The Great State of Oregon Wine
May is Oregon Wine Month, a month dedicated to Oregon wine tasting, wine seminars, dinners and demonstrations. For those of you who have the opportunity, May is a beautiful time of year to visit Oregon wine country and enjoy all the festivities. For those of us who will be celebrating Oregon wines locally, there are many fantastic ones to discover.
Oregon has become a world-class wine growing region. Most of the attention is on pinot noir, especially those made in the Willamette Valley, where 90 percent of the pinot noir is grown.
I have to admit, I love Oregon pinot noir. I enjoy the beautiful fruit, finesse and elegance that is found in so many wines from this region. All of the wines mentioned here are produced in the Willamette Valley.
Penner-Ash is a boutique winery specializing in making sensational pinot noir and Riesling. Lynn and Ron Penner-
Ash built their gravity-flow estate winery in 2005. It is located in the Yamhill-Carlton district of the Willamette Valley. Lynn was the first woman winemaker hired in Oregon, with REX HILL Vineyards in 1988.
2015 PENNER-ASH ESTATE PINOT NOIR: The 2015 has a gorgeous nose of blackberry and strawberry fruit, bright flowers and spice. The fruit is pure with lots of structure and length. This wine will open more with a year or two bottle aging. Drink this wine with planked salmon, grilled tuna, duck, quail, pork chops, sausage, and triple cream cheese.
2015 PENNER-ASH VIOGNIER: This beautiful wine has aromas of flowers, peach and spice. There is really bright acidity, and it is clean and fresh. This wine goes great with salad and fish dishes.
Another great Oregon winery is Domain Drouhin. Established in the Willamette Valley in 1987, Domain Drouhin is owned by the Drouhin family of Burgundy, France, where they have been creating exceptional wines for more than a century. Veronique Drouhin-Boss is the daughter of Joseph Drouhin, and a fourth-generation winemaker. She is making outstanding pinot noir and chardonnay.
2015 DOMAINE DROUHIN PINOT NOIR: This is a great pinot noir, with cherry, violets and raspberry fruit flavor. It is fresh and vibrant with a delicious finish This wine will continue to evolve until 2020.
2014 ROSEROCK DROUHIN PINOT NOIR: Handpicked grapes from the Eola-Amity Hills area of the Willamette Valley, Roserock is elegant and refined. It has delicious dark berry preserves and black cherry. This wine is clean and balanced with a long finish.
The Argyle Winery was founded in 1987 by Rollin Soles. Soles’ goal was to produce world-class sparkling wine in Oregon. Once this was accomplished, the program expanded to making pinot noir, Riesling and chardonnay.
2016 ARGYLE PINOT NOIR: Argyle’s pinot noirs are blended for purity and freshness. The 2016 shows dark fruit, with savory spice. The texture is silky, and it has a long finish.
2014 ARGYLE BRUT: This delicious sparkling wine has ripe pear flavors, along with fig and hazelnut. There is great minerality and balance.
Boedecker Cellars was started in 2003. The goal of this husband-and-wife team of Stewart and Athena Boedecker was to make classic pinot noir with minimal intervention. Every stage of winemaking is done by hand. These fantastic pinot noirs are great values.
2014 BOEDECKER CELLARS PINOT NOIR: This bright, silky wine has cherry and raspberry aromas with bright red cherry flavors. It is elegant and delightful!
2014 BOEDECKER CELLARS ATHENA PINOT NOIR: The Athena Pinot Noir has a brilliant red color, with ripe raspberry and blueberry aromas. There are cherry and raspberry flavors with a spicy lingering finish.
Oregon has become one of the best places on earth to produce pinot noir. There are many styles of this wine, making it easy to pair with so many different foods. The lighter, more elegant, wines go well with salmon, roasted chicken, pasta and pork. The fuller-bodied pinot noirs pair well with duck, lamb, casseroles and much more.
Please drink responsibly!
