| From Vineyards of the Northwest
- October 2006
California has traditionally received notoriety for its wine
making on the West coast of the United States; however, there
are some remarkably good wines that are produced in the Willamette
Valley of Oregon. The Valley is an ideal location for wine
producers where vineyards will receive the humidity from the
Pacific and is bounded by the Coast and Cascade Mountain Ranges
to produce a mild growing climate. The land owes its fertility
to large flooding that occurred during the last ice age known
as the Missoula Floods.
The Valley remains cooler than those to the south and in California;
therefore it can produce some spectacular pinot noir and pinot
gris wines. Traditionally, the pinot noir has been produced
for centuries as a Burgundian wine – named for the region
of Burgundy (Bourgogne) where the grape derives its domicile
notoriety. Because of the grape’s thin skin, the variety
grown for dry table wines, it is difficult to grow in many
regions of the world. The Eyrie Vineyards, near McMinnville,
received one of the highest honors in 1979, winning for selection
pinot noir at the Wine Olympics in Paris, France. Interestingly
enough, the Bourgogne and the Willamette Valley share the
same latitude and a similar climate.
Two vineyards in the area worth mentioning produce well bodied
wines using the pinot noir grape. The first is the Van Duzer
winery noted for pinot noir, and the second is Duck Pond winery
which developed an exceptional 2004 Chardonnay from its vineyards
in Columbia Valley, Washington and a 2005 Pinot Gris from
the Willamette Valley vineyards. Both of these wines have
zest with light fruit noses of vanilla, berry, and peach coupled
with the appropriate acidity. These wines will go best with
light creamier cheeses, seafood, chicken, and fresh or lightly
sautéed vegetables.
The Van Duzer pinot noirs have a full body flavor that is
so hard to capture from this demanding grape which can only
mature under careful cultivation. The winery has gone to extra
lengths to develop the taste of its pinot noir through marking
exceptional quality through land tracking. This process reflects
in particular varieties of wine where it can be blended or
developed individually. One particular variety of wine that
deserves recognition is the Dijon Blocks pinot noir where
it has the light fruity quality underlying the general excellence
of the wine with an interesting spiciness that tantalizes
the senses. This is a bold flavored wine that would be perfect
with red meats, rich cream sauces, and more exotic vegetables
such as the artichoke or truffles and shallots.
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