An Ode to Oregon Gamay: The Color Collector
10/4/24 -
Occasionally we come across wines that make us pause and take a moment to reflect, wines that encourage us to slow down and enjoy the myriad beauties of everyday living. The Color Collector wines made by Bethany Kimmel are a perfect example, in some ways profoundly simple and yet through that simplicity containing multitudes. With a narrow focus on Oregon (and some Washington) Gamay, Bethany is able to hone her craft with this beloved singular grape while shifting our focus from the broad, big picture brush strokes to the intricate details where true magic lies.
Bethany Kimmel amongst the vines
The story of Gamay in the Pacific Northwest is not a long one, first planted in the area by David Adelsheim in the 80s from clones he brought back from Burgundy. He was advised that the grape would thrive in the region's acidic soils, which it did, although Pinot Noir was still the dominant red varietal and remained the focus of many producers. It's only been in the last 15 years or so that a growing number of winemakers have caught on, in part due to the fact that Gamay has adapted well to climate change and can now consistently reach maturity while retaining high acidity. It's also a grape that, as many lovers of natural wine know, is an ideal conduit of terroir and can express the personality of a place with great purity and honesty. Today Gamay still only makes up about 1% of plantings in the region, making it a rare gem and a special treat to have on our shelves.
Bethany came into wine much like some of us, working at a small shop in Jackson Hole while cultivating her passion and eventually moving to Oregon's Willamette Valley. Prior to her first vintage as The Color Collector in 2015, she worked at Analemma as assistant winemaker and before that spent time at Soter, Kosta Browne, Hunter's Wines, Chapter 24 and Phelps Creek. 2022 marks a special vintage of these wines as it is the first made in her own facility, located outside of White Salmon on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. She lives in a tiny home on the property, which sounds like a dream but also allows her to be fully immersed in the process and really stay attuned to how her wines are developing. Bethany is a proponent of working slowly and with a gentle touch, allowing the grapes to ferment naturally in open-top fermenters with no pump, only occasional pourovers. She employs a traditional basket press and does everything by hand, which contributes to the delicate purity and expressive nature of her finished wines. Her Willamette Valley Gamay and Columbia Gorge Gamay are a fascinating study in terroir, each with a distinct personality linked by familial roots. Her Björnson Vineyard Gamay is truly special, with tension and structure to age while still thoroughly enjoyable now. Lastly her Vermouth is one of a kind—while describing it she lit up a bit, conveying that while most of her wines essentially make themselves with little to no intervention (as is the point), this was her chance to get creative and inject her own style and personality. She mentioned being inspired by another Oregon Vermouth made by Kelley Fox (with the help of Stephanie Sprinkle), which we were able to snag a few more bottles of before it's gone and have included in this offer. These are all clean and focused wines that are a must-try for lovers of Cru Beaujolais or anyone who wants to dive deeper into the wines of the Pacific Northwest. -Jeff DiLorenzo
