According to the Oregon Wine Board, there are 393 wineries and 792 vineyards in the state, most of which focus on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties. There are over 17,000 acres planted in Oregon, producing about 39,000 tons of grapes, which result in 1.7 million cases of wine.

What makes Oregon unique relative to its northern and southern neighbors is the disproportionate number of smaller wineries, with most producing less than 5,000 cases of wine. The state has also distinguished itself by focusing on sustainability, with 23% of the vineyards certified sustainable, organic and biodynamic with another 34% practicing some form of sustainable farming.

To help sort through the hundreds of Oregon wineries and vineyards, I often turn to a variety of wine bloggers who focus a better part of their coverage on producers from the state. You can find a list of these bloggers in the left-hand column of this page, under the heading, "Oregon Wine Blogs".

Even still, there remains one wine blog that has distinguished itself as offering regular and comprehensive coverage of Oregon wine. That blog is The Wine Commentator. To date, I have yet to discover another blog providing more balanced and substantive reviews on Oregon wine than this one.

Best of all, The Wine Commentator calls it like it is when it comes to assessing each wine, publishing commentary on those you should consider buying as well as those to avoid. Few wine bloggers practice this approach, opting to post only about the positive. And to lend credibility to their reviews, all wines are purchased at retail.

As I posted several days ago, The Wine Commentator is not only a standout when it comes to Oregon wine, but also provides extensive coverage of Washington producers as well. Sure, there are numerous bloggers reviewing Pacific Northwest wine, but I have yet to discover anyone offering the extensive coverage available at The Wine Commentator.

Fowler Martin, the writer responsible for The Wine Commentator, has been blogging about wine for several years now. Overall, I really like the approach Martin takes toward reviewing Oregon wine, which includes a panel of family and friends tasting each wine with and without food. This offers a broader assessment of each wine, both in terms of palate (e.g., multiple tasters) and pairing (e.g., alone or with a meal).

I also like how the panel reviews two or more bottles of a similar variety, but from different producers. This provides some very useful insights into the various winemaking styles that exist in Oregon. Best of all, Martin keeps the panel assessments simple with each bottle receiving a "Recommended", "Worth Considering", "Problematic", or "Not Recommended".

The Wine Commentator clearly gets a "Recommended" from me for its coverage of Oregon producers, as I am always looking out for new discoveries. If you're interested in learning more about Oregon wine, you owe it to yourself to check this blog out.

Regardless of your wine preferences, I am confident you are going to find something useful by following the reviews available at The Wine Commentator as well as those offered here at BeyondtheBottle.com. If you know of another wine blog that is offering consistent and comprehensive coverage of Oregon wine, please leave a comment.