This review is long over due. Jonathan and I drank this wine several weeks ago, but I never got around to posting the blog. We paired the Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling with homemade Indian food (one of our first attempts). I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – Riesling and Indian food are a match made in heaven. I hoped this wine would be as tasty as the other bottles from Willamette Valley Vineyards, but I was left a little disappointed.

Let me start off by saying this wine is not bad. It’s strictly a matter of taste preferences. I prefer my Rieslings on the dryer side and this one leaned toward the sweeter side. It’s classified as a medium-sweet Riesling. In the glass, there was almost no color to the Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling – extremely light and translucent. On the nose, we picked up an abundance of pear, apple and peach. There was quite a bit of sweetness on the palate and this Riesling didn’t seem as clean and crisp as others we had recently.

This wine was modeled after traditional German Rieslings. The grapes were harvested from October 25 – November 1, 2008 and were lightly whole cluster pressed. Fermentation was in 100% stainless steel and lasted approximately eight weeks. Just over 20,400 cases were bottled and released in October 2009.

Willamette Valley Vineyards is the dream of Jim Bernau. In 1983, he purchased the estate, cleared the land and began planting grapevines. Bernau hand watered the baby grapevines with garden hoses because there was no irrigation system. He honed his winemaking skills with classes at UC Davis and seminars around the world and soon his dream was a reality. Willamette Valley Vineyards manages 300 acres of vines, all certified sustainable, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe.

*This wine was received as a sample.

We are in full holiday mode at our house. Jonathan’s family arrives tomorrow so that means today is cleaning, shopping, washing, cooking and all the odds and ends that slip through the cracks. For some reason, I thought I could get it all done today! I knew I should have started earlier in the week, but we’ve both been busy. Jonathan leaves for India next week and we had an unexpected doggie injury, requiring a trip to the vet. However, Flash (the basset hound) is as good as new. So to relax before the chaos really begins we settled in with Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Tualatin Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir.

In the glass, this wine appears light and bright, almost the color of raspberries or strawberries. But don’t let looks be deceiving. On the palate, there are layers of smokey earth, fruits such as figs, cherries and plums mixed with licorice and spices. Jonathan and I noticed cinnamon and nutmeg late in the palate – simply divine. The nose offered many of these same aromas, but we also noticed a slight hint of cola. We paired this with seared tuna and grilled vegetables. Maybe not a traditional pairing, but it worked.

The 2007 vintage was marked by cooler weather through late summer and fall, producing classic Oregon wines. Harvest began in late September, but many blocks were picked later than usual, allowing the fruit to continue on the vines. Tualatin Estate Vineyard, established in 1973, is one of the oldest vineyards in the Willamette Valley. The vineyard features laurelwood soil. It is unique to Oregon and is formed over thousands of years on layers of wind-blown, glacial silt called loess.

Willamette Valley Vineyards is the dream of Jim Bernau. In 1983, he purchased the estate, cleared the land and began planting grapevines. Bernau hand watered the baby grapevines with garden hoses because there was no irrigation system. He honed his winemaking skills with classes at UC Davis and seminars around the world and soon his dream was a reality. Willamette Valley Vineyards manages 300 acres of vines, all certified sustainable, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe.

*This wine was received as a sample.

Since we arrived in Austin, I’ve been craving white wines. I’d say this is rather unusual as I’m primarily a red drinker with a few sparklers thrown in for good measure. However, I do typically drink more whites during the summer, but I can’t really explain these recent developments. The weather is warmer, but it’s definitely not summer heat. We haven’t made a big wine purchase yet to re-stock our wine cooler so we’ve been picking up a few bottles at a time and drinking a few bottles we’ve “been meaning to get to.”

A few months ago, we sampled the Viridian Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley. It wasn’t my favorite, and seemed harsh and rough on the palate. I also don’t drink a ton of Pinot Gris, but there was a tremendous difference from the Viridian Pinot Gris and the Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris we enjoyed a few nights ago.

In the glass, the 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris was nearly colorless with only faint straw colors outlining the edges of the glass. The center was clear like water. The nose was extremely fragrant and bright, featuring melons, honeysuckle, pear and light minerals. The aromas were clean, crisp and fresh. On the palate, we noticed melons, honeysuckle, minerals, cantaloupe and peaches, creating a round, rich, full palate with tons of fruit on the finish. This wine offered a great mouth feel, unlike the Viridian Pinot Gris we sampled a few months ago. And at $15, this wine is a steal for the summer! I’m hoping to find some more around town.

Willamette Valley Vineyards is the dream of Jim Bernau. In 1983, he purchased the estate, cleared the land and began planting grapevines. Bernau hand watered the baby grapevines with garden hoses because there was no irrigation system. He honed his winemaking skills with classes at UC Davis and seminars around the world and soon his dream was a reality. Willamette Valley Vineyards manages 300 acres of vines, all certified sustainable, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe. The 2008 Pinot Gris was a gold medal winner at the 2010 San Francisco wine competition.

*This wine was received as a sample.

A few weeks ago, I received several bottles of wine from Willamette Valley Vineyards. I decided to sample two of the bottles of Pinot Noir at similar price point and compare them. I used the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir (selling for $25.00 from the winery) and the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2008 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir (selling for $19.00 from the winery).

First the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir, appeared almost silky when poured into the glass. It was light and transparent, showing a cherry red color. The nose on this wine was gorgeous, showing bright cherries, jam, toast and earth. Jonathan also noticed some vanilla. After getting a whiff of this wine, I couldn’t wait to taste it. The palate was full of raspberries, tart cherries, vanilla and spice. Jonathan also noticed cherry cola flavors. And wow, the finish was incredibly long. For me, it was the best feature of the wine! I haven’t had a wine in some time with such an impressive finish.

Next up, we tasted the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2008 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir. Again, the wine appeared light, transparent and cherry colored. There weren’t many differences in the appearance of the two wines. The nose featured bright strawberries, cola and other red fruits. The nose reminded me a lot of a Beaujolais Nouveau. On the palate, there was lots of juicy fruits, including strawberries and cherries. Overall, the wine was light and the finish was quick, reminding me again of a Beaujolais Nouveau. Initially, I wasn’t much of a fan of this wine after tasting the previous Pinot Noir. However, the longer this wine was open the spice and body really came out, and I found it more enjoyable.

Overall, I prefer the Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir much more than the 2008 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir. And for only $6 more, it’s well worth the investment. Now, keep in mind these wines are from different vintages and the fermentation process did vary.

Willamette Valley Vineyards is the dream of Jim Bernau. In 1983, he purchased the estate, cleared the land and began planting grapevines. Bernau hand watered the baby grapevines with garden hoses because there was no irrigation system. He honed his winemaking skills with classes at UC Davis and seminars around the world and soon his dream was a reality. Willamette Valley Vineyards manages 300 acres of vines, all certified sustainable, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe.

*These wines were received as samples.

Sometime, I get too caught up with sampling my favorite varietals in hopes of finding a new favorite or everyday drinker. In general, I’m more of a red drinker and in particular a Cabernet Sauvignon LOVER! However, there are times when I prefer a white….certain food pairings and most summer days. Every now and then, I’ve got to remind myself that I need to keep trying some of my less favorite varietals. Such is the case with the Olsen Family Vineyards Viridian Pinot Gris. I haven’t tried or enjoyed many Pinot Gris in the past, but if I keep trying them I might just find one I like.

The Olsen Family Vineyards Pinot Gris showed colors of hay or straw. On the nose, we noticed aromas of melons, grass, pine, minerals and citrus. On the palate, this wine seemed harsh and rough compared to other white wines. It needed some help to smooth out those edges. It was light like other whites, making it refreshing.

The history of Olsen Family Vineyards dates back to the 1800s when the Willamette Valley was first settled. Five generations of the Olsen family have farmed and maintained the nearly 11,000 acres between Portland and Eugene, Oregon. The family’s main crop is grass seed, but they produce a variety of agriculture products including wine grapes. Vineyard manager Dean Underwood oversees 450 acres, covering five vineyards. Winemaker Bill Kremer joined Olsen Family Vineyards in the summer of 2008, overseeing the production of their flagship varietals, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. They also dabble in Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and Gewürztraminer.

The Willamette Valley is Oregon’s leading wine region. Nearly two-thirds of the state’s wineries and vineyards call the Willamette Valley home. It is the largest American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Oregon, covering 3,438,000 acres. The Willamette Valley has become a premier producing region for Pinot Noir in the United States.

The wine industry took root in Oregon in 1961, when Richard Sommer planted Reisling and other grapes at Hillcrest Vineyard in the Umpqua Valley. Five years later, David Lett planted the state’s first Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley at The Eyrie Vineyards. The boundaries of the Willamette Valley AVA were established in 1984. Since that time, six sub-appellations within the Willamette Valley were designated to recognize the unique hillsides inside the valley. The six sub-appellations include: Chehlem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill Carlton.

The Willamette Valley AVA follows the Willamette River north to south for more than a hundred miles from the Columbia River near Portland to just south of Eugene. The Oregon Coast Range forms the boundary in the west and the Cascade Mountains form the eastern boundary. The Coast Range blocks the worst of the rain and cold weather from the vineyards in the Willamette Valley. At it’s widest point, the valley spans sixty miles.

Overall, the Willamette Valley has the coolest climate of all the Oregon AVAs. Winters are cool and wet, while summers are dry and warm. Temperatures above 90 degrees only occur about 5-15 days per year. Most of the rainfall occurs November to April, when temperatures are coolest. The valley only receives 5-10 inches of snow per year, but about 50 inches of rain per year. In general, the Willamette Valley features a long, cool growing season, ideal for Pinot Noir. The climate of the Willamette Valley compares favorably with the Burgundy and Alsace regions in France.

The valley floor features rich alluvial soils and sedimentary soils on hillsides of varying mesoclimates. Vineyard elevation vary from 250 – 750 feet in the Willamette Valley. Grapes grown in the valley include Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and some Cabernet Sauvignon and sparkling wine.

 

Winery: Wine By Joe

Wine: Pinot Noir 2006

Location: Dundee, Oregon

Purchased: Party House Liquors

Price: $19.99

At a recent wine tasting Jonathan and I ran across Wine By Joe. The generic name and bottle didn’t scream try me I’m going to be great. In fact, I’m not a huge fan of Pinot Noir wine. I think many of them taste like cough syrup and lack depth and complexity. Both, Jonathan and I, found this wine to possess a little more body and finish than most Pinot Noirs, but still hold the traits and characteristics of a traditional Pinot Noir.

The color showcased exquisite hues of red and purple, while remaining extremely bright. This wine was extremely transparent. The drinker smells aromas of cherries, plums, tobacco, leather and earth. The Pinot Noir proves an enjoyable wine with or without food. It offers a velvety mouth feel with soft tannins. The flavor mirrors the aroma presented by this wine, and the medium finish compliments the wine with a lingering taste.

“Bright and juicy,” described Wine Spectator. Wines By Joe combined grapes from Willamette Valley, Umpqua and Rogue Valley to create this impressive Pinot Noir, that was aged in French barrels. 

Yes, there is a Joe! Joe Dobbes has made wine in Oregon for over twenty years, and he is the sole owner and winemaker of Wine By Joe. A native of Oregon, Joe spent 2.5 years in Germany and France learning the art and science of winemaking. Wine By Joe focuses on the “three pinots,” producing Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. All three of these thrive in the Oregon climate. Wine by Joe donates ninety cents per case of sales to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Northwest.