In the glass, the Domaine Drouhin 2007 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (13.9%) was a clear, garnet red with high toned cherry fruit and dusty hints of menthol on the nose. This Oregon pinot noir offered a full mouth feel with black cherry and blackberry flavors balanced with nice acidity and a bit of a sweet finish. After being opened for 24 hours, the menthol scent faded while the acidity seemed to brighten. On the first night, we paired this Domaine Drouhin with a Greek stew and a red cabbage and carrot slaw. The next evening we paired it with...

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Posted by Thad W. at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ah, what a terrific wine the Domaine Drouhin 2007 Arthur Chardonnay Dundee Hills (13.9%) is to the eyes, nose, and mouth. It's not often that I would spend $30 on a bottle of white wine, but this Oregon chardonnay is well worth every penny. A light, golden straw color in the glass, the Arthur was a very aromatic, floral wine, delivering notes of pear, honeysuckle, and pineapple. These scents repeated themselves as flavors, with a fullness to the wine that was not cloying, offering a long, lasting finish. The acidity was very well balanced, making this a delicious food-friendly...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

IPNC Vineyard Tour and Winery Lunch What a terrific first day at IPNC. I got started at 8 am joining Craig Camp of the Wine Camp Blog for breakfast. Craig is clearly the man when it comes to blogging about the Oregon wine scene. It was a lot of fun meeting him, chatting about wine and the Web, as well as being introduced to some folks he knows. After breakfast, several hundred attendees gathered on Linfield's commencement green for the opening ceremonies. After a welcome from the president of Linfield College and comments from special guests, each of the...

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Posted by Thad W. at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)