ChrisinCowiche
Posts: 7845
Joined: 12/16/2009 From: Cowiche, WA Status: offline
|
Barbilocks and I visited Patricia Green Winery in Newberg, Oregon last Friday. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the Willamette Valley, and the vineyards were all bright green grass and gnarly vines with their spring haircuts high and tight, awaiting what this vintage will bring. We sat for a tasting of 2-3 white wines, and 6 or so Pinot Noir. The menu does not even tell you the red wine is Pinot Noir, but rather the vineyard and clone of the grape. It is assumed I guess that you know there is only one red grape option. They were all 2021, and all were distinctly different, and all were very good. We even bought some Chardonnay, and that is NOT our grape at all. After the wine, we sampled the Brandy that PG made from the 2020 vintage, then 4 whiskeys they had made blending the brandy with home grown barley whiskeys. Oh, my. These were delicious beverages that were a poor man's Scotch or a rich man's moonshine. Unique and wonderful. After tasting and buying a bunch, we visited The One Horse Tavern in Gaston. Exactly our type of dive bar/burger joint. We had burgers, and I had a pFriem IPA. Both were excellent. After a while, on the drive home back through Portland and up the Columbia River, I pondered the day, and asked Barb. "Would we have been primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir drinkers if we had moved to Portland/Willamette Valley instead of Yakima Valley 16 years ago?". Her answer was spot on... "You weren't offered a job in Portland; but we were in Yakima". That ended that. But I really can see myself, and us, enjoying and exploring more of Willamette Pinot over next few years since I DO now work for a firm in Portland and have more opportunities to do these detour wine tasting while I "work". I am glad we were weaned ON to Washington wines, because a) they are still delicious in many, many styles, and ways, and b) their price per quality ratio is better than Oregon Pinot. We can spend $30-35 and KNOW we have the highest quality Washington Cab, Syrah, Merlot, Cab Franc, Chenin Blanc. Yes there are plenty higher than that and we buy those too, but we got in on ground floor with several producers who have kept those price points, either because of clubs or just because. I put them in blind tasting line-ups all the time and they outperform their higher priced peers, in state or imports. I have NEVER seen that price point equate to top level in OR Chardonnay or Pinot; always at least $50+ to find top Oregon wines. Maybe they exist and I could/would ferret them out with 15 years on that wine trail. Anyway, my question for discussion. Have you ever found a wine crossroads that made you think about whether your wine journey and current wine preferences would have been different if?
< Message edited by ChrisinCowiche -- 4/18/2024 8:02:18 AM >
_____________________________
http://www.cellartracker.com/new/user.asp?iUserOverride=102173
|