Author: Shannon Finnell

Brandborg Blooms

Building an out-of-the-way winery in Oregon’s newest American Viticultural Area

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Photo by Trask Bedortha

The tiny town of Elkton, Ore., boasts just 200 people but six wineries. Its cooler climate, atypical of the Umpqua Valley, means that wine grapes that won’t grow in most Southern Oregon vineyards flourish in Elkton. Grape-growing regions are known as American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs. Based on climate and geography, AVAs tell winemakers and connoisseurs a little bit about what to expect from the wine. As of 2013, Elkton is Oregon’s 17th AVA, just an hour southwest of Eugene. Continue reading →

East Side Wines

Viticulture outside the Valley

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Valleys aren’t the only places for making wine. While most of Oregon’s 450-some wineries are located in cooler, more temperate climes, central and Eastern Oregon are in on enology culture, too. For a treat on your next road trip east, drop by one of these wineries to get a taste of Oregon’s east side.   Volcano Vineyards  930 N.W. Brooks St., Bend, OR 97701 • 541-390-8771 • volcanovineyards.com Continue reading →

Wild Ale Fest

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Whether you're feeling wild or just feeling like a wild ale, 16 Tons' Wild Ale Fest and fourth anniversary Saturday, May 3, is the place to be. It's cash-only at the event, so don't forget to swing by the ATM. More from the press release:   Continue reading →

Cancer Prevention

Vaccinating against HPV early is smart and saves money

Health
Electron microscope image of HPV

HPV aka human papilloma virus, can be as scary as it is common. About 40 strains of the disease are spread through sexual contact, the worst of them able to cause genital warts and cancer in the cervix, vagina, throat, penis and anus. Enter Gardasil, a vaccine the FDA approved in 2006. It’s been shown to protect against types 6, 11, 16 and 18 of the disease, which cause the majority of cervical cancer and genital warts. (A previously introduced vaccine protected against some cancers but not genital warts.)  Continue reading →

Science Superstar

Geri Richmond steers national policy

News

Other schools may get more recognition for science, but the president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific organization, is UO chemistry professor Geri Richmond. She’s also on the National Science Board, which governs the largest science funding organization in the U.S., the National Science Foundation.  Continue reading →