Tag Archives: Oregon Pinot Noir

In Praise of Pinot: Two Eggcellent Choices for Easter

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Good morning?

Here we are on Good Friday, commemorating one of the most gruesome and horrific sacrifices in history, and I’m about to blabber away about Pinot Noir. The cup of wine that Jesus said represented his shed blood had now been literally poured out in his own death. There is something heavy and solemn about this sacred holiday that makes one feel a little off kilter, and it feels completely foreign to talk about celebrating on a day like this. Even my coffee demands to be drunk black today because anything else seems wrong.

But the end is not unknown, and there exists the hopeful realization that in just two days it will be Resurrection Sunday. Death doesn’t have the final say and the great suffering borne out of love accomplishes its purpose.

With that all kinds of fooding and feasting will commence, so it’s up to me to prepare you for such things and get you your wine recs in time. 🙂

I gabbed with you last year about the delights of Pinot Noir and Easter fare, and since my Pinot Noir recommendation cup runneth over, we are circling back to the same leitmotif with two new ones for 2024.

These two wines stole my heart last year at the McMinnville Food + Wine Classic, and while I gave them some brief lip service in my review of last year’s event, I have not spilled all the exclusive juicy details… until now!

Pinot Noir is one of the most food-friendly red wines available, thanks to its usually light to medium body and fruit/acid/tannin profile. These two elegant, refined, and beautiful Pinots are both worthy of a fine Easter meal (or whatever the occasion may be). They are fantastic on their own, but they are the awesome sauce to pork, lamb, duck, chicken, turkey, beef, fish, and vegetable/grain mains. You name it, it tends to work great with it!

Without further ado, here are two excellent Pinot Noirs for your consideration:
Patton Valley Vineyards Lange Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Lange Estate Vineyard
Dundee Hills AVA
$60/bottle
14.7% ABV
Per the bottle: “Planted in 2004, the Jory soils from this high elevation Dundee Hills site produce grapes that yield vibrant and aromatic wines. Partial whole cluster fermentation, combined with naturally vibrant acidity, gives this wine structure to balance the ripe and luscious profile.”
Absolutely enchanting and divine, is what I call this Pinot. And no wonder, as the grapes herald from one of my top favorite Willamette Valley AVAs (Dundee Hills). It’s got good acid so it makes for a good food-pairing Pinot. Do yourself a favor and pick up this wine, which boasts a “lush red fruited nose” and a “broad and silky palate.”
https://www.pattonvalley.com/Domaine Lumineux Pinot Noir

Domaine de Broglie 2019 Pinot Noir
(N.B.: The winery is now known as Domaine Lumineux but they are still selling some of their wines with the former Domaine de Broglie labels)
A Francis Coppola Wine | Clone 777 | Domaine de Broglie Vineyard, Dundee Hills

  • $62/bottle
  • ABV 13.4%
  • Medium garnet color
  • Bouquet that unfolds exquisitely in the mouth
  • Cherry, strawberry, chocolate, earth, mushroom, tea, and some subtle anise/licorice
  • Acidity is there and just right
  • Fruit is present but gentle and balanced
  • Long-lasting finish
  • From the bottle: “Clone 777 is known for producing low yielding, compact clusters that lead to rich, dark fruit flavors and notes of spicy leather on the velvety finish.”
  • My tasting notes at the time: “Wow! Heck yes. Awesome!”

Yet another Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, but what a stellar one! I clearly have my favorites. 🙂 (I will delve into some other really great Oregon Pinot AVAs in the future). Among other accolades, this particular wine won “Best of Show” and “Best Red Wine” at the 2023 McMinnville Wine Competition. I knew I had encountered something truly special when I first sipped it.
https://domainelumineux.com/

Ahhhhhhhh….

So there you have it: primo Pinot. The fancy sort that I find quite irresistible and perfect for opening up on special occasions. Perfect for celebrating the greatest universe-altering day in human history: when grace conquered sin and life conquered death.

Have you sipped either of these wines or others from Patton Valley Wines or Domaine Lumineux? What are you drinking for Easter? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter. 🌷

Wine.com

What to Drink with Easter Dinner (or, Why Pinot Noir Is Your Answer to Everything)

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The Easter holiday is fast approaching, and so is the pressure to go shopping and pick out the perfect wine to go with your feast. As if the rest of the to-do list weren’t enough! Trying to match the right wine to your meal can cause so much stress it makes you want to dive head first into the Peeps and jelly beans! If you’re putting out the wine S.O.S. signal, I see you, and I’m here to help. Deep breaths, ahhhh.

First of all, banish the word perfect from your wine vocabulary, and replace it with great. Trying to find the perfect wine pairing sounds like too much pressure and highly unrealistic. But a great pairing, that is doable!

If you’re doing something traditional along the lines of ham, lamb, or salmon, you need to set your sights on delightful, drinkable Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is one red wine that will go beautifully with all three of these proteins. While no two Pinots are exactly the same, in general this is what you will get from a glass of Pinot Noir and why it is a consummate pairing wine for so many foods:

  • Light to medium body, although some verge on medium to hinting at full-bodied, depending on things like climate, weather, region, etc. The body of a wine should match the “weight” or heaviness, of a food in your mouth.
  • Subtle, integrated, elegant tannins that don’t clash or compete with the texture of the food.
  • Moderate acidity. A wine needs to be more acidic than the food at hand, so this is a great option for pairing that won’t get lost in your mouth.

Fair warning: I prefer my Pinots to have more heft, fullness, and richness than some, so if you err on the side of super light-bodied Pinots with ultra-delicate aromas and flavors, these might not be up your alley. When I drink wine, I want to taste wine, not fruity water, right?

Anyway, here are two Pinot Noirs (one from Washington and one from Oregon) that I really admire and that deserve a spot on your Easter table. The Washingtonian clocks in at $27/bottle and the Oregonian at $35/bottle. Both are delicious wines and excellent values for their quality tiers.

Pike Road Corrine Vineyard Pinot Noir

Pike Road Corrine Vineyard Pinot Noir. Photo courtesy Pike Road Wines.

For the Oregon selection: I tasted the Pike Road 2019 Corrine Vineyard Pinot Noir at the McMinnville Wine + Food Classic this past month. It is $35/bottle and utterly delicious! The grapes are from the Chehalem Mountains AVA, and the Corrine Vineyard was planted in 1989 at the intersection of marine and volcanic soils. The vineyard is a “warmer site for Pinot Noir, producing intense fruit, heady aromatics, and lots of structure.” Yum! You can “expect wines with a big ripe core of concentrated fruit and a bright, fresh profile” with red fruit, spice, and floral tones. Sounds lovely.

For the Washington selection: who else but Skagit Crest Vineyard & Winery? All of their Pinot Noir is estate grown and produced. I have tried the 2016, 2017, and 2018 vintages, all side by side, and all are completely different wines. I love each one for different reasons. Right now I’m drawn to the 2017 Pinot Noir, with its “red fruit, rose hips, forest floor and spice rack components, framed by raspberry tea tannins and lemon oil.” We will most likely be opening this up Easter night.

Skagit Crest Pinot Noir 2017

Skagit Crest Pinot Noir 2017

I asked Owner and Winemaker Chuck Jackson what he would recommend, and while he said either vintage would go well with any of the meats, he would opt for the 2017 Pinot Noir with darker meats & heavier seasonings and the 2018 Pinot Noir with lighter meats & less intense seasonings. He would definitely choose the 2018 Pinot Noir for lamb. This beauty has elegant, subtle fruit and spice in the vein of Burgundian Pinot Noir, and is drinking round and balanced right now.

There are tons of great wines out there – so dang many. Don’t get hung up on finding the ultimate “perfect” pairing for your particular food, because there is definitely more than one wine that will work with your food. Some may be more wonderful than others, but it’s a fun chance to learn.

Obviously you can pair more than just Pinot Noir with these foods, but I hope you see the broad appeal and versatility of this grape, and why it can work so well with so many foods.

What wines have you enjoyed pairing with ham, lamb, or salmon? Tell me about it in the comments. One can never have too many good food and wine pairing ideas!

Happy Easter!