine Teaser 2010

Enjoy the view

Mountain biking in Sunriver was a blast! The views were unbelievable. The most amazing part was that I was able to bike for 4 hours on an intermediate trail filled with quite a few obstacles like trees, rocks, branches, chipmunks, other bikers and I didn't even hurt myself. There were a few close calls, but in the end all I ended up with is a sore butt from the bike seat. Not bad. Not bad at all. Brent's newest nickname for me is BABS (Bad Ass BootS). It must be the extreme sportswoman in me.

During my three fantastic days in Bend & Sunriver with Brent, we checked off two more breweries in the Brew-Ha Guide: 10 Barrel Brewing and Cascade Lakes. My new favorite beer is the 10 Barrel Brewing Apocalypse IPA. It is so good...especially after a 4 hour bike ride.

Life has been full of changes. I am moving to Eugene next week. Brent and I are renting a two bedroom place in the building he currently lives in now. Six months of living out of a suitcase from place to place was enough. I know what you are thinking. I should be used to living out of a suitcase, right? Yeah I still am, but there comes a time and a place when you just wish you had everything in one location.

I learned a lot this weekend:
1. Surround yourself with people who bring you happiness.
2. Challenge yourself to do things you think are impossible.
3. Remember to take time for yourself.
4. It is okay to be lazy once in awhile. Yes. Naps in the middle of the day are alright.

Pictured: View from bike trail looking over Deschutes River and the lava rock you can see Three Sisters snow capped mountains.

R Little Vineyard 2010 harvest

Established in 2006, R Little Vineyard is located in Stoddard, WI. The Rochester family specializes in growing cold climate varietals.

Harvest is right around the corner at R Little Vineyard in Stoddard, Wisconsin. That is right! We grow grapes in Wisconsin. The first vineyard was planted in 2005. And no, I did not get into the wine industry because my family has a vineyard and makes wine. My parents actually got into planting a vineyard and making wine because of me.

All of the grapes we grow are sold to two different Wisconsin wineries. Right now the grapes are hitting between 12-17 degrees Brix. Most of the varieties in the vineyard are targeted to be picked between 16-24 degrees Brix. The bird netting is on and now we just wait. Wisconsin is looking at a record season of rainfall and extreme hot temperatures. This can provide quite the challenge. These last few weeks are important and we can lose the entire crop to one storm.

My family plans to open up R Little Winery in 2012 or whenever my dad retires. I must say that he is making some pretty remarkable cold climate wines already. I am so proud of my parents for what they have accomplished and that they join me in my passion for the wine industry.

Check out R Little Vineyard website (still under contstruction) at http://www.rlittlevineyard.com/.

Cheers.

Boots

Remember that you know yourself best

Thank you Dr. L. Marcela Serrano. You have changed my life for the better. Three states, 10+ years and so many doctors I have lost count later, you finally figured it out. I have been diagnosed with Central Hypothyroidism, and I am happy. I am happy that I finally have an answer to why I have felt so sick for the past 10+ years. I am happy that over the next few weeks I will begin to feel normal again.

What is so astonishing is that most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign). Up to 20% of people have pituitary tumors. However, many of these tumors do not cause symptoms and are never diagnosed during the person's lifetime. The pituitary gland is a pea-sized endocrine gland located at the base of the brain. The pituitary helps control the release of hormones from other endocrine glands, such as the thyroid and adrenal glands.

I knew that something was wrong with me, but the doctors could not figure it out. I spent thousands of dollars on different tests and nothing. I just accepted that this is how everyone else feels, but I knew deep down that something was wrong. Today I feel relief. Relief that I have an answer. Relief that I am going to start feeling better again soon. I also feel anger. I am angry that no one picked up on this sooner. To know that I had to undergo so many pointless tests over the years and not have any answers. Today is the beginning of a better life. I have a few more appointments and tests to undergo, but I know this is all treatable.

Tomorrow I start my journey of a better life. And yes, this is still my best year yet. I have met a wonderful man, have a challenging and rewarding career in the wine industry and I am living in a state that is full of adventure and beauty. Remember that you know yourself best. Don't give up when you know something isn't right.

Oh yeah...I am moving to Eugene!

Parking Lot Blogging & The Bite

This is my first official parking lot blog post. I cancelled my Internet a couple months ago so I wouldn't spend so much time online and working from home. Now look at me...I am sitting in the Starbucks parking lot at 8:00 PM at night (They are closed!) in my Xterra blogging away.
I wonder what people who pull up besides me think. Do I care? Not really. Back in the day when I was a Sales Rep for Bargetto Winery in the Midwest, I used to sit in parking lots and borrow WI-FI from Panera's all the time. It was convenient. That is what road warriors do.

This past weekend I spent in Portland at The Bite. The event was Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is truly a locals best of food, wine and beer event. This was the perfect off-site event for Willamette Valley Vineyards. Sarah and I unloaded the Sprinter van Thursday night. Man...Sprinter vans are hard to drive. I literally got us stuck in a parking lot downtown. It took a good 20 minutes and Sarah directing me to get out. I must say that Sarah has driving that thing down. One little boy even told his mom, "Wow. That girl drives that big truck!" I need a little more training before I drive that thing again. Right Sarah?

Thursday night Sarah and I did a 30 person educational winetasting event at Mercy Corps in downtown Portland. Mercy Corps. is a great company doing wonderful things, and the group who attended was fabulous. 

Friday morning we got up bright and early so we could organize and decorate our booth. Check out the booth picture of Sarah Kammerer and Steve Krug below. The weather was perfect. Thanks to all of the employees and volunteers who helped make this weekend a success!

Pictured above: The Bite from Morrison Bridge

Pictured above: Steve Krug and Sarah Kammerer

Pictured above: Becky Rochester stumbled upon the Portland Warehouse

Nickname "nekename"

This past weekend Brent, Matt, Chelsea and I went golfing at Edgefield. My third time golfing was actually fun! This time around there weren't any kangaroos, but there was a brewery on site. My bio dad would be proud of my golfing skills. I managed to hit the ball, mostly on the first time around and I didn't mess up any clubs. Remember dad...I created memories!

Brent's friend, Matt, is visiting from Iowa. His nickname for me is Traveling Suitcase. I began pondering the history of the word "nickname". So I asked my good friend Google, and here is what I found out.

According to Wikipedia, "The compound word ekename, literally meaning "additional name", was attested as late as 1303.[3] This word was derived from the Old English phrase eaca "an increase", related to eacian "to increase".[4] By the 15th Century, the misdivision of the syllables of the phrase "an ekename" led to its corruption into the form "a nekename."[5] Though spelling has changed, the pronunciation and meaning of the word have remained relatively stable ever since."

I have quite a few nicknames: Becky, Becks, Becca, Beckster, Scons, Boots, Traveling Suitcase...and the list goes on. What is your nickname and how did you get it?

Pictured Right: Brent and Matt golfing at Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon.

Pictured Left: Chelsea looks like a real pro. That woman can putt.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Bike Ride and Hill Climb Challenge

I am back!

Hello. I took a mini break from blogging, but I am back! I am trying to spend less time in front of a computer, so I cancelled my internet at home. It has been nice, but I there are some family and friends who don't feel the same way. So here I am.

Let me catch you up on the past month:

I celebrated my one year anniversary with Willamette Valley Vineyards on June 23, 2010. Woot! Woot!

I celebrated my 30th birthday on the 4th of July. Woot! Woot!

I participated in the first annual Bikes, Brews and BBQs in Eugene on a tandem bike with Brent. I have managed to visit all the local Eugene breweries on my list and am slowly trying to tackle the Portland ones, one-by-one. I am inching closer to completing my 2010 brewery tour in Oregon.

Other fun adventures include a day white water rafting with friends on the McKenzie River, attending a a Timber soccer game in Portland and graduating from Des Moines Area Community College with a Certificate of Specialization in Enology.

So you really haven't missed too much. Thanks for all the birthday wishes and I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

Just another Wednesday hanging out with Dr. Richard Smart

Tomorrow I will be attending Improving Wine Quality in the Vineyard Seminar hosted by Chemeketa Community College. The main speaker is Dr. Richard Smart. He is the Managing Director of Smart Viticulture, an international vineyard consulting business. He consults in 28 countries, with a specialty of vineyard manipulation of wine quality, and is considered an authority on canopy management. From 1982 to 1990 he was the Government Research Viticulturist for New Zealand. His book “Sunlight into Wine” is recognized world wide. I was lucky enough to work at the same winery as Dr. Richard Smart in Tasmania.

I would see him and his wife day to day at the Tamar Ridge Estate in Kayena, Tasmania. I missed my opportunity to take a picture with him because I was too shy! Tomorrow I will snap a few. His experimental wines at Tamar Ridge were fantastic.

AGENDA
9:00 a.m. Registration and coffee

9:30 a.m. Welcome
9:40 a.m. Vineyard Factors Affecting Wine Quality
10:20 a.m. Managing Vineyards to Improve Wine Quality by Canopy Management and Irrigation
11:00 a.m. Influence of Vine Vigor on Wine Quality
Noon Lunch provided
1:00 p.m. Managing Vineyards to Improve Wine Quality Using Modern and Old Technology
2:00 p.m. Visit Chemeketa’s teaching vineyard to discuss vineyard attributes and wine quality
4:00 p.m. Tasting of local wines

Monday, Monday

Life has been kind of crazy lately. So I have started a board of inspirational pictures, quotes and realizations to view each day to guide me back to the positive side. Instead of letting a chaotic work environment get me down, I will embrace each day as a new opportunity. I have realized that I cannot change everything. The things that I can change I will. I want to enjoy life to the fullest. I have only one life to live and plan to do so smiling and experiencing all that I can. So I will leave you with a few of the inspirational quotes and guidelines for living life that are posted on my board.

Be as kind to the janitor/maintenance/vineyard worker/ as you are to the CEO.

Your friends love you! Realize that not everyone at work needs to.

Mistakes? Nah. Call them learning opportunities.

Embrace what you've got. Acceptance gives off good energy, and there isn't a person alive who isn't attracted to that.

You just have to make the decision to go forward and never look back--and then move slowly and steadily toward your goal.

I will measure my success in how many times I smile in a day and not how many dollars I make in a day.

I will travel the world like it is my playground. I will see and experience everything possible.

I was not born to sit in a cubicle day after day.

I will go out and make change instead of sit and hope for it.

Beep, beep, but no scratch, scratch

"Beep. Beep. Beep." Alarm going off at 5:45 AM. Cue the "Scratch. Scratch." on the door. I said cue the "Scratch. Scratch." on the door. Nothing.

I jump out of bed. I open the door. No Javier. I start to panic. Then I look down under the antique chair and he is half in his bed and he is breathing funny. He doesn't move.

Usually each day when my alarm goes off, Javier immediately starts scratching on my bedroom door. I let him in, and we cuddle for a bit while I wake up. So I knew that something was wrong. I quickly get ready, and at 7:00 AM I rush Javi over to the Sherwood Pet Clinic. He has a couple of X-Rays and then they want to monitor him for a bit. I pick Javi up and transfer him to a different clinic where they will continue to monitor him and treat him once they figure out what is wrong with him. Hopefully my little bud is okay and feeling better when I get back.

Today I am off to Scottsdale, AZ to visit my bio Dad, Ben. I am looking forward to some sunshine and warm weather and to see my bio dad. It has been way too long. Goodbye cloudy Oregon. See you in a couple days.

"Absolutely Fabulous" Awards

"Absolutely Fabulous" Awards

Yep. More fun days at work. Networking with all the great Travel Salem people for their Absolutely Fabulous Awards held at Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Not a "Typical" Day of Work

Not a "Typical" Day of Work

Check out a not-so-typical day at work at Willamette Valley Vineyards. 2008 vintages are going to be great!

in·flu·ence [in-floo-uhns]

INFLUENCE

1.the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.

2.the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.

I attended the United Way Young Leaders Society event tonight in Portland. Alan Cabelly, Professor from Portland State University, was the guest speaker. He spoke about Leadership Styles using the DISC behavioral test. The DISC behavioral instrument is based on the work of psychologist William Moulton Marston, PhD/ Marston was interested in how people felt, behaved, and interacted with the world around them. (2) The DISC method is easy to administer and interpret. This instrument helps determine the different personality types (ie, Dominant, Influencer, Steady, Conscientious) of each person in the workplace.

First off it was nice to be out amongst young professionals who are not employed in the wine industry. It was very eye opening and it was nice to get into the city and rub elbows with the corporate world. There were doctors, finance, bankers and human resource people. There was a point and time I aspired to be in the corporate business world, but I honestly don't know how people do it! Wearing a suit and tie everyday. If I had to do that, at five o'clock I would immediately run to the bathroom and change into jeans.

After a quick assessment, I landed in the D group (Dominant).

DOMINANT. People with the dominant personality type tend to make quick decisions, are very results-oriented, are direct and straight-forward, and often display a high level of initiative and energy. To motivate a dominant person, a leader should foster that person's initiative by removing obstacles and giving the person freedom to act without interference.

Although dominant people are strong workers, a dominant person can cause conflict by being too blunt, restless, and impatient. Dominant people try to do everything, and they may act without knowing all the facts and without considering others' feelings.

So I only slightly agree with some of these characteristics. I feel like I am more of an Influencer with a side of Dominant.

INFLUENCER. The influencer is outgoing, persuasive, gregarious, and tends to be good at delegating. By influencing and persuading others, the influencer creates an environment for personal success. The best way to motivate an influencer is to create a social environment that includes constant interaction with people. In these circumstances, an influencer will demonstrate trust in others and spread enthusiasm throughout a team, creating a democratic relationship favorable for working conditions.

Certain situations, however, can emphasize the weaknesses of an influencer. For instance, the influencer is not very task-oriented and may not follow up on delegated jobs. The influencer's strength at building friendships can be exploited easily when he or she has to make unpleasant decisions. Instead of doing what is best for the job, the influencer procrastinates on decisions so as not to rock the boat.

Just for fun I have included the other two leadership styles. So which ones best describe you?

STEADY. The steady person is dependable and easygoing, technically competent, and able to teach. His or her emphasis is on cooperating with others in existing circumstances to carry out a task. The supreme motivator for someone with a steady personality is security. In this regard, repetitive tasks, established work patterns, and routine work are best for a steady person.

The status quo is the ideal environment for someone with a steady personality. The steady person tends to resist change, especially new directions that challenge personal structure. The steady person also can be a poor delegator.

CONSCIENTIOUS. People with the conscientious personality type are thorough, attentive perfectionists who can think ahead and prevent problems. To achieve results, the conscientious person works carefully within existing circumstances to ensure quality and accuracy. Unlike influencers, people with conscientious personalities prefer little or no people contact and would rather define limits of authority themselves. Detail-oriented jobs with precise instructions give people with the conscientious personality type the clearest road to success.
This person tends to be rigid and overly detailed. Instead of talking about a problem, the conscientious person will write long memos and avoid personal communication.

Thanks to Steve Krug, Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Club Member and Volunteer, who brought a few bottles of the 2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir and 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling to share with guests

Celebrate the small things

On my way home from Trader Joe's (my favorite grocery store ever...see celebrating the small things), I noticed that my XTERRA, who I named Hops, was very close to hitting 145,000 miles. I knew this called for a celebration. As I turned the corner onto my street my odometer hit 144,997 miles. YIPPY! I pulled into the parking lot and headed to my parking spot. As I pulled into my parking spot the odometer hit...144,999.8. No!

So picture this. I back up Hops and pull forward, I back up Hops and pull forward. 144,999.8! I come to the conclusion that the odometer must really reverse when you back up. So I reverse out of my spot, drive around the little island and go to pull back into my spot. The odometer reads 144,999.9. Just short! I reverse and pull forward.

So a quick recap: I have parked, reversed and pulled forward, reversed and pulled forward, reversed and drove around and then parked and reversed and pulled forward. There are lots of people outside, and I am thinking I must look like a crazy person. But just for fun, I back up and pull back in. How am I going to celebrate if I don't actually hit 145,000? Well, it still didn't hit 145,000, so I give up. I am leaving this celebration for the morning.

Stop and celebrate the small things. Even if you fail, it can still be fun. Tonight I celebrate the small things: living in an apartment on my own, having a job, being able to run again, drinking a Ninkasi Spring Reign, planting Sauvignon Blanc with my co-workers and eating Tillamook Peanut Butter ice cream with Brent.

Celebrating a dream come true...planting Tualatin Estate Sauvignon Blanc

and making new lifetime friends and unforgettable memories.

Just figure it out

Spacing between the rows in the vineyard was questioned. I didn't
let not having a tape measure stop me from trying to figure it out!

Life has thrown a lot of curve balls my way. I very easily could have just given up and accepted that this was how my life was meant to be. But instead I just figured it out, moved forward, became even more independent, hard headed and stronger. Well, it seems like it has all paid off. What a sweet ride my life has been. I never imagined my life would be so great.

My childhood:

I grew up in Wisconsin in a lower to middle income class family. My parents divorced when I was a few years old. A couple years later my mother met a wonderful man, Bob, who she married and who later adopted my brother and me. My last name changed from Aleskowitz to Rochester. I met my biological father, Ben, when I was in a freshman in high school. Now I am lucky to have two really cool dads.

I was the first on my mother's side of the family to graduate college. I began working when I was just a young child, probably between the ages of 6-10, at my grandparent's bowling alleys: Showboat North and Showboat South. I cleaned shoes, helped oil the lanes, rang up customers at the register and even helped out by being the flashlight shiner for moonlight bowling. My grandpa taught me how to count back change, making sure all the bills lined up the same way in the register. It's still something I do to this very day.

My parents always encouraged me to try new things: I was a figure skater, dancer, basketball player, softball player, saxophone and viola player in the band, show choir singer, volleyball player, soccer player, artist and more. They both worked full time and somehow managed to make it to whatever extra curricular activity I was involved in at the time. They supported me, nurtured me and cared for me. They never gave up on me or my brother.

When I look back at my childhood, I am just so thankful that my parents challenged me to be the best person I could be. They let me make mistakes and learn from them. They punished me when they were really bad mistakes of course, but I learned. I learned that I have potential to do great things. As Mark Speckman, Head Football Coach of Willamette University Bearcats, said today at the Oregon is Home Luncheon, "Figure it out." Mark Speckman didn't let being born without hands stop him from playing and coaching football. He just figured it out. So next time you feel like you cannot do something, take a minute and just figure it out.

A dream come true: From Vine to Wine officially in the ground

Today my dream came true. We planted two acres of Sauvignon Blanc at Tualatin Estate Vineyard in the Willamette Valley. The experience was so much more than I ever imagined. Thank you to everyone who helped plant. Thank you to everyone who worked in the tasting rooms and office so we were able to do this. Thank you to JB for trusting us with such an amazing project: "From Vine to Wine".

Stay tuned for more pictures, videos and blogs. It has been a long day...signing off.

Becky Boots

Where's Becky Boots?

DMACC Wine Science Class

I am back! Back from the Midwest that is. Probably one of the best trips home ever. Spent most of my time in Iowa. Wednesday afternoon I departed Portland airport and headed East to Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa. The trip started out great when I checked in and they upgraded me to first class! Ha! See I knew flying from Chicago to Tasmania and then two weeks later Tasmania to Chicago, then one day later Chicago to Tasmania would pay off.

Thursday night I attended the Mid-American Wine Competition Wine Tasting where I was a guest speaker. What a great time. I spoke about my how Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) influenced me to quit my job in California and just move to New Zealand and work as a Vintage Cellar Hand. Hey, it all worked out just fine. I was the first DMACC intern and hope that there are many more to come. I spent three days in Iowa for Residential School for Wine Science. My classmates and I worked at Snus Hill Vineyard and Winery doing lab analysis, sulfur additions, a little bit of classroom work followed by our final exam.

I met some of the most inspiring people in the Midwest wine industry and tasted some fantastic wines. I also had the opportunity to stomp ground in the Wisconsin national sales area. I was able to make some Willamette Valley Vineyards wine placements throughout Wisconsin as well.

There a quite a few more stories to tell about my trip, and I will tell them over the next few days. Let me just reemphasise of how small of a world it really is.

Good night!

Becky Boots

Dust off the suitcase, Madrid here I come!

Madrid, Iowa that is. Bet you were thinking Madrid, Spain right? Gottcha! My journey begins next Wednesday when I fly from Portland to Des Moines, Iowa. Thursday night I am a guest speaker at the Mid-American Wine Competition's 3rd Annual Sample the Best of the Midwest Wine Tasting benefit. Then the fun begins as over the next three days (Friday to Sunday) I get back in the cellar and apply everything that I have learned this semester from my Intro to Wine Science class at DMACC. It is off to Madrid (pronounced Mad-rid, not Mah-drid) to work in the cellar at Snus Hill Winery. Check out their website: http://www.snushillwinery.com/ .

Sunday night I journey across the Iowa border to Cheddarhead land also known as Wisconsin. A quick visit and dinner with my family and then off to sell lots of Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Milwaukee, Madison and La Crosse. So if you know any Wisconsin restaurants, bars or retailers who would be a good fit for our wines, please let me know so I can setup an appointment with the wine buyer.

Looking forward to my trip and I am sure I will have lots of good stories and pictures to post.

Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc Coming Soon

Watch out New Zealand, there is a new competitor coming your way! Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Willamette Valley AVA of Oregon. You betcha. It may be 3-5 years away from being in the bottle, but the buzz has already started. I will be documenting this project from start to finish. Watch for videos, pictures and postings on this blog to see the progress of Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc from "still deciding on a name" Vineyard.