Oregon produces top notch wines and some of the world’s most renowned Pinot Noirs. The variety of Oregon’s landscape offers one of the most diverse geo-climates in the world. All this diversity leads to a range of terroir, allowing vintners to grow superb cool- and warm-climate varietals, all within one state.
Many hard to find Oregon wines can be found for sale at Wine.com. Or to sample a range of Oregon’s agricultural bounty, the Harry & David Party Pack – Gourmet Gift Basket
offers delectable treats including mixed nuts, cashews, sesame crackers, pepper spread, creamy brie cheese and candies. All paired with a delicious Pinot Gris from Oregon’s Willamette Valley Vineyards.
In the not to distant history, Europe dominated the wine market and California vintners were just beginning to experiment with wines. No one believed it was possible to grow grapes in Oregon, but a few committed pioneers came along and proved the world wrong. Between 1965 and 1968, David Lett, Charles Coury, and Dick Erath came to recognize that the Willamette Valley’s climate mirrored that of Burgundy in France. With that in mind, they planted some French Pinot Noir clones. They were the first in the Willamette Valley to plant Pinot Noir. They also planted small amounts of related varieties, including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling.
To learn more about the history of Oregon wine and the state’s different wine regions you can order free Oregon wine region brochures.
In just 40 years Oregon has evolved into a world-class wine state with 15 approved wine growing regions and more than 300 wineries producing 72 varieties. Many Oregon wineries are relatively small, producing on average only 5,000 cases a year.
Some of our favorite Oregon wines this season are:
A to Z 2005 Chardonnay – White Wine
Adelsheim 2005 Pinot Gris – Pinot Gris/Grigio White Wine
Argyle 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir – Red Wine
Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2006 Laurene Pinot Noir – Red Wine
Willamette Valley Vineyards 2006 Pinot Gris – Pinot Gris/Grigio White Wine
While you can increasingly find many Oregon wines online or in knowledgeable wine stores, there are many wines are only available in Oregon at the wineries’ tasting rooms. The Willamette Valley, which is less than an hour from Portland, has a vast number of wonderful wineries. The Willamette Valley Wine Association has a full listing or wineries, wine tasting events and an interactive wine map.
