MEMORIAL WEEKEND OPEN HOUSE AND BARREL TASTING

5/24, 5/25 and 5/26/2008 - Memorial Day Weekend Open House and Barrel Tasting, 11am - 5pm

We're Pouring Powerhouse Pinots!

We look forward to the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend Open House and Barrel Tasting, May 24, 25, and 26, 11am to 5pm. It's always great to see old friends and new faces alike. We will be pouring single vineyard Pinot noirs, barrel tasting the 2007 vintage, and pouring a selection of our other wines.

Memorial Day Weekend is a great opportunity to tour our historic winery (McMinnville's former power plant) and to chat with the Winemaker, Michael Stevenson and the rest of the Panther Creek crew.

There is a $5 tasting fee, refundable with wine purchase.

We hope to see you there!

Map and Driving directions

SPRING MAGNUM SALE!

Panther Creek is celebrating the Spring Solstice and the promise of sunshine with a Spring Magnum Sale.

We have only a small quantity remaining of the 2004 Temperance Hill and the 2004 Freedom Hill in the larger format. We are offering these Magnums at a 10% discount — only $72.00 a bottle.

What’s more, this discount will be added to our normal half-case and case discount (10%); thus, purchasing three to six Magnums will earn you a 20% discount...bringing the per-bottle price down to $64.00. What a steal!

Don’t miss this opportunity to add one of Oregon’s great vintages to your collection, just in time for spring and summer festivities.

Sale ends April 30, 2008. Sale does not apply to Reserve Board or Platinum Club Members (regular club discounts still apply). Note: This is a great way to earn credit towards Platinum Club membership!

To place your order, call us at 503.472.8080 or visit our online store.

WINTER AT SHEA VINEYARD

Shea Vineyard Manager, Javier Marin and his crew pruning the North Block on January 28th, 2008.

One of Oregon's most talented growers, Javier has been working with Dick and Deirdre Shea since the initial planting in 1990.

The North Block sits at about 600 feet in elevation with Southeasterly exposure.

Learn more about our vineyards...

   

VALENTINE’S DAY WEEKEND AT THE WINERY

February 14 - 17. 12pm to 5pm.

Panther Creek’s Tasting Room will be honoring St. Valentine’s namesake with a special chocolate-and-Pinot pairing, as well as wine and merchandise specials.

From Thursday, February 14 through Sunday, February 17 (12 to 5PM), the winery will feature the hand-made chocolates of Extreme Chocolates, from Salem, Oregon. Chocolates will be appropriately paired with our Winemaker’s Cuvee and our lineup of Single Vineyard Pinots.

VALENTINE'S DAY WINEMAKER'S DINNER AT VISTA HILLS

February 16, 2008. 5pm.

Join Vista Hills Vineyards and Winery for their first annual Winemaker's Dinner in the barrel room at the Treehouse. This will be the first in a series of three dinners for the 2008. Panther Creek endorses the event—we make lovely wine from this vineyard—and Michael Stevenson will join dinner guests, speaking about the vineyard and his winemaking style.

Each course of the dinner will be paired with Vista Hills premium wines. This wonderful event will be an evening to remember. Make your reservations soon as space is limited. The cost will be $90 and it will begin with a sunset wine reception in the great room at 5pm. You can call us at 503-864-3200 or email us at info@vistahillsvineyard.com to make your reservations.

For more information, please visit the Vista Hills website.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND TASTING ROOM SCHEDULE

As with most of the wineries in the Willamette Valley, we will be closing our Tasting Room doors for the Winter Holidays. This weekend is the last weekend before Christmas and New Year's that we will be open. We will be closed from Monday, Dec. 24, 2007 through Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. We will resume normal Tasting Room hours on Wednesday, Jan. 2, from Noon to 5PM.

So, if you are still looking for a great gift for that wine aficionado, be sure to visit us this weekend. We have gift packs and new Panther Creek Merchandise--including Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses--to fit every wish list.

We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday, replete with fond memories...and good wine!

From all of us at the winery, "Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!"

HARVEST 2007 RECAP

Chelsea Pybus celebrates her third harvest at Panther Creek in the last settling tank to be barreled-down. Andy Lifschutz, her working compatriot in harvest took this picture as they finished a season of really intense work.

Harvest began on September 26th and continued until October 23rd. A couple of writers were quick to proclaim the 2007 Oregon vintage a wash-out before the wines were finished fermenting. But this is Oregon, or at least Western Oregon and we have a little experience in dealing with wet weather. Winemaker Michael Stevenson likens it to his first vintage in 1993; one that turned out to be a classic for many Oregon vintners.

Our growers are some of the hardest working and most talented people in the business and they delivered beautiful fruit at modest sugar levels. And, while it may be a little soon to predict the evolution of these wines, we believe that they will be elegant with balanced fruit and natural acidity at moderate alcohol levels.

We are presently resting 344 barrels of Pinot noir. We also are pleased to have one stainless tank of Chardonnay from the Elton Vineyard.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

During our recent Thanksgiving Weekend Open House and Barrel Tasting customers were given the opportunity to guess the weight of giant pumpkin donated to the winery.

We're pleased to announce that Mike of Sherwood, Ore. guessed the exact weight of 427 pounds! Congratulations!

For his weight-guessing prowess Mike won a Magnum of 2003 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir.

We'd like to thank everybody who attented our Open House. It was great to see lots of familiar faces and many new ones as well.

If you missed the open house the tasting room is open daily. We hope you stop by to do some of your holiday shopping!

Map and Driving directions

THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF NICK'S ITALIAN CAFE

Nick Peirano and everyone at Nick's Italian Cafe here in McMinnville celebrated a milestone in early February of this year. They, with a couple hundred of their dearest friends, recognized the Thirtieth Anniversary of Nick's.

A month after that Nick was recognized by the Oregon Wine Board and its membership with the Industry Partner Award. This award is given to a purveyor or service provider in our industry who has significantly assisted the growth and success of our industry and its members. Nick could not be more deserving of this honor.

To top it all off, the anniversary also marked a changing of the guard. Nick's oldest daughter, Carmen, and her fiance, Eric Ferguson have taken over day-to-day operations at the restaurant and the food has never been better.

If you are going to be visiting McMinnville and want a great dining experience, please get in touch with these folks at Nick's Italian Cafe.

- Michael Stevenson, Winemaker