Oregon's Willamette Valley, once thought a marginal region beset by climate challenges and vintage variation, now makes Pinot Noir of remarkably consistent quality, which many growers attribute to warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons. Four to try: Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Siduri Willamette Valley, A to Z and Ponzi Tavola.
Oregon wine has worldwide recognition today, but it was not always so. Here is how the pioneers got there, and the bottles we would open first. More on the style in our types of red wine guide.
1. Oregon's Pinot Noir Pioneers
A handful of hardy, iconoclastic and sometimes cantankerous pioneers blazed the trail, including Dick Ponzi, David Lett and Dick Erath. Developing their wineries in the 1960s, they worked in near obscurity, but they found one another and, in the finest tradition of winemaking communities, shared advice, successes and failures, and never gave up. Their attitude: "We don't care if the whole world says we're crazy; we will find a way to make this work."
Siduri's Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, the Oregon bottling from a producer known for its range of single-region Pinot Noirs.
4. A to Z Pinot Noir
The winery says this wine highlights "the ripeness and concentration of the vintage with an uncommon grace and style." We agree. It is also one of the most widely available Oregon Pinot Noirs.
