Head for the Hills!

History:  The Willamette Valley is a huge and varied appellation that includes six sub-appellations:  Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton.  It is Oregon’s leading wine region that has two-thirds of the state’s wineries and vineyards and is home to more than 300 wineries. It is recognized as one of the premier Pinot noir producing areas in the world.  No grape variety is as reflective of climatic and site differences as Pinot noir.

Overall, the climate boasts a long, gentle growing season – warm summers with cool evenings; bursts of Indian summer into fall; mild winters followed by long springs. In ideal years the maritime climate provides the best conditions possible for growing the cool-climate grape variety for which Oregon is best known: Pinot noir. In lesser years, fall weather can be tricky, causing winemakers to pull their hair. In this matter the Willamette Valley compares favorably with the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France. And, like it or not, the often finicky Willamette Valley climate is the “promised land” for Pinot noir in America.

Now, having given you all that fascinating history, it’s time to tell you about our wine tasting adventures as we headed for the hills … Dundee Hills to be exact.  We were going to hit only two wineries today, but the GPS took us on a route that was different from what we expected and we were able to get in three of the wineries on my list.  “What list?” you impudently ask.  Well, I did some homework (i.e., Internet search) asking for the top 10 wineries in the Willamette Valley.  I culled through the information and found some Wine Spectator magazine recommendations and also a blog or forum where the question was asked and different people responded.  I compiled my list and decided the list included enough wineries for anyone who was traveling around in an RV with limited storage space.  The three on my list were superb … the one recommended … not so good.  We could have done without that last stop, although they had an excellent Chardonnay which we bought.  The Pinots there were less than satisfactory.

The wineries we visited today were:  Archery Summit and Domain Serene (both Wine Spectator recommendations), De Ponte (Internet recommendation), and Vista Hills (the one we should have avoided!).  The Pinots at the first three had a wonderful clean finish that both Gary and I really enjoyed.  Pinots are a little lighter than the normal red I usually favor, and I consider them a more “casual” drinking wine than a Cabernet or Merlot.  We also stepped outside the proverbial box and tried some Rose wines.  I was totally opposed to the idea at first because I hadn't drank a Rose in over 30 years.  But two people at this one winery both told me to enjoy everything, so I thought to myself, "Why not?"  So I did!  I didn’t really care for the first one I tasted, but at the second winery that we tasted a Rose, we liked it so we bought a bottle.  Actually, one of the people said that Rose wines are having a resurgence ... go figure!  See, anyone (even me) can step outside the box every once in a while!

The photo below was taken at Domain Serene--with me holding our "stash".  The guy who took our picture is the guy who made the winery recommendation that we didn’t like.  I didn’t hold it against him, though.

The next wine tasting excursion included the winery, Penner Ash. What kind of wine, you ask?  Pinot noir, of course! This winery (like Domaine Serene) had beautiful grounds.

These two photos are looking out over the valley from both the front and back of Penner Ash Winery.  Don't you love that pastoral look?

Finally, here's a video panning the valley from the Penner Ash Winery to give you an idea of the full view.

Enjoy your journey … we’re enjoying ours ... and remember while it generally is the right idea to serve the good wine first, maybe it's not always the best idea.  The guy in the story below didn't (although he thought he was) and he ended up with an amazing miracle taking place in his midst!

John 2:1-11 // On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  Now there were six stone water pots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the water pots with water." So they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it to him.   When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."  This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.