Having now compiled a list of "preferred" wineries, I set out this morning on a clearly defined mission...visit two more "pioneer" wineries (ones that date back to the 70's) and try to stop at as many "New World style" wineries as possible.
This is a day that requires the appropriate music, so I slip in a CD of music by the American composer, Aaron Copeland...suites from Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo. It's rousing music, full of American folk melodies...perfect as I'm rolling through the hills and open farmland.
My first stop was Willakenzie...one of the pioneers. Their winery has, perhaps, the most beautiful location in the Willamite Valley. Perched on the top of a high hill above the Chehalem Valley, Willakenzie's facility allows some really great views. They also have a "gravity-fed" facility which minimizes human intervention, including the use of mechanical pumps, to produce a more "natural" wine. Their "reserve" and "single vineyard" Pinot Noirs were all outstanding...so, naturally, I bought a few bottles.
Things were busy at this and all of the other wineries in the Valley...it's harvest time. Everybody had large plastic tubs out to begin sorting through and picking the ripest clusters of grapes. 2008 will be a good, but probably not great, vintage for Oregon. The weather has been cool and dry and, as a result, the wines won't necessarily have the concentration that you get in a hot year. Still...the grape clusters look pretty ripe...and pretty good.
Next, I was off to Erath Vineyards, yet another pioneer, formerly known as Knudsen Erath. Again, excellent reserve and single vineyard Pinot Noirs. The Tasting Room staff was both knowledgeable and helpful...and I learned a few new facts. They make one of the only "Roses" of Pinot Gris in the world. Since Pinot Gris is a white wine grape, I couldn't figure out how they could make a Rose, which requires a little contact with red grape skins to produce the Rose color. That's how I learned that Pinot Gris grapes have skin colors which range from yellow to dark red...very interesting. A skillful repositioning of cargo inside my Escape allowed me to squeeze in a few more bottles from Willakenzie.
The Four Graces was another winery that came highly recommended, so I stopped there next. Their Pinot Noir was a little too "Old World" for me, but their Pinot Gris was every bit as good as, if not better, than my favorite from Elk Cove. So...you guessed it...I bought a few bottles.
My trusty designated driver having returned home to Michigan, I decided to call it a day after one last stop...and what a worthwhile stop it was. Domaine Serene is a relatively new winery, but their wines are maybe the most sought-after in the whole Willamite Valley. Dark, inky, highly-extracted with tons of black fruit, these wines were, perhaps, the finest Pinot Noirs that I have ever tasted. I arrived a few minutes after the tasting room had closed but, once I stared picking out wines to buy, they were happy to pour as many tastes as I wanted. I ended up buying three magnums as well as a half dozen single bottles. I would have purchased more, but I could not balance any more wine on my lap for the trip back to the hotel!
Back at the hotel, I got in a two-hour nap and awoke hungry. So...off to dinner, this time at Nick's, a local "institution" and the best Italian restaurant in the Valley. Once again, I was not disappointed. I had their five-course "fixed-price" dinner...a soft-boiled egg atop wilted greens and farro grain, great minestrone, homemade wide pasta with a lamb ragu, a small salad of locally-grown greens, and a perfectly cooked hangar steak with a red wine sauce...plus, another great bottle of Pinot Noir. After all that, I was barely able to make it across the street to the local ice cream parlor for a large hot fudge sundae.
Back at the hotel, I had a glass or two of the wine from dinner before drifting off to a well-deserved sleep.
Tomorrow, I'll be heading east...towards home...finally. I'm heading for the town of Bend, but not before one final winery stop and a quick tour of the Evergreen Air Museum.
Question: What's big, made out of wood and flies?
Find out tomorrow!
1 comment:
I swear you have hollow legs Bill Thee! You always have room for that ice cream.
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