Spokesman-Review
Oregon rises to wine lovers’ evolving tastes
Wednesday | 23 February 2011
By Paul Gregutt
The success story in Oregon has been, and continues to be, the exceptional pinot noirs.
Pinot noir wines from almost anywhere have shown impressive – some might say relentless – sales growth for the past six or seven years. Although consumer interest was sparked by the movie “Sideways,” the persistent success of this particular variety has more to do with consumer tastes that are evolving.
To put it plainly, more and more wine drinkers are looking for wines that are more elegant, that keep the alcohol levels in the 14 percent (or lower) range, and that do not derive their flavors from super-ripe fruit and expensive barrels.
Oregon offers a treasure trove of such wines and, surprisingly, they reach far beyond just pinot noir. Many of these wines are produced in limited quantities, but that is true of almost all of the state’s wine production. You may not find every bottle mentioned in this column, but the intent is to get you excited to experiment. See what your local wine shop has to offer, and I think you’ll enjoy exploring some of the more unusual wines from our neighbor to the south.
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Pacific Northwest rosés perfect for the season
Wednesday | 30 June 2010
By Paul Gregutt
If there is a more versatile, summertime wine than a chilled, dry rosé, I haven’t found it.
These wines have become more and more popular in recent years, both as by-the-glass restaurant pours and no-fuss picnic wines suitable for any outdoors occasion.
They come in a rainbow of colors from around the world. But living in the Pacific Northwest, we have the rare luxury of choosing from dozens of Washington and Oregon rosés, made in limited quantities and available for a few weeks in the spring and summer.
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