I. Meet The Color Collector
In love with high-acid, low alcohol wines that make you feel good, I have been working with Oregon Gamay since 2015. I believe, the secret magic of wine lies in its ability to tell a story - to translate a slowly unfolding process of nature into the tangible sensory experience of a single sip. As a winemaker, I intend to tell an honest tale.
I work gently and slowly. I don't own a winery pump. I adore my traditional basket press, and I rely on native yeast and the natural chemistry of ripe wine grapes in my fermentations. Even though, during harvest, you can often find me awake a 4 a.m. still plucking berries from their stems by hand, there are only so many hours in a day. My wine production is small in size, but full of heart.
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​II. The Rare & Wonderful Gamay Grape
Although Gamay is cultivated primarily in Beaujolais, the French Alps, and the Loire, there are tiny, exceptionally limited plantings in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Here, the grape is perfectly suited to ripen rich fruit flavors while holding onto acid for freshness, stability, and texture. After years of working with Gamay farmed in the rolling hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley, I begin a new endeavor soon to plant Gamay at 2,000 feet elevation on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Never stop exploring and always drink good Gamay!​
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III. Frederick, the Original Color Collector
Also titled: Where does the name come from?
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In his children's book, Frederick, Leo Lionni tells the story of a mouse. While all the other mice busily gather corn, nuts and wheat for winter, Frederick sits quietly and gazes out over the meadow. But he is stocking up for the long, grey days of winter too. When food becomes scarce for the mice in their hideout in the stones, Frederick sustains them with stories about the warm glow of the sun and the colors of poppies and periwinkles.
This is the essence of wine. It is the flavor of a singular time and place, gathered and shared to bring us together, inspire curiosity, strengthen our resolve, and enhance our experience of life.
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IV. A Promise.
Color collecting is about noticing the abundance all around us - the small beauties that bring us nourishment and happiness. To me, it seems a fortuitous mystery that grapes naturally contain the perfect amount of sugar, acid, and tannin to make balanced wine. I promise to honor this natural wonder. I promise to craft wine with respect and care - for the land, for the people who farm it, and for the people who will drink it.
