Non-Traditional Wines: Grenache!

Friends, readers, and critics...thanks for sticking with us for the longest feature series published to date on The Oregon Wine Blog!  Without further ado (well, perhaps just a *little* ado) we bring you the next and second to last in the Non-Traditional Wine Series -- Grenache.  The day of this tasting started as one of wine, fun, and fellowship; the night culminated with some greater insight into Pacific Northwest wine.

A sunny afternoon spent at Willamette Valley Vineyards enjoying the Mo's Crab and Chowder Festival was just wrapping up and Rick, Zac, Micheal, and I had finished demolishing four large plates of crab, a tablecloth, a bottle of wine, and our hands in the process.  Not quite ready to end the day, I mentioned that the crew should come over and assist with our tasting of Grenache.  Zac immediately said, "gesundheit."  Thankfully, it wasn't a sneeze, rather, the name of one of the most widely planted red wine grapes in the world.

About Grenache

Our friends at Wikipedia were more than happy to provide an overview of Grenache for you. We didn't actually ask, but we're sure they won't mind. A late ripening grape requiring hot, dry conditions, Grenache flourishes in Spain, the South of France, and the San Joaquin Valley of California. Conveniently for all of us, Eastern Washington is aptly hot and dry. Often used in fortified wines due to a high sugar content, it was one of the early grapes planted in the Washington wine industry with notoriety in the Yakima Valley as early as 1966. It is a growing local varietal as part of the Rhone Ranger movement in the state. A side effect of high sugar content? Often a high alcohol content.

The Wine

We received two bottles in the Grenache genre for review as part of this series.  As with a few of our other tastings, this panel presented two wines that were completely opposite and both quite delicious; quite representative of the terrior of origin.  In alphabetical order...

Dusted Valley 2008 Columbia Valley Grenache:  This wine immediately presented some tantalizing aromatics with notes of cranberry, cherry, pepper, and cinnamon.  All of us found this wine very approachable, fruit-forward, with the ability to completely stand on it's own or pair with a medium-red appropriate culinary delight.  Zac noted that it was "good" and Micheal made a comparison that I cannot decipher from my notes...probably because the wine was so tasty I focused more on drinking than transcribing.  All in all, we loved this wine and I particularly enjoyed the prominence of black cherry.  With only 175 cases, this wine "is about as rare as a Sasquatch."  At $28 per bottle, this gets a "highly recommended" from us as an everyday wine.

K Vintner 2007 "The Boy":  Described by the winemaker as "Truly a vineyard in the bottle", The Boy is actually a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah - and wow does the Syrah add some complexity!  With Walla Walla Valley fruit, we got an earthy, gamey nose that Zac noted, "took command of his nostrils."  The weak of heart may be off put a bit by the aromatics, but it would be a mistake to give up there.  Upon taste, we found a bolder, passionate wine that had spice with a sweeter finish.  This is definitely a food-pairing wine that would be awesome with a steak.  It's another limited production at 340 cases, so if you run across one at $40 this gets a "highly recommended" from us with a slab of red meat.

There it is: a journey on the Grenache train through two bottles -- one delicate and fruity, one bold and brawny -- both delicious in their own special way.  We all walked away with a new appreciate for Grenache and the variances in the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley terrior.  Props to K Vintners and Dusted Valley!

Non-Traditional Wines: Lemberger

We're down to just three varietals on our journey through the vast and wonderful world of non-traditional wines in the Pacific Northwest.  That's right, friends, Oregon is more than Pinot Noir and Washington is more than Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Gasp!  Today I bring you a glimpse of Lemberger, or in more fun yet hard to pronounce German vernacular, Blaufränkisch.  To once again properly educate ourselves, to the Wikipedia we go where the hamsters have been working late nights to make sure the wine pages are up to date, accurate, and fun.

About Lemberger


Never heard of it?  Neither had I until a few years ago when I visited the winery that provided our sample for this post.  The name of the varietal sounds more like a fungus than a fine wine, but alas, delicious it is.

An Eastern European varietal that is relatively obscure in the United States, Blaufränkisch means blue frankish and is the namesake for a dark-skinned, late-ripening variety of grape.    The name Lemberger is reminiscent of the first import of the wine to Germany, from Lemberg in the present-day Slovenia.  Rich in tannin and exhibiting a pronounced spicy character, it has been called the Pinot Noir of the East due to it's spread and reputation in Eastern Europe.  Washington State just so happens to be one of the few major wine regions to have significant plantings of Lemberger, with most of the US fruit coming from the Yakima Valley.  It's also seen relative success on the Olympic Peninsula.

The Wine

Our friends at Kiona Vineyards and Winery, the William's family, provided a sample of their 2006 Estate Lemberger for review in this series.  Before I dive in to the wine, let me give you a little aside on Kiona and their role in the Washington wine industry.  We've written about them before, for good reason.  In 1975, John Williams and Jim Holmes planted some wine grapes on an 84-acre patch of desolate sagebrush near Benton City, Washington with a vision that few others realized.  Seeing in the land and climate what nobody else had, Kiona produced it's first vintage in 1980 and never looked back.  In working with that 84-acre patch of land, Williams and Holmes pioneered grape growing in one of the hottest wine regions in the country -- Red Mountain.   Kiona is still a Williams family enterprise, and for Holmes, he went on to start another vineyard on Red Mountain.  Ciel du Cheval...you may have heard of it?

So, on to the wine:

Kiona 2006 Estate Lemberger:  100% oak aged Red Mountain, this wine has prominent aromatics of dark fruit and plum, with hints of spice and leather as a backdrop.  A gorgeous deep color leads to a nice, drinkable medium mouthfeel with a taste of tart pomegranate or cranberry and a bit of spice on the finish.  We loved this wine all by itself, however, it could be paired well with a late-evening Eastern Washington summer BBQ or as Rick noted, the flavor profile would go well with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Currently at $9.99 per bottle from the winery, might as well pick up a whole case!

So there you have it, today not only do you get to learn a fun new German word and become informed on the history of Red Mountain, but also the intricacies of a unique varietal and a heck of a bargain wine.  Really, it's hard to find that kind of wine at that price point.  We have just two non-traditional varietals left to cover - Grenache and Cabernet Franc -- which we'll try to pound out before end of the year.  It's a rough life being a wine blogger.

Non-Traditional Wines: Dolcetto

"Dolsetto...Dolketto...Dolciano..."was the din in the room as I introduced the most recent tasting flight for The Oregon Wine Blog's non-traditional wine series to our illustrious tasting panel a few weeks ago.  Clearly I'm using the word illustrious fast and loose as most of our panel had never heard of Dolcetto, let alone knew how to pronounce it.   Staff Writer Micheal was hosting a wine and cheese party in Salem for a group of friends and colleagues, and I found it to be an opportune time to get the perspective of both well-refined palates and those of the regular idiot savant alike.  Behold, your review of Dolcetto.

About Dolcetto

If you've been following the blog at all over the past few months, you'd know that without our crutch - Wikipedia - we wouldn't know anything about wine. There we turn again to explore the wonder of Dolcetto.

A black wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, Dolcetto is a dry wine that is typically tannic and fruit driven with moderate acidity. Ironically, the name means "little sweet one." Known as Douce Noire in Savoue and Charono in California, the oldest known plantings of the fruit is in Australia - dating back to the 1860's.

Known for black cherry and licorice flavors, a bitter finish leaves the drinker pining for almonds. Typically an easy-drinking wine, Dolcetto pairs well with pasta and pizza dishes.

The Wine

Three wineries provided samples of Dolcetto for our review:

• Erath 2006 Dolcetto (Willamette Valley)
• Ponzi Vineyards 2006 Estate Dolcetto (Willamette Valley)
• Woodward Canyon 2008 Estate Dolcetto (Walla Walla Valley)

We received at least four perspectives on each of the three wines, and unequivocally I can say that there was absolutely no consensus on a "best" of the three.   Ultimately, all three were considered best by some, and it really just comes down to the taste of the drinker as all three are technically sound wines and are delicious in their own way.  And no, I'm not just saying that!  Here we go...

Erath:  The first of the three that I tasted, I immediately noticed a light mouthfeel and flavor.  Fruity notes of red plum, cassis, and vanilla were present, and other reviews also made note of the smoothness of the wine.  One reviewer noted that, "This is my favorite full bodied red."  This was the first Dolcetto I had ever tried (although a different vintage) about 4 years ago and it left me curious for more.  Certainly Erath didn't disappoint with this one and keep your eyes out for this one at a price point of $22.00.

Ponzi:  After the pour I directly noticed tobacco on the nose, with a mellow and earthy taste.  The wine finished a bit sharper.  Guests observed smooth, slightly peppery characteristics and one made a point of writing, "Helps with the sober."  You're guess is as good as mine as to what that means.  This is the second varietal in Ponzi's Italian series and is sure to please.  With strong fruity notices and broad tannins, grab a bottle at $25 before the 580 cases are gone.  

Woodward Canyon:  The third of my tasting flight, this wine presented a bigger, bolder flavor - perhaps a result of the high heat of the Walla Walla Valley appellation.  Guests noticed a fruity profile with a nose of raspberries, blackberries, and a bit of spice.  With a long, generous finish, I found this to be a well-balanced wine (as the tasting notes indicate as well) and very much enjoyed it.  In fact, while I enjoyed all three, the Woodward Canyon was my favorite Dolcetto and I found myself wanting another bottle.  At $21.00 per bottle, I'll probably be picking one up to go on the rack.

Perhaps the most interesting phenomena of this tasting was the unanticipated comparison of region in the tasting.  Universally the two wines from the Willamette Valley were found to be a bit more subtle and smooth, characteristic of the wetter cooler climate of which the fruit was born.  The Walla Walla Valley wine was bigger and bolder, reminiscent of the high-heat climate.  From there, you could draw a direct correlation as to who would enjoy which wine based on preference for bigger, bolder reds or lighter varietals.  Perhaps that is why we saw such mixed ratings between the three...but it's neat to observe such a prominent dichotomy between appellations.  

Well, I'd better sign off for now and get some rest before another week of work, wine, and fun.  Does anybody have exciting wine plans for the upcoming week?  Cheers.

Non-Traditional Wines: Malbec & Halloween

Epitomizing the spirit of both The Oregon Wine Blog and our series on non-traditional wines of the Northwest, we decided to do our tasting of Malbec in a unconventional fashion - at least when it comes to the classical method of reviewing wine. That's right, we paired the tasting with our Halloween party, and invited our rag-tag group of friends and fellow bloggers to participate. After all, most of you aren't professional wine drinkers, so why would you want to read reviews from them? Who are we kidding anyway?

Before we dive in to the Malbec, I have three disclosures to make: I'm half a bottle of Lemberger in as I write this post, we tasted 6 different Malbec's in one sitting [and we don't believe in spitting, unless of course, we're driving], and all the wine was supplied by the wineries. So, take it for what it's worth!

About Malbec

Wikipedia, being the bastion of all that is known in the universe, has once again served as our trusty reference as we explore the wonders of Malbec. One of the six grapes allowed in the blend of Bordeaux wine, Malbec is an inky dark grape with robust tannins, found primarily in the Southwest region of France. A think skinned grape, the fruit needs more sunlight than Cab or Merlot to mature, fitting for Eastern Washington or Southern Oregon.

Malbec has traditionally been used in making Claret, it was a significant variety in California prior to the prohibition used in blended bulk production wine. After the prohibition, Malbec became popular in Meritage blends and US production has increased seven-fold in the last 20 years. Seven Hills Winery planted the first Malbec vines in Washington in the late 90's, and a number of Washington and Oregon wineries have been experimenting with 100% varietals in the last 10 years, primarily in the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla AVA's.

The Wine

As I mentioned, we combined the Malbec tasting with our Halloween party. As a result, a number of our closest friends provided tasting notes that contributed to this post. Free wine, right? The methodology was simple -- Rick and I tasted through all 6 samples prior to the party to get some baseline reviews, and then we provided the bottles to our guests to drink throughout the night, only asking that they jot some notes down on each wine they tasted for our review. Scientific...not so much, but we got some unique and varied perspectives that reflect the diversity and tastes of each individual. Thanks to Drew, Micheal, Chris, Kathryn, Gordon, Andrea, Craig, Megan, and Zack for joining us!

The six wines sampled were:

• Dusted Valley 2007 Malbec
• Gamache Vintners 2006 Estate Malbec
• Kestrel 2005 Winemaker’s Select Estate Malbec
• Maryhill 2006 Proprietor’s Reserve Malbec
• Pend d’Oreille 2006 Wood River Vineyard Malbec
• William Church 2007 Katherine’s Vintage Malbec

Five were from Washington, one from Idaho. In reviewing these wines, we found that all had appealing qualities, and all had some characteristics that didn't resonate with some of our audience. It ultimately comes down to taste and the experience one is looking for. All in all, though, two clear favorites emerged:

Dusted Valley: This was my personal favorite. We found a jammy, fruity nose with raspberries and cherries quite prominent. The taste built on the nose and added some cranberry with a bit of tartness on the finish. This was a very refreshing wine and didn't require a food pairing to be successful - although would do well with pasta. One of our guests picked up some leather and black pepper on the nose, although I didn't see it. I definitely drank my fair share of the Dusted Valley and I'd suggest picking up a bottle for any time drinking if you can get your hands on one. At $35 per bottle, I believe it is only available to wine club members.

Pend d'Orielle: Our only Idaho wine in this flight, it was a pleasant surprise (although shouldn't have been a surprise based on our previous experience with PO Wine). With a prominent nose of rose petals, some red fruit, and licorice, we picked up cocoa in the flavor profile with a pomegranate finish. This was an extremely drinkable wine in which some of our guests noted hints of leather, berry, and a bit of sweetness. With a price point of $29 per bottle, this is highly recommended.

The other four were well received by various members of our tasting panel. One interesting note was the prominent leather on the Maryhill offering. It definitely wasn't as off-putting as it was on the Barbera; it seems that leather is a feature of the Maryhill Gunkle vineyard. Flavors of raspberry and cranberry seemed to stay constant throughout, and we noted some differences between AVA's in the smoothness of the wines.

So there you have it -- Malbec and Halloween, The Oregon Wine Blog style. Stay tuned for the continuation of this series, some book reviews, a feature on the Southern Oregon wine tasting event from a guest blogger, and some Yakima Valley coverage. What were you drinking on Halloween?

Non-Traditional Wines: Barbera!

Welcome to yet another installment of TheOregonWineBlog.com's eight part series; Non-Traditional Wines of the Northwest. In this installment, we look at a very traditional Italian varietal not often seen in the Pacific Northwest; Barbera.

About Barbera

As with all of our non-traditional wine articles, we will once again be consulting Wikipedia as an omnipotent source of knowledge.

Barbera is currently Italy's third most-produced varietal and is known for being rather easy to grow. While many grapes tend to under-produce without proper attention, Barbera is one that you actually have to prune so nutrients only get to the perfect amount of grapes. Too bad Nebbiolo doesn't suffer from the same problem.

In relation to the Pacific Northwest, winemakers are dabbling in testing it out in the Red Mountain, Walla Walla, and Columbia Valley AVAs. Taking into account general Italian geography where this varietal is typically grown, I would expect to see many more AVAs producing Barbera in the near future.

The Wine

The Oregon Wine Blog received two winery-provided samples of Barbera for review (in alphabetical order): Maryhill Winery 2005 Proprietor's Reserve Barbera and Stella Fino 2006 Barbera. This review presented a fascinating dichotomy for us by comparing the same varietal from two distinctly different wineries. The contrast in producers followed through to very different wines.

Both wineries produce Columbia Valley wine, but the similarities pretty much end there. Maryhill has been established for 10 years and was recently named Washington Winery of the Year. The 15th largest winery in the state of Washington, Maryhill produces 27 wines from 18 varietals. Stella Fino, on the other hand, is on it's second release and produces small-lot italian only varietals. With 4 wines currently available, they are the classic story of the small winery who's proprietors are pursuing their dream when their day jobs end. Maryhill has been on our radar for a long time, whilst Stella Fino didn't emerge on the scene for the blog until we started research for this series.

OK, so on to the wine (yes, that's a pumpkin in the picture)!

Maryhill 2005 Proprietor's Reserve Barbera: With a dark burgundy color, this wine had probably the most prominent nose that we have ever experienced. An immediate aroma of leather was almost overpowering, and mixed with the italian earthiness it was somewhat unappealing. Upon tasting the wine, however, the unappealing nature dissipated and we found what we'd describe as a bold raw wine. Meant to be paired with food, it is fruit-forward with a finish of lingering spice. This barbera is 100% estate fruit with 680 cases produced and is priced at $24 per bottle. In a sense we'd describe this wine as a '60's muscle car, stored in the garage and meant to be brought out under the right circumstances.

Stella Fino 2006 Barbera: Stella Fino's barbera maintains a lighter ruby color, a bit more on the translucent side. We noticed a prominent aroma of black currant accented by blackberry, combined with the earthy italian nature of the varietal. We found this wine to be more subtle, versatile, and drinkable by itself although it would pair well with food. The dark fruit notes combined with the earthtones created a smooth, fluid wine with a great mouthfeel. At $21 per bottle, you should definitely pick up a bottle as I'm sure there aren't many around. This wine is more like a german performance car, meant to be driven every day and still looking great!

So, there you have it...two Columbia Valley Barbera's, both good, very different, and non-traditional in the area. Know of any other Barbera's we should try? Leave a comment!

Non-Traditional Wines: Petit Verdot

Ladies and gentlemen...boys and girls...The Oregon Wine Blog brings to you the next varietal in our lineup of non-traditional wines from the Pacific Northwest: Petit Verdot!

About Petit Verdot

As always and to be as accurate as possible, we have decided to consult the most accurate source of information in the world: Wikipedia. Did we mention how accurate it is?

Petit verdot is one of six red wine grapes typically used in bordeaux-style blends. Typically used as a blending grape, petit verdot tends to ripen much later than other grapes in southern France and typically used in only small amounts. While this may be unappealing to French winemakers, those of us in the United States have benefitted from a varietal that is known to ripen much more consistently and requires less attention to grow.

Fun fact: "It is also planted in a small way in Colorado, Texas, Virginia, Missouri, and Washington."

In short, making pure varietal petit verdot is a relatively rare practice. The temperance of this grape in its native region made it inconvenient at best, but brave winemakers in many of the New World regions have discovered that this grape can hold its own at times.

The Wine

Mike Conway from Latah Creek Winery in Spokane, Washington was kind enough to send us the only sample of Petit Verdot we received for this series: 2006 Latah Creek Winemaker's Reserve Red Petit Verdot. You may be thinking to yourself: "But wait, I thought Latah Creek did dessert wines?" Well, that is probably because 50% of their production annually is dedicated to an excellent Riesling and Huckleberry d'Latah; however, to not delve into their would be to deprive yourself of a some excellent small-lot production wine.

The Petit Verdot is the first in Latah Creek's series of Winemaker Reserve Reds, a grouping of "intriguing, small lot, reserve quality wines" commemorating the 25th anniversary of the winery. That's right, 25 years in Eastern Washington! Conway was one of the early founders in the Pacific Northwest, starting as the winemaker at both Latah Creek and another little winery you may have heard of -- Hogue Cellars.

Immediately upon pouring this 100% Petit Verdot, we noticed a dark black cherry color. The nose fell somewhere between that of a cab and syrah, giving off notes of dark red fruit, blackberry, and currant. It was "yummy", although the tasting notes also indicated espresso on the nose that we couldn't pick up. Probably one of the most prominent, awesome qualities of this wine is the luscious mouthfeel. Silky is the word that encapsulates this wine, and we felt a bit misled by the nose (in a totally good way) by the smoothness of the verdot. With flavors of mixed berries and a spice on the finish, this wine was a very pleasant surprise. Pleasant enough that I'm getting ready to pour another glass.

As we had a spicy korean dish for dinner tonight, we decided to do the wine solo -- and it totally worked. As good by itself and it would certainly be with food, we can see this pairing well with a savory meat dish such as herbed lamb. Its big enough to stand up to strong flavors but the flavor doesn't overpower the palate like a syrah or merlot can.

Latah Creek hit a homerun on this wine. With only 340 cases, we'd advise picking some up before it's gone at $30 per bottle. If you miss out, though, don't worry -- Latah Creek has a nebbiolo, cab franc, and temparnillo coming up.

Non-Traditional Wines: Primitivo

As mentioned in recent posts, the time has finally come for us to introduce our latest series of reviews on non-traditional wines of the northwest. While others seem content reviewing who has the best cab sauv or pinot noir, we're aiming to increase awareness of non-traditional varietals. Look forward to reviews on Malbecs, Barberas, Dolcettos, and others you typically wouldn't expect northwest wineries to produce in large quantities. These wines have been either traditional blending wines or those not done in the region.

To accomplish this task, we have asked wineries all around the northwest to send us samples of their non-traditional wines. The response was overwhelmingly positive and we have since had more than enough bottles sent our way for this experiment. We'd like to take a moment to thank each and every winery who sent us their wine and are excited to share the fruits of their labor with all of you.

Today's wine? Primitivo.

About Primitivo

To be as accurate as possible (and because we're scientists), we have decided to consult the most accurate source of information in the world: Wikipedia.

In short, primitivo is essentially a clone of Zinfandel, which is an Italian varietal that also accounts for approximately 10% of California's yield. This clone theory was verified by DNA fingerprinting in 1993 and since then has created a variety of laws regarding the use of its name. While some countries' labeling laws allow primitivo and zinfandel to be used as synonyms, the US' labeling laws require winemakers to specify which clone their grapes came from.

It is also worth noting that primitivo grapes tend to produce more fruit, can be picked sooner, and have less rot. This is obviously very appealing to winemakers over the zinfandel clone.

The Wine

Choosing the best primitivo of our samples was easy as we only received one; thankfully for our palates it was a delicious selection. We sampled the 2007 Primitivo from Pend d'Orielle Winery in Sandpoint, Idaho. This wine, using grapes sourced 100% from the Coyote Canyon Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills (Washington), fulfills the winemaker's vision of "exploring flavors and experiences that grapes impart on wines." A new release and first of the vintage for the winery, this is also a first for The Oregon Wine Blog. Until today, we have yet to review a primitivo (or zinfandel for that matter), and wine from the budding industry in the State of Idaho has been grossly lacking.


As we weren't comparing this primitivo to others, we decided to pair it with a meal for full flavor impact. After an initial taste with clean palates, we dug in to our dinner of steak, corn on the cob, baked potato, and rolls....enjoying the wine throughout. Immediately evident was a strong nose that is quintessential of fruit from Eastern Washington. With sharp, fruity notes and an almost sweet port-like essence, the "wrapping" on this gift certainly did it justice. A deep, dark burgundy / purple color complemented the classic Italian taste, with flavors of plum, cranberries, black licorice, and leather. A spicy finish was mellowed by the steak, and this wine easily could have been mistaken as purely Italian had we not known it's origin.


This isn't a wine we would traditionally keep on the rack for day to day drinking, however, after this bottle we may reevaluate the selection. Definitely a food wine, this is a wonderful first introduction into Idaho wine and we're looking forward to the other samples from Pend d'Oreille. At only $28 per bottle and a 122 case production, get your hands on it while you can!

Know of any other northwest primitivos? Please share with us by posting a comment.