Tag: local

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Sparkle of Intrigue

Dear Wine Lovers,
Welcome back to The Good Drop Wine Shoppe’s wine blog. It’s Katherine, again, and I am here today to talk all things bubbles. I am going to spotlight one of The Good Drop Girls’ favorite Champagne House, Krug. What is a Champagne House you might ask?

According to Grandes Marques & Maisons de Champagne…. A ‘Champagne House’ is an agricultural and/or industrial and commercial business (but not exclusively agricultural) that commands the human and natural resources required to produce Grande Marque Champagne for distribution worldwide.

About a month ago I started reading the Krug Champagne book, Rock, Pepper, Scissors. With this read, I took a trip from my couch and followed the pepper trail. From Mexico to the world, this book takes you on a journey in Oaxaca with Krug’s Cellar Master Eric Lebél and 13 Krug Chefs. This journey starts and ends in Oaxaca, the land of seven moles, and explores the essence and origin of pepper. From page to plate this read has taken me on a mouth-watering journey of self-exploration.

The Krug Chefs travel around Mexico to test the versatility of Champagne and pepper through unearthing local cuisine secrets. They begin to adopt the Oaxacan way, where method and inspiration go hand in hand, therefore influencing Krug’s impact on taste. Throughout my read, I was driven by a veritable feast to my senses each page, and I believe I became a part of the story. Something that resonated with me was when the Chefs said that diversity translates to the plate… but, I would say that diversity also translates to the glass. Whether it’s a tenth generation winemaker in Germany, or an ambitious young woman farming her own wine in Argentina.. wine inherently tells a story of culture, upbringing, growth, experience, and diversity.

From soil to the market, this story is one of authenticity and intrigue that brings legacy, past, and present to the table. The Chefs encourage my curiosity of the exquisite harmonies between Krug Champagnes and pepper by creating a handful of unique pairings. The pepper manifests its varied form through the seven moles, or unique sauces, and easily marries with Krug Grand Cuvée and Krug Rosé along the journey.

I am inspired, as I know you will be, by this story and the connection with ancestors through preparation and culinary symphony. What’s your ritual? Whether its whiskey, wine, or even tacos, there’s a unique preparation and dedication. Please share with us by tagging @gooddropwineshoppe on social media.

Happy Drinking,
The Good Drop Girls

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The Good Drop Girl Bosses

Hello Wine Lovers,

Welcome back to The Good Drop Wine Shoppe’s wine blog. It’s Katherine, again, here to to spotlight the original Good Drop Girls, Sarah and Beckie, and to tell you the story of how The Good Drop came to be.

I’ve worked at The Good Drop for two months and I can safely say that Sarah and Beckie’s infectious love for life and wine has rubbed off on me, big time. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I’ve become considerably more sassy now that I have them in my life… but what do I know? Because I know I’m not the only person these amazing women have affected, I thought I’d help you get to know The Good Drop Girl Bosses.

Tell me about your story…

Sarah and Beckie’s story began 5 ½ years ago when they had both recently moved to Bend, OR, and their sons were trying out for the same soccer team. A big thanks is owed to those two young boys because they brought together the power duo we all know and love. Owning a wine shop had been a dream of Sarah’s and once she has an idea in her head, there’s nothing stopping her. After meeting Beckie, Sarah’s dream had the chance to be realized and the rest is history at that point. The two of them fit perfectly together, Sarah being the world-traveler, entrepreneur, and master of wine she is and Beckie being her sweet, sassy, and organized missing piece to the Good Drop Dream. When I was interviewing them yesterday for this story, it dawned on me that this is what cannot be taught in business school: the genuine heart these two have for life, their business, and each other. The foundation of the unique shop we all know depends on this heart. If there’s one thing you take from Sarah and Beckies story, I hope it’s the value of friendship and the lifelong dreams it can bring to life.

Now that the first few years of curating The Good Drop, the blood, sweat, and tears are behind them, Sarah and Beckie expressed to me that they are happy to have their full friendship back. It’s hard for me to believe that the spunky, Flo Rida dancing queens were ever not themselves but that’s the nature of building a business. The Good Drop today survives by all the loyal clientele that have quickly become family and friends to Sarah and Beckie, and as I hope they will become to me.

How do you pick the wines that are featured in the shop?

No surprise here, Sarah and Beckie have hand-picked all the wines in the shop by traveling and researching to find obscure and unique wines that tell a story.

What are your favorite wines at this moment, and, why?…. (And you better believe you can get both of these wines in the shop)

Sarah’s favorite wine, as of yesterday, is a 2017 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino. This wine holds a special place in her heart because of the story behind it and, of course, because it’s the best Malbec she’s ever had. The label of this wine pays tribute to Malbec’s history in France and its rise in Argentina. Four female figures embody different landmarks in the history of the grape. Today, the Catena family’s fourth generation leads the high-altitude renaissance in Argentina. In the words of the Catena family, “We are returning Malbec to the sky, where it belongs.”

Beckie’s favorite wine is a 2017 Antica Terra Ceras Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Although she would argue with me on this… some say you are what you drink, and, in this case, I believe Beckie embodies this elegant and ripe Pinot Noir. Beckie loves this wine because of who made it, Maggie Harrison. Similar to her own story, Maggie moved and fell in love with Oregon, bringing her passion of wine with her…. And the rest is history.

Thank you for reading, I hope you all are inspired by Beckie and Sarah’s story, I know I am.

XO,
The Good Drop Girls