Situated in the Cascade Mountain Range, Oregon and Washington are blessed with fertile soils that make the region a top producer of apples, mushrooms, berries, peaches, and winegrapes. It’s not surprising that the foods and wines of this region have a natural affinity for each other. Here are some of our favorite current releases from the Pacific Northwest with pairing suggestions to help you enjoy them even more.
REDS
2013 Cathedral Ridge
Necessity Red “A blend of our premier Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Zinfandel. A great wine with notes of violets and black currants alongside a hint of clove and warm raspberries. A smooth vanilla finish that lasts until the next sip!” PERFECT PAIRINGS Gnocchi with tomatoes, spinach, and pancetta*
2013 Four Graces Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
“On the nose the 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is earthy and elegant. It shows expressive tannins and dark red fruit. The palate is soft with swarming notes of bramble fruits, cherry pie, and cranberries.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Pork roast, grilled skirt steak with peaches, chicken with rosemary and thyme
2012 ROCO Marsh Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
“Seductive trade route spices, fresh black cherry, and home canned plum with a tiny whiff of vanilla, toasted almonds, and sweet cooked apple. Robust blast of deep black cherry in the center palate that rounds out with lovely silky tannins and long, bold, sweet flavors. Ripe plum with a deliciously creamy finish and a hint of chocolate mint. This wine delivers on its promise of silky opulence from the beginning to end.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Mini lamb meatballs in Pinot Noir sauce*
2012 Memaloose Estate Cabernet Franc
“This beautifully expressive wine is made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc grapes from the seven-acre, certified organic Idiot’s Grace Vineyard in Mosier, Oregon. Our trademark wine, this bottling is from a beautiful 2012 vintage. Aged in neutral oak and stainless steel, Loire Valley finesse style.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Roasted pork, smoked ham, portobello mushrooms
2011 Roxy Ann Malbec
“This wine exhibits pronounced flavors of blueberries, blackberries, currant, mocha, earth, cedar, and sweet vanillin oak. This mediumbodied wine is rich, balanced, and soft. Silky tannins and a long persistent finish make it a wonderfully versatile food wine.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Brisket, hamburger
2012 Three Rivers River’s Red
“This approachable wine has fruit-forward notes of berry, strawberry pie, ripe cherry, cola, and spice with a smooth finish and well-rounded tannins.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Italian sausage and cheese ravioli, grilled tritip, molten lava cake
WHITES
2012 Brooks Ara Riesling
“This wine is a truly complex mosaic of floral, citrus, and fresh fruit notes. Stunning for the clean precision and the structure and depth of the perfectly ripe fruit, this Riesling has a slight nuttiness similar to the nose. It has a fruit-forward lushness and a clean, refreshing, bright finish.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Pork, roast chicken, grilled fish
2014 Cliff Creek Cellars White White Wine
“This bright, crisp sheer gold wine takes you right to the porch. Floral and fruity aromas of gala apples, apricots, and honeysuckle. Every weightless sip is more refreshing than the last.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Strawberries and ricotta cheese drizzled with honey
2013 Gilbert Cellars Gewürztraminer
“Crafted from fruit grown on our treasured estate vineyard, this Gewürztraminer leads with bright, beautiful aromas of white peach, lychee, tangerine, and banana cream pie. The palate shows a balanced complexity of acid, tannin, residual sugar, and alcohol to make it an extremely food-friendly wine.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Alsatian-style foods, hearty aged cheeses
2013 Maryhill Pinot Gris
“Sourced from two neighboring vineyards in Washington State’s Yakima Valley, this wine is ripe and vibrant with a fruit-forward bouquet and hints of pure melon, pear, and green apple on the nose. On the palate, notes of Meyer lemon and pear with balanced acidity, medium body, and a bright finish.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Grilled salmon, shellfish, chicken
2013 ROCO Chardonnay
“The nose of this wine makes one think of cool tropical breezes with gentle aromatics of passion fruit and guava. The mouth texture is ‘oh so creamy’ and almost soft but has a definite crispness to its edges. This is a beautifully balanced wine with just the right core of acidity and flavor. Its profile is broad and round with a finish of elegant oak.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Chicken Chardonnay
2014 Tsillan Estate West Block Pinot Grigio
“This wine has aromatics of flint, peach, and ripe apples. On the palate it has some weight and softness with flavors of kiwi and rose water with pear and orange peel in the finish. This Pinot Grigio comes from our west block that was planted in 2007 and showcases its own characteristics.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS Mussels, fried potatoes, fresh fruit
* Recipe available on the winery’s website