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Weinnotes, Wine Country's Hidden Gems

A.J. Weinzettel

Discovering the hidden gems of Wine Country and bringing it to you via a weekly newsletter, podcast and iPhone App.

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🍷 Weinnotes - Monthly Oregon Wine Newsletter

The other morning, I was walking out of Starbucks at 0 dark thirty with my Chai in hand and had a weird experience. The smell of diesel immediately struck me and took me back to a summer day deep in Southern Georgia when I was in the Air Force on a training exercise. It was also a super early morning; nobody was awake yet. The mess hall was just starting to stir. The smell of diesel was in the air, along with the sounds of generators. As I took a sip of my Chai and got in the car, I thought...

20 days ago • 8 min read

Did you notice that I didn't send out a newsletter on the first Saturday of the month last week? I certainly did. I'm not one who enjoys missing my own imposed deadlines, but I have a larger deadline looming for myself, more on that in a bit. Have you watched "The Bear" yet on Hulu? I know it isn't directly related to wine, but if you haven't seen it, put it on your list. I watched Season 1 and 2 again with my daughter, and she might have had a little tear running down her face at the end of...

3 months ago • 5 min read

Here we are, the last newsletter for 2023. Where has this year gone? I could ramble off for far too long, but the newsletter is over 4,000 words this month. Part of me is sorry, but the other part says, “Nope, not sorry at all!” I adore the ever-loving heck out of the fact I don’t have anyone telling me your newsletter is too long! Enjoy, and I hope you have a beautiful Christmas full of love, warmth, friends, and family! Enjoy all of the links, so much is happening! Archery Summit is...

5 months ago • 14 min read

I wish I had an endless amount of time in a day! There is so much I want to do every single day. Choosing what to focus on and what not to focus on is challenging. Multiple times over this last month, I found myself saying, “Oh, I should write about this in the newsletter,” but there was no weekly newsletter to put it into. I am sure you and I are on the same page about missing the weekly newsletters, and one day, it will make sense, I promise. Speaking of weekly newsletters, I always enjoy...

6 months ago • 13 min read

Long-time readers of the newsletter know I have a weakness in indulging in a chai at Starbucks in the mornings. Part of the reason I enjoy this daily routine is for the people behind the counter. I have gotten to know them over the years. Everyone who works at the location I frequent knows I am obsessed with wine. Most of them don’t know I have a wine podcast. The other day, the podcast came up in conversation. I told one person Weinnotes is the podcast's name and how Weinzettel translates...

7 months ago • 7 min read

Here we are, the first of September. I am on the back deck writing with a hoodie on. Fall is coming pretty darn quickly. Harvest is already in motion for many wineries, especially those making Sparkling. Speaking of Sparkling, do you remember the rumor I started about Hazelfern doing a Sparkling? Well, sometimes rumors come true. I noticed this week that Hazelfern announced they were picking for Sparkling. Now we only wait 3-5 years! I must admit I have missed not typing some crazy, long,...

8 months ago • 5 min read

Here we are. It’s officially August. The light is at the end of the tunnel for Summer. Have you done everything you wanted to do these past couple of months? I would be shocked if you have. I know there are still many activities and events I plan to check off before Pumpkin Spice Latte goes into full effect. On the brighter side of life, signs of veraison are popping up everywhere. I would love to talk about the growing season and how it is going, but there is no way I will jink anything. We...

9 months ago • 8 min read

I always enjoy looking back on the little things that make me smile throughout my week. The other day I was picking up some precut ham for my lunch. An older lady who worked at the store saw me put the first package of ham into my cart and told me, “Pick one from the back. We just cut those this morning. I am probably not supposed to tell you, but I don’t care.” Her joy from “breaking the rules” to care for another person is outstanding! I only have a few links for you this week, and they are...

9 months ago • 5 min read

At this point in the year, I try to calm myself because the end of summer is in sight. I feel like I haven’t gotten enough days on the back deck working, bike rides in, or been to more wineries, and so many other things I could list on forever. Next week is IPNC. I couldn’t be more excited to catch up with friends and meet new ones. So far, it looks like it will be hot, but not extremely hot. Also, I know I flaked on getting a newsletter out during IPNC week last year. This year that is not...

9 months ago • 5 min read

I remember being deterred by cold morning bike rides when I moved from TN to OR. Twenty-plus years later, I adore the cold crisp air and cherish every second of it. The other morning I wondered what it’s like to get up in the morning for the riders of the Tour de France. July is my favorite month of the year. There is the 4th of July, the Tour de France, and IPNC! If you are going to IPNC this year and see me, please introduce yourself! If you are not going to IPNC and want to participate in...

10 months ago • 3 min read
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