Big Table Farm Wirtz Garden Edelzwicker 2013
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The Wirtz Garden displays a clear yellow color, with an aromatic, fruity and harmonious nose. The palate is supple and well-balanced with a combination of fruit and freshness in the mouth.
This wine is a great accompaniment to summer fare - salads and charcuterie really let it shine.
The duo behind Big Table Farm are winemaker Brian Marcy and artist/farmer Clare Carver. In 2006 the moved to Oregon from Napa, where Brian had been making wine for ten years, and bought property in the Willamette Valley (about an hour outside of Portland).
This Oregon adventure is inspired by their desire to grow grapes, make wine, and to have the space for all of Clare's animals and Brian's wacky projects. The farm and winery are named after the goal to provide a gracious and welcoming table for themselves and friends, with a cornucopia of hand-crafted food and wine.
And now, almost ten years after Brian and Clare took the leap, they have developed this land into a working farm and built a barn and winery. They both feel lucky to live there and are both still in awe and deeply grateful for the chance to build this dream and share it with you!
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
One of Pinot Noir's most successful New World outposts, the Willamette Valley is the largest and most important AVA in Oregon. With a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Pacific Ocean, it is perfect for cool-climate viticulture and the production of elegant wines.
Mountain ranges bordering three sides of the valley, particularly the Chehalem Mountains, provide the option for higher-elevation vineyard sites.
The valley's three prominent soil types (volcanic, sedimentary and silty, loess) make it unique and create significant differences in wine styles among its vineyards and sub-AVAs. The iron-rich, basalt-based, Jory volcanic soils found commonly in the Dundee Hills are rich in clay and hold water well; the chalky, sedimentary soils of Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and McMinnville encourage complex root systems as vines struggle to search for water and minerals. In the most southern stretch of the Willamette, the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA soils are mixed, shallow and well-drained. The Hills' close proximity to the Van Duzer Corridor (which became its own appellation as of 2019) also creates grapes with great concentration and firm acidity, leading to wines that perfectly express both power and grace.
Though Pinot noir enjoys the limelight here, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay also thrive in the Willamette. Increasing curiosity has risen recently in the potential of others like Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc and Gamay.