A visit to Maison Joseph Drouhin

Bonjours from Beaune!
Photo by Meg McKenzie

I found out about Drouhin wines when I was wending my way through Oregon's Willamette Valley last year. So it was with eagerness that I descended upon the stately Maison Drouhin smack-dab in the middle of the lovely medieval town of Beaune.

According to those in the know, the greatest Pinot Noir in the world comes from Burgundy, the part of France of which Beaune is a part. But the Chardonnay grapes do equally well here, too. I hoped to taste excellent samples of both, as well as get a memorable experience for the 35 euros I shelled out for my 10:30 a.m. tasting.

The original press room at Joseph Drouhin
Photo by Meg McKenzie

Now, morning is not my favorite time to start sipping vintages, so I was pleased when our charming and attentive tasting guide, Raphael Febvret, proposed that we first do a walkthrough of the ancient caves that go not only under the maison but the nearby Notre-Dame church, as well. We were a small group -- I was joined only by a young, affluent couple from New York City who could not have been nicer. So our tour took on the cachet of an exclusive experience.

First, we walked across the plaza to a hidden door that led down to the ancient wine press room. It was modernized with photographs and displays showing how a few years ago, Drouhin and some high-rolling wine connoisseurs actually used the press to make a few precious bottles.

Then, we started going through the tunnels. Normally, I am not thrilled with a) being underground b) being in dark, enclosed spaces. But it was such an interesting tour with such a lot of history -- ancient centurion ramparts, Catholic bishops, Dukes of Burgundy, up to the present day -- that I didn't really have time to get nervous. Raphael paced our walk just right, stopping to show us dusty bottles of rare vintages and original Roman walls.

Raphael Febvret lines up bottles for our tasting.
Photo by Meg McKenzie

All that walking was a wonderful prelude to the tasting event itself, and voila -- suddenly we turned a corner and we had miraculously come back to the Maison. While we took a short break, Raphael got the bottles ready for our tasting, and I got to chat with the young couple, who had just come from Art Basel in Switzerland, where the train strike that nearly derailed me in Metzville, France (I had to rebook my ticket through Paris to get to Dijon), saw them renting a car and driving to Burgundy instead. So the poor (rich) guy, as the designated driver, had to spit out all his delicious wine into the bucket. I clued them in on Dijon -- take a pass -- and Nuits St. Georges -- by all means go -- and to thank me, they slipped me their Art Basel VIP ticket once they found out I was heading through there the next day. How sweet was that?

A tuille and some fromage and wine at Le Jardin Des
Remparts, where I lunched al fresco. Divine!
Photo by Meg McKenzie

But, to the wine: We went from the Clos de Mouches label through the Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Premier Cru and Pouilly Vinzelles to the Vosne-Romanee and Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres Premier Cru, I got a real sense of progression, and Raphael was not shy with the pour. But the true hallmark of my time at Drouhin turned out to be the camaraderie of my new amies and the sense of Burgundian history brought to life by the Maison's gracious hospitality and amazing cellars.

Postscript: Afterward, I sprung for an extravagant lunch at the nearby Le Jardin Des Remparts restaurant, which I enjoyed with an exceptional glass of Pinot Noir Entrecoeur Bohrmann 2009.

The old walls, or ramparts, that
give Beaune its magic.
Photo by Meg McKenzie

☻☻☻☻. Some people say the French are snooty; I say they are elegant and discerning. So put on your best behavior, and approach the Drouhin experience accordingly. The bottles uncorked here are of varying quality and price levels. The icing on the cake is the tour of the caves. Formidable!

P.P.S. They have many different tours available, including wine dinners and vineyard visits. Email maisondrouhin@drouhin.com or go to their website to book a tour.

My ratings go from one grape (poor) to five grapes (excellent) and are based on accessibility, price, ambiance, overall experience and, of course, the wines.

A visit to Indian Creek Winery

The Stowe family's vineyard is one of the oldest in Canyon County, after Ste. Chapelle and Hell's Canyon, going all the way back to 1982. Tucked away in Kuna a bit east of the Sunny Slope wine trail, it's actually one of the closest established vineyards to downtown Boise (take the Meridian Road exit (Exit 44) off I-84, and then find your way south to the corner of McDermott and Avalon Road).

The entrance to Indian Creek is hard to miss!
Photo by Meg McKenzie

But don't go looking for a giant temple of the vine, such as you might find at Ste. Chapelle (which has grown from its humble beginnings in 1979 and is now owned by the gigundo California Ascentia Wine Estates and pumps out hundreds of thousands of cases a year). No, Bill and Mui Stowe's Indian Creek is more on the intimate, hitch-up-a-chair-and-pour-a-glass type of place. And it's now run day-to-day by their daughter Tammy and son-in-law Mike.

In fact, after locating the two signs that point you to Indian Creek (one's old and time-worn, the other new and creative), I felt like I had just pulled in to an old friend's driveway. The building itself is a no-frills shed-type structure. But some folks were enjoying the bucolic setting at a picnic table to the west of the winery as I strolled around searching for the elusive entrance to the tasting room. Luckily, a mind-reading black puppy led me straight to the cutely decorated green door on the side of the building.

Mike McClure mans the down-home tasting room
Photo by Meg McKenzie

Inside, I was greeted with a friendly smile by winemaker/official son-in-law Mike McClure, who was hosting some customers and/or old friends at the bar. I'm telling you, it's hard to make the distinction here. Very low-key and nice. The cozy tasting room itself was the usual mix of product displays, wine bottles bearing their red-white-and-blue ribbons and wine competition medals, and the bar.

But Indian Creek distinguishes itself from the rest of the Snake River AVA pack by producing one of the few Pinot Noirs to come out of the region, as well as whites like Riesling, Chardonnay and Viognier (which took gold at the 2010 Northwest Wine Summit), a rose and small batches of Merlot, Cabernet and even a Port. And in my travels around Boise I've found quite a slew of restaurants and wine bars actively pushing Indian Creek wines. Cool!

I tried some of their yummy white Pinot Noir (which actually looks like a rose and drinks like a white Zin). It was fruity and refreshing, and would go perfectly with barbecue or spicy food like tacos.

Just before I left, Tammy Stowe-McClure came in, and visited. She was very perky, nice, and like her husband, down to earth.

The funky entrance to the tasting room
Photo by Meg McKenzie

As my new dog friend led me back out to my car, I assessed my impressions. They were distinctly warm and nurturing -- yes, Indian Creek gives off kind of a lost-decade, bell-bottom, fringe suede hippie vibe. But hey, what's wrong with that? Good wine, good friends, good karma.

Indian Creek Winery
1000 N. McDermott Road
Kuna, ID 83634
(208) 922-4791; indiancreekwinery.com

Owners: The Stowe Family
Winemaker: Mike McClure

☻☻☻ Indian Creek is not hard to find and has a friendly, low-key atmosphere. It's nice to see one of the original wine-making families in Caldwell County still cranking out damn drinkable vintages. The grounds are tree-shaded and attractive, and the tasting room welcoming. The wines are good, too. Plus: No tasting fee! Open weekends from noon to 5 p.m. 

My ratings go from one grape (poor) to five (excellent) and are based on accessibility, ambiance, overall experience and, of course, the wines.