Today’s Indie Spotlight is on Et Fille Wines, a small, family-run Willamette Valley winery specializing in great pinot noir. The name Et Fille – meaning “and daughter” – honors Howard and Jessica Mozeico, the that makes these amazing wines. Et Fille strives to bring the gentleness, devotion, and warmth from their relationship to each glass. hand-in-hand, father and daughter team. Chosen by the New York Times’ wine critic Eric Asimov as one of Oregon’s best 2008 Pinot Noirs, Et Fille works with small lots of grapes, small fermentation lots, and small oak barrels – a true labor of love. They sort, punch-down, and top-off by hand, so that they are close to the wine every step along the way to the bottle.

I started to make dinner the other night and my seven-year-old step-daughter asked, “Jessica, do you have any Et Fille 09 Maresh in the house?” I guess it is obvious even to a kid that I drink our current release wines while cooking. It gives me a sample of what flavors they pair well with. Our 09 Viognier is flexible for pairing with spicy foods and seafood, particularly with citrus accents. My favorite pairing with the 08 Nicholas Pinot Noir is with lamb, and I have to admit that the 08 Willamette Valley has become my house “go to red” that I pair with whatever I am cooking.

We’re excited about Indie this year, because it will be the first time we are showing our 09 Viognier and 08 Nicholas Vineyard Pinot Noir outside of the winery! We love Indie because it focuses on small producers, is juried, and requires that the owner/winemaker represent the winery. It is one of the only places where you can go taste the latest from your favorite small producers and discover some new wineries, all with the confidence that these wines were selected by a jury and that you are talking to the people who have their skin in the game.

If you’d like to talk to the winemaker yourself, be sure to get your tickets for this year’s Portland Indie Wine and Food Festival, shaking up Portland’s wine scene May 14, 2011!

Today’s Indie Spotlight is on Pudding River Wine Cellars, a family operated vineyard and winery located in the heart of the east Willamette Valley, producing small-lot, boutique styled wines including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Viognier, and Riesling. In its two years of commercial operation, Pudding River has been recognized by Wine Spectator for its Barrel Fermented Chardonnay and its Reserve Pinot Noir, by the Oregon State Fair for its Pinot Gris (a gold medal winner), and by the Northwest Wine Competition for its Estate and Reserve Pinot Noirs.

When I’m not making wine my first job is being a father to my two girls Kirsten and Megan, age 11 and
10, respectively. Being able to be a stay-at-home dad was one of the biggest reasons for my choosing to become a winemaker and start a vineyard and winery at our estate here in Salem. This year I’m excited to be bringing our
two Reserve wines to pour at the festival. A 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir and 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, both of which have won double-gold awards this year.

When I cook I’m either drinking Pinot Gris or Chardonnay, depending on what I’m making. After producing wine commercially for the last 5 years, I have my definite preferences for pairing our wines with food. I love our stainless steel fermented Chardonnay with Halibut, our Estate Pinot Noir with bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, our Reserve Pinot with Alaskan King Salmon served with a cranberry orange glaze, and our Viognier with just about any Cajun cuisine.

Our Reserve wines are limited, since we only produce about 50 cases a year, so these will be sold out quickly. I
love the Indie Wine Festival because it is always a classy event and has some of the most wine knowledgeable patrons of any event that I’ve attended.

Thanks Sean! If you’d like to talk to the winemaker yourself, be sure to get your tickets for this year’s Portland Indie Wine and Food Festival, shaking up Portland’s wine scene May 14, 2011!