Happy 2014 harvest, everyone.

Reports from the field: clean grapes, very few birds, practically no hens & chickens.

The whole cluster grapes emit a beautiful warmth and scent as they process.

I’m predicting that the ’14 vintage pinot noirs will be jammy and robust but with fewer tannic spirit than the ’12s, which was a remarkably dry year.

I visited some of my friends (and clients) last week while they were fermenting their beautiful Fossil & Fawn pinot noir and chardonnay. Jim Fischer described the grapes and “happy and healthy, which is all an Oregon winemaker really wants — just like a baby.” (He is going to make a terrific father one day.)

It takes a lot of great coffee to make great wine — Jenny Mosbacher stays awake with Portland’s finest.

Jim Fischer punching down Fossil & Fawn whole cluster pinot noir.