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Flâneur Wines at the Carlton Grain Elevator Elevates Willamette Valley Wine Guest Experiences in Downtown Carlton
by L.M. Archer
Carlton, Ore. —What’s old is new again in downtown Carlton, where Flâneur Wines introduces its innovative wine tasting and culinary center, Flâneur Wines at the Carlton Grain Elevator.
“The overall vision is to create a world-class wine and hospitality experience,” said Flâneur Wines owner and founder Marty Doerschlag. “Something that is unique, with organic farming and thoughtful winemaking at the forefront, always. People talk about wine wrapped up in history and experience, and this collection of tasting experiences we are creating is trying to do just that—marry the two together and give guests a reason to come back.”
The Pace of a Tortoise
Doerschlag purchased the 125-year old abandoned grain elevator from legendary winemaker Ken Wright of Ken Wright Cellars in 2013, with an eye towards repurposing it at some point. A midwestern transplant, Doerschlag ambled upon the Willamette Valley wine scene shortly before purchasing the structure during a period of extensive travel. Charmed by the region, he stayed on, founding Flâneur Wines. Flâneur Wines honors Doerschlag’s previous nomadic existence; loosely translated, ’flâneur’ means a “leisurely wanderer, a worldly explorer, a connoisseur of life” once romanticized in the 19th century. The term connotes not just a turn of phrase, but also a frame of mind. Thus, a true flâneur saunters the world “at the pace of a tortoise.” Hence, the tortoise features prominently in all Flâneur Wines branding.
The winery’s inaugural vintage in 2013 produced 220 cases of Pinot Noir with fruit outsourced from three Willamette Valley vineyards. Today, production tops 5,000 cases sold primarily direct-to-consumer; most grapes are sourced from Flâneur Wines’ two, organic, dry-farmed estate vineyards. One of the vineyards, Flanerie (meaning ‘the walk of the flâneur’) comprises eight acres of Pinot Noir in the Ribbon Ridge AVA acquired in 2014. READ MORE HERE.
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