Kennedy Creative Works

26/04/2026

We talked about it for a while but I wasn't sure how to make it happen. We'd worked together at and also hung out outside of work, when we could. She made an amazing paella for my birthday, and I celebrated hers in the Eola-Amity Hills.

Today , though, as surreal as it seems, we were together in Bordeaux, France! On her balcony overlooking the quay, we savored a beautiful Pinot Noir, a 2019 Maison Joseph Drouhin Clo Mouche. It's really happening and while we share a past in Oregon, we mostly we talked about the future.

It feels open and free to unfold for both of us as we adventure forward into the unknown. Thank you for making the effort to visit me here, lots of best wishes . What are you happy for today?

Nous en avons discuté un bon moment, mais je me demandais comment nous pourrions faire en sorte que cela fonctionne. Nous avions travaillé ensemble au et nous nous retrouvions en dehors du travail dès que nous le pouvions. Elle m'a préparé une paella incroyable pour mon anniversaire, et j'ai fêté le sien dans les Eola-Amity Hills.

Aujourd'hui pourtant — aussi surréaliste que cela puisse paraître — nous étions réunis à Bordeaux, en France ! Sur son balcon surplombant les quais, nous avons savouré un magnifique Pinot Noir : un Clos Mouche 2019 de la Maison Joseph Drouhin. C'est bien réel ; et si nous partageons un passé commun dans l'Oregon, nous avons surtout parlé de l'avenir. Cet avenir nous semble ouvert et libre de se dessiner, à mesure que nous nous aventurons tous deux vers l'inconnu. Merci d'avoir fait l'effort de venir me voir ici ; je t'adresse mes meilleurs vœux. Et vous, que célébrez-vous aujourd'hui ?

28/03/2026

LE SENTIER DU DRAGON (The Path of the Dragon)... In exploring the Languedoc region, I discovered a hike that traced two intrigues: wine and history. A couple of brave friends were willing to accompany me through the wilds. It's an easy start at the wine co-op Cave Les Vignerons du Chevalier Saint-Georges with their very lovely and accessible wines.

We happened to come in at the same time as the Saint-Georges d’Orques Mayor, Jean-François Audrin. He reminded us of the connection between the US and the Hérault. Wine has been exported from there to the US since Thomas Jefferson's visit. The co-op has a wine with a commemorative label.

From there we picked up the trail at Château l'Engarran. This folie dates back to 1730. Three generations of women have shaped the estate. Most recently, Élise Losfelt suceeded her mother, Diane Losfelt, who was named winemaker of the year in 2021 by Guide Hachette. Élise brings over a decade of work in champagne, including at Moët & Chandon.

Moving further down the trail, past goats, horses and entrancing landscapes, was the medieval center of Lavérune. Le Château des Evêques (Bishops' Castle) graces the edge and houses Hofer-Bury, a free art museum. Inside the sun-kissed landscapes of Henri Jordan, a Frenchman with Algerian and Catalan heritage, provokes daydreaming with a spectrum of colors.

It was then time to move on, and I next spotted a graceful tribute to remember the dead children of the village from WWI and WWII. Finding my thoughts centering around the trials of today, I was happy to see a lone white horse further down the trail. Looking a bit magical in the misty day, it became apparent that sunset was immenient. It was time to walk among the vines with Vignogoul Abbey in the further distance.

Pinkish hues evolved above the garrigues and I thought how amazing it is to take the time to see what's in the world. With all the stone walls along the way, it's fitting that the area references Saint George and the Dragon. Since the legend is from both Eastern and Western traditions, is it possible that this myth never ends? Could we all be the dragon from some other perspectives?

25/03/2026

Champagne.. Who doesn't love bubbles in some form!?! It's my first time in Champagne and such a pleasure to visit two very different producers. is a cooperative which makes quality wine that is accessible with scintillating surprises. Roman told us about the careful blends, some with a petite amount of my favored Ratafia, and others mostly composed of Pinot Noir.

In the fields Marion told us about her pruning to avoid frost. I was enamoured by her description of "saints de glace" or saints of ice. There's a common held belief that May 13-15 is when the saints arrive and no more frost will come that can cause the devestation of lost yields.

And, then there's .renaut the small family winery, who makes Biodynamic champagne. Alain Réaut generously led us through his vines, digging some earth to reveal rich soils full of cover plants and earthworms. He showed us his composts and talked through nourishing the vines that give us the precious grapes. As his son, Alexandre, the next generation joined us, we all raised our glasses and drank the dry crystalline champagne. Each drop reminding me of the earth and bread, as all of these interconnections we share in common.

21/03/2026

I've finally reached a long imagined place : (MJD). While I worked for 2 years at I studied Burgundy but most importantly, the wines of MJD.

You must understand, this is a place with a beautiful history. Their caves date back to 380 AD. Kings of France and Dukes of Burgundy walked these underground chambers.

However, what moves me the most is the Drouhin family has been immersed in the wine industry for five generations.

I greatly admire Maurice Drouhin, the second generation, who served in WWI and WWII. He cooperated with the United States in working with General MacArthur as partvof the resistance. He had been arrested once by the gestapo. The second time that they pursued him, he used a false wall and the caves to escape.

The now famous Hospice de Beaune took him in and hid him until the end of the war. Knowing that his survival was due to their grace, he donated premier cru land to the hospice, and volunteered to help those in need one day a week in the ensuing years.

I felt chills walking within these storied walls with a knowledgable guide. One of my dreams is true.

17/03/2026

16/03/2026

This statute celebrates the New World working in harmony with the Old, through the work of Gustave Foëx in Montpellier, France... I just finished two weeks at L'Institut Agro Montpellier, an institution and area new to me. The superior school is famed for working through the grapevine phylloxera crisis that devestated the European wine industry in 1863.

There, Gustave Foëx and others tested grafts of American indigenous vines, resistant to the blight, with desired European varietals. So, in 1876 they formulated the way forward from ruin. It also symbolizes a connection between contients and cultures.

Beyond the experimental vineyard, Pierre Galet studied grape varieties there, and the institut houses the historic Amphitheater Pasteur. In learning more about Languedoc wines, I'm moved by some of the current innovators here. More on that in a later post.

In the meantime, take a moment to see some of this beautiful city that has an enduring connection with the new world, in vines and otherwise. And, it's reminder: we've worked through great difficulty before.....................
Cette statue célèbre l'harmonie entre le Nouveau Monde et l'Ancien, incarnée par l'œuvre de Gustave Foëx à Montpellier, en France... Je viens de passer deux semaines à l'Institut Agro Montpellier, un établissement et une région que je découvrais pour la première fois. L'école est célèbre pour le rôle qu'elle a joué dans la gestion de la crise du phylloxéra, ce fléau qui a dévasté l'industrie viticole européenne en 1863.

C'est là que Gustave Foëx et ses confrères ont expérimenté le greffage de vignes indigènes américaines — résistantes à la maladie — sur des cépages européens prisés. Ainsi, en 1876, ils ont tracé la voie pour sortir de la ruine. Cette démarche symbolise également un lien entre les terroirs et les cultures.

En attendant, prenez un instant pour découvrir quelques images de cette magnifique ville qui entretient un lien durable avec le Nouveau Monde, tant à travers ses vignes que par bien d'autres aspects. Et que ces vignes nous rappellent une chose : nous avons déjà su surmonter de grandes épreuves par le passé.

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13/03/2026

Today is Friday the 13th, long considered unlucky, and on this day in 1239 over one hundred "Cathars" were burned at the stake in Champagne.

There's a beautiful hilltop village, Carcassonne, France, which was long associated with this movement, along with its neighbor Béziers. The Languedoc region in the South had a mysterious spiritual following of the Cathars. Little documention survives, but they upheld all genders as leaders; they were pescatarians, sensitive to animals; believed in reincarnation; and followed the New Testament; among other religious thought.

In visiting the restored medieval Carrasonne, said to be the biggest remaining, there's few traces of this persecuted population, although some from earlier Roman times (hill fort since 3500 BC Celts).

In 1209 all Cathars were expelled from Carcassonne by the threat of the Albigensian Crusades.

The crusaders then went to Béziers and tried to force the Cathars out. They refused and many Catholics stayed with their neighbors in solidarity or simply because it was their village. Arnaud Amalric was asked how the soldiers should discern the Catholics from the Cathars. A Cistercian recorded "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius"—"Kill them all, the Lord will recognise His own".

It is estimated that about 7000 men, women and childern, mostly Cathars, died in Béziers during this siege. Others were blinded and mutilated. It is noteworthy that beyond any religious justification, this also meant that political and economic control was now under the fief of the Kings of France, with the Languedoc region losing it's independence.

There are some fringe writings that associate the Cathars with the knights templar and the holy grail. Whatever the truth may be, in 1321 the last known Cathar "perfect" (leader) in the Languedoc, Guillaume Bélibaste, was executed. There are no more recordings of their inquisition.

Their song “Lo Boier” (playing here) survived their annihilation. I drank a glass of a lovely local Languedoc wine, Les Terres Sallees, with Bourboulenc grapes . There I contemplated people writing a song to memorialize their demise. May no more such songs need to be written.

09/12/2025

I feel so honored + proud to have won the label design contest for the 2023 Artist Series of Pinot Noir from Chemeketa Cellars!! I'm the first Chemeketa student to have ever won it. This means a lot to me, as it was chosen blindly.

This vintage has just been released for sale - you can have it set for pick up in Salem, Oregon, or have it shipped (so easy!). $5 from each purchase benefits scholarships!! https://chemeketacellars.bottlethreesixty.com/wine/pinot-noir-artist-series1/2023

The design was handpainted with acrylic paints and was composed with a surreal tone. It's inspired by a sunset witnessed above the vineyard while having a farewell conversation.

Our school tradition is to overvintage one Pinot Noir in French Oak each year for the Artist Series. In this way, one production class manages fermentation and the next year's class cares for it through aging and bottling. So, I also helped with the latter, along four other brave and steadfast enology students. Let's just say that a lot of collaborative love and earnest hard work went into this wine.

Aroma: Cranberry, raspberry, vanilla, baking spices, candied pomegranate, cinnamon, and red tart cherry scents on the nose.

Flavor: This wistful wine evokes Petrichor with its earthy flavor. Red and blue fruits, cedar wood, vanilla, and pomegranate.

Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Feeling festive!?!
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02/12/2025

When you are in Montpellier, France, and you spot something you love from home...

I attended the wine industry event, , and saw something familiar. had one elegant bottle on display from Oregon: Ana Pinot Noir. It felt like a little trace of my past was present with me on this windy but amazing path!

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11/12/2024

Join us for an epic evening with Winemaker Sam Parra of Parra Wine Co and sample two innovative wines: Mexican-inspired Hibiscus infused wine + 2023 Tempranillo! 20 min intro & Q+A. FREE.

Secure your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chemeketa-wine-series-an-evening-with-winemaker-sam-parra-tickets-1110747328159?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

07/12/2024

Truly loved a sweet autumn evening with my Domaine Drouhin cohorts at the industry reception. Thank you for the amazing hospitality! It was lovely, festive and memorable.