Oregon Wine L.A.B
drink Oregon wines
Good morning!
I’m currently buried under all my WSET Level 3 study materials as my exam is next week!
My brain is a bit fried at the moment trying to remember how different fortified wines are produced, as well as what every single French word means (you guys… French is NOT my language), so I have an older post for you. This post was originally written in July 2023 (for the OG W&W that no one read) before I earned my NWAS award, but this trip definitely inspired that journey.*
Maybe it was the promise of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but I wasn’t expecting Oregon to be so hot.
Over the weekend, my husband and I traveled to Eugene, Oregon for a family celebration. This was my first trip to Oregon and the only things I knew about the state was from what I watched on Portlandia and “textbook knowledge” from my sommelier studying. Beside the Big Table Farms Pinot Noir I bought for my blind tasting practice (alongside the Pinot’s from Burgundy and Sonoma), I’m not entirely sure I had ever drank Oregon wine.
One of my goals on this trip was to change that.
As you can see from the map, Eugene is located towards the bottom of the Willamette Valley AVA. And since this was to be a short trip, we decided that a trip to Portland and the northern Willamette Valley wine regions would need to happen another time. However, during our search for potential wine places, we did find Oregon Wine L.A.B. (which stands for Local Artisan Brands). The winery produces their own label, William Rose Wines, and sources wines from small wineries around Oregon.
Oregon Wine L.A.B is a dog-friendly establishment with a large covered outdoor seating area, cool inside space (also dog friendly) and this Japanese-American Farm-to-Table food truck called Yabai Nikkei. We ordered a salad and a spicy chicken sandwich. The food was good, but I personally think the spicy chicken sandwich didn’t pair that well with any of the wine we ordered. Also, I’m completely unsure if this food truck hangs out here all the time or if they invite other trucks….
We decided to order two Oregon wine flights to split (four wines per flight) at $12 per flight. Flight one was white wine and included Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and a Grenache Rose. Flight two was red, and had a red blend, Grenache, Primitivo, and a Tempranillo.
Our favorites (and the biggest surprise from the tasting) ended up being the Sauvignon Blanc and the Tempranillo!
Sauvignon Blanc has been one of my go-to crisp whites since I started my wine journey. French and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are super recognizable for me— wines from New Zealand are typically tropical where the French produced ones have citrus and stone fruit characteristics. A common identifying factor (for me) in all Sauvignon Blancs are the herbaceous and fresh-cut grass notes. The 2021 William Rose Wines Sauvignon Blanc we drank had very little grassy notes, but instead was a crisp punch of tropical fruits such as passionfruit, guava, and pineapple.
The 2014 Spire Mountain Cellars Tempranillo from Umpqua Valley had mulling spice notes, as well as dark cherry and dried figs. It was also high alcohol and I could feel it warming the back of my throat. Out of the few Tempranillo’s I’ve had this year, I would rank this high on my list of favorites.
Furthermore, I would be remiss if I didn’t try any Pinot Noir while I was here and I did, but what I did drink just wasn’t my favorite. Maybe I’m not drinking the right ones.
If you have any favorite Oregon wines, reach out and tell me about them! I look forward to my next (and more wine-dedicated) trip to the Willamette Valley.
~Kir
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