IN PHOTOS: Biodynamic Wine Tasting at Demeter Short Course

What a pleasure it was to moderate the Demeter Short Course on Biodynamic Wine Monday at Maysara Winery in McMinnville, Oregon. One of the best parts of the day was the wine tasting at the end of the program, which featured an awesome lineup of Pinot Noir and (amazing) new releases from each winery.

The awe-inspring Maysara Winery, built on a grand
scale from oak and stone from the site along
with barrel staves, was a breathtaking setting.

Winemaker Chris Williams with his 2012 Pinot
Noir  Rastaban - Brooks' old vines (in this
bottle) were planted 1974-77 and
are among the oldest in Oregon.

Cooper Mountain Vineyards vintner Barbara Gross poured
Pinot Noir from the winery's Meadowlark vineyard and old vines.

Maysara winemaker Tahmiene Momtazi poured a selection of
her Pinots

Montinore Estate red wine winemaker Ben
Thomas poured the estate's Reserve Pinot Noir

Dan Rinke from Johan Vineyards poured some
new releases that hit a home run including
a natural sparkling wine and a skin fermented
Pinot Gris (an orange wine)

Washington winemaker Paul Beveridge of Wilridge
Winery poured his exotically diverse wines including
Nebbiolo and Zweigelt

Sarah Hedges Goedhart, winemaker at Hedges
Family Estate in Washington's Red Mountain AVA
displays her first certified Biodynamic Wine -
a 100% Cab called Le Haut Cuvee

The outside of Maysara - as grand as the inside

Oregon in March...and three weeks ahead of normal bud break