Wine Win Wednesday: 2009 Amity Pinot Noir

Wine: 2009 Amity Vineyards Pinot Noir

Why it's a win: It's a good representative for Oregon's Pinot Noirs at a reasponable price.  We drank this earlier this summer at a Wine & Dine party, and this was the most popular bottle.  It has my favorite components of a pinot - cherry and raspberry mixed with earth and spices - and it drank really smoothly.

Where you can find it: Costco.  Amity just released its 2010 Pinot Noir, so I'm not sure how much longer the 2009 will be around.

Price: $15


Amity also has a very friendly tasting room and a great view - if you're ever in the Willamette Valley area, be sure to stop by.

Wine tasting at Amity Vineyards, Sept. 2012

March Wine & Dine: Baby on Board

In celebration of St. Patrick's day, Jeff and Nate's birthdays, and the announcement of a pregnancy, the "Wine" part of this month's Wine & Dine kind of got put on the back burner...  I'm not sure anyone even noticed (myself included) with all of the fantastic decorations, games, and beer to distract us.  

The theme was "Wines with Green Labels" and all three bottles were picked up at Fred Meyer's.  We sampled a very light-bodied 2010 Viridian Pinot Noir, a Willamette Valley wine from Olsen Family Vineyards in Monmouth.  We also tried a 2009 Torres Vina Esmeraldas, a tasty muscat from Spain. And later, a 2011 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand.  

Our fantastic spread - all foods included an Irish liquor ingredient

Katy and Travis Horak hosted this month and they put on a spectacular show, as always.  (Katy and Travis hosted one of the more famous Wine & Dine parties a while back with the "Price is Right" wine game, complete with homemade Money Wheel and an excel-inspired game show.)

They put their skills to work again this month with another excel-inspired game show.  We played Wheel of Fortune for most of the evening, while sipping on whatever wine or beer happened to be in front of us.

The highlight of the game was when a team was guessing a popular phrase "Baby on Board" and Katy and Travis announced their pregnancy!  The room erupted in cheers and congratulations!

We could watch as the other team spun the wheel 

Home made mini-version of the Wheel of Fortune!

In keeping with the St. Patrick's theme, we also had Irish beers to fill our goblets with.

And a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Wine Win Wednesday: Underwood Cellars Pinot Noir

Wine: Underwood Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir

Why it's a win: First off, it's from Sherwood, Oregon- which for those that don't know is a city about 15-20 miles south of Portland. There is something particularly special about a good wine from your own backyard. Secondly, the earthy taste of this pinot was blended excellently with notes of cherries and spice. Even with a bit of acidity to the finish, the taste was so smooth. Lastly, you can't beat the price.

Where you can find it: New Seasons and Whole Foods

Price: $11-$12

This was a fun find for us. We (the Schlypers) stayed the night at the Mark Spencer Hotel the other weekend and they hosted a wine and cheese hour. Rian and I had never tasted (or even heard of) this wine, which did make us feel a bit guilty seeing how it's from a vineyard just a few miles from our house. But we are happy we did and we will be sure to have it on hand in our home.

Pinot Noir and Your Health

Did you know that oxidative stress plays a major role in aging, and an antioxidant in red wine called resveratrol may help extend life by neutralizing disease-causing free radicals?

Well, now you do! Better yet, pop a Pinot Noir for the maximum amount of resveratrol per glass.

Our friends over at Eat This Not That recently published 15 Foods that Cure and named the beloved Pinot Noir a top anti-aging elixir. I'll raise my glass to that!

Looking to try a new Pinot Noir? Oregon's own Erath Winery in Dundee has a fantastic (and very popular) Pinot Noir that is sure to make the ani-aging process extra delicious.

Cheers!