Tag: Dundee Hills
Favorite Wines of 2025 – Burgundy and Pinot Noir Edition
In reading through my tasting notes from 2025, a couple of themes stood out: wine drinkers are enjoying an excellent supply of well-made wines under $25 from around the world; direct-to-consumer offers from discount and flash...
Read MoreTasting Notes from Domaine Drouhin, Duckhorn, Far Niente, and Frank Family
Winery dinner tastings are a quick way to learn more about the wines from each operation, their philosophies and stories, and how the selections pair with food. The approach is less clinical and much more fun than at blind...
Read MorePinot Noir Discoveries, from Values to Burgundy Classics
With the continuing and rapidly rising cost of Burgundy wines, we continue to search for fine Pinot Noir from around the world. We’ve found some winners in Oregon and New Zealand, with their own sense of place and styles that...
Read MoreValues in Oregon, California and New Zealand Pinot Noir
In going through tasting notes looking for fine values in Pinot Noir, wines from these regions tended to shine: Willamette Valley, Oregon; Russian River Valley, Sonoma; Santa Lucia Highlands, in Monterey County; and further...
Read MoreExploring New World Pinot Noir, $12 to $88
The following notes are from Pinot Noir wines tasted from the New World over the past six months and rated as good, very good and excellent. For background on Pinot Noir in the New World, versus its home in Burgundy, France,...
Read MoreValues in New World Pinot Noir
In seeking gastronomic relief from the high-alcohol fruit bombs attacking our palates from all over the world, we often turn to something more friendly with food – Pinot Noir. Wines from this fine red wine grape can be enjoyed...
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Willamette Valley and Seven AVAs — Exploring Oregon Pinot Noir
The seminar was titled “It’s Willamette, Damnit,” to break the pronunciation barriers, and offered...
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World of Pinot Noir: Exploring Burgundy and Oregon Contrasts and Parallels
The non-profit World of Pinot Noir (WOPN) annual event is conceived to celebrate and educate...
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Willamette Valley: Escape to Pinot Noir, Nature, Fine Dining, UFOs
UT San Diego carried my travel piece on escaping to Portland and the Willamette Valley. Enjoy new...
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Fall White Sale: Wine Values from $12 to $27
The quest for values continues. Here are recent white wine finds in the $12 to $27 range. All...
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Oregon Wine Trail: Finds in the Dundee Hills and Chehalem Mountain AVAs
As with any other major wine growing area, touring in the 9,000-square-mile Willamette Valley, Oregon???s largest American Viticultural Area (AVA), is best approached selectively and in small chunks. In our misspent youth when tastings were free, we…
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