May Sauvignon Blanc Wine & Dine

We had a great time hosting the May Wine & Dine!  Good food, great company, and of course wonderful wines!  This month we tasted Sauvignon Blancs exclusively.  When grabbing a white wine from the store shelf what do you usually grab?  For us it wasn't usually a Sauv Blanc however when we tasted a certain Sauv Blanc at a local wine tasting we wondered why weren't we grabbing the Sauv Blanc?!  They're great!  So we set out to have a wine and dine where we could learn more... :-)

We started out by tasting two Sauv Blancs side by side - Capitello's Walnut Ridge (Oregon) and their Marlborough (New Zealand) varietals.   We tasted these side by side to fully appreciate the difference!  These two wines were the same year, and made in the same style by the same wine maker.  The real difference is where they were grown and they tasted very different!  The majority of us preferred the NZ varietal to the Oregon one.

We then moved on to another New Zealand SB by Nobilo.  This wine is highly rated by Wine Spectator and was very well received, many named it as their favorite of the night.  NZ is quite well known for their Sauv Blancs and this bottle clearly shows why.  

 Next was the Foucher LeBrun Sancerre Le Mont.  Sancerre, much like a Champagne, must be grown in a specific region in France in order to have this label of Sancerre.  The Sancerre region only grows grapes for two types of wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.  Much like Champagne is a specific sparkling white wine, Sancerre is a specific Sauvignon Blanc.  This wine was well received and also more difficult to find in stores because it is so specific.

Next was Los Vascos from Casablanca, Chile.  Unlike the other SB's that were grown at 40-47 degrees latitude this wine is grown at 33 degrees latitude, a bit different than your typical Sauv Blanc.  This one was also quite good and well received.  SB's are Chile's second most produced wine and are quite tasty!

We finished off by circling back around to another New Zealand SB, by Kim Crawford.  This wine was also highly rated by Wine Spectator. 

Technically our last wine, although we didn't have an official tasting of this, was Trader Joe's Coastal Sauvignon Blanc.  Honestly it's hard to give an opinion of this seeing as everyone was 6 tastes in at this point... although, I think our general impression was that it was okay but clearly not as notable as any of the others.  Fun fact - TJ Coastals are always distilled in steel barrels -not oak- and from California.  If you find a TJ Coastal you love read the label carefully to find out which CA winery it's from! :-)


We had some great dishes brought as well that very nicely complimented the wines.  We had some cream cheese/humus wrap appetizers, an onion dip appetizer, lots of tasty veggie sides, creamy chicken alfredo pasta, a delicious layered eclair dessert, and chocolate cake.

I hope everyone was able to find some good Sauvignon Blancs they liked as a result of this tasting!  I know we did.

Wine Win Wednesday: Cherry On Top

Wine: Cherry On Top Sweet Red Wine

Why it's a win: This wine is the perfect kind of sweet with intense berry fruit flavors (hence the name), aromas of bright red cherry, smooth vanilla and a very smooth, silky finish. It's also versatile, pairing well with many different kinds of food.

While I'm already a fan of red wine, I think those that prefer the sweeter whites would also really enjoy this wine.

Where you can find it: Albertsons

Price: $12

Wine Win Wednesday: Tualatin Estate Muscat-Frizzanté

Wine:  Tualatin Estate Semi-Sweet Muscat-Frizzanté

Why it's a win:  This is a great summer sipper, and perfect for celebrations.  The ripe, explosive flavors of apricot and peaches & cream are balanced with a refreshing acidity that makes it soooooo drinkable.  Enjoy with creamy cheeses or fruit salad.

Semi-sparkling wines are only made by a five producers in Oregon; Tualatin-Estate (owned by Willamette Valley Vineyards) is among them.  This Muscat-Frizzante is in keeping with the Italian tradition of making semi-sparkling wines with Muscat grapes - one of my favorites!

Where you can find it:  Fred Meyers

Price: $16

Dundee Wine Tasting

{The view from Lange Estate Vineyard}

The weekend of March 2nd my mother came in to visit from Texas. Knowing her love for good wine, I thought it would be a fun experience to take her wine tasting. There are so many great places to go in our area, but I landed on Dundee for this trip.

Dundee offered the best of both worlds for us: there were vineyards with sweeping views so my mother could get the real Oregon vineyard experience, but there was also one large street of tasting rooms that made getting around town really simple. To add to its appeal, Dundee is only about 20 miles from our home.

We started at Lange Estate. It was a bit of a trek up the hill to get there but well worth it. The views were incredible.  We stayed on the hill for our next tasting and swung by Torii Mor. Personally, I thought Torii Mor completely outshone Lange with their offerings- especially their house-distilled port. This is definitely a vineyard we need to go back to in the summer with a picnic basket.

For our next stop we came down off the hill and visited Four Graces- which was my favorite tasting of the day. Everyone was very knowledgeable and welcoming. We felt so comfortable spending time in this tasting room.

Next we hit up Argyle which was along the strip of tasting rooms I mentioned above- which made walking around town very easy.  Argyle has a great reputation for their sparking wines and they did not disappoint. My mom loved sampling all the different bubblies.

 {At the Argyle Tasting Room}

Our last stop for the day was Ponzi. While my mom fell in love with their Chardonnay, it should also be noted that they served the most delicious Italian sandwiches. A nice little break in the day and an easy way to snack and sip.

While we really were happy with a majority of the wines we tasted, there were a select few that were our favorites of the day.

• Torii Mor Syrah Port (Rian's favorite of the day)        
• Ponzi 2008 Chardonnay Reserve (Mom's favorite of the day)
• Four Graces Doe Ridge Estate Pinot Noir (This was my second favorite here. My first was a blend that was only sold at the tasting room. It's current on our bar waiting for our one year anniversary!)

 Next time you're in the area, definitely give Dundee a shot. We had a wonderful time and tasted some seriously good vino :)

Wine Win Wednesday: Eola Hills Chardonnay

Wine:  2010 Eola Hills Chardonnay

Why it's a win: It's a Chardonnay that even Chardonnay naysayers will stomach (and perhaps even enjoy!)  Exotic fruits and pear explode from this Chardonnay.  And even though it was aged in oak, it doesn't have that obnoxious buttery flavor that is so characteristic of big chardonnay producers.  Enjoy with grilled fish or poultry


Where you can find it: Winco, Trader Joe's, Costco


Price:  $11-$13