Posts by Brian Zawada

Visiting Oregon Wine Country What Out-of-State Guests Say Again and Again When people think “wine country,” their minds usually jump to Napa or Sonoma. But every week at the Violet Vines tasting room, we meet travelers from all over North America who came to Oregon for the first time — and their reactions are almost…

Oregon’s Next Generation Chardonnay By Brian Zawada Ever read Dr. Suess’ iconic children’s book, Green Eggs and Ham as a child (or to a child)? As a refresher or for those that haven’t: The important premise within the book centers on  It hit me that I am a lot like Sam-I-Am in our tasting room…

Terroir-Driven Excellence By Brian Zawada I spend a lot of time “talking up” The Rocks District and the amazing wines sources from this postage stamp-sized American Viticultural Area (AVA) tucked just south of Walla Walla, Washington on the Oregon side of the border.  When I talk about the Rocks District to those familiar with some…

A Key to Greatness By Brian Zawada In the world of wine, few concepts are as quietly powerful – and as often misunderstood – as tension. It’s not a technical term you’ll find in textbooks, but in conversations among sommeliers, winemakers, and passionate drinkers, tension is often used to describe the electric, almost magnetic quality…

  When you swirl that glass of wine, I’m sure you’ve noticed those clear streaks of liquid that are falling gradually back into the wine? Those clear streaks are called wine legs, or tears of wine. They form due to the interaction of alcohol, water, and surface tension in a phenomenon known as the Marangoni…

Exploring the characteristics of Pinot Noir Clones By Brian Zawada Oregon’s Willamette Valley has earned its reputation as one of the premier Pinot noir winegrowing regions in the world, thanks in part to its diverse soils, cool climate, and an array of Pinot noir clones that contribute to the complexity of its wines. Among these,…

Could it be that we are what we drink? By April Zawada Some believe that our choice of wine is directly linked to our personality traits.  Find out if your human characteristics reflect one (or some) of these wine varietals below! Bold and Confident – A rich, full-bodied Malbec or Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with high…

Having just finished bottling six new wines last week (five of our 2023 Pinot noir’s and our inaugural 2023 Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre (GSM), the topic of bottle shock comes to mind. Is it a real thing? Is it a great movie starring the late Alan Rickman? Well, I think it’s both. Bottle shock (sometimes people call it…

Sometimes when you’re super close to something you forget how you became aware of in the first place.  That’s me when it comes to Oregon and Oregon wine.   By Brian Zawada My wife and I started Violet Vines five years ago as a passion project originally focused on producing amazing Pinot noir.  It was back in…