Nelscott Wine Shop • Lincoln City
Karen Richards
Fermentation to send you into the firmament
Add some variety to your wine weekend
By Niki Price • Oregon Coast TODAY
Back in February, wine lovers descended on the coast for the 34th annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival, talking about terroir, bouquet and mouthfeel. But, Karen Richards points out, those terms are no longer limited to the study of wine. They are being applied to the increasingly complex world of craft beermaking, both in the United States and abroad.
Richards, the owner of the Nelscott Wine Shop in Lincoln City, has been watching the fine beer industry come into its own.
“I think it’s taken people, both beer makers and consumers, a while to discover the many different processes and production styles there are in the world. There are just as many ways to make beer as there are to make wine,” she said. “And the creative brewmaster is gaining the same status as the master winemaker.”
While microbreweries are nothing new in the Pacific Northwest, the industry has moved into more complicated products. Some are made with champagne yeast, for example, or are aged for several years before they are released to the public. Some of the beers that Richards stocks in her shop are made by the same families that are well-known for their wine, like Firestone.
“Firestone is one of my favorite breweries, down in Paso Robles, Calif. The grandfather made tires, of course, and the son made wine. It became a famous wine, and is very well known to the lovers of California wine. The grandson decided to make beer, and the granddaughter even married into one of the oldest beer-making families in England, the Walkers. Now they are making beer on both sides of the pond, and releasing very exciting blends.”
At the Nelscott Wine Shop, Richards carries the Firestone Union Jack IPA, the Firestone Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout, and the Firestone Walker DBA. That last one is double-barrel aged, which means part of the batch is drawn out and aged in wooden barrels before being blended back in. For a special occasion, she recommends Firestone’s 14th Anniversary Ale, which can be aged for several years in a home cellar – or enjoyed straight away. Gone are the days when the beer’s quality was measured by the “born on” date stamped across the neck.
“If it’s made well, a beer can be laid down – or aged. And for beers like this 14th Anniversary Ale, the longer you age it, the smoother it will be and the more developed the flavors will become.”
Complex, food-friendly beers come from surprising quarters, such as the Uinta Brewing Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. Uinta’s Labyrinth Black Ale, from its specialty Crooked Line, is a blended ale, 13.2 percent alcohol, that is partially aged in rye whiskey barrels for six months. Using an Italian-made bottling system, the Crooked Line bottles are sealed with a real cork, secured by a wire hood. Labyrinth earned a gold medal at the 2010 North American Brewers Association competition, and it pairs well with desserts and cheese courses.
Richards has recently found a favorite “smoking beer”: the Alaskan Smoked Porter, by Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau. As a woman who both smokes fine cigars, and sells them at her shop, she’s something of a local expert.
Add some variety to your wine weekend
By Niki Price • Oregon Coast TODAY
Back in February, wine lovers descended on the coast for the 34th annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival, talking about terroir, bouquet and mouthfeel. But, Karen Richards points out, those terms are no longer limited to the study of wine. They are being applied to the increasingly complex world of craft beermaking, both in the United States and abroad.
Richards, the owner of the Nelscott Wine Shop in Lincoln City, has been watching the fine beer industry come into its own.
“I think it’s taken people, both beer makers and consumers, a while to discover the many different processes and production styles there are in the world. There are just as many ways to make beer as there are to make wine,” she said. “And the creative brewmaster is gaining the same status as the master winemaker.”
While microbreweries are nothing new in the Pacific Northwest, the industry has moved into more complicated products. Some are made with champagne yeast, for example, or are aged for several years before they are released to the public. Some of the beers that Richards stocks in her shop are made by the same families that are well-known for their wine, like Firestone.
“Firestone is one of my favorite breweries, down in Paso Robles, Calif. The grandfather made tires, of course, and the son made wine. It became a famous wine, and is very well known to the lovers of California wine. The grandson decided to make beer, and the granddaughter even married into one of the oldest beer-making families in England, the Walkers. Now they are making beer on both sides of the pond, and releasing very exciting blends.”
At the Nelscott Wine Shop, Richards carries the Firestone Union Jack IPA, the Firestone Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout, and the Firestone Walker DBA. That last one is double-barrel aged, which means part of the batch is drawn out and aged in wooden barrels before being blended back in. For a special occasion, she recommends Firestone’s 14th Anniversary Ale, which can be aged for several years in a home cellar – or enjoyed straight away. Gone are the days when the beer’s quality was measured by the “born on” date stamped across the neck.
“If it’s made well, a beer can be laid down – or aged. And for beers like this 14th Anniversary Ale, the longer you age it, the smoother it will be and the more developed the flavors will become.”
Complex, food-friendly beers come from surprising quarters, such as the Uinta Brewing Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. Uinta’s Labyrinth Black Ale, from its specialty Crooked Line, is a blended ale, 13.2 percent alcohol, that is partially aged in rye whiskey barrels for six months. Using an Italian-made bottling system, the Crooked Line bottles are sealed with a real cork, secured by a wire hood. Labyrinth earned a gold medal at the 2010 North American Brewers Association competition, and it pairs well with desserts and cheese courses.
Richards has recently found a favorite “smoking beer”: the Alaskan Smoked Porter, by Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau. As a woman who both smokes fine cigars, and sells them at her shop, she’s something of a local expert.
“It’s creamy. It’s a porter. It’s dark. It’s rich. It’s full bodied. It’s the perfect cigar beer,” Richards said. “It’s going to stand up while you are smoking a cigar. If you don’t care for smoking, then you can pair it with salmon or any other smoked food. It’s perfect.”
You can find unusual Oregon beers, like Nice Rack IPA from Southern Oregon Brewing Company in Medford, and Prickly Pear Braggot, from the Widmer Brothers’ Reserve Line. From Goose Island, a high-end brewery in Chicago, the shop features Pere Jacques and Matilda.
Wine is still the main event at the Nelscott Wine Shop, and this weekend Richards will be featuring several winners from the commercial wine competition of the 2011 Newport Seafood and Wine Festival. You’ll find J. Scott Cellars’ Pinot Blanc Gold and Syrah Gold, Ancient Cellars Pinot Gris Bronze, Noble Estate’s Muscat Silver and others, on the tasting bar.
The humidor, stocked with cigars for every price range, is always open, too. Richards is famous for her baskets, artfully filled with candies, crackers, cheese, wine and other gourmet food products. Wednesday through Sunday, she offers beer and wine by the glass, along with a menu of nibbles, inside one of Lincoln City’s most historic buildings (the quaint storefront dates back to 1927, when it was called the Nelscott Cash Store). It still has some of the original wood floors, shingled dormers and leaded glass, although it’s been renovated and expanded over the years.
“Like our wine selection, when it comes to beers we pick boutique labels and unusual beers that aren’t completely mainstream. It’s really interesting that the palate for beer is evolving, coming to a place where wine has been for decades.”
The Nelscott Wine Shop is located at 3203 SW Hwy. 101, at the north end of the Historic Nelscott Strip, in Lincoln City. For details, call 541-996-2898, or head to nelscottwineshop.com.
You can find unusual Oregon beers, like Nice Rack IPA from Southern Oregon Brewing Company in Medford, and Prickly Pear Braggot, from the Widmer Brothers’ Reserve Line. From Goose Island, a high-end brewery in Chicago, the shop features Pere Jacques and Matilda.
Wine is still the main event at the Nelscott Wine Shop, and this weekend Richards will be featuring several winners from the commercial wine competition of the 2011 Newport Seafood and Wine Festival. You’ll find J. Scott Cellars’ Pinot Blanc Gold and Syrah Gold, Ancient Cellars Pinot Gris Bronze, Noble Estate’s Muscat Silver and others, on the tasting bar.
The humidor, stocked with cigars for every price range, is always open, too. Richards is famous for her baskets, artfully filled with candies, crackers, cheese, wine and other gourmet food products. Wednesday through Sunday, she offers beer and wine by the glass, along with a menu of nibbles, inside one of Lincoln City’s most historic buildings (the quaint storefront dates back to 1927, when it was called the Nelscott Cash Store). It still has some of the original wood floors, shingled dormers and leaded glass, although it’s been renovated and expanded over the years.
“Like our wine selection, when it comes to beers we pick boutique labels and unusual beers that aren’t completely mainstream. It’s really interesting that the palate for beer is evolving, coming to a place where wine has been for decades.”
The Nelscott Wine Shop is located at 3203 SW Hwy. 101, at the north end of the Historic Nelscott Strip, in Lincoln City. For details, call 541-996-2898, or head to nelscottwineshop.com.
