Tyrus Evan Wines

As part of my job in the wine industry, I have to keep up on all the wines in the press, what's getting great scores, and who's buying what. I often read about wines, try and get my hands on them, and if they are really good, offer them to my customers. However, every once in a while I find a treasure that is, well, less known, and then it gets great press. It's always fun to find wines, enjoy them, and then read that others have enjoyed them as much as me!

Such is the case with Tyrus Evan wine. A second label to Ken Wright (named after his two sons), the Tyrus Evan label focuses on more "big" wines, like Syrah and bordeaux blends ( a walla walla blend, a cab franc, etc.) Recently, Tyrus Evan was featured in the Wine Press NW newsletter. The 2004 Del Rio Syrah recieved an "outstanding" rating.

If you are interested in trying Tyrus Evan Wine, you can email me (emily@corkcellars.com) and reserve your bottle today. We currently have in stock -

2004 Tyrus Evan Cab Franc (my favorite)
2004 Tyrus Evan Syrah
2004 Tyrus Evan Malbec
2003 Tyrus Evan Walla Walla Claret

All are outstanding wines - full and complex. This wine is made in small lot production, so once it's gone, it's gone!

Wine by the River with Oregon Vineyard Selection

Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29th and 30th, we showcased our wine cellar racking and services at Bend's Wine by the River. Wine by the River is a non-profit event benefitting the Hospice of Bend-LaPine, and features over 50 wineries from Oregon, Washington and California, food vendors, and artists. This was a fantastic venue for us to catch up with previous wine cellar clients, visit with wineries & friends, and showcase wine cellar information to potential clients.

It was a beautiful two days in Bend, Oregon. The weather was clear, and it was nice and warm, a perfect time to sip on crisp whites in the afternoon, and full-bodied reds in the cool evening. While Mark and I worked and spoke with clients most of the day, we did get a chance to try some familiar wines, as well as try some new wines from the region.

Of course, one of our favorite winery's in Oregon, was at hand in the winner's venue - Domaine Meriweather - who won "best white" with the Captain Clark Sparkling Brut. The Captain Clark sparkling is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, made in the traditional champagne method. This wine sees over seven years in the bottle, and is aged to a smooth, crisp brut with tiny bubbles, loads of flavor and a smooth finish. Domaine Meriweather was the first place we sent our friends and previous wine cellars clients, Larry and Irma Robinson (cellar shown at right). Although the Robinson wine cellar was completed last year, we still keep in touch. Larry and Irma are very gracious, and often let us show off their wine cellar to potential clients. They are also great customers of the wine shop, and take advantage of our great discounts and delivery service.

Other great booths at Wine by the River this year were Spindrift Cellars, Harris Bridge Vineyards, and keeping us awake and with good treats - DiLusso's Coffee and Bi-Bop Biscotti were on hand. It got very busy Saturday afternoon and into the evening.

A long day of talking with folks about how to store wine, why they would love to have a wine cellar, and everything that goes along with a wine cellar project is tons of fun, but can get overwhelming at times. But, no one can really complain when you're talking about wine and working with great people who make you laugh and have a great time working... like Mark. Cheerful through the whole weekend, as shown left (below) - Mark posing like he's opening a bottle of Harris Bridge Pinot Noir Desert wine... problem is, it's empty!

If you missed us this year at Wine by the River, don't fret! We showcase Oregon Vineyard Selection's custom and modular racking, climate control, and cellar accessory options at Cork Cellars Wine Shop in Sisters. We also offer free consultations to anyone interested in getting started with a wine cellar project. Please visit or call us for more information.

Visit to Domaine de la Terre Rouge

Domaine de la Terre Rouge is located in the Sierra Foothills, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley - just outside of Plymouth, CA. The wine region there has a lot to offer, and if you have the opportunity, I highly suggest a trip down there - I know the Willamette Valley is only about a 3-hour trip, but how many times can you go to the same place? :) It takes about 10 hours from Bend and don't leave without a visit to Domaine de le Terre Rouge. I did end up going to a couple other wineries in the area, but can say that the best wines for my palate came from Terre Rouge (meaning "red earth").

Domaine de la Terre Rouge makes two labels - Domaine de la Terre Rouge and Easton both by winemaker/owner Bill Easton. The Terre Rouge label is used for Rhône-style wines, while the Easton label is used for non-Rhône wines. For me, both of the labels suit my palate, but I do prefer the Terre Rouge label if I were forced to choose. I sit and drink a wine from either label, and wonder if it's possible for Bill to make a wine I don't like! Apparently, so far, it has not been possible.

The grapes (shown right) are this year's Syrah - already fermented and waiting for the barrel. Bill bottle-ages his wines, sometimes for a good chunk of time - for example, this year's Noir (his flagship wine) is a 1999. I also purchased a delicious Zin from the tasting room that is a 1999. You can also get other years of the Noir from the tasting room depending on your tastes and budget.

Bill suggested Amador Foothills and Shenandoah Valley/Sobon to me in my search for another tasty Zin - but of course, mentioned that his were still the best. I'd have to agree - and if you'd like to try one of them, come on into Cork Cellars.

A Willamette Valley Wine Tasting Trip

On August 27th we made a trip out to the Willamette Valley to keep up with the latest and greatest in the area. We started out at Argyle, located in Dundee, OR - about a 2.5 hour trip from Bend, OR. They have a really nice lineup of wines, and great sparkling, which is always the best way to start out any wine tasting trip!

From Argyle we hit Archery Summit winery, Penner-Ash, Scott Paul, and Tyrus Evan. I can't say there was even one wine we didn't like at any of the wineries, however, the two spot light wines of the trip were the Scott Paul Le Paulee Pinot Noir and the Tyrus Evan Cabernet Franc.

On Monday the 28th we stopped at the Carlton Winemakers Studio for a wine trade tasting. This typically includes various wineries that set up tasting for those of us "in the trade", i.e. restaurant employees, wine shop owners, wine bar owners, etc. The highlights from this tasting were the Domaine Meriwether Captain Clark, Domaine Meriwether Prestige Rose, Hamacher Pinot Noir, and the Dominius IV Syrah.

It was a very relaxing trip, we had some great wines - and it's great to get out and meet the winemakers and folks that make it all happen!

Buzz from Domaine Meriwether visits Cork Cellars

Buzz, from Domaine Meriwether came to Cork Cellars August 19th to host a complimentary wine tasting. We had 4 sparkling wines open in honor of National Sparkling Wine Night (so-named by Ron Loutherback, founder of The Wine Club. The sampled sparkling wines:

• Discovery - made in the Brut style from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes
• William Clark Cuvee - their flagship wine made of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (different percentages than the Discovery)
• Fort Clatsop Cuvee Blanc de Blancs - 100% Chardonnay, made in the traditional Champagne style
• Prestige Rose - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, turned rose at triage-time

The day was perfect - perfect wines, weather and customers. The group was a lot of fun - we had some locals (show here - Stephanie and Dennis), and also some tourists came in to enjoy the informative session, as well as enjoy some great wines.

We had some great feedback - primarily that people learned a lot, and thought that the wines were fantastic. We can't wait until next year so that we can celebrate this "holiday" again - in style.

More pictures from the event.

Quilt Show weekend in Sisters, OR

Last weekend was Quilt Show in Sisters - people come from all over to see the 1200 colorful quilts hung on all the buildings downtown. Sisters becomes an extremely busy place!

Cork Cellars welcomed Eagle & Rose Winery from Napa Valley as a guest to provide complimentary wine tasting to those in town on this busy occassion! We had a great time with the out-of-towners - it's enjoyable for us to treat people to wines especially picked for the hot summer months.

The town has died down a little since the show, and it's finally getting back to normal one week after the event... but we have more wine-tasting events planned! Plus, you can always taste something new during all open hours for a very low price! Click here for this week's wine menu.

Our next complimentary event:

Thursday, July 20th
4pm-7pm
Join wine aficionado, Lillie Blakely, as she presents bright whites and bbq reds for the summer season. complimentary

For more information about other events, please see our website.

Our Regulars

Thursday and Friday nights have become "locals night" at Cork Cellars - we have a great group of people that come in both evenings... we have such a great time, we wish that every night was locals night!

Because we are open late (until 9pm) Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we're able to cater to some of the locals, as well as the tourists coming through town. There's not much else open late in Sisters, so it's a nice place to relax, have a couple glasses of wine, some appetizers to share (that can end up making a meal) and a wonderful dessert! The flourless chocolate cake is to-die-for - especially with the Harris Bridge Pinot Noir dessert wine...

Angeline's bakery is next door, and has live music during the summer months on both Friday and Saturday evenings - so for a fun-filled evening night in Sisters, start at Cork Cellars with a good glass of wine, sit outside while enjoying the music next door... then make your way over to Angeline's to finish off the evening! You'll have a great time - it's a promise!

Preparing for Central Oregon's Wine of the Month Clubs

We're here hanging out at the house in Bend, getting ready for our Central Oregon Wine of the Month Club - and as you can see Rali is helping with the Newsletters.

We deliver all around Bend the last Friday of every month... and this is the day! Thursday night we get all the wines ready for delivery, and put in a newsletter that outlines the wines we have chosen for the participants. The feedback has been excellent, and we enjoy spending the time finding the best wines that we can! It's been fun for us, as well as fun for our customers... and Rali has fun too!

Currently Cork Cellars is offering two monthly wine clubs:

Big Bang
The Big Bang Club philosophy is to offer the best "bang for the buck" wine to our customers. We intend to track down great wines from around the world, for great prices. Tickle your taste buds with varietals best in class for value and quality. The cost for the Big Bang Club wine selection will not exceed $20 per month.

Club Cork
The Club Cork philosophy is to offer members an opportunity to try unique wines a vintner might set aside for their own personal enjoyment. We're dedicated to finding wines with characteristics and captivating flavors that can elevate your senses - and our goal: to provide members with memorable wines that have a clearly noticeable edge over other perfectly acceptable wines. The cost for the Club Cork wine selection will not exceed $50 per month.

Each Club includes 2 specially chosen wines per month.

For both clubs you can choose to receive one RED and one WHITE --OR-- 2 bottles of the monthly RED wine selection --OR-- 2 bottles of the monthly WHITE wine selection.

Visit the Cork Cellars website for more information on the wine clubs offered, or stop in the shop! We're in Sisters across from the Chamber of Commerce.

The Grand Re-Opening

Cork Cellars opened across from the Chamber in downtown Sisters after spending about a year in the same building as the Common Threads clothing store to expand into a wine bar - including food, wine by the glass, and flights (sample size of 4 wines from our weekly list).