Adventures in Oregon Wine
Access to great, locally-produced wines
The Pacific Northwest, as this area is known, is home to a number of different wine varieties and styles. In Oregon, Pinot Noir reigns supreme, with the cool climate providing the perfect microclimate (in French, “terroir”) for growing Pinot Noir grapes.
The traditional home of Pinot Noir is Burgundy in France, which, like Oregon, lies on the 45 degree North latitude. Both regions share a cool climate and similar soil conditions, making the style of Pinot wines they produce very similar. Although Burgundy typically takes top honors in world wine competitions on Pinot Noir, Oregon also performs very well and continues to improve over time.
After Pinot Noir the most-produced grape variety in Oregon is Pinot Gris, a crisp, acidic white wine from Italy, followed by Chardonnay, another Burgundian grape. Oregon’s cooler microclimate means that Chardonnays produced here are quite different from the wines coming out of California further South. Hot and dry California produces full-bodied Chardonnay wines that hold up well when aged in oak. In Oregon, however, the style is much closer to that of Pouilly-Fuissé or the Mâcon.
Aside from these is a smattering of other grape varieties such as Syrah, Riesling, Tempranillo, and Merlot. One of my favorites from the area, however, is Gamay, the soft, light, fruity wine from Beaujolais. Only a handful of local wineries produce it today, but it seems to be especially well-suited to the local climate, and the number of producers is growing. Try the excellent Brick House Gamay from the tiny Ribbon Ridge AVA in Willamette Valley for a wonderful example of Oregon Gamay.
North of us is Washington State, home to a wide variety of grape varieties, both red and white. Bordeaux-style red wines dominate here, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot leading in terms of production. Washington State has many Approved Viticultural Areas (AVAs), and the region is becoming known as home to many world-class wine producers.
Wine tourism
Oregon wine country is simply beautiful, and getting there is easier than you might think. 45 minutes south of Portland is Oregon’s largest wine-producing region, home to the Willamette Valley and Dundee Hills AVAs, among others. Many of the wineries there have tasting rooms that are open to the public every single day of the week. In Oregon there are over 300 tasting rooms! Spending an afternoon visiting wineries and tasting the wine produced there can be both fun and educational.
Worried about drinking and driving? Hire a car or limousine using one of the many companies providing such services. These services cater to groups of all sizes, and the larger the group, the less the per-person cost. Package tours are available which include not only the driver and transportation, but also tasting room fees and food along the way.
Winery visits are great not just for the good wine, but they also afford the opportunity to see how and where wine is produced, and the spectacular beauty of the vineyards themselves. You could do worse than to spend a day touring wine country!
Epicurean delights aplenty
Wine is meant to be enjoyed with the food local to it, and this is just as true here as it is in Burgundy, Sicily, or Vienna. Pacific Northwest wines go wonderfully well with local seafood, game and produce, and many local restaurants go out of their way to pair the two to excellent effect. La Rambla in downtown McMinnville is an excellent example of a restaurant where you can enjoy the full bounty of locally-produced wines accompanied by a wide range of tapas-style dishes prepared with seasonal local ingredients.
What are some typical pairings you’ll find here in Portland? Pinot Noir and grilled wild salmon is a classic favorite. Like shellfish? Try oysters from the Oregon coast with some un-oaked Oregon Chardonnay. If meat is more your style try pairing a Tempranillo from the Umpqua Valley with Oregon lamb. Or of course you can leave it up to your trusted local restaurant, many of which take great pride in showcasing local food with creative abandon.
Mentioned in this blog
A Champagne full of elegance, lightness and finesse, just as pleasant as an aperitif as throughout an entire meal.
Composition of the cuvée*:
A high proportion of Chardonnay (around 40%), and 60% Pinot Noir represent the majority of this wine’s composition. Each year, about one-third of reserve wines are incorporated in the cuvée, thus ensuring the consistency of the Henriot style.
* This estimated data is given for information only and may vary slightly from one year to another.
Located 300 meters from the Gironde region in the famous Médoc Pauillac this exceptional wine is produced from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes planted on 47 acres of the castle's vineyard.
The clay soil composed of old grave associated with geographic features and climate, make this region unique and the most ideal place in the world for such wine
This wine is a judicious mix of tannins and red fruit with deep color and rich taste and a tannic structure adequate for Premier Cru wine.
Tasting Note
An exceptional vintage
Fine and deep taste coted in ripe fruit flavor
A noble and particularly elegant wine in all senses
Great potential for cellaring or enjoy it today
A great Pauillac at its best
This wine pairs well with: Dark meat, lamb, creamy cheese
Service• Conservation: Drink now or cellar• Maturation: 2008• Serving temperature: 17℃

La famille Marionnet est arrivée à Soings, dans la partie orientale de la Touraine à 30 km au sud de Blois, au milieu du siècle dernier.
Encépagement
Le Domaine de la Charmoise est en très grande majorité planté de Gamay noir à jus blanc pour les vins rouges et de Sauvignon pour les vins blancs.
Le Gamay noir à jus blanc couvre une surface de 33 hectares. Les vignes de sélection massale ont été plantées entre 1967 et 1978. Les rendements moyens sont d'environ 55 hl/ha. Le Sauvignon occupe au Domaine une superficie de 20 ha. Les vignes de sélection massale ont été plantées pour la plupart entre 1967 et 1982. Les rendements moyens sont d'environ 40 hl/ha.
Sol
Le sol est de type « perruches », c'est-à-dire constitué d'argile à silex avec plus ou moins de silice et de graviers. Le Domaine est situé au point le plus élevé entre la Loire au nord, et le Cher au sud.
Climat
Grâce à sa position, la plus à l'est de la Touraine, le Domaine bénéficie d'un climat plus continental et donc propice au Gamay comme au Sauvignon. De plus, un micro-climat favorable assure à la fois une excellente maturité et une bonne protection envers les gelées printanières

History
It was in 1808, under Appoline Henriot, that Champagne Henriot was officially founded. She was the niece of the very famous Abbé Godinot, an erudite man who contributed to improvements in viticulture and the making of the Champagne wine.
Appoline, an enterprising woman of great character, sold her wines both in France and abroad.
The champagne wines became a huge success with royalty and it was only natural that Champagne Henriot became the favorite firstly at the Dutch court, then in Austria and Hungary with the Hapsburgs.
She passed on her savoir-faire to her grandson, Ernest : a family tradition was born.
In 1875, Ernest enlarged the company's holdings and developped the House. At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera crisis reached the Champagne vineyards but Emile Marguet, (father in law to Paul Henriot) was one of the first to reconstitute his vineyards with grafted stock.
From then on and from generation to generation, the House of Henriot has devoted all its talent to creating the most superb wines from grapes carefully selected from the great "terroirs" on the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.
The Vineyard
In addition to the vineyards tended by the company, Champagne Henriot purchases grapes from growers in the best 'terroirs' in the area who have chosen to work together with the family firm to defend the acclaimed excellence of the wines bearing the signature of the Henriot family.
It is Laurent Fresnet, Champagne Henriot’s Chef de cave who is in charge of this delicate mission.
Famous Pinot Noir crus:
Verzy, Verzenay, Avenay, Mareuil, Mailly
Famous Chardonnay crus:
Chouilly, Oger, Avize, Mesnil, Vertus, Cramant
The Philosophy
The House cultivates a very particular style, valuing time, patience, and the pursuit of perfection. It chooses the best wines from the best "crus", demanding the most careful work from the vineyard and cellar workers.
The family’s knowledge of the terroirs and blending skill makes the wines of Champagne Henriot recognizable among all others.
The style
Champagne Henriot is committed to offering wines with a strong personality centered around the family’s philosophy of wine making.
The grape varieties
The Pinot Meunier variety, although it represents a third of the varieties grown in Champagne, is only used in a very small proportion in the Henriot blends. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties are preferred, to express the elegance, intensity and lightness required for a great champagne.
The blend
The high proportion of Chardonnay which can vary from 40% to 60% (the average in Champagne is nearer to 30%) is an important distinctive element in the Champagne Henriot blends.
In Champagne, the legal minimum requirement for ageing in bottle for non vintage Brut is fifteen months. However, the House of Henriot takes a pride in ageing its "cuvées" for a much longer time. This indispensable maturing period enables the wines to develop their complexity and refinement.