NEW RIVALRY: HAWKS VIEW WINERY vs TAPPHORIA TAP HOUSE

My new rivalry is like my usual rivalry: geographically close and deserving of more research.

Hawks View Winery is my new classroom.

The lesson begins with six wine tastings from white to red.

What goes best with six swigs of Oregon wine?

A flatbread plate.

My new couple’s membership compliments a single membership in Tapphoria’s Mug Club.

And this is the beginning of a heated new rivalry in Oregon. Beer vs Wine.

Since Hawks View is the only winery I’ve joined, the only one I plan on joining, I was influenced the normal way. Peer pressure.

Can a wife apply peer pressure to a husband and still call it peer pressure? Only at a table with her high school gang. (And it’s the sort of gang you want as peers.)

Why Hawks View

Since it’s a winery, I’ll start with the wine.

From Made In Oregon:

If you think the only well-made wine in Oregon is Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, we invite you to explore our discoveries with us, and you will see that world-class wines are being made all over Oregon, using over 50 grape varietals. Our Sommelier, Timothy Nishimoto, has made careful selections from the state’s 25+ AVAs (American Viticultural Areas).  This year, when you buy great Oregon wine, you’re not just buying great wine from Oregon.  You’re buying great wine from anywhere.  Wine Enthusiast magazine named Oregon’s Willamette Valley the best wine region in the world for 2016.

Since Hawks View wine isn’t found on Made In Oregon, Safeway, Fred Meyer, and other fine wine stores, it feels very exclusive.

Joining the club made me feel like an explorer making a new discovery. What I discovered is I like good wine, but never knew the difference between good and bad.

How can that be? Because I’m a beer guy. Visits to Hawks View sharpened my palette, but you don’t need to trust me on this.

Last week we visited with friends who had created a winery in Northern California. They knew wine from the roots up. After the flight of tastings, what happened? They joined the club.

If that’s not positive validation then I don’t know what is. Sharp wine people know good wine. I felt very certain I’d made the right choice for wife when she made the decision to join after our first visit.

With membership comes a place to meet others and enjoy civilized company with fine wine, instead of meeting in my garage to crack and chug Coors Light and yell at refs on TV.

(Which never happens at a winery, or should.)

Matching Tapphoria With Hawks View For A New Rivalry

One of the wines on the tasting flight was described as the biggest seller on the estate.

I looked around the venue and noticed most of the guests were women. Maybe 85% ladies to 15% men.

I did the math and came up with ‘Lady Wine’ as the best seller on the property. It was a match of good wine and good looking women for the win.

Tapphoria has a different demographic. My wife calls it a ‘Man’s bar.’ In her dictionary, a man’s bar is not high on her ‘go-to’ list, which is perfect for me.

“Honey, let’s drop down to Tapphoria and see what’s on tap.”

“You go ahead and I’ll see you when you get back.”

Who could ask for anything more? At the winery I’m in the company of well dressed people putting their best foot forward. It feels like a special event to be a part of. You know, exclusive.

At the tap house I’m just another guy with a numbered mug, which is also exclusive. I mask up, belly up, and ask the tap tender for recommendations. At first I tested beers out of shot glasses; now I bravely say,

“Give me one you think I might like.”

They’ve never steered me wrong. Beer is no new rivalry.

I take my mug out to the parking lot seating area and fiddle with my phone and watch traffic pass on 99W. And it feels so right.

The winery is surrounded by vineyards that grow the grapes that turn into wine. On a clear day Mt. Hood peaks over the skyline.

The tap house is in a strip mall surrounded by businesses and cars. On a clear day the Good Will store across the street is hopping.

I wouldn’t change a thing about either one.

Location, Location, Location

I live between Hawks View and Tapphoria. Fifteen minutes to the vineyard, five to the parking lot.

The last time to the Tap I stopped at bottle return on the way. That’s where I drop off green tagged bags of garage beer cans and pick up beer money for an ‘away’ pint, which is a 20 oz in the mug club.

You could say I’ve got my alcohol sources lined up better than its ever been with world class wine and beer so close. But it’s more than that. Since it’s Oregon, land of the free and home of legal weed, pot stores dot the landscape.

I hope the youngers understand the era in which we live. Back in the 70’s none of this was possible. If you wanted great beer you had to brew it yourself. Fine wine was there to be found, just not for late teens learning about getting loaded responsibly.

Rumors of dangerous ditch weed from Iowa and paraquat from Mexico were rampant.

How does it feel to live in such nirvana? Add an employee pass to the Nike Store, a family pass to the Columbia store, and a friend of the store discount at Tigard Music for window dressing and it adds up to feeling the community spirit.

With the covid Delta variant looking like a trip to hell in a hand basket, I whip a mask on and embrace community where it best thrives.

How ’bout you? Anything around you to compare? Leave a comment on new rivalries.