Easily, the most important grape in Oregon viticulture is Pinot Noir. Largely grown in the cool Willamette Valley and surrounding areas, the wines made from Pinot Noir receive praise for being more similar to Burgundy than many of the versions grown in California. Oregon has the second most wineries in the United States, but […]
Oregon Pinot Noir Quarrel Read More »
The state of Washington produces outstanding Cabernets and Syrahs these days; however it first made its name in Merlot. While there are some profound Merlots being produced in California (and plenty of ordinary ones), many would argue that for sheer consistency and relative value, Washington is where it’s at. Largely grown in the dry
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January’s wine tasting continued our trend of rich, high alcohol wines with the Zinfandel Battle. Bearing no resemblance to “White Zinfandel” bottlings, real (red) Zinfandels show hefty, dark, and forward flavors. All the bottles in the Zinfandel Battle were worthy competitors, exhibiting varietally correct flavors, and none were disparaged as bad wines. Sarah’s winning
One would get very few arguments about Napa Valley’s greatness as one of the top two places in the wine world to grow the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Napa Valley’s many microclimates and soils create compelling, sophisticated Cabernet based wines that virtually any wine lover has in his or her cellar. In a relatively short amount
Growers of the pinot noir grape often use terms like “frustrating” and “fickle” to describe the difficulty with this variety. A notoriously troublesome grape, they are thin-skinned, and very subject to climate variation. Done poorly, the wines are light and weedy, but when done well, they are rich while maintaining their elegance. Overall, price
War of the Pinot Noirs Read More »