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 all about the same topic, Frescobaldi acquiring Domaine Roy and fils. Many of you already know this news, and I will not shine any additional light on the subject. For those of you who are not aware, please follow along.

Frescobaldi has made Italian Wine History with 30 Generations of over 700 years of Winemaking History. Based out of Tuscany, the family first set wine roots in 1308. Records from the winery show they supplied wine to English King Henry VIII.

In the Press Release, Lamberto Frescobaldi, President Marchesi Frescobaldi commented, “At this stage of our expansion we decided to seize the opportunity to acquire the beautiful Domaine Roy & fils winery in Oregon, one of the best regions in the world for Pinot Noir. To become part of such a community is a dream come true. On behalf of the Frescobaldi Family I would like to thank Marc-Andre’ Roy for offering us the opportunity in Oregon to continue to do what we do best, cultivate beautiful vineyards, produce wines and offer our customers iconic products”.

Micheal Alberty also did a writeup for the Oregonian that covers a few more details like “Marc-Andre’ Roy will continue joint leadership of the Domaine Roy & fils winery in collaboration with the Frescobaldi family as a member of the Board of Directors and as a minority owner in the Oregon winery. Etzel will remain in his capacity as winemaker.” At the end of the article, Jared Etzel says, “It will be a good, respectful collaboration.”

I also reached out to Jared, asking if this has any impact on him (I asked before I read the Oregonian article) and if it impacted Rodeo Hills. He graciously replied, “The Domaine Roy sale does not have any impact on rodeo hills. I’m very excited for the future of Domaine Roy and to work for the Frescobaldi family. They intend to fine tune and push the wine quality even further, and they have a long term outlook which is foundational for producing fine wine.”

I was shocked when I read the news earlier this week. Seeing the Wine World at large take notice of our wines and vineyards is quite something. Congratulations to Marc-Andre’ Roy and Jared Etzel for creating a magical space and bringing attention to our exceptional area to a broader audience. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Domaine Roy!

This is the final weekly newsletter (it might come back at some point), even though there will be another one next Saturday because it is the first Saturday of the month. Yes, expect the monthly newsletter to come out on the first Saturday at 6:10 am Oregon Standard Time. I will miss the stress of putting together all of my ramblings in an email to you every week, but trust me, the energy is still going into a wine project to highlight the “hidden gems” of Wine Country. So stay tuned for more details, and I hope for a sneak peek of the new project in September.

It is a podcast week, and let me tell you, I am excited about this episode! I was incredibly fortunate to sit down with Channing Frye of Chosen Family Wines. If you are unfamiliar with Channing, he is a retired NBA player. He was number 8 in the first round of the NBA draft in 2005. He played for a few NBA teams, but I only care about his time with the Portland Trailblazers. Being that close to Wine Country is undoubtedly where the wine bug grabbed him and never let go!

In 2020, he started Chosen Family Wines with Kevin Love, Chase Renton, and Jacob Gray. Of course, there were all sorts of press and attention on the brand, and in 2021 Chosen started the One Barrel Challenge featuring six different wineries along with their wine. I had to grab their first 2019 Pinot Noir, which was pretty dang good!

On the sidelines, I wanted to see where the hype was going. In 2023, the brand is still going strong, but there was a turning point for me in July of 2021. I attended an “Unofficial IPNC Party.” Channing was there, and of course, everyone was approaching him to get pictures. It wasn’t until I saw him have a thought-provoking conversation with Julia Coney and give out endless hugs. To see a public figure be an actual human and not try to be someone else sold me on every level possible!

In doing research for Channing, I also found out he had a connection with Andy Lytle on a couple of different levels. To start, Channing, Kevin, Chase, and Jacob stayed at AtTheJoy, putting together the pieces of what Chosen Family Wines would become. The other great tidbit was Channing and Andy used to live in the same building together in downtown Portland. Andy’s kids would play Xbox with Channing’s kids and Desmond Mason. Lastly, Channing did an event at L’Angolo for the Children’s Cancer Association called Give Joy, Get Joy, where Lytle-Barnett was the Sparkling wine for the event.

I tried to find a connection with Andy’s other label, Aubaine, but there wasn’t one. It would have been amazing to tie in the podcast's sponsor with Channing, but the closest I could get was AtTheJoy and Lytle-Barnett.

Speaking of Aubaine being the sponsor for the podcast, I dive into where you can taste some unique and delicious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Eola-Amity Hills on the podcast. The Carlton Winemaker’s Studio is a fantastic experience. If you haven’t visited, it needs to get on your list! When visiting The Studio, tell them you heard about Aubaine via Weinnotes, and they will hook you up!

Also, time is running out on using the 20% off promo code of WEINNOTES on the Aubaine Website! I am shocked to see the Joie Pinot Noir is still in stock after the scores it just received. Unfortunately, Labor Day is just around the corner, and you need to be the Hero of the Day!

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Channing Frye, and be sure to subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube to stay up to date on all future episodes! Also, I have to give a shout-out to the Domaine Serene Wine Lounge in Lake Oswego for allowing me to use the space for the interview. You will hear some background conversation, but it isn’t too bad.

• ​YouTube​
• ​Apple Podcasts​
• ​Spotify​

Also, be sure to visit the Chosen Family Wines website and sign up for their newsletter to stay updated with all the fun they are having. Plus, you want to know when their Sparkling drops very soon!

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With Heartfelt Gratitude,

A.J.

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