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Decanter magazine July 2026 issue and Rioja guide: See what's inside

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Pairing wine with seafood: Expert advice and five perfect matches to try tonight

From golden rules to offbeat suggestions...

Work in Progress

By Michele Francisco, OWP editor Patriotism is deeply personal. I’ve recently pondered this sentiment as our nation approaches 250 years since its founding. Over that period, our country has endured difficult times alongside genuine progress. However, the future has never been obvious and certain. It wasn’t long before I realized the similarities to winegrowing.   Weather, small and large decisions, along with luck, influence the outcome of each vintage. There’s no redo button when drought, frost, rain or heat strike at the worst time. Forced to adapt, winegrowers craft the most honest wine from what the season delivers. And then they do it all over again the next year. Humility must be ever-present in winemaking. Terroir is the industry’s constant reminder we are never fully in charge. The land does a lot of the deciding. The weather does more. One plants, tends and trusts the land– it has been here long before any of us and will be here long af

United by Bubbles

By Annelise Kelly Pop quiz: Is Oregon the next great sparkling wine region? Method Oregon says yes. Oregon sparkling wine is having a moment, and its wineries are collaborating under a new organization to celebrate and strengthen the industry. Nonprofit Method Oregon is dedicated to promoting Oregon as a world-class region for traditional method sparkling wine. Launching with 45 founding members, the organization has since grown to 54 as of mid-May. The organization’s mission is to celebrate exceptional wines, sustainable farming practices and the distinct sense of place that defines Oregon sparkling wine. It ensures each bottle bearing the new Method Oregon logo adheres to strict traditional method winemaking standards and farming procedures. Oregon sparkling wine isn’t new, but it’s never been more popular. Winemaker Rollin Soles began making traditional method sparkling wine in 1987, while working at Argyle Winery. He was the first commercial producer in Oregon. Wh

Sky’s the Limit

By Paula Bandy For years, whenever aphids appeared on my indoor herbs, I reached for a simple homemade remedy: cinnamon and cayenne mixed with water and sprayed by hand across the leaves. It wasn’t sophisticated technology. I was simply a gardener trying to protect a few plants. Today, Oregon agriculture is applying similar ideas– natural products, targeted applications and minimized waste– using technology that provides a glimpse into agriculture’s future. Instead of a hand sprayer, imagine an autonomous aircraft carrying 20 gallons of material. It flies 10 feet above a vineyard canopy, navigating by GPS, adjusting droplet size in real time and returns automatically for a battery change before resuming precisely where it left off. This technology is already operating across thousands of acres in Oregon. “We started drone applications in 2023,” noted Lane Marsh, ag-services technology lead for Pratum Co-op. “Immediately after graduating from Or

Organic Matters

By Gail Oberst Life’s twists and turns often alter one’s career path. Before Dai Crisp, longtime Oregon vineyard manager, began caring for his parents’ four acres of Pinot Noir– a former dude ranch they purchased in the 1970s, he set his sights on theater, studying at Oregon State University and UC Irvine.  Then, a love of farming called him back to vineyard work in 1985. On the farm, Crisp began experimenting with organic methods on the wine grapes and other crops. Farming organically was rarer for the time. He took on additional work in the Southern Willamette Valley– planting, hedging, harvesting, and much more. “I did every single job in the vineyard,” he recalled. In 1989, with experience and a good reputation in hand, Crisp was hired by Chancy Croft, founder of Polk County’s Croft Vineyards (with his family). Croft approved his plan to create an organic vineyard. “I’d always questioned the use of herbicides,”

Pinots, Plates and Pillows

By Molly Amber The Dundee Hills glow in golden light long before the first cork pops. Rows of Pinot Noir grapevines drape down the slopes. Lavender gently sways beside garden beds. The kitchen hums with activity as chefs prep dinner. High above the Valley floor, The Grange Estate, The Four Graces and Anthology have transformed a familiar stretch of Oregon wine country into one of the Willamette Valley’s most complete hospitality experiences. Wine travelers have flocked to the area for decades in search of Pinot Noir. Now, many long for something more immersive. A polished tasting room. A design-forward wine country retreat. A communal dinner focused on storytelling, seasonality and Oregon agriculture. Together, the three form a destination that feels both grounded and genuinely ambitious. At the center stands The Four Graces, a winery renowned for its elegant Pinot Noir. Established in 2003 by the Black family and named for their four daughters, the winery helped shape the modern

Train of Thought

By Ron Scott At The Stazione (Italian for station), the sound of nearby trains forces its way into the room. Boisterous horn blasts abruptly interrupt casual chit-chat, prompting awkward chuckles from guests. The noise momentarily disrupts the spell cast by sunlight, slow-turning vinyl records and glasses of Gorge-grown wine in The Stazione’s old-world industrial Southeast Portland wine bar. For Graham Markel, founder and winemaker of Buona Notte Wines, the disturbance is so unavoidably foundational to the concept that he baked it into the name. “I’ve been dealing with it for a year and a half now,” explains Markel. “Every time one goes by, it’s a little annoying, but also part of the charm. That’s the reason we call this The Stazione.” The Stazione, which opened in April, is the new urban outlet for Buona Notte, Markel’s Portland-based winery built around Italian varietals and a deep affection for the fruit and terroir of the Colum

Palette and Palate

By Greg Norton Is a bottle of wine a work of art? Or is it the product of skill and craftsmanship? Maybe it’s merely a beverage? And what is a work of art, anyway? These questions (and more) are on the menu at the Portland Art Museum’s monthly Maker’s Table series, running through September. Pairs of Oregon winemakers and visual artists come together for evenings of conversation moderated by Julia Dolan, interim chief curator and Minor White senior curator of photography at Portland Art Museum, or PAM. Each Maker’s Table event begins with a walk-around wine tasting, accompanied by the featured artist’s work. A conversation between the winemaker and artist follows, exploring the creative processes behind both disciplines. The evening concludes with an optional three-course meal of selected wine pairings and menus showcasing the artistry of local chefs. Tickets can be purchased without the dinner. A CULTURAL COMMONS The series takes place in the museum&rsquo

Declaration of Deliciousness

By Aakanksha Agarwal Fourth of July in wine country rarely resembles a polished fantasy. Yes, there are bottles on ice and grills fired up in the distance. In Oregon, the holiday arrives when vines are surging through long summer days and growers continue to keep one eye on the weather forecast. It is a season of celebration, yes, but also one of vigilance and work. Still, they celebrate. Across the state, winery owners spend the holiday in ways that feel deeply personal and surprisingly unpretentious: neighborhood potlucks where rare library wines sit alongside cans of Rainier beer, community parades, burgers loaded with kimchi slaw, pork tenderloins on the grill, IPAs sweating in coolers and vineyard kids sprinting between the vine rows. Fireworks are increasingly approached with caution. But gathering together, opening something special and making time for family remain nonnegotiable. We asked this simple question: What does Fourth of July actually look like at your house? COMMUNITY

Small Seeds Become Ancient Trees

By Branden Andersen You’ve almost certainly driven past this tree without realizing it. To most, it looks like a standard shade tree, usually standing alone in the middle of a field or at the edge of a vineyard. Its bark is deeply furrowed, limbs gnarled and canopy– in advanced age– as wide as a farmhouse. If the tree is old enough, it stood when Lewis and Clark explored the Willamette Valley. Its acorns fed the local Kalapuya people long before a single grapevine was intentionally planted in Oregon soil. It is Quercus garryana – the Oregon white oak– and is rapidly disappearing. According to the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District, a mere 10 percent of the oak habitats present in 1850 still remain. And 96 percent of what’s left stand on private land. The Umpqua Watersheds organization puts the loss in starker terms: estimates of remaining oak ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest range from just five to 15 percent of their pre-European

Field of Dreams

By Luis Romero In Vienna, Gemischter Satz , meaning “mixed planting or set,” is a winemaking style where various grape varieties– growing side by side– are harvested and fermented together. In Alsace, the tradition is called Edelzwicker , edel means noble in German and zwicker is blend– a noble blend of whites. These field blends are shaped not by a winemaker’s blending decisions in the cellar, but by the chemistry of unique varieties interacting within a single fermenter. The ethos of minimal or non-intervention winemaking is part of Oregon’s identity and inspiration for some of the newest and most creative blends. While not all the wines precisely match the definition of a field blend, they do reflect the ingenuity, passion and winemakers’ desire to find new ways to make wines from the land. All allow nature to tell its story. Meet Oregon’s winemakers daring to craft something distinct. In May, I visited nine producers across the

July 2026 Cellar Selects: The Rosé Report

Abacela 2025 Grenache Rosé, Umpqua Valley (panel pick) Slate and red cherry open over rose petal and ripe Hood strawberry on the nose. In the glass, raspberry and cherry lead into lemon zest, with vivacious acidity and an exuberant, fruit-forward mark. $20 Schmidt Family Vineyards Wilderness Rosé, Applegate Valley Gravel dust and pink grapefruit meet lychee and red cherry on the nose. Light and breezy on the tongue, with pink grapefruit, raspberry and a whisper of unripe strawberry. Well-balanced and refreshing. $23 Dominio IV 2025 No. 68 Inverse, Coyote the Trickster, Oregon (80% Viognier, 20% Syrah) Playful and aromatic, with red hots candy, violets and jasmine over a mineral backbone. Tart cherry, raspberry and rhubarb carry through on the flavor, building to a spicy cinnamon finale with a lingering raspberry sorbet richness. $38 Puffin Brand 2025 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Highly aromatic, with graphite, cranberry, grilled lemon and blood orange over

Beer In Ads #5280: Don’t Argue With A “Hot-Dog” Thirst — Drink Rainier Bock! It Goes Right To The Thirsty Spot!

Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have […]

How AI-led transformation helped a major brewer grow

In working with partners across the globe, Asahi Europe & International has turned complex growth into a momentum for reinvention. Here is how they did it. When your brand is built on almost 150 years of tradition, you approach change carefully. In 2021, brewery giant Asahi Europe & International had bold ambitions for the future, but...

Everything You Need To Know About Piwo Grodziskie

Corvallis has a Dive Bar Crawl digital passport

Visit Corvallis recently introduced a new digital passport activity in the vein of the beer/ale trail concept, but with a twist: the Corvallis Dive Bar Crawl. I haven’t seen one of these for dive bars yet and this sounds like a fun idea that’s definitely still craft beer adjacent (especially … Continue reading

Samuel Smith’s owner dies aged 81

Humphrey Smith, the owner and chairman of Samuel Smith’s Brewery, has passed away. He was 81. The brewery and pub owner, who headed up the Tadcaster business for decades passed away following a long-illness. Filings show he also resigned from his position at the business as director last month. Ricard Sweeting, the mayor of Tadcaster...

Entries now open for #SADogsOfWine2026

It’s time to give your furry wine buddy the spotlight they deserve. The competition opens on 1 July 2026, so get your cameras ready and show off your #SADogsofWine.

Dalwhinnie 1973 29 Years (Diageo Special Releases 2003)

A review of the Dalwhinnie 1973 29 Years, part of the Diageo Special Releases 2003.

La nuova geografia climatica del vino italiano. (Spoiler: non sarà una semplice migrazione verso Nord)

Quando pensiamo agli effetti del cambiamento climatico sul vino italiano, la rappresentazione più immediata sembra quasi ovvia: il Sud diventerà progressivamente troppo caldo, mentre il Nord potrà beneficiare di temperature più favorevoli alla maturazione dell’uva. Per molto tempo abbiamo immaginato … continua »

Muckletoon, Blended Scotch, 46% & Moffat Moonshine, Single Malt Scottish Spirit, 48.5%

I was unaware there was a Distillery in Moffat when I passed through the town. I would have visited – but we had a ferry to catch. Happily the Moffat Toffee Shop was open & I picked up a couple of miniatures to take home with me. Muckletoon is a Blended Scotch presented at 46%, … Continue reading Muckletoon, Blended Scotch, 46% & Moffat Moonshine, Single Malt Scottish Spirit, 48.5% →

The Manipulation of Nature

Why are there so many exclamation marks in the world, and so few hyphens? What spurred this reflection was a menu: a dish featuring ‘Grilled line caught John Dory fillet’. And an unrelated Instagram post enthusing about exclamation marks! They’re such fun!! Aren’t they!?! Well. Exclamation marks are generally unnecessary and mostly silly. Hyphens are […]

Voice of the Board – Taylor Swift

Control your controllables. Taylor Swift – Two Docs Brewing Co. Not exactly the most eloquent motto to live by, not even sure the first time I heard the expression uttered but it’s something that stuck with me. Now, I’m not going to lead on like this is some introductory course to business success but as… Read More » Voice of the Board – Taylor Swift The post Voice of the Board – Taylor Swift appeared first on Texas Craft Brewers Guild .