The Evening Land Tri-Fecta

Evening Land Vineyards (ELV), the new kid in town, has quite a reputation already. It’s one of ambition, quality, brilliance and beauty… the stuff legends are made of.

Not many wineries produce wine in multiple locations. While a few Oregon wineries also make wine in California or Washington, and even fewer number make wine in both Oregon and Burgundy, Evening Land actually makes wine in all three locations with fruit from esteemed vineyards in these areas—Oregon, California and France. Stop in at their new Dundee tasting room and sip for yourself. You might just not believe your tastebuds.

With vineyards and wine production in the Willamette Valley, Sonoma Coast and in an idyllic 12th century chateau in the legendary Burgundy France, ELV offers tasters a chance to experience the wide world of wine. Enjoy them all, side-by-side, and explore the qualities distinctive to each specific growing region, as well as the varietal similarities.

Discover the minerality of the Evening Land Chardonnays, each of them bright, rich, alive and impressive showing flavors of lemon, grapefruit peel, pear and white blossoms.

The ELV Pinot Noirs are simply captivating. The Willamette Valley blue label (ELV's elegant labels are color-coded according to price), a blend of three different vineyard sites (Lemelson, Stoller and Eola Springs), is surprisingly priced in the “affordable” Oregon Pinot Noir category. At just $25 a bottle retail, it’s a wine you definitely want to get your corkscrew into and add to your regular line-up. 

The Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir is simply stunning. On the savory side of Pinot, the wine is still dripping with sweet, luscious black cherries and tart red raspberries. This acid-driven wine is perfectly balanced…a symphony of fruit, earth, minerals and old-world style, all the notes coming together in perfect harmony. Sublime. Quixotic. Pour me another glass.

Though I’d tried ELV's wines before, this comprehensive and more focused tasting made quite an impression on me. All of the wines (with the exception of the Spanish Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir, which is wisely being discontinued) are even better than remembered or expected. Evening Land is definitely a winery to put on your “Must Visit” and "Must Taste" lists. 

Finding the Balance in Oregon Wine

With the current state of the economy, my former hobby of seeking out value-driven wines has now become more of a necessity. With that thought weighing as heavily upon me as a teenager’s backpack, I located Firesteed Cellars, who to me epitomizes both quality and value.

Though Firesteed Pinot Noir has graced my table many times with their consistently good, fruit-forward $10.00 wines, I’d never actually visited their facility—and until 2003, nobody else had either (with no vineyards and no winery, Firesteed was what was called a virtual winery). Owner Howard Rossbach had the forethought to produce reliably good yet affordable Oregon wines over 15 years ago, sourcing fruit from the state’s most renowned growing regions and utilizing a custom-crush facility before purchasing the existing vineyard and winery. Located a mere ten minutes from downtown Salem, this accessible winery is a relative newcomer on the scene but fully ready to play ball with the big boys. While expansive views of the 74-acres of vineyards greet you (with 200 more slated for planting), the quiet and windowless tasting room overlooks the winery facility, keeping the focus on the wine, not the vine.

For a facility that produces 80,000 cases per year, it was like a ghost town the day I visited. Winters are generally quiet around most cellars; wines from the past harvest have all been bottled or put in barrel to age, the vines have been pruned back and lie dormant for months. I relish in the extra attention I get in an uncrowded tasting room, so a lack of people didn’t phase me (though I do love a good party atmosphere). Byron poured me through Firesteed’s line-up, which actually had a few surprises. The 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was expressive with black cherry, raspberry, cedar, cocoa and spicy notes. It was earthy and smoky and good, but wait… it’s $30 a bottle. Next, Byron’s pouring $35 and even $50 wines. Really? $50 Pinot noir? From Firesteed? Well, as it turns out, Firesteed created a entirely different label for this wine, called Citation, which they age and hold back until it’s truly ready for release. I tasted a 2000 Citation Pinot Noir, which is primarily only available in the tasting room. It tasted of cranberry with firm yet silky tannins—a solid wine. I totally get the concept; chosen select barrels, aged years before release. But with all due respect to Mr. Rossbach, I do have to question producing a wine that seems to violate the One-Two-Punch quality AND value theme Firesteed has built their reputation and success on. Just sayin’!

Travel just a bit further down the road and discover Johan Vineyards and their boutique winery which produces less than 1,000 cases of wine each year. Located on 85 acres of organic and biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Van Duzer corridor, Johan sells 85% of their fruit to lucky local wineries. The winery produced its first vintage of estate wine in 2005 and recently celebrated the grand opening of their winery and inviting tasting room just a short couple of months ago.

While winery cats Fox and Leopard twirled at my feet, I enjoyed wines that were focused, elegant and told a beautiful story. The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir was a bit showy with a lovely balance of cherry, pomegranate, cassis, a bit of dust and just the right of amount of spice to make the finish bold and memorable. The 2007 Pinot Noir Nils Reserve (named for Johan’s father) was deep and mysterious, with a bit of dark side; black cherry, currants and blackberries dominated the fruit spectrum while hints of forest floor and spice added pizzazz. Leaving the company of Dag’s charming wife Alison, I ventured back down the windy road, past open meadows, spring-fed lakes for irrigation and runoff, solar panels and of course, rows and rows of grapevines. Left of center, and right back up the other side of the bowl, I discovered Johan’s next-door neighbors, Left Coast Cellars, and their country-contemporary tasting room.

Left Coast Cellars is situated on a 306-acre estate that’s so much like a nature preserve it’s easy to forget it’s a vineyard. In addition to the 125 acres of meticulously maintained organic and biodynamic vineyards, there’s Italian Cyprus and Oregon White Oak trees, as well as fruit orchards and lakes and streams that attract migrating birds and larger birds of prey. Left Coast owners, the Plaff family, also planted four acres of hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oak to encourage growth of their European truffles. I wonder (and didn’t ask) if those truffles will be available for sale in the tasting room?

Annabelle, the winery mascot, was there to greet me and shepherded me to the bar for tasting. She knew it was getting close to the dinner hour and I sensed she was wishing I would wrap things up already instead of making her pose for a picture. But Annabelle sat pretty and patiently while Judy and Jean made no hurries at all, making me feel right at home while poured me through the extended portfolio. As with other wines from this AVA (American Viticultural Area), the Pinot noirs showed a similarity with their expressions of dark fruit and earthiness. Left Coast was pouring three Pinots from the 2006 vintage, which were all pretty bold, jammy and intense (like many Pinot noirs of that vintage). My favorite, and the wine I thought the most elegant, was their 2006 Cali’s Cuvee Pinot Noir (named for owner Suzanne’s daughter). Its generous nose tempted me with ripe Bing cherries, blackberry pie, orange zest and pine while the taste revealed a mixed bowl of wild berries which gave way to an interesting herbaceous quality. The finish was long and lovely with sweet maple and baking spice that would be perfect to sip on its own or to pair with a hearty and meaty meal. Though I seem to have skipped straight to the reds, I actually really enjoyed the whites from Left Coast Cellars, where winemaker Luke McCollum takes the mundane and makes it interesting. Definitely worth mentioning, is Left Coast Cellars 2006 Chardonnay… complex and vivacious with flavors of lemon meringue pie, white peach, green apple, quince and vanilla skipping about my mouth. They may be a bunch of lefties out there, but they’re certainly doing something right.

While I was tasting at Left Coast, I was intrigued by a couple of women I met named Nichole Taylor and Ivy Hover of Vino & Vinyasa. Nichole and Ivy run yoga retreats at wineries and vineyards, bringing the revitalizing practice of yoga to the expansive views of Oregon’s vineyards… relaxing and stretching while surrounded by nature’s beauty and bounty. The sound of it alone sounds relaxing, no? Back on the road, but with my mind still doing Tree Pose in the vineyard, I passed by Firesteed again and thoughts of money and value invaded my formerly peaceful place, jolting me back to reality. A few deep cleansing breaths and it occurred to me that like the yin and yang, I guess ultimately, wineries must find their balance too. Perhaps Firesteed’s luxury tier provides some kind of balance for their value-priced wines, perhaps even adding value to the less expensive wines. Does the $50 wine make their $16 bottle taste even better? I guess some wineries make decisions to introduce a top-shelf wine based on marketing principals and some just have a passion to make a better wine. The wineries that do this best strike a precarious balance between the two. Here’s to balance. Until we sip again…

Cheers!

Is Your Glass Always Half-Full?

When one thinks of Salem, Oregon, wineries and vineyards are probably not some of the first images that come to mind. But, at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, just beyond the boundaries of Oregon’s capital city of Salem, lies the Eola-Amity AVA (American Viticultural Area) that includes a vast array of wineries both unique in taste and experience.

Visit Redhawk Vineyard and Winery, but be prepared, you might feel like staying a while… heck, you might just even move in. At least that’s how it went for Jude, who popped into Redhawk while on vacation from California three years ago and has since been “adopted” by the family, working in the winery and pouring in the tasting room. As it turns out, she’s also my mystery fire-starting goddess, lighting fires and rescuing her neighboring winery’s guests from the unfriendly cold (I ran into her on a previous day’s adventure at Mystic—click to read the post).

In 2005 John and Betty Pataccoli purchased Redhawk Vineyard and Winery lock, stock and wine barrel. Though the place was pretty rundown, the Pataccolis made significant upgrades to the winery, cellar/tasting room and vineyards and Redhawk is now producing quality wine they aim to sell at reasonable prices. John and Betty created a place for guests to sip wine while regarding the mountain and valley views from the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

While Max the Dog gravitated between lounging like a king on this throne and roaming the cellar in search of sausage handouts, I enjoyed the wines in the entertaining company of Jude and John. Redhawk crafts a lighter style Pinot noir called “Grateful Red,” which was originally conceived by the ex-hippies who founded the place. The wine had such a cult following that John kept it around—which turned out to be a smart decision, as that wine now accounts for half of his production. When John bought the farm (so to speak), with it, he inherited 14 barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Pinot noir. In a lucky twist of fate (and almost by accident), he expertly blended them to create a big, flavorful and affordable table wine (which he’s also kept around) called Redhawk Red ($12).

My favorite wines however, were the 2007 Pataccoli Family Vineyard Pinot Noir and the 2008 Syrah Columbia Valley; the Pinot was loaded down with red cherries and raspberries striking a sweet spot on my tongue while the toasty Syrah warmed me up from the inside out with blackberries, cassis, spicy peppercorn and hints of anise. The finish on the Syrah lingered long and heavy, like an old fogies’ stogie, I still had a full itinerary, so I bid my farewells and headed off for Evasham Wood.

On the way to my car, I paused to absorb the views of the vineyards and scenic valley below where I met a Redhawk employee who told me about a secret trail through the strand of tall fir trees adjacent to the residence which led directly to Evasham Wood, right next door. He mentioned that it’s quicker to walk there then to drive but the drive up through their vineyards is lovely, so sold on the notion of that experience, I returned to my car.

Funny thing about timing—while driving up past the fields of flowing golden grasses lined with stately old Oregon white oak trees, stretches of blackberry bramble and on through Evasham Wood’s 13-acres of organically farmed vineyards, I paused a few minutes to snap a photo. Almost immediately as I resumed driving however, I passed my old boss Jason Ludlow (from Cooper Mountain Vineyards) coming down. Had I walked what was probably a very lovely trail through that cluster of fir trees between the wineries, I would have arrived just in time to bump right into him, which may have been a bit awkward for both of us. Sadly, our professional relationship fell apart when I started this project and discovered he didn’t think regular, uncredentialed people such as myself (non sommeliers) should be writing about wine and didn’t support “wine blogging” in general (not that he ever even bothered to look at my blog). So, apparently with the timing fairy sitting pretty on my shoulder that day, I found myself able to enjoy the wines at Evasham Wood Vineyard in their cozy, sub-terreanian wine cellar after all.

Evasham Wood Vineyard is only open for guests to taste two times per year, and as luck (or good planning) would have it, I happened in for their Fall Open House. The packed cellar was brimming and bustling like an evening cocktail party with guests mingling over wine and platters of catered food (which also made it difficult for owner and winemaker Russ Raney to answer my questions).

Russ produces 5500 cases a year, aspiring to craft wines that are true to both their varietal and the location… terrior. Russ poured a 2008 Blanc du Puit Sec that was 80% Pinot Gris and 20% Gewurztraminer which I thought showed interesting notes of Meyer lemon and candied ginger. The 2007 Pinot Noir Le Puits Sec, all from estate fruit, was his golden child though—well structured, with great balance and good acids. More complex than a cocktail wine, it was clearly built for food pairing (as classic Burgundies are). I hung onto my glass of wine for a while… swirling it, sniffing it, letting it open up so I could explore the many layers which kept unfolding to expose plums, raspberries, earthy truffles and leather, floral rose petals and a spicy white pepper finish. After tasting through the wines, I left the Evasham Wood’s country estate cellar and escaped to the nearby cultural retreat of Cubanisimo.

Step into Cubanisimo Vineyards and you might think you’ve landed in a Cuban café. The tasting room is rich in Cuban flavor with bright art contrasted by dark wood overhead, banana-leaf ceiling fans, plantain chips on the bar, tropically-inspired patio and of course, Fidel Castro toilet paper. The owner and founder, Maurice Collado Jr., who was born in Havana and lived with a winemaking family while in college, has ultimately combined his pride in his heritage with a passion for great Pinots. He commissioned Robert Stuart (of R. Stuart wines) to craft his portfolio, which included a charming 2008 Rosado de Pinot Noir that at first sniff was bright and floral with essences of green melon and apricot breaking through and an appealing mouth of succulent white peaches. I was intrigued by Cubanisimo’s 2008 Pinot Gris, which grabbed my attention with its combination of subtle honey and white flowers that stood up against the strong backbone of zesty citrus, Anjou pear and tart green apple.

In my research, I learned the meaning of the word Cuba roughly translates to “where fertile land is abundant” or “a great place” from the indigenous Taino language. With 12-acres of vineyards just planted in 2003, I’m sure Maurice is just beginning to understand how fitting his name choice probably is.

The Eola-Amity region is a far different experience than the crowded and oft-visited Dundee Hills. The wineries are very unpretentious, and if you’re a first time taster, wineries like these provide a less intimidating atmosphere. While at Cubanisimo, I got to enjoy witnessing a gentleman’s first foray into wine tasting. Tasting Room Associate Heather masterly handled him, and though the guest was somewhat resistant, she was gently persuasive and even had him drinking pink wine—I might add that he appeared to be enjoying it too! Well done Heather.

Every once in a while, my experiences on this journey take me beyond wine and I discover something different and truly special. Pop ‘round to the unassuming Orchard Heights Winery on a Sunday for brunch and be prepared for a feast! Start the day with made-to-order omlettes and pasta bar, Belgium waffles, biscuits and gravy or eggs benedict. If the weather’s nice, take advantage of a choice of scenic vistas from either the front deck or back patio. Even if you miss brunch, like I did, Orchard Heights features a large gift shop with an extensive selection of snacks to make lunch from, including macadamia nuts and chocolate from the owners Michael and Gwen Purdy’s farm and factory in Hawaii (where they live half-time).

Orchard Heights was offering a selection of 15 wines to choose from—that’s a lot of tasting and spitting. While I was doing this, a brunch staff member happened through and was astonished I was spitting the wines out, as she had never seen that done before. Really? She works at a winery and has never seen someone who tastes but doesn’t drink? I might have looked as astonished as she did. Keeping with the island theme—and in addition to the winery’s Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah—Orchard Heights makes their specialty Island Princess wines, which is their dry white wine base with Hawaiian tropical fruit purees added that were unique, exotic and distinctive, especially in this Valley of Pinot noir.

While I was considering how many glasses of wine I have poured for me in a day of tasting, it occurred to me what a lucky woman I really am. But to be honest, I was having one of those days, which is probably hard to imagine when my job is to be out touring Oregon’s amazing wine country, right? Contrary to popular belief though, purposeful wine tasting, as I’m doing it, is more work at this point than it is a good time. So, feeling perhaps a bit philosophical too, I began thinking about how others view my world as well as their own. And at the end of a long day, I wonder how many been have looking at their glass throughout the day with the good fortune of having it always be half full. So what ‘s the lesson here? You tell me. Until we sip again…

Cheers!

Do You Know Where to Get Cozy in Oregon’s Wine Country?

The rain’s pouring down in soggy wet sheets, but don’t let that keep you from exploring Oregon’s wine country. Granted, you won’t enjoy the same scenic and mountain views, and you certainly won’t be playing Bocce or picnicking alongside ripening grapevines—but with less crowds and other options, off-season is a prime opportunity to taste wine and explore new wine regions. So on one exceptionally rainy autumn day, I took a very different route to wine country. I drove my car onto the Wheatland Ferry; which carried me across the rain-swollen Willamette River where I located Arcane Cellars at Wheatland Winery along the river’s banks.

Being located immediately adjacent to the Wheatland Ferry, Arcane Cellar’s Vineyard and Facilities Manager Jeff Silva naturally was a library of information about it. While he poured me through his line-up in the chilly winery, he charmed me with history: I learned that there used to be over 150 ferries crossing the Willamette River—but today, the Wheatland Ferry is one of only three remaining, and is the only full-time ferry operating. Two years ago, a new three-million-dollar, dual-cable ferry was installed to handle the quarter-million cars that cross every year. In favorable weather, Arcane offers vineyard-side Bocce, picnic grounds and outdoor tasting from their mobile bar. Watching the torrential downpour from inside was a bit different experience, but Jeff was in high spirits and his energy was infectious.

Jeff’s son Jason Silva is Arcane Cellar’s winemaker and the two have a long history in winemaking together beginning with their own Pilgrim Vineyards; the first winery in Massachusetts. Jason went to graduate school for Medieval English Literature (before studying oenology), where he found much of his inspiration for Arcane’s logo, label design and branding elements—featuring alchemic symbols and philosophy. Arcane means mysterious, secret and obscure—which the wines may be now, but winning awards like they are, they’re unlikely to remain that way for long.

Driving through a torrential downpour to the next winery along the Amity tour, I noticed the farm workers wrapping up Christmas trees for export and both felt bad for them working in that miserable weather and tried to deny that the holiday season is springing into full bloom.

I pulled into Hauer of the Dauen (pronounced Hour of the Dawn) where I disrupted Carl Dauenhauer from his afternoon newspaper on a day when the quiet is only broken by sound of the smattering rain, a periodic clap of thunder… and the occasional pesky wine taster. Hauer of the Dauen (from the family name), I’d come to learn, means “Striking of the Sunrise” in German. Carl biodyamically farms 140 acres of vineyards outside Dayton, produces only Estate-grown wines, and specializes in pouring older vintages of seven varietals in the quirky but relaxed tasting room. Clearly memorable, was a 2002 Oregon Lemberger that tasted of prunes, black currants and leather—standing out in my mind as Hauer of Dauen is the only grower/producer of this German varietal in Oregon—and a 2000 Pinot Noir Reserve (because frankly, how many nine-year-old Pinots do you get to taste? It’s usually the most current vintage) with lovely tinged-brown slightly oxidized color from age and earthy elements carrying the black fruit on its back. Carl sent me along with my bottle of Lemberger and a smile and off I set out into the mystic.

Well, on to Mystic Wines that is. Owner and winemaker Rick Mafit is surprisingly producing brilliant “Big Reds” in the west hills of Salem. With only nine acres planted, Rick gets most of his fruit from The Dalles, Oregon (in the Columbia Gorge) and has produced Oregon’s first commercial bottling of Barbera (fruit from Hood River, Oregon). Mystic’s label is a bit confusing, but when you hear it was designed by Rick’s son (when he was just a teenager), it makes sense. Using cork paper, the labels look creative and stand apart from many of the more traditional wine labels you see on the shelves.

With the wineries mostly deserted everywhere else, Mystic Wines was like a festive party. A group from Salem had rented a limousine and was out tasting and when I asked them what they were out celebrating, they simply replied, “Saturday.” Ahhh…, a group after my own heart.

Rick was telling dirty jokes behind the bar and pouring his magnificent and expressive wines while a visiting guest started up a fire to cozy up the old house. Actually, the woman who started the fire seemed like a local and regular and I later found out she worked at nearby winery called Red Hawk, but I was impressed with how Rick was able to get this beautiful lady to start a fire for him. Rick produces a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Barbera and Pinot noir. Though I loved the 2006 Syrah with lots of black—black plum, black licorice and black pepper, my hands down favorite was the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was gorgeous with blackberries, blueberries, vanilla, cocoa and some herbal notes drifting in the background. With the rain slowing down, but all the views still obscured, I left Mystic without seeing all the mountain peaks usually on display and went to visit Methven Family Vineyards.

Get past the images of seedy drug vehicles the name Methven brings to mind and embrace their traditional Scottish history instead. Dr. Alan & Jill Methvn take pride in their heritage (and their name) and provide a warm and elegant tasting room to experience their wines. Methven Family Vineyards has only 30 acres planted to grapes on their 100-acre estate, but with wine growing neighbors, the vines look like they go on for miles.

Dave, who had poured for me at Zena’s in Carlton, was tending the old honey maple bar; originally from Lincoln City, Oregon and being the only ones there, we were probably having a bit too much fun. I told Dave I heard an entire bottle of wine fits in one Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glass and he showed me how, as a bartender, he could win big money with that trick. He took an empty bottle of wine, filled it up with water and then proceeded to pour it all into one glass—but Officer, I just had one glass of wine!

Getting back to the business at hand, I must mention Methven’s wines, because they are quite worth the mention. The 2007 Pinot Gris, crafted by winemaker Chris Lubberstedt, was exceptional… even on a cold, rainy day. Far beyond a summer sipper, this wine had complex layers of sweet green melon, tart green apples and floral jasmine. I also loved the 2007 Citizen’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, which had a light and lithe body, bright red acidic fruit, soft dried rose petals and a touch of cool mint running through. I valued Methven’s non-pretentious style (especially keeping a sense of humor), which showed when Dave presented the Pinot noir “Reserves” and told me they were reserved for someone with $45.

With an outdoor patio to soak up the breathtaking valley and mountain views, and a bocce ball court for added recreation, the winery could easily be an all-day affair (especially with weekend concerts throughout the summer months). But for me, my tasting had come to an end, and it was time to bid Dave adieux and return to my life in the suburbs.

Driving home it occurred to me that historically, it was often imperfect weather that kept me from wine tasting during the wetter months. Yes, it’s true, lingering romantic wine-filled lunches don’t have to disappear just because the sun and the view do—today’s lesson teaches that in the off-season, you just have to be a bit more creative. Mystic near Salem, Tyrus Evans and Anne Amie in Carlton, Coelho in Amity and Maysara in McMinnville are all examples of fantastic winter wineries… they each have comfortable seating areas, with fireplaces, food and some even have games to while away the day. So, next time the rain comes beating down your door, escape to wine country—find a nice cozy spot to snuggle up with a glass of wine and let it warm you from the inside out. Until we sip again…

Cheers!

Getting Lost in Oregon's Wine Country

If you’re longing to visit wine country but the thought of traffic and crowds are deterring you, consider Amity, Oregon. Off the beaten path, with long, winding and empty country roads, scenic valley views and exceptional wine—Amity could just very well be the wine chaser’s dream tour. Located one hour south of Portland, or 20 minutes northwest of Salem, this tour begins at Bethel Heights Vineyards.

Family owned and operated since 1977 by two families, Bethel Heights produces only estate-grown wines (meaning they don’t bring in fruit from anywhere else). Though there was a slight chill to the air, the sun was beginning to warm up the view from the expansive deck overlooking the vineyards, cities of Salem and Keizer, and even Mt. Jefferson was making a grand appearance. The name Bethel Heights pays tribute to the history of the land, going back to 1909 when it was originally known as Bethel Heights Walnut Grove. A few of the original walnut trees remain dotting the edges of the vineyard.

An adorable kitty named Jellybean was making a rare appearance in the tasting room, which was open and airy yet warm and woody, with vaulted ceilings and a large fireplace making it feel like more an Aspen cabin—except for the vineyard view of course. The wines were luxurious and rather remarkable. One wine I found delightful was the 2007 Pinot Noir Rosé. This wine was seductive and alluring with essences of strawberries, raspberries and rose petals followed by a suggestion of cream and spice. The acids were bright and food friendly, making the wine a simple food complement… really, what wouldn’t it pair with? The 2006 Pinot Noir Justice Vineyard was quite bold and very fruit forward (typical of that vintage), lush and full of Bing cherries, wild raspberries and sweet strawberries. The racy acids in most Pinot noirs, which this wine had as well, are what make it possible to hold its own against many different foods and is a good part of what make this varietal so popular.

The French have centuries of experience pairing wine and food and at this point intuitively know how eating salmon, game, pork, turkey, fruit, mushrooms, breads, cheese and even chocolate can all be enhanced by serving it with Pinot noir. The 2007 Pinot Noir Casteel Reserve had lots of black fruit on the nose, as well as a little blackberry cordial, spice cake and smatterings of some pine and crushed leaves in the background. It was all black cherries and spice through the mouth, with soft tannins that left a silky texture and balanced acids to give it added structure and ageability. Though I could have stayed all day soaking in the sun from their deck, I was on a quest, so off I went to St. Innocent.

Drive up to St. Innocent Winery and you might wonder if you’re in Oregon anymore. The European-style chateau is so massive and grand; it looks just a bit out of place against the farm-rich agricultural area. St. Innocent Winery is located on the Zenith Vineyard, which offers one of the finest wedding event facilities I’ve seen in Oregon, accommodating as many as 500 guests. St. Innocent founder and winemaker Mark Vlossak produces seven single-vineyards Pinot noirs, a cuvee, and a handful of whites with the intent on preserving higher acid levels to complement and extend the pleasure of a meal. The winery is named for Mark’s father (whose middle name was Innocent after being born on All Innocents Day) who gave him an instinctual feel for what wine was about. With gorgeous copper bars, an outdoor patio and huge fountain; the grounds are romantic and make a lasting impression.

With eleven gorgeous wines (nine of which were Pinot noirs), I’m only going to mention my hands-down favorite, which was the 2007 Winemakers Cuvee, one of their only blends. While single-vineyard designates can be lovely and uniquely expressive of location, there is real art in blending that only certain winemakers understand and can fully achieve. This wine was a show-stopper, both elegant and strong, aromas of dark cherries, wild flowers, mushrooms and creamy chocolate rose from the glass like a snake-charmer’s cobra rising to the sound of his magic flute. At first taste, my mouth was practically assaulted by delicious flavors of sweet brambleberries, nutmeg, white pepper and toasted hazelnuts that lingered long and pleasantly in my mouth. I felt a bit sorry for the tasting room associate who was doing his best to handle the busy and docile crowd, but wasn’t very efficient and was frustratingly slow. Finally getting some back-up relief as I was on my way out the door, I imagined it was much different for the next guests and I marveled at how the experience is completely unique to each and every guest that walks through the door. I heard St. Innocent offers a buffet over the Thanksgiving weekend that’s not to be missed and with that big holiday looming around the corner, and special winery events, it’s not too early to start making those wine country plans.

Speaking of not to be missed is Cristom Vineyards, located on a 65-acre estate overlooking the seven distinct vineyards named for the matriarchs of the family and Mt. Jefferson. The name Cristom honors owners Paul and Eileen Gerrie children—Christine and Tom. The winery is an intriguing combination of old- and new-world utilizing many architecturally restored components; including the bar, marble, chandeliers and the immense wooden antique doors that welcome you (which are more than 250 years old, having been salvaged from a French chateaux).

Cristom founder Paul Gerrie and Winemaker Steve Doerner are advocates of tradition and yet still challenge themselves by experimenting both in the cellar and vineyards. In fact, they were the first vineyard to plant Viognier in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Viognier is typically found in warmer climates, but Cristom has been ripening up several acres for the last few vintages and producing a very pretty wine. The 2007 Estate Viognier smelled of juicy peaches, orange zest and honeysuckle. I loved the texture—it was slightly viscous and tasted rich of pears, apples, apricots and some subtle Hawaiian pineapple on the lovely finish.

I also was quite taken with the 2006 Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir that showed dark color and lots of black plum and currants initially, but when I paid close attention, I picked up vanilla, cola, chocolate and pepper that seemed to take a mini-vacation on my tongue. When I was returning to my car, I saw the most amazing avian display—thousands of starlings were swooping and soaring in frenzy over what I assume was the rotting fruit left on the vines post-harvest. Wishing for my own mini-vacay, I drove off down the road. I wish I could say it was into the sunset of the wild blue yonder—close, it was actually to Witness Tree Vineyard.

Drive up to Witness Tree Vineyard and look straight up to the top of the hill. There, presiding over the vineyard, stands the ancient and lacy white oak tree for which the 52-acre vineyard and winery are named. Legend has it; the 250-year-old heritage tree predates the arrival of the first white settlers in the area and is also one of the few trees that survived the annual and traditional burning of the land by the Calapooya Indian Tribe in the mid 1800’s. Though it was pretty, and I was far away, for a 250-year-old tree, it honestly didn’t look all that big or impressive to me, but apparently it was a designated surveyors landmark in 1854.

Witness Tree Vineyard , founded by Dennis and Carolyn Devine, is nestled in the Eola Hills and produces only 100% estate wines, not purchasing any fruit from any other growers. Offering ten different wines, I had my tasting work cut out for me. I was a bit concerned when I tasted the 2007 Pinot Blanc and thought it was a Riesling… perhaps my palate was getting a bit fried (this was actually winery number eight that day), but I was getting hard petroleum instead of subtle fragrant white flowers when I put my nose to the glass. The 2007 Witness Tree Estate Pinot Noir set my mind at ease, with an intense ruby color; it showed tremendous grace and style. It seems vineyards in this area produces a lot of black fruit and chocolate characters, and this wine was just following suit with seductive vanilla and spice for added complexity. The nose on this wine was as divine as the owner’s name, but at $28, it was a good price point for Oregon Pinot noir—and though it’s their most widely distributed wine and easily accessible at the retail level and I usually try to select wine you can only purchase at the winery, I bought a bottle anyway. My thought was: It’s still straight from the source—never having seen warm trucks, bright lights or supermarket shelves. Witness Tree also make estate Viognier, Chardonnay, Single-vineyard designate Pinot noir, Dolcetto and a very sweet but interesting ice-style dessert wine. All I needed was some Oregonzolla and I could have called it a day—but not without a visit to Stangeland Winery and Vineyards first.

Stangeland Winery and Vineyards was a very interesting experience for me, but I’ll share more about that in a bit. First off, let’s make sure we’re all pronouncing it correctly, because at first glance, it might look like Strangeland, but it’s definitely not strange at all. Stangeland is actually named for a Norwegian region and you’ll find Norway’s flag flying in the tasting room that was located directly next to French and Bulgarian oak barrels whose bellies were swollen full with the current vintage. Owner Larry Miller told me how he was the only Oregon winery to receive three gold and three silver medals out of over 1,000 entries from 22 different countries at the World Pinot Noir competition in Switzerland… good on you Larry, that is quite an accomplishment.

I tasted a 2005 Chardonnay that was displaying some interesting and unusual banana notes and several different vintage Pinot noirs—but I must confess, I sadly took horrible notes. I did purchase (and already enjoyed) a 2005 Pinot Noir Estate which was actually a very big wine for a Pinot, but gorgeous and luscious with sweet black cherries, leather, truffles, herb and spice notes… wow.

So, the interesting part of the experience and probably the reason for my horrible notes was this: There I am drinking wine, doing my thing when I turn around and see this young, hot, blonde Adonis standing there (actually his name was Roby). He really looks like Smith Jarret, Samantha’s boy toy from Sex and the City, if you were a fan. Distracting me from what I really should be doing there, and probably against my better judgment, I spoke with Roby and came to find out that he leads one of those romantic and totally unrealistic lifestyles. Living vicariously through him for just a moment, I hung on baited breath as he told me how he flits back and forth between wine country and ski country… depending on the season, never putting down any real roots. Oh to be young again and without responsibilities. He’s worked this past season in Stangeland’s winery and tasting room but was off that day and just in for Harvest dinner, which ultimately was probably a good thing for me, because he could have easily talked me into a case (or more)! Clever direct sales strategy grasshopper.

On the way home from a very full day, I was enjoying the serene, back-country roads opening up in front of me, getting lost first in my thoughts and then directionally as well. Trying to find my way on a small map not drawn to scale with no clearly marked roads wasn’t the best idea, driving around a new region. Okay, lesson learned. Suck it up and buy a GPS already or get a better map—though I can think of so many worse things than getting lost in the Eola-Amity Hills. Until we sip again…

Cheers!