Oregon, whose wine growing region stretches from the California border to Washington State, its
most famous region is the Willamette Valley, which is a temperate, ocean influenced area which is a
100 miles in size. It’s most famous grape is Pinot Noir, Oregon Pinot has steadily improved over the over
the years. Its soils and climate draw from the Pacific breezes and that allows the fruit to ripen gently,
although harvest time rain is always a possibility. Oregon Pinot Noir feature big cherry-berry aromas and
favors which vary with spicy oak, medium body, and reasonable tannins. Most Oregon Pinots gain in
complexity with bottle aging of three to five years, some top vintages can last for a decade or more.
Some of the better known wineries in Oregon include; Archery Summit Winery, Beaux Freres, Ken
Wright Cellars, Chehalem, Evesham Wood Winery, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars and Domaine Drouhin.
Washington State-Cabernet and Merlot are Washington’s most serious and successful varieties, with
Syrah becoming more popular as of late. Red wine is generally the most produced wine even though
Riesling is still considered an important variety. Washington’s red wines offer terrific fruit favor and
generally juicy acidity. They are typically more vibrant and less alcoholic than big reds from California
and also less pricey. Careful blending of varieties has resulted in better balanced , more complex, and
complete wines. Some of the better known wineries in Washington State include; Andrew Will,
Leonetti Cellars, Owen Roe, Northstar, and Quilceda Creek Vintners.
