Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 36 - 60 of 82
My brother is on a rafting trip in SE Oregon and was bemoaning the fact that no glass is allowed, so no wine could be brought. Not true, I told him. What you want is wine in a can. Of which there are quite a few from which to choose. The Joe To Go brand offers Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Rosé in cans, which are perfect for camping, rafting, hiking, biking, boating and just about any other outdoor activity. If you're near a river or lake this time of year the water is nice and cold, so chilling...
Lone Birch is the low-cost brand from Airfield Estates (Airfield’s Dauntless red wine was featured last week). Lone Birch is another of their brands worth seeking out, especially for this estate-grown Syrah. It’s amazing that Washington Syrah this good can be found at this price. The stacked flavors are true to varietal character, true to place, and made to be enjoyed immediately while also built for longer-term aging. You’d have to pay at least double to find something comparable. Purch...
Wine grapes were first planted at what is now Airfield Estates back in 1967! Today the family farm includes 830 acres of wine grapes. Airfield Estates Winery was established in 2005 and produces some of Washington’s finest estate-grown yet affordable wines. This classy right-bank Bordeaux-style blend comes from estate grapes and offers value at a more than fair price. It is a fine companion to the equally excellent Merlot. It’s nicely blended, seamless, and balanced throughout. Black che...
The Velvet Devil 2019/2020 Merlot The Velvet Devil is one of several low-cost and high-quality brands that Charles Smith rolled out as he began building his wine empire. The distinctive names and catchy black and white labels were all part of the brilliant packaging, but it was the overall quality of the wines that proved most impressive. Smith's website is way out of date, so these current releases have no reviews, but the track record suggests you won't go wrong. National advertisers have...
Portlandia Vintners has just released a pair of non-vintage bubblies. I particularly like this Syrah-based rosé. It’s not expensive for a traditional (Champagne) method sparkler – that is not a cheap process. NV means it’s comprised of juice from more than one vintage. Lovely to look at – a fading sunset hue – it is one of a handful of sparkling Syrahs in my experience. This one avoids unnecessary tannins or earthy funk and might easily be mistaken for a sparkling Pinot Noir, which is a good...
This popular southern French blend is a great introduction to a style that is the basis for many more expensive Walla Walla wines. The grapes used are some combination of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre (often labeled as GSM) with perhaps a splash of Carignon or Cinsault. This is a tangy, salty and brambly red, with palate-coating berry flavors that seem perfect for that first grilled spring lamb. Both 2020 and 2021 are current releases both are good – this brand is consistent so either one wo...
You'll have to look far and wide to find better deals on decent wine than the 3-liter Black Box offerings.This new California-sourced Sauvignon Blanc replaces and upgrades the previous vintage from Chile. Tart and tangy, it is indeed, though without the aggressive pyrazine character, sometimes described as cat pee. I know - not very appetizing. This leans heavily into citrus – grapefruit, lime, lemon, zest, and flesh – with ample acid. Sauvignon Blanc, as a varietal wine, is enjoying a bur...
I spotted this on sale at Albertson’s and it seemed like to perfect entry to our reluctant spring. Most of the local rosés won’t be released for a bit, and few if any will be available for under $10. Although this is a 2021 it is not at all too old to enjoy right now; in fact many of the very best French rosés are intentionally held back an extra year before being released. This exceptionally popular brand crafts its rosé from a classic mix of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah. As the winery websit...
I have long been a fan of Lujon's Cabernets, and this may be the best vintage yet. It's toasty and compact, fresh with lovely cherry fruit at its core. The fruit comes from Birch Creek and Spofford Station, both terrific and yet little known vineyards to most wine drinkers. The blend includes 3% Malbec and 3%Merlot - a savvy and distinctive combination that broadens the palate and brings further detail through the finish. This classy Cab was aged for 26 months in just 15% new oak. Though based...
This affordable Cabernet from the talented duo of Charles (Smith) & Charles (Bieler) is principally sourced from Goose Ridge Ranch. Goose Ridge is a stone’s throw from Red Mountain, where Cabernets can cost up to ten times as much. This splendid wine, loaded with flavors of espresso, black cherry, licorice, black olive, and dusty herbs, is a showcase for non-interventionist winemaking. It’s blended with a percentage of Syrah from the same location, the two grapes fermented separately and the...
Ponzi (est. 1970) is one of a handful of wineries that launched the modern era of winemaking in the Willamette Valley. Although second gen winemaker Luisa Ponzi is still in charge of production, the winery has been sold to the Bollinger Champagne group. Yes, another French incursion into Oregon (and a welcome one). The newest Ponzi releases feature striking label designs and slightly higher prices but deliver the same overall exceptional quality. This is not cheap, yet relatively inexpensive...
If you follow classic Oregon Pinot Noir, you surely know the wines of Ken Wright, one of the most important vintners of the past 40 years. But you may not know this family brand, named for his two sons. Tyrus Evan wines are priced lower than the Ken Wrights and focus on Washington rather than Oregon grapes. This brand new release is a classic Bordeaux blend, drawing almost half its grapes from the outstanding Cold Creek vineyard. It's bright and spicy with cassis, black cherry, cocoa, and...
Fresh, crisp and fruity, this well-ripened wine is brimming with flavors of pear, cantaloup melon and hints of papaya. Though it's finished dry, the intensity of the fruit adds lingering suggestions of honey as it trails out through the finish. I can't imagine a better introduction to Willamette Valley Pinot Gris than this lush and inviting wine. Better still – it's sealed with a screwcap and will stay fresh for days if you quickly re-seal it after pouring yourself a glass. 520 cases; 13.%; $...
Riesling all too often gets a bad rap because so many of us cut our wine-tasting teeth on cheap sweet junk masquerading as Riesling. But it's one of the world's greatest white wine grapes, and the dry styles will fit a variety of meals beautifully. Like Thai food or sushi – this is a great option – bone dry and sappy with lip-smacking juiciness. Bonus – 2018 is the current release, so it's had some welcome bottle age which helps to moderate the acidity. Love & Squalor is the brand from Matt...
Oregon's Rogue Valley wineries are a different breed from their northern cousins in the Willamette. The scenery is even more stunningly beautiful, the wineries more isolated, the climate warmer and dryer. Different grapes thrive here, notably those from the Rhône region of France. This blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (hence GSM) is chewy and toasty, its ample tannins setting it up nicely against the mulberry and plum fruit. The wine comes into focus in the back of the palate, extending t...
The entry-level Pinot from Stoller is as good or better than many of the top Pinots of 25 years ago. That's a measure of state-wide progress as well as a reflection of the many good grape sources available to Stoller. This is full-bodied and forward, offering a generous mix of marionberries, raspberries, and cherries. It's buttressed with ample acids and ripe tannins and finished with a screwcap, which keeps it fresh longer and makes it easy to grab a glass and reseal it quickly. Note that this...
This is pure Walla Walla Syrah – rich and loaded with black fruits, along with notes of coffee, chicory, graphite and baker's chocolate. Without the usual co-fermention with Viognier there is little citrus and none of the bitterness, just lush and delicious fruit. Lujon is based in the Willamette Valley but winemaker John Derthick has always made Washington wines as part of his overall program. The QPR (quality/price/ratio) on Lujon wines is exceptional, not only for this holiday-ready Syrah b...
Troon's history dates back to the 1970s, and new ownership wanted to honor that past by reviving this blended red. The spiral on the label expresses the Druid's connections to the mysteries, energy, and power of the natural world - concepts deeply connected to Troon's biodynamic farming and winemaking. The wine itself is what I like to think of as a 'kitchen sink' blend – meaning it's akin to a pot of stew that has a little of everything tossed into it – yet nonetheless finds a focus and a bal...
This southern Oregon winery is a bit under-the-radar but well worth a visit if you are traveling through the Ashland area. All of their wines are well-made and fairly priced, and they do especially well with Rhône varietals. Grenache is a personal favorite, and this is sure to please anyone who loves this engaging red wine grape. It’s front-loaded with cherry and blackberry and marionberry flavors and has just the right touch of earthy grapeskin highlights to frame and focus the fruit. Light ac...
Founded in 1987, Argyle jump-started the current trend for Champagne-caliber sparkling wines in Oregon. Nothing is more festive on a holiday table than a bottle of great bubbly. There’s nothing wrong with cheap alternatives such as Prosecco, but if you want true Champagne quality it’s going to cost a bit more, which makes this $30 bottle a relative bargain. The blend is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, and brings a fine bead (tiny bubbles), refreshing acids, a light hint of spice and ple...
The national wine press unfortunately branded the 2020 vintage as a failure in Oregon due to wildfire smoke. But as the wines have emerged, and I've tasted hundreds of them, it's clear that the 2020 white wines were exceptional. Why? Because it was a great vintage until the smoke hit, and these grapes were picked before it got smokey. As with so many other 2020 Oregon Chardonnays, this exceeds all expectations. It's leesy, with a palate-refreshing yeastiness, and anchored on a core of lemon,...
Always a reliable budget bottle, this version of The Jack draws upon some well-known Walla Walla and Columbia Valley vineyards (notably Lewis!) for its fruit. In the blend are small amounts of Grenache and Mourvèdre. Ten percent new oak adds just the right toasty touch. It's a supple, clean, varietally-true wine with plenty of purple fruits and hints of bacon fat. The Jack has been a popular value brand since Saviah introduced it over a decade ago and now includes a large number of different...
The Abondante blend changes significantly from vintage to vintage and this year it is essentially a 50/50 Zinfandel/Merlot (Zinlot? Merfanndel?) sourced from vineyards on the Oregon side of the Columbia Valley AVA. It's a well-made wine showing ripe and fresh flavors of berries and cherries. There's even a hint of milk chocolate, suggesting some exposure to French oak. Unlike all too many cheap red wines it is unmanipulated, ripe and absolutely fresh. The alcohol pushes near 15% so you get a...
Dineen is a family-owned and operated Zillah winery that offers a range of estate-grown wines. Among a solid lineup of red varietals, this Syrah/Cab Franc/Cab Sauv blend offers a low-cost look at the portfolio’s strengths. It’s a style more often reserved for expensive Washington reds – ripe, dark fruit and tannin flavors spiced up with the Syrah component. Though still young, it’s already in a good drinking condition. It finishes with some tannic astringency, suggesting a burger or tri-tip...
Pike Road is a sister label to Oregon's Elk Cove. The wines are finished with a screwcap which provides extra protection from potential cork taint and is easy to open and reclose. It's perfectly fine to drink a glass or two and put the cap back on to preserve the wine for a second or third day. This delicious Pinot Gris (the same grape as Pinot Grigio) leads with a big whiff of fresh cut pears as you explore a wine loaded with ripe fruit flavors. The natural acidity and texture keep the palate...
