Say it right…then drink it.
IT’S WILL-AM-ETTE, OKAY?
Drives the Oregonians nuts, when they hear people say “Or-uh-gone” instead of “Or-uh-gun.” And “WILL-a met” instead of…what it’s supposed to be. Maybe it’s their fault for giving such difficult names to their geography.
They can be forgiven, though, because, aside from the priceless French region of Burgundy, the folks up around the Umpqua and Rogue Valleys – and especially Willamette, have been turning out Pinot Noirs that may just bring tears to your eyes.
Vineyards on the rolling terrain of Willamette Valley.
You have to be a little crazy to grow Pinot Noir in the first place. There are a ton of reasons it’s called the “heartbreak grape,” but we won’t punish you with them right now. So, as the Oregonian wine industry grew, it attracted (indeed, was started by) a group of dropouts, burnouts, and highly successful people who just wanted to Get Away From It All. In the early 1970s, if you got tired of making millions as a corporate lawyer in San Francisco, or a statistician who just couldn’t possibly crunch one more number, you went to Yamhill County and tried your hand at Pinot Noir.
Just as Robert Mondavi put California wines on the world stage, David Lett did the same for the wines of Oregon. In 1979, at an international wine tasting competition, his Eyrie Vineyard Pinot Noir came in third among 600 wines, beating out many legendary and obscenely expensive Burgundies. It was like the American Olympic hockey team defeating the Russians in 1980.
The French went, bananas, or bananes, the way they say it. They exclaimed, “Sacre bleu! C’est imposible!” or words to that effect. Then they did what anyone would do: they demanded a recount. A second blind tasting competition was held the next year, staged by Robert Drouhin, one of the most legendary figures in Burgundian winemaking. At that contest, the Eyrie Vineyard Pinot Noir did not come in third. It came in second.
Domaine Drouhin in the fall
Joseph Drouhin immediately went to Oregon and bought as many vineyards as he could get his hands on.
Today, the Drouhin family, along with other legendary names such as Grace and Ken Evenstad, create silky, sensuous, Pinot Noirs in several Oregonian valleys, and do so with style and elegance. Of course, where you grow Pinot Noir you grow Chardonnay, and the cool climate in this region produces a lean, minerally version that’s very different from the buttery, oaky, California style. Other cool-weather grapes, such as Pinot Gris, also do well here. Grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which like somewhat warmer climes, are generally not well suited to this region.
More rolling hills--more vines
We will be featuring Oregon Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, along with a few carefully-selected Burgundian versions, at the February 28 Grand Tasting.
You should come.