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ENLARGE
AVON — Vin48 restaurant in Avon is hosting winemaker John Grochau of Portland winery Grochau Cellars. Grochau will be at vin48 from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday night to pour a fight of three Grochau Cellars Pinot Noirs wines. Any guest who orders the Pinot flight will be greeted tableside by Grochau, who will share a little back-story and insight into these delicious wines from Oregon's Willamette Valley.
“John's wines are geting better and better each vintage and show all the nuance that Oregon has to offer,” said vin48 owner/wine director Greg Eynon.
Established in 2002, Grochau Cellars is anchored in Oregon, and Grochau approaches each vintage with the same goals: Create complex, genuine wines true to their origins and to the distinct flavors of Oregon.
Grochau grew up in Portland, and watched his backyard evolve into a world-class wine area. After years of selling wine at some of Portland's finest restaurants, including a 13-year stint at Higgins, it was his desire to learn the craft behind the wines he loved, and to try and approach the process of making wine with the same blend of curiosity, respect and excitement that people feel when drinking it.
Grochau learned the trade from some of the Willamette Valley's finest winemakers. From the pioneering cellars and large-scale work of Erath Winery to four years as Doug Tunnel's assistant at the esteemed Brick House Wines, he logged numerous hours of careful attention, expert advice and forklift skills necessary to risk his own money on his own undertaking.
“The philosophy at Grochau Cellars is simple really: Don't screw it up,” Grochau said. “Resist the urge to do too much. Modern winemakers have such an array of options available to them it's staggering. Micro-oxygenation. Wine concentrators. Enzyme addition. Not to mention the temptation so many indulge to beat an otherwise fine wine over the head with a battery of new oak. We eschew all this. Minimal handling, subtle coaxing, oak as a seasoning not as main dish: These are the hallmarks of our wines. Honest, accurate, true to their roots and to the wonderful subtleties of vintage variation.”
“John's wines are geting better and better each vintage and show all the nuance that Oregon has to offer,” said vin48 owner/wine director Greg Eynon.
Established in 2002, Grochau Cellars is anchored in Oregon, and Grochau approaches each vintage with the same goals: Create complex, genuine wines true to their origins and to the distinct flavors of Oregon.
Grochau grew up in Portland, and watched his backyard evolve into a world-class wine area. After years of selling wine at some of Portland's finest restaurants, including a 13-year stint at Higgins, it was his desire to learn the craft behind the wines he loved, and to try and approach the process of making wine with the same blend of curiosity, respect and excitement that people feel when drinking it.
Grochau learned the trade from some of the Willamette Valley's finest winemakers. From the pioneering cellars and large-scale work of Erath Winery to four years as Doug Tunnel's assistant at the esteemed Brick House Wines, he logged numerous hours of careful attention, expert advice and forklift skills necessary to risk his own money on his own undertaking.
“The philosophy at Grochau Cellars is simple really: Don't screw it up,” Grochau said. “Resist the urge to do too much. Modern winemakers have such an array of options available to them it's staggering. Micro-oxygenation. Wine concentrators. Enzyme addition. Not to mention the temptation so many indulge to beat an otherwise fine wine over the head with a battery of new oak. We eschew all this. Minimal handling, subtle coaxing, oak as a seasoning not as main dish: These are the hallmarks of our wines. Honest, accurate, true to their roots and to the wonderful subtleties of vintage variation.”
