Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir (2007 and 2008) : Organic, Sustainable Local Wines

Although I'm not a wine connoisseur, I appreciate fine wine, as do my friends. So when I announced we would be tasting Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir at my Solstice dinner party, everyone got excited.

Our meal was all about local and sustainable fare, so of course serving an Oregon Certified Sustainable wine was a perfect match. The folks at Willamette Valley Vineyards take their sustainability pledge very seriously, as well as they way they cultivate grapes and make wine. They're commitment is impressive. They use bio fuel for their equipment on and off the vineyard, Forest Stewardship Council-certified cork, and they're also certified "salmon safe" and organic.

Back to the wine and dinner... We started with the 2007 Pinot Noir alongside nibbles of cashews, hummus, organic hominy bread from Seattle's Tall Grass Bakery, and a farmer's market greens salad with avocado, cherry tomatoes, and a lemon vinaigrette. I gave everyone some blank paper and pens to make tasting notes. (How organized is that?)

"Wow, this is nice !´ I say after my first few sips. (Note my sophisticated wine vocabulary, ha!). To be honest, I'm not much of a red wine drinker, and I find many reds too heavy and rich for my palate. I hadn't gotten on the Oregon Pinot Noir bandwagon, but the complexity and subtlety of this wine is lovely and just right. I'm now a big fan.

Pretty much everyone's notes on this wine said "light and fruity" or slightly fruity. I noted the 2007 was smooth and confident. I could drink this all the time! The vintner's tasting notes (on WVV's website) on this wine talk about purity of fruit with layering of fennel, licorice, graham crackers, and a light spiciness that runs throughout the sip. I can't say I discerned all that, but I did recognize a sophisticated layering of tastes. To me it was fascinating and just darn good.

By the time I brought out the Skagit River Ranch pork tenderloin and Windance Farms baby fingerling potatoes, cooked in a tangy tomatillo-cilantro sauce, we had drained the 2007 bottle and were onto the 2008. Based on the climate conditions, Willamette Valley Vineyards expects their 2008 Pinot Noir to be the best vintage of the decade as it ages.

My friends Julie and Don felt the 2008 bottle was richer, with a bolder taste. However, we drank it with the meat instead of just starters, which probably impacted how we experienced the wine. Betty tasted a sweetness in the back of her throat with the 2008. We all tasted the fruitiness. We were split 50-50 on our favorite, but we all agreed both wines were marvelous.

Halfway through the 2008 Pinot Noir, as Betty's notes say, this wine "got them singing." Prompted by the good company and fueled by most excellent wine, Julie and I managed to sing the complete lyrics to Joni Mitchell's Twisted.

"My analyst told me
  that I was right out of my head,
  but I said dear doctor,
I think that it's you instead..."  

I think both wines were beautifully crafted and tasted wonderful. It definitely added to our enjoyment to know that wine was made by cool people who really care about quality and the environment. These wines paired well with pork tenderloin, and I'm sure would also go well with lamb, fowl, steak, and bold cheeses.

Bottom Line:I can't promise these wines might make you burst into song and subject your friends to slightly off-tune crooning, but I bet drinking them will make you happy --J.I. (June 2010)

BUY ONLINE: $20-26 (2007), $20 (2008)

Manufacturer's Site: www.willamettevalleyvineyards.com

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