Sustainable Sunday: South Stage Cellars

When visiting House Alive! a few months ago, we dropped in on a local landmark that houses the South State Cellars' wine tasting room. What we ended up with was a chance to support winemakers who practice sustainability, make good wine, and support local business!

Built in 1865, the then private residence of Patrick Ryan has been host to more local businesses than any other building in town. Currently it is the home of South Stage Cellars, a vineyard-based tasting room and wine garden. We sat in the old-world style tasting room and talked with the others there while sampling a series of award-winning wines, and eventually walked away with a bottle of their 2009 Early Muscat, sold on the promise from the woman in the tasting room that it served both as a delightful dessert wine as well as an aromatic white. It felt like a big claim to me and so was intrigued. I was impressed with the quaint, cozy feel of the tasting room along with the rows of medals and awards that lined the wall behind the bar. The 2008 incarnation of the Early Muscat won Best of Show at the 2009 World of Wine Festival.

We were also excited to see how committed South Stage is to supporting the local economy and community. The grapes come from owners Don and Traute Moore’s vineyard, Quail Run, a local 300 acre operation that utilizes no insecticides and utilizes cover crops as a means to enrich the soils. We noted that there were several events aimed at locals providing discounts and entertainment. Our friend Coenraad had been there just the night before performing at a local’s night.

Some weeks later we decided to give our southern belle a try. A pale straw color, I expected something touted as a potential dessert wine to be more syrupy, but it seemed more like an aromatic in the glass. The nose consisted of honey and a tropical fruitiness that we were initially unable to identify along with hints of clove. I found the taste to be powerfully sweet on the tongue with a slight sparkling texture and a lightly bitter finish, almost like grapefruit. Jason noted that he found a “zing” at the top of his palette that was just as much texture as it was flavor. After exploring this further we decided that this was the tropical fruit we’d gotten on the nose – guava. The whole experience was threaded with the light spiciness of clove that carried through from start to finish.

We decided that the claim that this wine could be either a dessert wine or enjoyed by the glass with food stood up to the test. The Early Muscat provided more than enough complexity and crispness to drink chilled with a citrusy piece of fish or a mild Thai curry. However, its bold sweetness and bitterness would make it an excellent complement to dark chocolate or summer fruits. I definitely enjoyed this versatile wine and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sweet wine with a kick.

Veni Vini Vino

I am pleased to report that I have been featured as a guest writer on a friends' blog that focuses on the wines of this lovely region - The Oregon Wine Blog. When Jason and I were down in Jacksonville visiting House Alive, we stopped in at a local wine cellar, picked up a bottle of wine, and eventually I wrote up a nice review. If you have a few minutes check it out - support another amazing blog out there!

I thought that I'd put together a simple bit explaining what makes a wine organic. Often in liquor stores (and more often in food co-ops) we will see areas designated "organic wine," but the term "organic" is often so overused that it often becomes meaningless beyond green packaging and Pollanesque supermarket pastoral. I will admit that I have not really spent time figuring it out (I generally go for local first, organic second when it comes to wine).

For starters, there needs to be an acknowledgment that along with confusion around what it means to be "organic" in our supermarkets, each country in the world has a different standard. This is important to think about when dealing with wine seeing as so much of the wine in this country is imported (other food as well). What is agreed upon across the board is that the way the grapes are grown is very important. There should be no pesticides or chemicals and all other methods of growing need to be earth-friendly.

Where things start to become hazy is the position on sulfites. Sulfites are a naturally-occurring product of fermentation, and an excellent wine preservative. However, because many people are allergic to them, in order to be considered an organic wine there can be no added sulfites. This is the US standard, so if you have a sulfite allergy be sure that the organic wine you are about to drink is domestic. That said, there is no such thing as a completely sulfite-free wine.

At Semi-Urban Homesteader (as stated earlier) we aim to make our purchases from local businesses first, organic businesses second. With fresh meats and produce we find that the two are the same, but with wine this is not always the case. Our choice is to keep money local, support family businesses, and avoid using oil through shorter shipping routes. We count ourselves lucky that when it comes to wine we are able to enjoy the bounty of the Willamette Valley - a sentiment our friends at The Oregon Wine Blog share with us!

Putting it all Together

Now THIS is what I call a feast...


Pork chops - Jason got them in work trade from Afton Field Farm. Dredged in paprika flour and roasted in cast iron.

Potatoes - Purchased at the First Alternative Natural Food Co-op and came from Gathering Together Farm. Marinated in balsamic vinegar and roasted with rosemary, sea salt, and pepper.

Salad - Kale and carrots purchased from Denison Farms and beets from GTF gotten at the Saturday Farmers' Market. Grated and mixed with sesame and flax seeds and tossed with a honey mustard vinaigrette.

Some food needs to be celebrated don't you think?

Sustainable Sunday: First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op

Nearly every food posting we have done includes some mention of the First Alternative Natural Food Co-op here in Corvallis. Whether baking bread, brewing kombucha, making chai, or getting our weekly groceries, we at Semi-Urban Homesteader LOVE this amazing Corvallis landmark.

The Co-op was started in 1970 by a group of 100 local citizens who wanted a source for healthy foods and the opportunity to educate others about sustainability and organic agriculture. Today it boasts over 8000 owners and two wonderful locations. Both the South (flagship) and North Co-op locations provide fresh produce, salad bar, deli items, prodigious bulk options, and high-quality natural and organic foods.

Some of our favorite Co-op features include the North Co-op's wheat grinder, South Co-op's bulk tincture selection, and both stores' ethically-sourced meat, quality wine and beer, and the "Feast Alternative" deli foods.

The Co-op does not just provide food, but events, workshops, and lectures on local issues and educational opportunities. They also work to support local business. The Local 6 program focuses purchasing efforts to buy from farms and businesses in the 6 most immediate counties around Corvallis. Currently they are earning money for local schools by dedicating a percentage of owner share monies.

All in all the First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op is an amazing example of people coming together for the health and welfare of their community.