Big Table Farm – Barn Raising

Big Table Farm – Barn Raising This is an invitation to you, our close friends and supporters, to participate in a special project with us and to be a part of our community as we take a big step for us personally and for big table farm. We have decided it’s time to BUILD A WINERY for big table farm wines, right here on the farm. This will be a place where we can make the wine close at hand. We believe this will give us even more control over the quality of the wines, and will be an important step in building big table farm. We are daring to follow the dream. As non-traditionalists, we are thinking outside of conventional financing to build this dream. We have put together a special package that we believe will bring you value and joy, as well as make you part of our FOUNDERS CIRCLE. Your participation will leave your names on the big table farm winery permanently, and make you a special part of the big table farm community. THE OFFER – A six pack of 2012 Magnums which will include 5 of our vineyard designate Pinot Noirs. The 6th Magnum will be our “founders reserve”, one special barrel that Brian will choose from the entire 2012 vintage that we will bottle into magnums for this specific purpose. This magnum will have a label that, true to big table farm form, will feature a piece of my art - that will also be made into a limited edition letter press print. As many of you know, we have not sold any magnums in the past, bottling only a few magnums each year only for special causes. In addition to the wine and art, we will be throwing a big table farm feast – July 2014 -- big table style – for you, our founders, to celebrate the opening of the winery, and to thank all of you that have made this possible. Your FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION of $1700 will build the WINERY We are excited and a little nervous as we take this leap, but we believe in our hearts that this is the right next step and are excited to be able to open the doors to you all when we complete it. Thank you for being part of our story, and we hope we get to count you in our circle of founders and raise a glass with you to celebrate.   Cheers! Clare and Brian click here to help us raise the 'barn'! photo of table courtesy of our dear friend Jeremy Fenske - http://www.jeremyfenske.com/ (and historic photo courtesy of George Williams - drawings  of the winery site and design by clare)

todays painting

if you've never seen the crimson clover you might not believe this color is real but it is!!

A weekend on the farm

We took the weekend off from wine tastings - to work in the garden and do things around the farm and it was DREAMY !! 

the garden is mostly in - 22 tomatoes,  garlic, onions, garlic, favas, corn, beets, flowers, beens, kale, lettuce, squash... the list goes on... we got a little spring rain last night too!! so nice ....

 a very pregnant Bella and her baby daisy from last year - on mothers day

Brian has been working on the old screen door that was in pieces when we bought this place and completely took it apart re-build it painted in and gave it new screening and hung it back up!! I love it - and him ; )  just what every farm house needs!! 

  

always good to have a glass of chardonnay while hanging a screen door... this was from a magnum from our wedding : ) pretty darn good for a 2005 ! 

happy spring...!

more bees

My good friend Laura and her husband caught and delivered another swarm to Big Table Farm tuesday morning .. Laura and I 'installed' them and they seem to be accepting there new home - 

this is that hive I blogged about back in February that I made a roof for and fixed up it was fun to get bees in it ... : ) crossing there fingers they stay. I saw pollen getting imported to the other hive I installed a few weeks ago so in the bee department things seem to be going well!

 

 

The dogs were quite fascinated by the bees late yesterday afternoon when they were especially active...

 

Why did Beethoven kill his chicken?

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It kept saying ''Bach, Bach, Bach...''



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If you would like to see more of my available chicken paintings (or others) they are up on http://clarecarver.com/gallery/chicken-paintings/ - for more info on each piece including price you can click the little 'i' in the upper left corner. 

a saturday evening...

It's been pretty dang busy around here - with lots of tastings and visitors...while nice to visit and meet so many folks I treasure the brief moments when the farm is quiet and it's just me and the animals... 

Brian went off on an errand this evening after our last afternoon appointment at the farm and I got to hang out with all the critters and just be quiet... it was lovley.... so I took these photos to share the quiet moment Saturday evening...... 

 

Levi has the right idea... 

 

 

 

 

Here are also some shots of the bees -- which are making the most of the gorgeous weather we are having! --- I was able to catch  a wild swarm Friday morning and they seem to be acclimating to there new home at big table farm so keep your fingers crossed that they stick... : )

 oh and last but not least the baby chicks arrived this week too!!  : ) 

so cute!!

snow in april

It's just beautiful here right now -- all the fruit trees have there party dresses on...

The Laughing Pig Rosé is back!

The good news is Summer is almost here and the 2012 Laughing pig rose is ready to ship to you!!  We bottled last Sunday with the help of some great friends! It has a floral nose of rose petals and orange blossoms, rich pallet of strawberry and tart cherry that linger into a crisp finish. Great as a sipper by itself, but as always dry rose never has a problem accompanying a wide variety of fare.  This is the first wine of the 2012 vintage you've already been hearing great things about. We made the 2012 rose with 50% Saigné that was placed on top of an equal amount of fruit and allowed to soak and slowly start to ferment for several days. This was then pressed and transferred to neutral barrels.  As we have always done, the 2012 LPR was fermented to dryness with malolatic complete and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The color of this rose is particularly beautiful with a great balance of lush fruit and a little spice which leads you into a rich mouth feel. A beautiful and balanced wine!

The bad news….. only 54 cases bottled.

2012 Rose of Pinot Noir - Laughing Pig Rose
54 Cases Produced
$26

Don't drag your hoove’s on this wine, with such a limited amount this year please make sure you buy some now so come august when you really want some it will be close at hand!

From our table to yours, Cheers! Brian and Clare 

another great day!

Saturday was a great day the morning started with a 7am martial arts training class at which I got invited to test for my black belt this June!!  I'm super excited about that ..and have still much work to do to prepare... then on that high from there I went to the plowing competition where I got to play with some of my favorite girl friends and horses all day!!! - big thanks to Duane for loaning me his team!!

 

a day spent behind a team is a great day!!!

 

and these last photos are just for the sake of silliness : )

Chardonnay!!

Go 'deep' with some of Oregon's rising star Chardonnay producers!


OREGON CHARDONNAY SYMPOSIUM -

This event will feature a panel discussion about the signature style of Oregon chardonnay and each producer’s style for winemaking along with a technical tasting

WHERE
The Oregon Olive Mill at Red Ridge Farms
5510 NE Breyman Orchard Road
Dayton, OR 97114

WHEN
Saturday, May 4, 2013
1-3 p.m. Panel Discussion and Technical Tasting
3:30 p.m. Expanded Tasting
WHERE
The Oregon Olive Mill at Red Ridge Farms
5510 NE Breyman Orchard Road
Dayton, OR 97114

Oregon Chardonnay is garnering national attention, taking center stage in the New York Times article “Oregon Chardonnay Speaks Up” last year and mentions in February’s Sunset Magazine article, “The Great White” and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down. The second Oregon Chardonnay Symposium on Saturday, May 4 at Red ...Ridge Farms will showcase a new wave of smaller producers and set out to define their signature style of N. Willamette Valley Oregon chardonnay. The event will begin with an educational and interactive panel discussion, featuring eight artisan producers and nationally renowned wine writers. The discussion will include a technical tasting of very limited production chardonnays from the panelists.

Participating Wineries
Arterberry Maresh
Big Table Farms
Crowley
Division Winemaking Company
Durant Vineyards
EIEIO
Matello
Walter Scott

Participating Media
Moderator:
Katherine Cole, wine columnist for The Oregonian and author of Voodoo Vintners: Oregon's Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers
Panelists:
Paul Gregutt, “Wine Adviser” columnist for The Seattle Times and NW editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
W. Blake Gray, author of the Gray Report blog, winner of the 2012 Wine Blog Awards for Best Industry Blog and columnist for WineReviewOnline.com, will also be participating in the event.

A walk-around tasting at the Durant Vineyards Tasting Room, will follow the panel discussion, featuring wines from the participating wineries along with charcuterie plates accompanied by Oregon Olive Mill olive oils. Participants will be provided with seminar notes, tasting notes and logo wineglass. There are 60 tickets available for the event and cost $60 each. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Red Ridge Farms at 503-864-8502.

Panel Discussion Topics:
• Each winery will define their signature style of N. Willamette Valley Oregon chardonnay
• Drive and influence of each producer
• Visions
• Oak regiments
• Vineyard sources, soil and climatic influences
• Winemaking practices
• What does the future hold for Oregon chardonnay