Blackbird Wineshop Newsletter
March 7, 20 17
Your Weekly News & Updates

Julia hard at work punching down her Pinot Noir!

Dear Friends,

Happy International Women's Day! We're celebrating this weekend with a flight of four wines by some of our favorite winemakers who also happen to be women. Did you know that while women consume more wine than men in the USA, only about 10% of American winemakers are women? We'd certainly like to see that number grow - so come support the efforts of some of these women. 

Read more below about Julia Bailey, a talented local winemaker producing some of our favorite Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Here's an interesting recent article from the Portland Mercury about women in wine. We have so many female wine idols. Although she's not a winemaker, I'd have to pick Jancis Robinson, who brought the enjoyment and study of wine to all kinds of new audiences.
 

with love,
the Blackbirds
Loop de Loop - From Field to Glass
Julia makes Pinot Noir and Riesling from the Willamette Valley. She believes in minimal intervention and uses only indigenous yeasts in fermenting her wine. Julia has worked in the Willamette Valley for years, and used to work for Love and Squalor. You'll find Julia creating her wines at the Southeast Wine Collective or sharing barrel samples from her wine for our Winegeek Classes. Julia makes wines that deeply express and highlight the power of place in select Willamette Valley sites. I asked Julia, is the distinction of "woman winemaker" important to you? She said no. She may have too much on her mind to dwell on it, but her work is inspiring to future generations of female winemakers!
Julia scouting some Pinot Noir vines, making the crucial decision: when to pick?
The grapes arrive at the winery! (Julia makes her wine here in Portland at Southeast Wine Collective) It looks like she made the right choice about ripeness.
CO2 from the fermentation rises as Julia does a punchdown on her wine -- see the stems? Julia chose to ferment this wine with stems attached. Whole cluster fermentation gives additional tannic flavor to wine.
An elegant afternoon with Julia's wines

Give Portland's Passion to a Sister District

We're joining the efforts of Sister Districts, a San Francisco-based organization that pairs blue Congressional districts with red Congressional districts across the US, to harness the passion of highly motivated people in urban centers like Portland. From their  website:

"We envision a model of civic engagement that is national in its reach and local in its intensity. Our plan is to build a grassroots network of volunteers to channel blue resources to nearby red areas where small, focused boosts can make an impact."

Our district won't be paired with a Sister District by this organization for awhile, but for now we are focusing on Georgia's District Six Special Election for Congressman which happens on April 18. This is an opportunity for democrats to win an additional seat in the house -- thus strengthening the coalition against the current toxic administration. Check out Jon's website for more information. 

Blackbird Wineshop | 503-282-1887 | [email protected] | blackbirdwine.com
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