Introduction

It's not very often that we have opportunity to attend events in the 'Valley, given our far-flung location in Chicago, but fortuitously, White Rose's wine club dinner coincided with our visit to Portland over the spring break. So it was with great pleasure we attended. It was a relatively informal event with perhaps 20 - 25 attendees. We were fortunate to share a table with Jesus (who doesn't want a wine-maker of that name?) and Dago, along with a talkative fellow with a penchant for collecting mushrooms. One of the wines served was a 2004 Whole Cluster, a wine that I had a few months prior ordered more of from the archives on account of its quality. Evidently they took note and poured some at the dinner. While not in the class of the regal '08 version, it is still a very nice wine.

I have included only three notes, although other wines were poured at the beginning; but I had no time to take notes then.

In closing, there may be other wineries in the 'Valley that are more highly regarded, with wines that are more glamorous and highly sort-after, but for our money, White Rose offers a wonderful combination of well-made wines and wonderful friendly staff. And it should not be overlooked that, in Jesus Guillen, now the head winemaker, there is an example of a man coming up through the fields, and community college in Salem, to make some of the best wines in the 'Valley, and all with immense humility.

Flight 1 (3 notes)