What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

One of the nice things about living in the Pacific Northwest is having access to a wide assortment of local wines. This access enables us to try new Washington and Oregon wines on a regular basis at our dinner table. It's a rare occasion when we repeat a bottle, for there are just too many new producers or new releases in our region to sample.

However, there are dinners when a decent everyday wine is worth repeating. Such is the case with the Seven Hills 2006 Pinot Gris. At $15 retail, it is a reasonably priced, food friendly wine that has been served several times these last few months at home or while dining out.

The Seven Hills Pinot Gris has proven to be a delicious accompaniment to seafood and pork dishes. Seven Hills, a winery located in Walla Walla, sources pinot gris fruit from the Umpqua appellation in Oregon, located in the southern part of the state. The tasting notes were spot on in describing the wine: "the cool, marine- influenced microclimate of the Umpqua created a blend of ripe flavors and generous acidity". This blend makes for a delicious, food-friendly wine.

A few weeks back, we opened another Seven Hills 2006 Pinot Gris (13.5%) to pair with the roasted chicken thighs, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and Greek yogurt we were having for dinner one night. Kari crafted the dish based on a recent Bon Appétit recipe. She prepared the chicken in our Le Creuset, a French oven better know as the "magical red pot" for it always creates an incredibly delicious, slow-cooked meal.

It was an absolutely fantastic meal, with the Seven Hills Pinot Gris providing a wonderful complement due the wine's fruit-forward nature yet crisp finish. The Seven HIlls Winery is located in downtown Walla Walla next door to the Whitehouse-Crawford Restaurant. Both occupy a beautifully restored, turn-of-the-century planing mill, offering a historical setting to enjoy food and wine.

Even though the 2006 is sold out at the winery, you may be able to locate a bottle at your local retailer. If you can't, then keep an eye out for the 2007 vintage, which was recently released. I am definitely going to give the new vintage a try in the months ahead.