Layne has been a professional in the wine business for many decades as a teacher, importer, writer, competition judge, and winery CEO. He was awarded the Master Knight of the Vine for his pioneering work in the Oregon wine industry.
Layne’s Wine Gig MUSCADET By Layne V. Witherell Muscadet has a problem. The wine from that famous 650-mile river in the Loire Valley in France is white and dry, tastes of “salinity and... Read more
LAYNE’S WINE GIGYOU NEVER KNOW… By Layne V. Witherell For me, wine and food aren’t a predetermined, preordained, sales-rep induced experience beginning with the admonition, “Wow,... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig GIDDY WITH EVENTS By Layne V. Witherell There are so many events. Mindboggling. There’s Beer Week, Wine Week, Restaurant Week, Lobster Week, Portland Seaweed Week (my... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig TUESDAY NIGHT WINES By Layne V. Witherell Following our deep dive into the world of unattainable unicorn wines last month, I thought we could relax and get a bit more... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig Presents UNICORN WINE HUNT By Layne V. Witherell If you Google up “unicorn wine” you get not only a slew of mixed wisdom from the reigning sommelier god of the moment,... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig Presents A NEIGHBORHOOD GEM By Layne V. Witherell Ruby’s West End restaurant at 64 Pine Street sparkles and shines like a gem. Inside it resembles your mémère’s (grand... Read more
By Layne V. Witherell Among the zillions of job descriptions that I have had in this wild forty-plus year ride in the wine biz, one was as a CEO of a medium sized Virginia winery in the earl... Read more
VISIONARY ELEVATOR PITCH “Things are so because we wish them to be so.” -Louis Pasteur An elevator pitch summarizes a product or idea in the time of an elevator ride from thirty seconds to t... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig PresentsHoliday Wine Gift Guide By Layne V. Witherell For those of you who follow my stuff, you know that it can, at times, be straightforward, but at other times it c... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig – An improvisation on stage with wine As many followers of The West End News are aware, Blue at 650 A Congress Street is a venerable, awesome entertainment venue... Read more
