Spring release '24
Happy spring 2024!
Brian and Levi picking spring nettles
We have had a few dry days here for the last couple days and it has been really nice after all the rain we have had this winter (also good, but enough is enough!). We are starting to see signs of spring here – daffodils, spring birds and the grass is starting to grow again! Clare put the sheep out today and they seemed pretty excited about all the new grass! We are also excited because we have some new wines to share with you! 2022 Wild Bee chardonnay, Willamette valley pinot noir, Pelos Sandberg pinot noir and 2021 funk estate syrah! Each delicious in their own way and we are ready to send some your way! And as always – complimentary shipping on purchase of 6 bottles or more!
On the farm
We moved the sheep into their new barn last Sunday! We were hoping to be able to do last year but we fell behind schedule. They flock has been shoehorned into a corner of the big barn and now they have lots of room which is good because we are about to have a lot more if Julious (our ram) did his job. The 8 ewes we bought in 2022 are doing great and are hopefully about to start lambing – and often they have twins! We are a little nervous about the lambing because we have never done it before, but we are as prepared as we can be (we think) and have plenty of room in the new barn – so keep your fingers crossed – we will have a bunch of lambs on the ground in a month!
The cows now have the big barn all to themselves and as usual are doing just fine with the deep bedding we give them. Red Fred (the bull) has done his job so we should have 6 ‘calvies’ late spring! Clare’s horses are still stinky but I am in my second year of using their poop to make a ‘hot bed’ in the garden – The decomposing manure under a thick layer of compost gives seeds the warmth the need to get started - a jump on the spring season for arugula, greens, radishes etc – a lot of work to set up but very satisfying to crunch on an early radish! Some sad news is Bob the cat seems to have disappeared as of 2 weeks ago. He was so lovable and such a fixture here, such a character – we will miss him for a long time. His protégé Stanley is stepping up to the plate – but it is hard to replace the warmth of a big purring orange cat. RIP Bob! Levi gave us a scare last fall with an inner ear issue that left him unable to walk for a few days, but he has recovered nicely, always ready for his crunchies and wagging his tail and demanding scritches or treats, when he isn’t sleeping in front of the fire. New kid goats are expected to arrive early April – as always we will have plenty of blackberry for them to eat! And of course last years are in the freezer and also tasty! The layers have started to give us some beautiful eggs with the longer days and green grass, and the broilers have been ordered and are scheduled to arrive early April.
The vineyard should be pruned by the time you read this, and is still off to a slow start from a development perspective. All my bottling tanks, fermenters and 3 above ground swimming pools surround the winery filled with rain water so we can irrigate the baby vines in the driest months of summer. We hope for a growing season that is conducive to getting our baby vines to grow.
Clare’s art studio has been put to great use – she has utilized the dedicated space with zeal, intention and discipline – and it shows in the great work she has created (and sold!) she has several shows planned for this spring and a sabbatical planned to go to Norway in June to take advantage of the near perpetual ‘golden hour’. I am so proud of her and her work!
The wines!
2022 was a crazy growing season here in western Oregon – we had a spring freeze/snow event in April that ‘burnt’ (froze to death) all of the new spring growth of 3-4 weeks. Nobody knew what to expect, and every site was affected differently. Fortunately vines have a plan B and a plan C – secondary and tertiary buds that lie dormant unless needed, and in 2022 they sprang to life and saved the day! We had a few sites that were below normal tonnage and a few that were just above so it all balanced out. The set back during spring was made up by a warm and dry October that allowed us to fully ripen the grapes and make some amazing wines! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do (I am drinking the 2022 wild bee chardonnay as I write! No AI chat bot here!)
2022 wild bee chardonnay – as I often joke our Willamette valley wines are the kitchen sink – what doesn’t go into the Eola amity or Yamhill carlton or Elusive queen blends ends up as wild bee – but I make all the wines with equal diligence and it is only just before bottling that the individual barrels are chosen for their respective destinations. During harvest I hire a person whose sole job is to take care of all the chardonnay barrels, sometimes as many as 85 at the peak of harvest. Julia Dancy has done this for us exceptionally well since 2017. She stirs and monitors each barrel on a daily basis as they ferment and we decide how each lot should be nurtured during this process. Making great chardonnay is important to me and having her help has been indispensable – thank you Julia! The 2022 wild bee chardonnay is a combination of the 7 different sites we work with and is a true representation of the Willamette valley. I think I need to get another glass!
2022 wild bee chardonnay – bumble bee on label by April coppini, 1222 cases produced, 34 dollars a bottle – you will want more than one! And of course shipping on the house for a purchase of 6 or more
2022 willamette valley pinot noir – ok – to help with my writers block I have poured myself a glass of the same – also delicious – spicy, fruit forward and firm yet pleasant tannins that keep me going back for more – but I need to finish this first! Like the wild bee the wv pinot noir is made democratically, in that each lot is given utmost attention and equal care, and only ultimately evaluated just before bottling in August. The wines are fermented with whatever yeast blows in the door and nurtured to dryness and perfect extraction with a combination of foot trodding and pumpovers, and a gentle press. The wine is put into barrel with a combination of new(some) and old (mostly) and then stirred and topped weekly until the malolactic conversion is complete. Like the wild bee I select the barrels for the vineyard designates, the yamhill carlton ava blend and earth (first of course!) and the leftovers end up in the Willamette valley blend – our largest single bottling. It is delicious! Take my word for it! I am ready for another glass and some dinner! I hope you enjoy this wine as much as we do! 2022 Willamette valley pinot noir – 2139 cases produced, $50 per bottle and yes – buy 6 and receive sans shipping cost!
2022 pelos Sandberg vineyard pinot noir – this is our 13th vintage working with Don Sandberg and the fruit from his psv vineyard, and year in and year out it is a crowd pleaser – I use selected barrels to make our !salud! donation wine and then chose from the remainder to make the vineyard designate. The salud blend is also usually a crowd pleaser and does very well at the big board auction – it is only a 6 case blend verses the 250+ cases of Pelos so there is a little more to go around, but be quick – this wine will be gone before we know it! Don is a good friend and (winemaker iota) and great farmer – the maxim of the best fertilizer is the farmers footsteps applies here for sure!
2022 Pelos Sandberg vineyard pinot noir – spoon and fork end post markers on the label - 269 cases produced, $72 per bottle. And yes of course we will cover shipping on 6 or more here too!
2021 Funk Estate syrah – this might be my favorite version of this wine yet! Rich and supple yet balanced and still light on its feet, almost ethereal! Rich Funk diligently farms his vineyards and in Milton freewater and has his own winery too, saviah. It is 200 miles east of the Willamette valley, still in Oregon but a world apart. The ‘soil’ is dominated by rounded stones that seemingly go down forever. We are so pleased he has sold us fruit since 2016, the 2022 and 2023 are in barrel and progressing nicely. A 2 year elevage for this wine makes it a year behind the pinots. I can’t wait to put another splash in my glass!
2021 funk estate syrah – vine in the rocks on the label, 133 cases produced. $72 per bottle, and for sure buy 6 or more and we will cover the shipping!
The easiest way to order wine -
If you're super busy - please let us help you order wine in whatever way is EASIEST for YOU! We are happy to assist. Call, email - We are available to make sure you get the wines you love! If you want to reach out please just send an email to admin@bigtablefarm.com or call or text Kathryn 503-457-5726 or Text Clare Directly! 503-922-3540 and we'll follow up with YOU and get your order. You can also Click here to go right to the buy wine page
Hopefully we will see you somewhere along the way, and of course we are happy to host you for a tasting really anytime of the year!
Events!
2024 is shaping up to be a busy year for us, lots of events to catch btf, both at home and on the road. Clare just poured at the triangle wine auction and we were juried in to pour at the Oregon chardonnay celebration last weekend. Events still to come!:
March 7th - Art walk - downtown Carlton 4-7pm we will be pouring wine and sharing clare’s work at the atelier (followed by more art walks May 2nd, Sept 5th and Nov 7th)
March 21st -23rd – High Museum wine auction, Atlanta Georgia
April 13 - Rose Earth/Queen release party and art show at the farm! 11 - 3pm
April 18th - big table farm field day - 3:30 - 5pm we welcome customers and industry friends. We will be sharing how we have integrated deep bedding, compost and biochar (no wine or food will be served - RSVP is required)
April 20th - Yamhill-Carlton AVA Spring Tasting - hosted at Abby Road Farm
May 8 – Pinot in the City – Seattle WA
May 18 – art opening in Carlton at 213 gallery
July – IPNC featured winery Mcminnville Oregon
Memorial day and thanksgiving weekends – Saturday open house at the atelier in Carlton Oregon
social media
If you don't follow me on Instagram you might enjoy doing so. As all the development projects and baby animals all continue to grow on the farm, I will continue to post all the spring farm happenings, recipes and what’s happing in the winery @bigtablefarm
ps - you can also follow new paintings @clarecarver and www.clarecarver.com
As always, we are so grateful that we get to do what we do – thank you for continuing to buy, enjoy and share our work, both wine and art!
Thanks you and cheers! Brian and clare and the team at big table farm!
stacks of press
We have gotten a huge pile of great press this past year you can read all it it here - https://www.bigtablefarm.com/press-and-reviews - but here are a few highlights.
Thank you to all the great wine reviewers for your work to help us share our wines!
Winespeed/Karen McNeil 2021 Pelos Sandberg pinot noir 97 pts
Wine Enthusiast Top 100 and Editor’s Choice 2021 Cattrall Brothers Pinot Noir 96 pts — Michael Alberty
Wine & Spirits Top 100 2020 Funk Estate Syrah 95 pts - P.J.C.
Jancis Robinson 2021 Earth pinot noir 18+ pts (20 pts system) - Samantha Cole-Johnson
Wine Enthusiast Editor’s Choice 2021 Wild Bee Chardonnay 94 pts – M.A.
International Wine Report Editor’s Choice 2021 Eola Amity Chardonnay 96 pts
International Wine Report Editor’s Choice 2021 Cattrall Brothers Pinot Noir 96 pts Highly recommended and editor’s choice.
International Wine Report Editor’s Choice 2021 Pelos Sandberg pinot noir 96 pts
International Wine Report Editors Choice Earth pinot noir 96 pts
Wine Enthusiast Editor’s Choice 2021 Earth pinot noir 94 pts – M.A.
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