Every Monday, discover new wines, regions, and ways to understand this fermenting sea.
-
Munching Vidal Blanc on Keuka Lake, New York
Tag Archives: Oregon
Heat Wave Salve: Pine Ridge, Forefront, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2011
This Thirsty Thursday needs to cool it. My car thermometer claimed it hit 93F today…in Oregon…in May! My black, leather seat and I are now one. We’ve already exchanged vows. Slightly worse, my family had to evacuate their home: raging fires swept through Southern California today (ok…that’s far worse).
They’re fine. But we could all use a drink.
Tonight I turn to a native Pinot Gris produced by Pine Ridge. They call this line “Forefront” (I’m sure that sounded brave during marketing meetings…”Oh, now what. we’re Californian. Hey! Let’s make Pinot Gris in Oregon! That cutting-edge sense of adventure will appeal to our Caucasian male, desk-job slave, marketing demographic of 30 to 50 year olds. Genius! Now let’s be indecisive and slap an austere, slick, yet generic label on it”). Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 2011, Forefront, Oregon, Pine Ridge, Pinot Gris, Summer wine, Willamette Valley, wine
Leave a comment
Wine Geek Gift: Spätburgunder (aka Pinot Noir), August Kesseler, “Pinot N”, Pfalz, Germany 2010
Your wine geek wakes early, runs downstairs, and to their delight, finds something green and red-capped beneath the tree.
The slender bottle looks German. “Mmm…Riesling”, they think. Then, on closer inspection, their head explodes like a Christmas craker:
Yes. Pinot Noir. From Germany.
Now German wine usually evokes rough memories of cheap Riesling:
Yet Germany ranks third in the world for Pinot Noir acreage (30,000, just behind France and the US). The problem is, Germans drink most of it. Meanwhile, they pulled the Blue Nun’s veil of Riesling over our eyes. We could only assume that they made nothing but sweet yet tart whites.
No more! Treat you and yours this holiday with German Pinot. Continue reading
Posted in Pinot Noir, Red
Tagged Alsace, August Kesseler, Blue Nun, California, DDR, France, Germany, goat cheese, Kesseler, Oregon, pinot noir, riesling, Spätburgunder, Vosges Mountains, Wine Geek
2 Comments
Night Cap: Eola Hills, Port Style Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oregon 2007 LBV
With Turkey Day winding down, the family leaving, and dirty dishes at bay: you only have room for this.
Last Thursday’s Dry Riesling kicked winter in the ear. Today, Wayward Wine turns once more to that stalwart of winter-bound, fireside drinks: Port.
Years ago, we featured Warre’s Late Bottle Vintage 2000 Port (here). Neither a cheap, young Ruby, nor an expensive, age-able Vintage: their LBV forged a middle path into Portuguese fortified wine. Its sultry balance of spice, fruit, alcohol, and readiness reminded us of a belly dancer.
But can Oregon pull off the same trick? Continue reading
QUADY NORTH, SYRAH, 4-2, A, ROGUE VALLEY, OREGON 2008 $25
I met Herb last week. He stood behind a table, in a black shirt and cap. His wines lined up in front of him. Nothing else. Flanking him towered suit and tie representatives from Oregon’s famed Pinot Noir producers. They had flyers, business cards, banners, and slideshows of vineyard porn on small screens.
I tried their wines, heard their soliloquies, but kept returning to Herb. His black, cracked hands poured each bottle. He said even less. I felt that he itched to return to his vines, tanks, and family in Southern, Oregon. Continue reading
Posted in Red, Syrah
Tagged Australia, Bonny Doon Vineyard, California, Crozes-Hermitage, Herb Quady, Oregon, pinot noir, Quady North, Randall Graham, ROGUE VALLEY, San Francisco, Syrah, Valley Vineyards
1 Comment
WAYWARD WINE 