Acknowledge Trump’s victory with something, er, special…

Dear Friend:

Are you fretting about alcohol as well as imbibing it? With New Year’s Eve approaching, do we grab a Champagne or a grape juice? How should we think about alcohol and public health?

The wine writer Paul Gregutt of NW Wine Guide interviewed Nick recently about the movement against alcohol as well as about Kristof Farms. We’ll get to the meat of that in a moment, but first a celebratory note.

Gregutt tasted our wines and rated our 2022 Pinot Noir a 94, a remarkable score for a first vintage. Our vines are dancing with pride. Here’s what he said of the Pinot:

Aromatically enticing, this debut vintage suggests great things ahead for this estate. I love the texture and minerality. The well-crafted flavors deftly bring up red and black berries, wet stone, graphite, root beer, white pepper, pine needles and forest floor. It’s a wine you dive into, swim through, breathe in and explore.

He also gave both our Chardonnay and Rosé a 92, which also make us proud. We’ve tried so hard to make good wines here, and it’s so reassuring to see respected wine writers appreciate and validate these efforts.

But with what do we celebrate Gregutt’s scores, or the New Year itself? What about the larger ethical question of producing wine and hard cider? There has been a public health push against alcohol in the United States and abroad, and Gregutt asked Nick about that in his Q&A. Here’s how Nick responded:

“First, I think it's important to acknowledge that alcoholism is an enormous problem, and I sometimes think the wine industry is too glib about it or too prone to cherry pick research showing benefits. That said, my reading of the evidence is that it's very clear that heavy drinking is extremely unhealthy, but that there's much more ambiguity about the consequences of light drinking. There's more uncertainty in the data and the downside, if there is one, seems modest.

“We've also seen how the wine industry can create jobs in rural America and heal the economic crisis that causes deaths of despair, including from alcohol. If people have jobs and communities are thriving, then people are less likely to self-medicate with either alcohol or drugs. And deaths of despair are in part about social isolation and the fraying of social capital.

“Wine can bring people together and create a sense of community, and that's very much been one of our principles at Kristof Farms – we're all about building community, with our group wine tastings, our book club, our gatherings for wine club and cider club members. At our tastings, we've had everyone introduce themselves to each other, and we always have a brief presentation by a Yamhill friend who overcame seven years of homelessness and now survives by making birdhouses in part out of corks. She sells the birdhouses to visitors, and meanwhile fulfillment for our wine orders is by another old Yamhill friend who has also been on the edge of homelessness and is now getting his life back in shape.

“Finally, wine and cider bring not just togetherness but also joy to life. They give us deep pleasure and knit us together, just as good food sometimes does. A great Pinot Noir -- that's what God created to enrich our lives!”

Here are Geoffrey and Caroline, lives enriched, in the Pinot vineyard…

After the conversation, a major new study was released, this one a 230-page “Review of Evidence on Alcohol and Health” from the National Academies of Sciences. Commissioned by Congress, the study explored research on alcohol and heart disease, cancer, dementia, weight, lactation and other topics and in a number of cases found insufficient evidence to draw conclusions. It acknowledged that heavy drinking has significant risks (and perhaps one-fifth of those who drink develop alcohol use disorder). But its bottom line was that moderate drinking appears to lower all-cause mortality, not elevate it. As the report concludes:

Others disagree (including the World Health Organization), and the research and the debate will continue. To us, one of the lessons is the importance of disentangling heavy drinking (clearly harmful) and moderate drinking (subject of debate). This is something we’ve thought a lot about, but what do you think? Are our judgments tainted because we produce wine and cider, and because we enjoy it? We’d welcome your views, and it’s a topic we’ll probably write more about.

And in the meantime, given the National Academies findings, we feel good about preferring Pinot Noir to grape juice, as long as we don’t overdo it.

And now we break for a couple of photos from our wildlife cameras on Kristof Farms. We love bobcats, and they love our gophers (which is partly why we love them. Here’s one:

Then there’s this mountain lion. We do love these cougars, also they also make us just a little nervous:

We’re trying not to get too political in this newsletter; politics comes up more in the salons with our wine club and cider club. But, with a twinkle in our eyes, we’re offering a special deal on our 2023 Rosé for orders between now and Jan. 20, Trump’s inauguration. It’s a time when people may feel extra need for sparkle and zest in their lives, and that’s the time to reach for Rosé from Pinot Noir. And how many Rosés score a 92?!

So as long as supplies last between now and Inauguration Day, we’re offering 25 percent off Rosé on full cases and half-cases. We can’t change the election outcome, but maybe we can help soften it.

Happy New Year from all of us on Kristof Farms!

Pinot-Rita

Who says wine and cocktails don’t mix?

Our Kristof Pinot Noir Margarita is the perfect blend of sophistication and fun, marrying the deep, fruity notes of our Pinot Noir with the refreshing zest of a classic margarita. Whether you're hosting a chic dinner party, holiday gathering, or looking to elevate your happy hour, this drink is sure to impress.

Our Pinot Noir adds a luxurious depth to the margarita, with its subtle plum, blackberry, and spice flavors complementing the citrusy lime and orange liqueur. The result? A bold yet balanced cocktail that's as stunning to sip as it is to serve.

Want the full recipe? Check out our blog and give this fun, and unexpected cocktail a try!

UPCOMING EVENTS: Have you joined our Book Club yet?