Antiquum Farm and Grazing-Based Viticulture

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Here we are on the other side of 2022. It amazes me how quickly two weeks flew by, yet there were moments when time moved ever so slowly in the most extraordinary ways possible. Memories were created, hearts were warmed, and so many smiles were had every day over the break. I hope it was a fantastic Holiday for you and everyone you hold near and dear to your heart!

It also warms my heart to see David Adelsheim still active in the Oregon Wine Community, and here is part one of an interview from the Northwest Wine Report.​

Uptown Girl Christie Brinkley's video on Today talking about the Holidays, her new sugar-free vegan Champagne and wine line called Bellissima.​

More evidence of Sparkling gaining ground in Oregon.​

Karen MacNeil posted her top wines of the year, and guess what? There are five Oregon wines on the list! She also did a great interview on the Black Wine Guy Experience Podcast you should check out.

I am sure most of you have watched the SOMM movies. One of the people featured was Ian Cauble. He is part of SOMM Select, which is a fantastic wine subscription. Over the holidays, they filed for bankruptcy protection.​

Rusty, the Prince of Pinot, has retired again. His words and website live on, but he will be missed!​

I intended to write this newsletter during the break. However, I think part of me enjoys living on the edge of a looming deadline every week. At any rate, I want to share with you my trip to a winery I wanted to visit for a very long over the Thanksgiving weekend.

My first encounter with Antiquum was during the Wine Media Conference trip in 2021 to Pfeiffer Winery in Junction City. Our guide mentioned Antiquum on the way but didn’t go into detail. My subsequent encounter was tasting with Drew Voit later that summer when I was blown away by his single vineyard designate from Antiquum.

On March 31, 2022, there was a special event for the Wine Crush Podcast where Heidi featured a couple of winemakers and the farmer/owner from Antiquum, Stephen Hagen. Luckily, I had my wine journal and feverishly wrote down so many juicy tidbits.

After Stephen’s talk, I was smitten. There was one minor issue, though. Antiquum had no wine at the event and none for purchase. They didn’t produce anything from 2020 like many other producers. As part of the provided small bites for the event, Stephen came prepared with protein from the farm. To say it was mouth-watering and unforgettable would be an understatement.

Why was I 133% committed to a wine I hadn’t tried yet? Farming. Stephen started his talk with his deep dive into fertilizer. He began to notice everyone was using the same organic fertilizer. The question of terroir came up, and he asked himself, “How can the wine have a sense of terroir when everyone uses the same fertilizer.” He wanted to be self-sustained and coined the term “Grazing-Based Viticulture.”

This is where it gets super exciting and nerdy and takes bio-dynamic farming to a new level. Stephen bought the property in 1996, and in 2010 the farm was finally self-sustainable, meaning zero outside fertilizers. Making this happen starts with KuneKune pigs roaming the vineyard and eating the grass. When the pigs finish up, sheep come in, followed by chicken and geese. Then, the pigs and sheep expose insects to the geese and chickens.

It doesn’t stop there, though. Guardian dogs watch over the pigs, sheep, geese, and chickens from hawks, eagles, black bears, and mountain lions. The dogs ended up being a pivotal component of the farm. Thirty-eight sheep were lost before the dogs, and only one has passed away since guards dogs were brought onto the property.

No tractors are used on the land either. Instead, there are two Belgian draft horses to plow. Stephen says, “Using the horses provides an intimacy allowing you to feel the vibration of the land.” Stephen has two daughters, and the food they ate growing up came from the farm.

Are you as enchanted as I was after listening to Stephen’s talk? If you’re not sucked in yet, I haven’t done my job very well, and you should probably stop reading at this point. It only gets worse from here on out (insert sarcasm).

Before my visit over the Thanksgiving weekend, I got an email saying the winemaker, Andrew Bandy-Smith, was moving on, “We've had the privilege of fostering Andrew’s growth to the point where he was inspired to build a small stable of his own winemaking projects outside of Antiquum Farm.”

I admit I was sad hearing the news, but I also knew nothing about Andrew. So instead, I was sucked into Stephen’s story and the farming practices. After doing a little research, I found that Andrew was a Midwestern preacher’s son, a philosopher, a sommelier, and eventually a winemaker. He was also assistant winemaker to Drew Voit before he was the winemaker at Antiquum and was at Soter for a while. I also found out Antiquum used to be named Old School Vineyard.

I don’t want to get too much ahead of myself, but I talked to Stephen briefly during my visit about the winemaker position. He mentioned they are looking for the right fit and are currently in great hands with help from Drew Voit, Alex Fullerton, and Mimi Casteel overlooking the winemaking process in the interim.

I tried to find out what Andrew’s new project is, but I wasn’t yet successful. If you, by chance, know, tap the good ‘ole reply button and let me know, please.

Finally, it is time for me to get into the visit!

The day I decided to visit, I wasn’t thinking too clearly. It was also the day Oregon State beat the University of Oregon. Antiquum is in Junction City, meaning I didn’t plan on potential traffic to Corvallis or Eugene. And yes, I would have to look up to see where the game was played because I am not a big Oregon football fan (eek, did I type that out loud). I am all about those Tennessee Volunteers, but I will also say all of my fingers and toes were crossed for the potential of TN playing U of O in a playoff game.

With all of that being said, I left my house early, thinking I would run into traffic, and guess what? There wasn’t a lick of traffic at all. Looking back, I am glad I pulled up into Antiquum’s parking lot early. Getting out of the car, I was greeted by Stephen’s Dad (I can’t remember his name). I apologized for being early while offering to stay in the car and wait until everyone was ready.

Stephen’s Dad was fabulous and played a fantastic game of stall while the staff finished setting up food and wine. In this game of stall, there were some great little tidbits about Stephen. He went to Hollywood with dreams of sending home checks and making it big. I believe it was during this time that Stephen met his wife and ended up getting married at Pfeiffer winery (a stone’s throw away from Antiquum).

Being in the area at Pfeiffer, somehow Stephen decided to buy the property where Antiquum is and built a getaway house for himself and his wife. His Dad logged the trees, and the getaway house was constructed from the wood on the property. The getaway became a permanent home for some time, but it became too small once the couple was pregnant. So another house was built from the land, and that is where Stephen and his family live today.

I should have spent more time digging into the timeline, but sigh, I did not. Sadly, there is only so much time in the day.

Are you ready to talk about wines? Yup, so am I!

First up was Stephen pouring the 2021 Pinot Gris in a tent outside the getaway house. I am either enjoying Pinot Gris more, or this was really good. I found it to be a super smooth expression of a Pinot Gris where the fruit isn’t all up in your face.

The other wine poured in the tent was the 2021 Juel Pinot Noir. Side story before I get into this wine. I came across a 2015 magnum of Antiquum for a very reasonable price, and I couldn’t help myself. I bought it before I tasted any wines from Antiquum, and when I came back home, I had to check to see which Pinot it was. Come to find out, it is the 2015 Juel, and I was delighted with my decision. I also know this magnum will likely be opened in mid-May this year!

The 2021 Juel Pinot is what I would call the most delicate of Antiquum’s Pinots. It is light in color with a dainty mid-palate of brighter red fruit, but the structure is firmly in place, giving a lasting finish. It will be interesting to see where the 2015 of the magnum is at in a few months!

Moving inside the house was the next pour of 2021 Passiflora Pinot Noir. Hands down, this was my favorite Pinot. It is darker in color compared to the Juel, showing dark red fruits mid-palate, and the finish was an endless execution of flavors tapering off and coming back over and over again.

Sipping on the Passiflora, I had to explore the house! Minimalistic, cozy, and striking are all words I would use to describe the place. A buddy of mine was with me for the tasting, and at first, he thought it was a Cob House. After asking, it wasn’t, but super close. Enjoy the pictures!

I might have gone back for another pour of the Passiflora before moving on to the 2021 Luxuria Pinot Noir. I very much enjoyed this pour. In comparing it to the Passiflora, it is even darker in color with more prominent, bolder flavors. The tannin structure is more pronounced but still nicely integrated. If I remember correctly, the grapes for this wine come from the center of the vineyard, where the animals enjoy hanging out more. Think more concentrated natural compost and having an impact on how the wines turn out. Believe it or not, this wine is spectacular with pizza!

The final pour was the 2021 Black Sheep Pinot Noir, a member-only exclusive meant to be more approachable and drinkable now. All the other Pinots are drinkable now but have colossal aging potential. Tasting this wine, it falls between the Juel and the Passiflora in terms of color, body, and texture.

My time at Antiquum went by way too quickly! I looked at my watch and noticed there was no way I would be on time for my next tasting at Andante (more to come on them in a couple of weeks). It was obvious to call the next winery to let them know I would be late but guess what? No cell service. I finished up at Antiquum, got down the road, and called Andante. Lucky for me, there was zero traffic from the inner-state rivalry football game formerly called “The Civil War.”

I am glad I could check Antiquum from my “Wineries to Visit” list! It was so worth the wait, and you should go also! Visit their website, make a reservation, and tell them, “A.J. sent me!”

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With Gratitude,

A.J.

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PS - Over the break, I also went to okta, and the Ron Acierto @pinoynoirpdx, the somm, poured a 2021 Rose from Antiquum that was fabulous!

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