Cameron Winery -- sustainably farmed, non-irrigated, Oregon pinot noir and chardonnay

Deep Throat came to Dundee in September. While trying to impress visiting distributors with his prowess at tasting winegrapes in the vineyard, the wizard of ozzie wines (Rollin Solles/Argyle) inadvertantly sswallowed an earwig. The earwig set up residence in his trachea and refused to leave. Not wishing to lose a possible sale, Rollin avoided disgorging the invader initially but later found that it was happily ensconced somewhere down around his uvula. He was forced to live in peaceful coexistance with it until his gastric juices finally dissolved it sometime in the middle of the night.

—

The crew from Noble Wines in Seattle came to visit in October. They were interested in the French winemaking term “Pigeage” which is a highly traditional way of making Pinot noir. After a few less-inhibited members of the troop agreed to personally demonstrate the technique, we were able to charge admission to the balance. 1992 Abbey Ridge Pinot noir is certain to be a wine of depth with subtle nuances of flavor and aroma.

—

John Thomas, aka Acme Wineworks, got his winery licensed. The health inspector was a bit dubious about a few items until John presented him with milk and cookies. The idea was passed on to John from another local vineyardist/winemaker , Michael Edtzel. As a result several wineries in this are are now deducting expenditures for milk and cookies under “License and Fees.”

—

Ernest is a dog of limited brains. In fact, teaching a Bassett a new trick is a bit like trying to teach an ant. His recent discovery of electricity was therefore a shockingly significant event. When his nose touched the electric fence on that fateful, Ernest was well grounded. For a brief moment, he was transformed to a pointer–tail erect, head forward, body rigid (admittedly a very short pointer); this form gave way quickly to a classic “Yip Yap” and finally settled back to a somewhat wizer Bassett. This has us excited about the prospect of training our ants to clean up the tasting room.

—

“THE ULTIMATE IN MOBILE HOME LIVING” is what the sign says and Dundee Mobile Estates is certainly that. View lots sport a panorama of the decaying trailer park next door and the rusting nut-drier shed across the street. Best of all is the proximity to Bill’s Market where one can readily procure worms, twinkees and “Bud.”