If you live in Oregon, you know that pinot noir is king here. But one of the things that makes Oregon’s wine scene so vibrant is the large variety of other grape varieties grown in these parts, especially when it comes to white wines.
Brooks — White Wine ‘Amycas’ ($25) Amity’s Brooks Winery made history when founder Jimi Brooks tragically passed away in the middle of the 2004 harvest, leaving 8-year-old Pascal Brooks as the youngest winery owner in the world. Winemakers from some of Oregon’s most famous wineries got together and finished the harvest for him. Pascal’s aunt Janie Brooks Heuck came to Oregon to take care of him and the winery and has been running and growing Brooks ever since. A couple of years ago, they hired Claire Jarreau as their winemaker, and the wines have never been better. This white blend is a harmonious marriage of pinot blanc, riesling, muscat, pinot gris, and gewürztraminer. The wine is very floral, with lots of peach, lychee, and starfruit, but it is rather crisp and refreshing, not sweet.
Brigadoon — Pinot Blanc ($23) Father-and-son duo Chris and Matt Shown have been growing and making wine at Brigadoon vineyards, just northwest of Eugene, for almost three decades. They ferment their pinot blanc mostly in neutral oak barrels and age it on the lees. The resulting wine is sultry and elegant, with notes of lemon custard and pear and a zippy acidity that is sure to enhance many foods, especially anything involving a cream- or butter-based sauce. Oysters and other shellfish are also an excellent pairing.
Del Rio — Estate Viognier ($25) Among the most notable wineries in the Rogue Valley is Del Rio, in the small town of Gold Hill. The Rogue Valley has a warmer climate than the Willamette Valley and this allows vintners there to grow varieties such as this viognier, which likes lots of sun and warmth. What impresses me the most about this wine, vintage after vintage, is the balance. It does have the pretty note of white flowers on the nose that viognier is famous for, but it’s not exaggerated and the wine finds a satisfying balance between that playfulness and the very solid foundation of fruit underneath. A white like this can stand up to pretty substantial fare, such as pork and turkey, but what it’s maybe best suited for is a sunny afternoon on the porch.
Deové — Pinot Gris ($15) Deové is a small boutique operation out of Eugene. Wine grower Charlie Stanton grows the grapes at his Stanton vineyard near Crow, and Capitello’s Ray Walsh makes the wines with input from owner Mike Jones. It is astounding how non-heterogenous Oregon pinot gris can be from one producer to the next. While many larger producers have embraced a generic style that welcomes more and more residual sugar, this wine is not one of those. It is a classic Willamette Valley gris, reminiscent of the wines of 20 years ago. It has nicely integrated acidity, with pretty notes of Meyer lemon, melon, and some pear. The winemakers managed to weave all that together into a harmonious and balanced wine.
Boris Wiedenfeld-Needham has been in the Oregon wine industry for two decades. He owns and operates Bo’s Wine Depot, a small chain of wine stores as well as Nero, a jazz and wine bar in Eugene’s historic Whiteaker neighborhood. He also serves as wine critic to Beverage Dynamic magazine and writes for several other publications.
