Bow & Arrow: On Target in 2015

1/26/17 -

Travelling to Oregon last summer, I was deeply impressed by husband-and-wife team Scott & Dana Frank of Bow & Arrow, an urban winery producing wines from Loire Valley varietals in downtown Portland. Both Scott and Dana have worked multiple roles throughout the wine industry: Scott previously worked as a wine retail buyer as well as an assistant winemaker at Cameron Winery in Dundee Hills; Dana held numerous restaurant jobs in both the back- and front-of-house, most recently as owner/sommelier of Dame, her ambitious, natural wine bar and restaurant in northeast Portland.

I had the distinct pleasure to have dinner at their house in northern Portland. The sun was slowly setting, and the conversation was flowing as freely as the wine. Dana had prepared a traditional Romanian meal based upon her several years of working in the Peace Corps there. As we sat around the table and chatted about Oregon wine, I was grateful to have ended my trip to Portland by visiting their winery and vineyards where they source grapes, and then spending the evening among their great company, food, and wines. As Scott ended the evening by lighting a paper lantern that floated gracefully into the sky, I couldn't help to reflect how Bow & Arrow wines were made for evenings like this: serious, well-crafted, food-friendly, affordable wines that make gatherings among friends and family that much more special.

2015 was a warm, dry year in the Willamette Valley. Ripening was slow and steady, and light rains in August helped the vines. Harvest was ahead of schedule, and the crop was plentiful. These conditions certainly benefited Pinot Noir, but also provided excellent conditions for ripening Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne. Although 2015 Oregon Pinot Noirs will garner much of the attention from wine press, I've been most impressed by Loire Valley-style varietal wines and blends, especially Bow & Arrow's. And if you can't get enough of Scott and Dana's wines, we have some of them in magnum! -Jonas Mendoza