One of the least-understood appellations in Oregon Pinot Noir country is McMinnville. Many wine lovers associate it with the city of McMinnville, which is nearby but is not inside the American Viticultural Area that was approved in 2005. In fact, the McMinnville AVA is on a hillside west of town and is home to such vineyards as Meredith Mitchell, Yamhill Valley and … [Read more...] about Hyland honors pioneers and an unusual Pinot Noir clone in Oregon
Grapes
Unshrouding sparkling wine
Between all the bubbles, the special methods for opening the bottle and the unusual glasses, sparkling wine can appear much more complicated than it really needs to be. And why should we call it sparkling wine instead of Champagne? Let's find out. Sparkling wine vs. Champagne Champagne is a grape-growing and winemaking area of France, northeast of Paris. The monk Dom … [Read more...] about Unshrouding sparkling wine
A history of ‘winter events’ in Washington wine country
If history is any indication, there will unlikely be a winter freeze anytime soon in Washington wine country. Washington's Columbia Valley offers superb growing conditions for European wine grapes: warm days that are filled with sunshine, almost no rainfall from May to October and sandy soils that cause the vines to struggle to survive. In fact, one of the few issues in … [Read more...] about A history of ‘winter events’ in Washington wine country
Washington wine grape growers continue to grow
As the Washington wine industry continues to grow, so too does the occupation of grape growing. The annual convention of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG, pronounced "wag") is Feb. 5-8. It's at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick - in the heart of Washington wine country. The trade show, which is held in the adjacent Toyota Center (the … [Read more...] about Washington wine grape growers continue to grow
Looking deeper at the Oregon wine industry
This week, Southern Oregon University in Ashland released a combined 2011 winery and vineyard report. Digging into the numbers reveals some interesting finds. For example: While Oregon increased its number of wineries from 419 to 463, the growth was everywhere except the state's traditional region: the North Willamette Valley. In fact, the area where most of Oregon's … [Read more...] about Looking deeper at the Oregon wine industry