Dispatch · Saturday, March 18, 2023
Kenny and Allison McMahon of Arabilis
Silicon Valley Bank's wine division, a scrapped wine tax, and a podcast with Kenny McMahon, whose Arabilis sparkling is still a couple of years away.
To not talk about the sun this week feels wrong on so many levels, and I hope there is more sun for me to babble about in the future. This leaves me with a chance to talk about Silicon Valley Bank briefly.
There are very few times I encounter the convergence of wine and tech, but both of my worlds collided this week. The horror stories of startups unsure about being able to get their money out of the bank to make payroll are devastating. However, SVB also plays a massive role in the wine world, with over a billion dollars in loans. The government has stepped in to help, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. I still haven’t heard if the wine division of SVB is getting picked up. I hope anyone out there banking with SVB is doing ok. My heart goes out to you, and let’s hope this passes with as few ripples as possible.
I was going to write a little bit about House Bill 3312, which would increase taxes on beer and cider by 1200% and increase taxes on wine by more than 500% and link to the website Don’t Tax My Drink in an attempt to persuade you to sign the petition, but a little birdie told me yesterday morning that the bill will not be moving through legislation this session. Phew, thank goodness!!
Jeff Granger got promoted to assistant winemaker at Natalie’s Estate
Happy to see Celestial Hill getting some exposure via Oregon Wine Press.
I don’t have many links this week, but this one from Time is amazing and precious. Without shoutouts for Ponzi, Iterum, Montinore, Corollary, The Ground, the Tributary Hotel, Okta, and Remy Drabkin. I also have to play the flip side of the coin by saying it’s scary that our Oregon Wine Country secret is getting revealed with a subtitle of “The next Napa.” But, just like my daughter, all things must grow up and blossom.
There were over 50 events that for the last Events Newsletter! You don't want to miss the next one coming out April 1st
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As I mentioned last week, the podcast schedule got wonky. Last week a podcast episode was supposed to drop, but it didn’t. So instead, this week and next will be podcast weeks to make up for a less than par planning on my part.
In the summer of 2021, when I was doing my Sparkling Report, a winemaker, Kenny McMahon, reached out via Instagram, bringing awareness to his project, Arabilis, launching later in 2021. Naturally, I was super excited, and in another message, Kenny let me know his still wines were being released, and Sparkling still had a couple of years left before being released.
Since the initial message in 2021, we have messaged back a forth a little here and there. When Lundeen was holding their first pickup party this past summer, I was hopeful Kenny would be there to put a name to a face. Unfortunately, our paths didn’t cross. During the Thanksgiving weekend, I finally had the pleasure of meeting Kenny and his wife, Allison!
Quick tangent! It’s Friday evening, and I am finishing the newsletter with a glass of 2018 Lytle-Barnett Blanc de Noirs. I felt the need to open some Bubbles with it being the first official semi-warm Friday of Spring (see, I knew there would be more sun for me to babble about). I have to tell you I adore how smooth and elegant this is! There is a chance with a 100% Pinot Noir Sparkling Wine of getting a strong sharpness of Pinot on the finish. I get none of that here. I have to say it is making my day even better, if that is possible.
Were you aware that every bottle of Lytle-Barnett is vintage-based? If you are curious why that is so important, I dive into the importance of vintage-based Sparkling on the podcast. Take a few minutes to learn more about the difference between vintage and non-vintage-based Sparkling Wine. Also, visit Lytle-Barnett’s website and use the promo code WEINNOTES for 20%. Easter is coming up, and having Bubbles is the best thing ever!
Getting back to Kenny, Allison, and Arabilis. I did my initial research as I always do for the podcast, and I must tell you I had to stop myself from nerding out with Kenny about Sparkling. I try not to nerd out too much, but when discussing his Master's dissertation on the influence of different sugar levels on the tirage, there is some nerd wine talk. Allison wasn’t there for the interview, but we also got into her story and how she investigated the impact of tannin and alcohol content on the sensory profile.
Kenny and Allison met at Washington State University, and the story of how they met is incredible! I am pretty darn sure you haven’t heard of Arabilis yet, but rest assured you will hear about them in the coming years! Their first Sparkling is releasing this Fall. Before listening to the podcast, you must visit their website and sign up for the mailing list pronto! Their Pinot and Chardonnay still wines are also exceptional. Eventually, their goal is to be around a 95% Sparkling House.
Thank you, {{ subscriber.first_name }}, for signing up for their newsletter, and here are all of the links for this week’s podcast!
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All of the links and please like and share because it helps me a lot!
When you visit Kenny and Allison please tell them, "A.J. sent me!"
With Gratitude,
A.J.
A.J. Weinzettel
Wine journalist & podcaster covering Oregon wine country