The Good Wine Guru » Oregon Wines

Foris Gewurztraminer 2008

George — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:00:18 +0000

Varietal: 100% Gewurztraminer
Region: Rogue Valley – Oregon – USA
Cost: $14.50

Winemaker’s Notes: Citrus blossom, orange peel, wildflower honey, and a hint of nutmeg are aromatically enticing. Beautifully balanced flavors of pineapple, guava, nectarine, and a trace of ginger spice are rich yet restrained, opulent, but not over the top.

My Review: I don’t think it’s any surprise by this point when I say I’m always cautious when picking a Gewurztraminer. As an Army brat I spent a good bit of time in Germany where I was exposed to bottles of it that I’m pretty sure could have been used as syrup on pancakes and waffles. That being said, it is a historically good pairing with Thanksgiving dinner, so I had grabbed a bottle from my local wine shop and took it with me last month for the feast. The bottle, however, didn’t get opened, so I brought it back home with me and opened it this past weekend with my wife.

In the glass the wine was medium light in color – not completely clear, but certainly not a rich golden color either. On the nose I got hints of honey and a touch of citrus with a roundness that spoke of spice that I just wasn’t getting personally. In the mouth the wine was subtly sweet, with good citrus notes and a bit of body on the finish. Paired with a lunch of baked brie that was drizzled with a balsamic reduction and some candied pecans the wine did a nice job of cutting through some of the richness of the brie without adding too much sweetness.

I’m not going to go out and say that this is the greatest, or driest Gewurztraminer that ever was, but if you’re as gun-shy around the grape as I am it’s not a bad choice to try and ease your way back into it until you get to the really dry choices that you won’t believe are Gewurztraminer.

If you can’t find the bottle at your local wine shop you can simply follow this link and have it shipped directly to your home or office: http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364

Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2009

George — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:42 +0000

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley – Oregon – USA
Cost: $22

Winemaker’s Notes: The medium garnet color introduces a bright aroma of raspberry, cherry, and cedar with hints of pie spice, sandalwood, and dried cherry. On the palate it opens to ripe cherry, red and black raspberry, and mocha accents supported by a medium plus body and full, fine grained tannins. Pairs well with grilled meats, flavorful sauces, and rich farmhouse cheeses.

My Review: This wasn’t the first time I’d had the 2009 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, no that would have been some weeks ago at my local Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar where Mike, our favorite bartender there, convinced my wife and I to give it a try during a visit there for happy hour. We liked it so much I went online and ordered half a case of it.

The wine is a beautiful light garnet color in the glass and on the nose I got notes of raspberry and cedar that were welcoming and just invite you to take a sip. On the palate cherry, raspberry and earth notes with a touch of spice on the nice smooth finish make this an incredibly easy wine to just sip on. In addition, the wine has been certified biodynamic and organic, so if you’re looking to try a wine that has less of an impact on the environment, this is a great one.

I didn’t pair this wine with food last night, but I did have a bottle opened at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner and it went quickly, going well with the spread my Mom had prepared, especially the turkey. If you want to try this wine, and I highly recommend it, and can’t find it at your local store, you can follow this link and have it shipped directly to you…just like I did. http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364

Winfield Estate “Bone Dry” Pinot Gris 2009

George — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:00:07 +0000

Varietal: 100% Pinot Gris
Region: Oregon – USA
Cost: $15

My Review: I don’t drink too much Pinot Gris, so when the Good Works Wine Club included a bottle in a recent sample pack they sent to me I was certainly interested to try it. If you don’t remember my previous mention of the Good Works Wine Club you can check out the details of their organization here, but the long and short of it is that they make charitable donations when you buy wine from them.

With Cinco de Mayo upon us, my wife and I decided to forgo the typical “Mexican” food that is prepared on this “holiday” and went with some tequila/lime chicken and homemade fried rice with bell peppers. Wanting something crisp and acidic to go with that, and not feeling like blending up some margaritas, I decided to open up the bottle of 2009 Winfield Estate Pinot Gris, wanting to see just how “bone dry” it really was. It was plenty dry.

Light in the glass, the nose was full of citrus that carried over to the palate. In the mouth the wine was light and crisp with lots of acid, though not enough to make your teeth hurt, and a lots of lime and a crisp finish that was a perfect pairing with our dinner.

If you’ve never had Pinot Gris, or at least not a dry one, the best comparison I can give to this wine is a South American Sauvignon Blanc with all the citrus that it brings along. The 2009 Winfield Estate “Bone Dry” Pinot Gris certainly had more acid, but if you’re a fan of the Sauvignon Blanc from down south there’s a good chance you’ll want to at least give this wine a sporting chance, and like I’ve said before, there’s charity involved so you can feel good about drinking it no matter what.

Winfield Estate Proprietor’s Select Pinot Noir 2009

George — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:00:34 +0000

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Oregon – USA
Cost: $20

My Review: I’m never one to turn away a sample bottle of Pinot Noir, but I was intrigued when the Good Works Wine Club asked if I would review a few bottles for them. I’ve been seeing a trend in wine and charity going hand in hand, and it’s a trend I’m enjoying. I won’t lie and say I’m the most charitable person in the world, but if I can combine charity with something that I do enjoy, like say wine, well then we can talk.

The Good Works Wine Club is a wine club with no membership fees. When you sign up, you will be asked to choose a non-profit, they have a list to choose from or you can request to add another, and 20% of your purchase price will be donated to that non-profit. That alone should have people rushing to sign up and order wine as there’s some really good causes already listed on the site.

As for the wine. I have three bottles to sample, but I naturally started with the 2009 Pinot Noir because, as I’ve stated, I love Pinot. The wine was light in the glass, and on the nose I got notes of cherry and cola. In the mouth this was a more fruit-forward Pinot Noir, with the cherry and cola carrying over from the nose to the palate. A bit of tartness on the finish was a good finishing note, especially considering how light the wine was. Paired with a dinner of pizza (half pepperoni, half fresh basil and mozzarella), it was a great table wine, and a good red wine as we move into the warmer months – nice and light.

Starting off with the 2009 Winfield Estate Proprietor’s Select Pinot Noir has made me look forward to the other two bottles I was sent (a Syrah and a Pinot Gris), and if for no other reason than there are some really good non-profit organizations that are always in need of help, it’s worth ordering at least one bottle. The 2009 Pinot Noir isn’t going to blow your mind, but it’s also not going to disappoint or make you regret having spent the $20 on it. Give it a try and do some charity work at the same time.

Christmas Wine Selection

George — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:14:39 +0000

So I know there were plenty of websites and blogs just like this one giving advice on what to drink during your holiday dinner plans. However, I wanted to share with you what I opened up for my family on Christmas day to enjoy with my wife, my parents, and my in-laws.

We started out with the 2008 Antigal UNO Malbec (second bottle from the left), a great malbec full of bright fruit flavors and that I look forward to reviewing later by itself (I have another bottle for that). Next up was the Paradise Springs Cabernet Franc. I had visited Paradise Springs Winery here in Virginia some months back and really enjoyed this light, peppery wine.

The third wine opened up was the 2009 Chamine, a Portugese wine I had picked up at the recommendation of my local wine shop. Being of Portugese heritage, I’m always game to try out a wine from there, and this wine was bright and tart.

Finally, we opened the 2007 Azura Pinot Noir. Light and bright, with great fruit flavors and a smooth finish that complimented our dinner perfectly.

Well, now you know what I had for dinner on Christmas day. I’d love to hear what you had as I’m always looking for more recommendations on this to try. Hope everybody had a great Christmas weekend, that you didn’t get snowed in or out of where you were going, and that you have a great New Years.

Chateau Bianca Pinot Noir

George — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:00:58 +0000

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: Oregon – USA
Cost: $16

Light color with crushed fruit flavors and a bit of pepper on the finish. Pair with turkey, ham, cheese.

Recommendations: I’ve had this bottle since Thanksgiving and it finally got opened for Christmas. The light color actually reminded me a bit of a Virginia Cabernet Franc, as did a bit of pepper on the finish.

That being said, the wine was great. Good flavors of crushed fruit on the palate were very enjoyable with a dinner of ham for Christmas dinner, and the slight pepper on the finish was almost refreshing as it didn’t let the fruit overwhelm the palate.

If you like Pinot Noir this is certainly one worth picking up, especially if you’re looking to branch out into the wines of Oregon.