Spring Release Letter just went out!!

If you didn't get Brian's release letter I don't have your e-mail just drop me a note clare at bigtablefarm in the mean time we have just released two new wines - Thanks for all the support and enthusiasm... Cheers - Clare

The Wines!

2009 Willamette Valley Pinot noir. Like a shy child this wine is peeking its head around the corner and is ready to be introduced. The fruit is mostly from the Johan Vineyard about 20 minutes south of McMinnville. It was the last pinot we picked at the end of October - it is a cool site and was relatively unaffected by the warm spell in September. Yields were carefully managed by friend Dan Rinke to just 1.4 tons to the acre. The wine was fermented with native yeast, about 75 percent whole cluster, aged in french oak for ten months with one new barrel, and two used. The whole cluster aspect of the wine is prominent in the spicy aromatics of wet brush and smoky mole, with cherry fruit underneath. The palate is balanced between a core of umami and dark fruit and tannins that cleanse and compliment food in a hand in glove sort of way. Pumpkin the pig graces the label. Unfortunately we just have 92 cases of this wine. 38 dollars, let us know if we can send you some!

2008 Syrah – White Hawk Vineyard - 2008 was a warmer year with lower yields in California, creating an opulent wine that is drinking well now! Clare and I opened a bottle the other night to make notes and before we knew it the wine was gone and we hadn't even eaten yet (or made any notes) - slightly dangerous. All natural ferments with 50% whole cluster, 40% New French oak and after an elevage of 14 months, it was ready to bottle. The label has returned to a calamitous set of knives, forks and spoons. I hope you find this wine as delightful as we do. 168 cases produced, 48 dollars.

home from Atlanta

Brian and I went to Atlanta for a wine auction last week - it was to benefit the High art museum in Atlanta and it's one of the top wine auctions in the country and now I know why! (btw way my photos of the trip didn't happen due to camera failure so you'll just have to imagine most of it)

We were hosted by our friends in Atlanta the Abney's who as I kept saying treated us like rock stars from the minute we touched down... it's kind of a blur at this point but we arrived Wednesday evening to a driver that picked us up form the airport and brought us to our host's home a beautiful house in a very old neighborhood in mid town Atlanta. Let's just say we hit the ground running as that night they hosted a small 'informal' dinner party for close friends to meet their guests - brick oven pizzas and lamb! it was gorgeous and there place happens to be on the cover of this months food and wine!- pretty snazzy!




this is Kristie making pizzas there on the spot for her guests she's a superstar! (my photos are pretty bad I'm sorry!)


Charles Abney - just a doll! love the crushed up beer can next to the fancy decanter : )


This is not the Abney's home but this is another one form the 'hood' it was so beautiful and the weather was full on spring time! Some happy guests


Day two was an industry tasting during the day and a winemaker dinner that evening with one of Atlanta's top chefs (Anne Quatrano) again hosted by the Abney's! crazy and beautiful and soo yummy ...


The tables before the wine maker dinner - the after shot was blurry : )

Friday it just kept going and I'm not going to boar you with every last detail but sufficed to say we ate and drank a lot and just had an amazing time. Thanks to our new distributors in Atlanta got introduced to some of the best restaurants in town that all picked up our wine which really was amazing again I'm grateful.

for those of you that live in Atlanta you can find our wines at ~ Bacchanalia, Miller Union, Cakes & Ale, Rathburn Steak and Five & Ten

Saturday afternoon was the actual wine auction which was attended by some pretty darn serious wine and art lovers. It was an amazing party we donated and were lucky enough to be in the live auction with our lot of 12 mags and painting and brunch at the farm for 6 people.. and to my utter awe was auctioned off for $10,000 yup not a typo... it was kind of nuts and totally flattering... crazy - so then yet another dinner for our last night... Sunday a sleep in and gorgeous brunch again thanks to our hosts and they took us to the airport Sunday afternoon ...wowzers... it was quite a whirl wind and other worldly --


the tasting before the auction


Miller - Union great meal there sat night!

but now I'm back on the farm and fully grounded again as I'm back in the spring rain, doing chores and picking up all those spring eggs and working on our web site updates for the spring release letter - ahh reality...

special thanks also goes out to our friends Julia and Michael who watched the farm for 5 days while we were off partying in Atlanta.

Well I'm back to being just me in my drafty farm house and dirty chores - but man it was fun to live a super glamorous life for 5 days!

Mark you calander!! July 2nd 2011

Coming this summer!! ...



Outstanding in the field will be at Big Table Farm!!



The super fabulous chef and good friend Jason French of Nud Lud will be cooking the meal - we will be featuring our wine, products from our farm as well a few of our other farmer friends including our very good friends Chris and Amy of Square Peg Farm - This will be a meal to remember and the event of the summer here at the Farm!



Jason has graced our farm several times before cooking meals and he has the lay of the land and I know will really make it special!!




I'm sure the smoker will be enlisted in some way...




Details: Outstanding in the Field dinner at Big Table Farm. Saturday, July 2, 4 pm; $180 per person. Tickets go on sale Mar. 20 on the Outstanding in the Field website.

I wonder which field will sport the big table... humm


a glass of wine and a farm tour - what could be better?!

Big Table Farm is going to the James Beard House!!!

so the James Beard Foundation is kind of the foodie version of the Oscars - They invite chefs to cook at the James Beard House in New York City and administer the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, which recognize and honor excellence among chefs and others working in the food and beverage industry. So Chris DiMinno the Chef of Clyde Common here in Portland is doing a meal June 16th and has invited us to pair our wines with his meal!! it's a great honor to pour our wines at this very prestigious place and for it's dinner guests along side of Chris' great cooking! so I'll be flying back for the meal - does any body have a couch for me to sleep on in the village - I promise not to take up to much room. And if your in NY book it should be a great meal!!!

just cutness!!

not about art, horses, wine or the farm

Just had to share I got my brown belt today in Shaolin Kempo -
been at this a while now and totally love it...

A little early

The first of our spring calves was born this morning!!! Thank goodness it's not raining at the moment - althought it looks pretty brooding out there.. he's very cute and VERY early - we bred the cows in August to get late spring babies - but looks like ginger was bred before we got her - so here we are with a calf a couple months early... I noticed her bagged up a few days ago and knew we were close... I'd prefer to have the cows closer in to the house when they are calving so I can keep an eye out but we'll just have to hope he's is tough little guy as they are way up on the hill ...