2006 Tualatin Hills Semi-Sparkling Muscat

Frankly I was a bit surprised when I opened a bottle of this wine this evening and looked at our blog, only to find that none of us had written about this much loved wine. To the best of my knowledge this wine, the Tualatin Estate 2006 Frizzante (site not up-to-date) is a favorite among each of us here at The Oregon Wine Blog.

The wine has been described to me as "Sprite in a wine bottle" but it is really so much more! The amazing fruit-forward qualities of this wine make it drinkable on the hottest of summer days as well as the coolest of winter evenings. This evening just so happened to be one of those record hot summer evenings here in the mid-Willamette Valley. The wine is specifically a mild semi-sparkling muscat. For those who do not like muscat, they may have a hard time enjoying this wine. However, if you can enjoy a sweet wine, you will most certainly enjoy this one. With a great palette of peaches, citrus rind, and orange blossoms, this wine serves as a great intro into the realm of wine for those who have never had the wine experience required to get them started.

If you would like more information about this delicious wine please visit Tualatin Estate's mother company Willamette Valley Vineyards' online store. The price is $15 per bottle and can be found across the Oregon area in many local markets and retailers, as well as a list of local retailers on other locales across the country.

Barnard Griffin 2004 Syrah

Are you looking for a nice syrah for under $20? Barnard Griffin's 2004 Syrah is the wine for you. Barnard Griffin is probably my favorite Eastern Washington winery, located near the Yakima River in Richland. Now, I grew up in Richland but unfortunately was under the legal age for enjoying wine at the time. I'm really digging where the industry is going in the Tri-Cities when I visit my family.

Barnard Griffin buys all of their fruit--and Rob Griffin, the winemaker, attributes much of his success to sourcing great fruit. They produce both tulip labels and reserve wines, and while the reserve are definitely the cream of the crop, tulip label wines are very respectable and reasonably priced.

For the 2004 Syrah, the nose has plum and blackberry notes with rich, full-bodied flavors. The grapes for this wine came from the Wahluke Slope, Columbia Gorge, and Columbia River areas capitalizing on the high heat climate of the Columbia Valley. We cracked it open with a nice steak and next thing we knew, the bottle was gone.

Next time you are in the local wine store, pick up a bottle. Even better, if you happen to find yourself in Richland--stop by the tasting room. They are quite hospitable.

Reds vs. Whites, Good vs. Bad

I feel that I must make the caveat whenever I write about a Reds that I am much more preferential to Whites. This does not mean that I don't drink Reds, but it is harder for me to find a good Red I like and once I do, I remain pretty loyal to it - comparing other Reds to the select few I love.

I had a friend come in from Chicago this weekend and we explored a couple of wineries south of Eugene. When I looked at the wines I purchased over the course of the weekend, I found I bought an greatly disproportionate number of Reds to Whites, about 7 to 2 , and this was very intentional.

I also recently had a conversation with a couple of people, Gana included, and we talked about how we only really talk about wines that we enjoyed here on The Oregon Wine Blog. My rationale was quite simple - we sample a lot of wines between all of the contributors, but we usually only buy the ones we like, hence that is what we log about. I have made the decision that I will also be starting to purchase wines that I might not like as much - others may disagree, which I think is a good thing, or I might turn someone onto a wine that they really enjoy.

In other words, in the next couple of weeks, be on the lookout for some of my posts as I give my insights on some Reds, some from the south-central Willamette Valley, and some that I might not like as much (the later portion will take longer since I currently only have ones I enjoy).

Made in Oregon

Today some friends and I journeyed to Newport to spend an afternoon on the coast. It was a gorgeous sunny day and a lot of people were out enjoying it. One of the places I always stop at while in Newport is the Made in Oregon store. Now, you may think it is a tourist trap - and much of their product line is designed to lure in visitors - but there is a hidden pleasure to the store. They have a fairly extensive collection of Oregon wines, and often are willing to open a bottle off the shelf to taste for customers. Additionally, if you are an Oregon resident like I, you can get a 10% discount to boot!

Next time you are on the historic bayfront in Newport, pop in. You may just find that next liquid gold in a 750 ml bottle.