The Oregon Sparkling Report Is Here

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It’s close to impossible to find a proper opening for this week's newsletter. I am going to fumble around a lot while plunging into the deep end. Sorry if you get wet, but here we go.

We all know where we were 20 years ago today. It was a devastating day for so many reasons. For me, I just completed a cross-country journey from Tennessee to Oregon just a few days prior. All of my stuff was in a moving truck due later in the week. In my empty apartment, there was a radio, my computer, and a few other essentials. I was listening to 94.7 on the radio when I heard the news, and it didn’t seem real.

Since the attacks, we have grown accustomed to a new normal of taking our shoes off, walking through detectors, and many other inconveniences to achieve commercial air transportation. For some, like my daughter, she has no clue what the world was like 20 years ago. We pick up as many pieces as we can and move on in the best way possible. Unfortunately, some are still grieving and will never stop. My heart goes out to those people, and today I send out huge hugs to everyone who is hurting.

Twenty years ago, I never thought I would be sitting here talking to you about wine. Being from Tennesse, wine was for those upper aristocrats who had too much money. Oh, how the times have changed. I have no doubt some people look at me through the same lens as I once did regarding wine.

I thought long and hard about when to launch the Sparkling Report. Launching anything on September 11 isn’t exactly the greatest of ideas. Adding in, it is the 20th anniversary. I am not the brightest bulb in the package for sure from a political standpoint.

As I mentioned earlier, this weekend marks my 20th year of picking up my life from Tennessee and calling Oregon home. The past 20 years have been something else filled with highs, lows, and everything in between. Marking the occasion with the release of the Sparkling feels very appropriate to me. We all celebrate with Sparkling, and it brings a smile to everyone's face.

With all of that said, let’s dive into the Sparkling Report!

I have composed a 47-page report diving into 29 different producers and 37 bottles of Oregon Sparkling. Never in a million years did I think getting through 37 bottles of wine would be a difficult task. Yet, according to some sources, I shamelessly drank every single bottle all by myself and didn’t share a single drop. When in fact, I invited people before the COVID numbers skyrocketed out past Mars. I also invited some close friends over while a couple of neighbors were thrilled to see me show up with a couple of bottles at their doorstep.

In the 47 pages, I give a brief bio for every winery along with a tasting note for all 37 bottles. There might also be a top ten list sorted alphabetically of ones that stood out to me the most. Keep in mind when looking over the list, I thoroughly enjoyed every single bottle. There is no possibility of going wrong with any of the Sparklings in the report. Oregon produces high-quality wines, and the Oregon Sparkling Program is on par with setting high standards!

As I was working on the report, I got a little excited when I came up with the term “Saber the moment” and designed another t-shirt. I went to a designer with a very lame photoshop sketch, with a link to the Slo-Mo guys on YouTube sabering Bubbles. I wanted to capture the essence of the explosion of bubbles while the cork was flying off. I am freakin pleased as all get out with the result!

Here are a couple of links if you are interested in purchasing the report or the shirt. I charge for the report because I provide a lot of free content, and there was a LOT of work putting this report together. Therefore, I am asking $5, and it is a downloadable PDF.

​This shirt cost a little more to produce compared to the last one. I was pretty picky about the design. It is $27, and if you purchase a shirt, I will email you a copy of the Sparking Report for free.

I can’t thank you enough for taking the time every week to read the newsletter. Next week we will be back to our regular weekly schedule, and whenever you visit any of the wineries in the report, please let them know, “A.J. sent me.”

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With Gratitude,

A.J.

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PS - Here is the link to the report​

PPS - Here is the link for the shirt​

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