Tag: Oregon

On May 1, 2023 We Honor Rollin Soles with a Glass of 2016 RMS Brut from ROCO Winery

This month we'll celebrate the memories of many great wines created by winemaker Rollin Soles at both ROCO and Argyle Wineries in Oregon. We will raise a glass of his 2016 RMS Brut from ROCO Winery. The RMS stands for Rollin Michael Soles, and we decided to enjoy the oldest of the three vintages we have on hand.

These three (RMS Brut 2016, 2017, and 2018) were part of a special offering we bought directly from the vineyard.

We've been following Rollin Soles and enjoying his wines for decades. He's been making wine in the Willamette Valley since 1986. Our first glass of his wine was an Argyle Sparkler on the wine list at Hamersley's Bistro. We began buying this for home service from Bauer Wine and Spirits and remember when it was available for less than $20 for a magnum.

We recall serving magnums of Argyle at a July 4th fireworks party on our roof deck and having a guest shocked when he learned the low cost of a wine he thought to be extravagant hospitality on our part.

Above are a few of the wines we have enjoyed over the years from this great winemaker. We met him at a tasting at Bauer Wine years ago and learned that one reason we love his wine is that we love the same things in a wine that he does. He loves pinot noir and great sparkling wine, and we love pinot noir and great sparkling wine.

In an interview with Owen Bargreen, Rollin said, "I’ve been helped along and inspired by large to small producers in Champagne. Everyone has been so very generous with their time, and they’ve not been afraid to open a lot of beautiful wines that should have been enjoyed by a roomful of buyers! During my early days: Bollinger by far and continuing, Billecart Salmon, Roederer, and Dom Perignon Today: Vilmart, Pierre Peters, Geoffroy, Goutourbe, Jean Milan, Pehu Simonet and so many more."

This list includes many of our favorite Champagnes and some we want to try. Bollinger is also at the top of that list for us. We like the same wines!

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods, adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchase our bottle of 2016 ROCO RMS Brut in a special package from the vineyard. To find special offers like this consider signing up for email from your favorite vineyards.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©1995-2020 Penny Cherubino, Photos of Rollin Soles courtesy of ROCO Winery.

May 1, 2023
We’ll Open 2022 with Roco Winery 2020 RMS Red Brut

As we enter 2022 with the hope for a better year for one and all, we'll raise a glass of 2020 RMS Red Brut from a winemaker we think of like an old friend, Rollin Soles of Roco Winery. While we know and love Rollin's wines, both at his own Roco and during his years at Argyle, this is a new wine for us. It is 100% Pinot Noir and our first red sparkling wine!

Here is what Rollin has to say about his 2020 RMS Red Brut:

"This inaugural Sparkling Red Wine Pinot Noir brings Instant Holiday Cheer! This dark ruby colored sparkling wine delivers a lively pink bubbling froth around the edge of your glass as it is poured. The fruit, spices, and yeasty aromas include cranberry, crab apple, black raspberry and a hint of grape soda. There also are essences of pecan, sweet Genovese basil, and pine cones. On the palate, look for immediate cranberry, dried currant, and Brooks plums with a persistent pomegranate core and a finish that begs for ham and turkey and mushrooms. The truly velvety tannin grip is spiced with pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg, making this wine a potentially amazing Biscotti dunker!"

We have some biscotti on hand and are ready for dunking!

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007, we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

Here are the front and back labels:

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard as a part of a holiday purchase. While supplies last it is available from ROCO for $50 a bottle.

We subscribe to the vineyard's newsletter and were thrilled to support this lovely couple and their hard work to make great wine and support Oregon's Willamette Valley winemaking community.

You can learn more about the vineyard team here.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

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Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2021 Penny & Ed Cherubino and seasons greetings photo of Rollin and Cory courtesy of Roco Winery

January 1, 2022
We’ll Open 2022 with Roco Winery 2020 RMS Red Brut

As we enter 2022 with the hope for a better year for one and all, we'll raise a glass of 2020 RMS Red Brut from a winemaker we think of like an old friend, Rollin Soles of Roco Winery. While we know and love Rollin's wines, both at his own Roco and during his years at Argyle, this is a new wine for us. It is 100% Pinot Noir and our first red sparkling wine!

Here is what Rollin has to say about his 2020 RMS Red Brut:

"This inaugural Sparkling Red Wine Pinot Noir brings Instant Holiday Cheer! This dark ruby colored sparkling wine delivers a lively pink bubbling froth around the edge of your glass as it is poured. The fruit, spices, and yeasty aromas include cranberry, crab apple, black raspberry and a hint of grape soda. There also are essences of pecan, sweet Genovese basil, and pine cones. On the palate, look for immediate cranberry, dried currant, and Brooks plums with a persistent pomegranate core and a finish that begs for ham and turkey and mushrooms. The truly velvety tannin grip is spiced with pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg, making this wine a potentially amazing Biscotti dunker!"

We have some biscotti on hand and are ready for dunking!

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007, we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

Here are the front and back labels:

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard as a part of a holiday purchase. While supplies last it is available from ROCO for $50 a bottle.

We subscribe to the vineyard's newsletter and were thrilled to support this lovely couple and their hard work to make great wine and support Oregon's Willamette Valley winemaking community.

You can learn more about the vineyard team here.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2021 Penny & Ed Cherubino and seasons greetings photo of Rollin and Cory courtesy of Roco Winery

January 1, 2022
We Celebrate Oregon Terroir with the 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles’ ROCO Winery

This month's wine, selected for its specific terroir, is the 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery. We have a long-running resolution to toast each new month with a glass of sparkling wine. In recent years we've tried to set a theme for each year and 2020 is our year of terroir.

We're still sheltering in place so we were happy that our wine rack contained another great example of a winemaker who knows and uses the terroir of a specific place to create a great wine.

We've had the distinct pleasure of meeting Rollin Soles and years of pleasure drinking the wines he masterminds. (We borrowed this photo below from the ROCO Facebook page. We suggest you follow them to learn about their wine, their art gallery, and the many important causes they support)

When you go to the ROCO website and click on the vineyards tab, you'll find this at the top of the page:

"Every vineyard has its own microclimate, soil composition, slope, and relationship with the sun. When people speak of “terroir,” these unique attributes are what they’re talking about—the essence of a place captured in wine. At ROCO, we are keen on delivering the pleasure of place through the prism of vineyard-designated wines."

We first wrote about this wine last year. Click on the link below for more information and to read Rollin's winemakers notes.

Our November Sparkler Is 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchase our bottle at Bauer Wine and Spirits for $29.99. If you want to keep track of what you paid for a bottle of wine and where you purchased it, we suggest writing on the bottle with these Sharpie Metallic Fine Point Permanent Markers. It works for us!

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

The photo of Rollin Souls is courtesy of ROCO Vineyards.

May 1, 2020
We Celebrate Oregon Terroir with the 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles’ ROCO Winery

This month's wine, selected for its specific terroir, is the 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery. We have a long-running resolution to toast each new month with a glass of sparkling wine. In recent years we've tried to set a theme for each year and 2020 is our year of terroir.

We're still sheltering in place so we were happy that our wine rack contained another great example of a winemaker who knows and uses the terroir of a specific place to create a great wine.

We've had the distinct pleasure of meeting Rollin Soles and years of pleasure drinking the wines he masterminds. (We borrowed this photo below from the ROCO Facebook page. We suggest you follow them to learn about their wine, their art gallery, and the many important causes they support)

When you go to the ROCO website and click on the vineyards tab, you'll find this at the top of the page:

"Every vineyard has its own microclimate, soil composition, slope, and relationship with the sun. When people speak of “terroir,” these unique attributes are what they’re talking about—the essence of a place captured in wine. At ROCO, we are keen on delivering the pleasure of place through the prism of vineyard-designated wines."

We first wrote about this wine last year. Click on the link below for more information and to read Rollin's winemakers notes.

Our November Sparkler Is 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchase our bottle at Bauer Wine and Spirits for $29.99. If you want to keep track of what you paid for a bottle of wine and where you purchased it, we suggest writing on the bottle with these Sharpie Metallic Fine Point Permanent Markers. It works for us!

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

The photo of Rollin Souls is courtesy of ROCO Vineyards.

May 1, 2020
Argyle Vintage Brut 2013 Is Our choice to Toast October 2018 with an Old Favorite!

We've made Argyle Vintage Brut 2013 our choice for October in this year of favorite sparkling wines!

We almost always have a bottle of this outstanding sparkler in our wine rack, so we pulled one out to chill and to toast one of our favorite months of the year.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month! Here's some basic info about this one.

The Facts:

Vintage Brut | 2013 Willamette Valley AVA

Bottle Fermented, Aged on the Yeast,

60% Pinot Noir — 40% Chardonnay, ABV: 12.5%

The last time we reported to you on this particular vintage of this particular wine, we said:

"As spectacular as ever! Great body with nice Pinot-forward character. Shared with friends as we all raised our glasses to toast the arrival of July! Already have another bottle on-ice and ready to go!"

Here's to October 2018! Raise a glass of one of your favorites with us! And, while you're toasting, raise a glass to a great winemaker Rollin Soles!

Related Posts:

Argyle’s Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest

March Sparkles with Argyle’s 2001 Extended Tirage Brut – It’s a Sure Thing!

Oregon’s Argyle Brut to Light-Up July!

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 1, 2018
Argyle Vintage Brut 2013 Is Our choice to Toast October 2018 with an Old Favorite!

We've made Argyle Vintage Brut 2013 our choice for October in this year of favorite sparkling wines!

We almost always have a bottle of this outstanding sparkler in our wine rack, so we pulled one out to chill and to toast one of our favorite months of the year.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month! Here's some basic info about this one.

The Facts:

Vintage Brut | 2013 Willamette Valley AVA

Bottle Fermented, Aged on the Yeast,

60% Pinot Noir — 40% Chardonnay, ABV: 12.5%

The last time we reported to you on this particular vintage of this particular wine, we said:

"As spectacular as ever! Great body with nice Pinot-forward character. Shared with friends as we all raised our glasses to toast the arrival of July! Already have another bottle on-ice and ready to go!"

Here's to October 2018! Raise a glass of one of your favorites with us! And, while you're toasting, raise a glass to a great winemaker Rollin Soles!

Related Posts:

Argyle’s Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest

March Sparkles with Argyle’s 2001 Extended Tirage Brut – It’s a Sure Thing!

Oregon’s Argyle Brut to Light-Up July!

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 1, 2018
Spending Time with a Sparkling Old Friend This July – Argyle Vintage Brut

Well look who stopped by to help us ring in July – a sparkling old friend from Oregon who goes by the name of Argyle Vintage Brut 2013!

While we’ve had a long, happy relationship through the years, it’s been awhile since we’ve shared each other’s company.

This Pinot-forward sparkler comes from Argyle’s Grower Series and promises a rich, round peach nature helped along by “… the complexity of honey, cherry kernel and lingering anise.”

The balance and focus of the finish is said to come from the wine’s “… dynamic acid backbone and edgy minerality.”

Just this past April, Wine Spectator awarded the 2013 Argyle Vintage Brut 89 Points, praising it as “Crisp and precise, with apple and pomelo aromas and sleek, tangy flavors that finish with vibrancy. Drink now. —T.F.”

Hmm … Sounds a lot like the old friend we remember. We also remember meeting Argyle's Founder Rollin Soles (in the Argyle photo above) at Bauer Wine & Spirits. (Check out: "Argyle's Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest" in Related Posts below.)

Catching up after time apart can mean a bit of uncertainty. Maybe one or both of you have changed? We’ll let you know how it goes.

Until then, “Here’s to July!” and our Sparkling Resolution!

The Facts:

Vintage Brut | 2013 Willamette Valley AVA

Bottle Fermented, Aged on the Yeast,

60% Pinot Noir — 40% Chardonnay, ABV: 12.5%

We purchased our bottle of Argyle Vintage Brut 2013 on sale for $20 at Bauer Wine & Spirits.

* (07.04.2017) Update: As spectacular as ever! Great body with nice Pinot-forward character. Shared with friends as we all raised our glasses to toast the arrival of July! Already have another bottle on-ice and ready to go!

Related Posts:

Argyle’s Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest

March Sparkles with Argyle’s 2001 Extended Tirage Brut – It’s a Sure Thing!

Oregon’s Argyle Brut to Light-Up July!

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photography: © 2017 Penny Cherubino

July 1, 2017
Spending Time with a Sparkling Old Friend This July – Argyle Vintage Brut

Well look who stopped by to help us ring in July – a sparkling old friend from Oregon who goes by the name of Argyle Vintage Brut 2013!

While we’ve had a long, happy relationship through the years, it’s been awhile since we’ve shared each other’s company.

This Pinot-forward sparkler comes from Argyle’s Grower Series and promises a rich, round peach nature helped along by “… the complexity of honey, cherry kernel and lingering anise.”

The balance and focus of the finish is said to come from the wine’s “… dynamic acid backbone and edgy minerality.”

Just this past April, Wine Spectator awarded the 2013 Argyle Vintage Brut 89 Points, praising it as “Crisp and precise, with apple and pomelo aromas and sleek, tangy flavors that finish with vibrancy. Drink now. —T.F.”

Hmm … Sounds a lot like the old friend we remember. We also remember meeting Argyle's Founder Rollin Soles (in the Argyle photo above) at Bauer Wine & Spirits. (Check out: "Argyle's Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest" in Related Posts below.)

Catching up after time apart can mean a bit of uncertainty. Maybe one or both of you have changed? We’ll let you know how it goes.

Until then, “Here’s to July!” and our Sparkling Resolution!

The Facts:

Vintage Brut | 2013 Willamette Valley AVA

Bottle Fermented, Aged on the Yeast,

60% Pinot Noir — 40% Chardonnay, ABV: 12.5%

We purchased our bottle of Argyle Vintage Brut 2013 on sale for $20 at Bauer Wine & Spirits.

* (07.04.2017) Update: As spectacular as ever! Great body with nice Pinot-forward character. Shared with friends as we all raised our glasses to toast the arrival of July! Already have another bottle on-ice and ready to go!

Related Posts:

Argyle’s Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest

March Sparkles with Argyle’s 2001 Extended Tirage Brut – It’s a Sure Thing!

Oregon’s Argyle Brut to Light-Up July!

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photography: © 2017 Penny Cherubino

July 1, 2017
Consult Our Wine Collection Before You Shop for Bottles of Bubbles!

Our Sparkling Resolution gives us an advantage when it comes to choosing a bottle of bubbles for New Year's Eve. We start each month with a glass of sparkling wine.

We share those wine selections with you in our wine collection.

You'll find Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Crémant, plus bubbles from places including Portugal, California, Oregon, and Massachusetts on our wine list.

We find something to toast each time the 1st comes around. Maybe it's a good thing that happened in the past month or something we're looking forward to in the month ahead. Or, perhaps the 1st of the month finds us in a special place where we've discovered a special bottle.

Most of the time, our choice is a great value we've bought on sale or a moderately priced treat.

Occasionally, we'll indulge in a special wine for a special occasion or celebration.

If you're looking for something to serve to a crowd or a special bottle to share with a special person, we have made our list and you can check it twice, three times, or as often as you'd like.

As you toast 2015, consider joining the Sparkling Resolution we made back in 2007 and begin each month with a glass of lively bubbles.

Cheers!

Here’s More About Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2001-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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