What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

Here's a Willamette Valley wine that probably wasn't the best match with the grilled pork loin, fennel and asparagus meal we prepared with a rice pilaf on the side. I decided on a pinot noir to go with this meal, but paid no attention to the back label of the Apolloni 2005 Pinot Noir (13.7%). If I had, then I might have put it aside for another style of Oregon wine.

Why? The bottle states that this wine "greets you with toasted vanilla and berries then opens up with black cherry, dark fruit and a hint of chocolate". The label goes on to suggest that the Apolloni pinot noir is "perfect with filet mignon and mild dishes which will compliment the wine's subtle depth of flavors". I'd have to say the folks at Appelloni had it right when they described this wine.

We didn't suffer as a result of having this fuller, heartier pinot with our pork loin and fresh vegetables, but we probably didn't allow it show off its full potential. It offered good fruit and was well balanced, but the 60% new French oak used in the winemaking process clearly revealed itself. I would agree a grilled steak or braised meat would be a better choice for this pinot noir.

Nonetheless, I am intrigued by the people and places behind Apolloni wines, whose story is detailed on their web site. Alfredo Appelloni, founder and winemaker, is a first-generation American whose family had a vineyard and winery in Fano, a small costal town in the Marche region of Italy. He and his wife, Laurine, have named their pinot noir vineyards after their three children, Filippo, Olivia and Flaminia.

Their story alone gives me reason to seek this winery out the next time I visit the northern Willamette Valley. And the connection their wines offer to the people and places in their past and present is one I yearn to experience firsthand. In the meantime, I would definitely try another bottle of the Apolloni 2005 Pinot Noir ($30.99), albeit with a heartier meal.