Every Monday, discover new wines, regions, and ways to understand this fermenting sea.
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Munching Vidal Blanc on Keuka Lake, New York
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Tag Archives: Willamette Valley
Thanksgiving Wine: Gran Moraine, Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon 2013
Thanksgiving can be hell. What wine will work? Food pairing is not the problem. It is people pairing (read here). In past posts, I have leaned on my French crutch of Beaujolais (here and here). Both a good Nouveau or Village will slide seamlessly along with all that salt, fat, and regret. But this is silly. Just because Nouveau releases a week before Turkey Day does not merit its place on the table. Also, most Beaujolais are too tart and lean for most guests.
Thanksgiving is an American holiday. The food is American. The people usually are too. We should drink something American. What better way to match local, bold, rustic foods than with wine from home? Continue reading
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Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged drink, family, holiday, Holidays, Oregon, pinot noir, Thanksgiving, travel, Willamette Valley, wine, yamhill carlton
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Golden Oak: Wine Beer Fusion Lange Winery Rogue Brewery Willamette Week ProAm 2016
Go to Willamette Week’s Fourth Annual Beer Pro/Am Saturday, October 15th in Portland, Oregon (tickets: here). Why? To witness my wife crushing the competition with her revolutionary Belgian Golden Strong Ale.
This is her journey: Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Ale, Beer, Belgium, Brewing, competition, drinks, Duvel, Oregon, Rogue, travel, Willamette Valley, Willamette Weekly, wine
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Jack Creek Cellars, Estate, Pinot Noir Reserve, Central Coast, California, 2006
Let’s break from our EU Austerity Drinking Tour for something more to home. This Thanksgiving our family took a turkey break and visited Pinot Noir country in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Stops at Archery Summit, Angela, Lange, and Troon all highlighted the many forms and clones that Oregon Pinot could take on. Continue reading
Posted in Pinot Noir, Uncategorized
Tagged 2006, and Troon, Angela, Archery Summit, California, Central Coast, Estate, Jack Creek Cellars, Lange, Oregon, pinot noir, Pinot Noir Reserve, Willamette Valley, yamhill carlton
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Memorial Day: 1997 Archery Summit, Pinot Noir, Oregon
If Memorial Day is about remembrance, I can think of no better memorial to America’s dead than opening an old bottle of our own. Militant sacrifice created the world we live in. Tonight’s wine would not have existed without the world they created. So let’s turn to the past…
1997 saw my sophomore year in high school. Girls still confused me. MMMbop, Backstreet Boys, and Spice Girl pop had usurped Grunge’s musical devolution (at least we still had the Smashing Pumpkins? Bush? Foo Fighters? Come on! Anybody?). Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Archery Summit, Hanson, Oregon, pinot noir, Sean Connery, Spice Girls, Willamette Valley
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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
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Tagged 2011, Forefront, Oregon, Pine Ridge, Pinot Gris, Summer wine, Willamette Valley, wine
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