Monday, August 18, 2014

St Innocent Winery - Oregon Trail


Driving the highway near Salem, Oregon, we made our way to St Innocent Winery, which had been recommended to us, late one afternoon. It was a great find not just for the wine, but for the art, the atmosphere and a bonus, the chance to talk to the owners.

Oregon wine tasting provides the opportunity to experience a wide variety of wines and we believe that St Innocent is providing some of the highest quality wines at a great price point in the Willamette Valley. This is one of those wineries that while it seems to be just a bit off the beaten path, it screams for recognition because Mark and Vickianne Vlossak have created a world class winery that we believe has a very bright future. The wines are focused and complex.

St Innocent Winery Barrel Room

The day we visited the tasting room, St Innocent was tasting 10 wines which provided a good representation of the winery. We found something special and interesting in each of the wines. 

We were very impressed with the 2012 Pinot Gris, Vitae Springs Vineyard. At $26, this was a very nice wine that we felt was in the upper tier of the Willamette Valley Pinot Gris offerings. Done in an Alsatian style in stainless, the wine was spicy with complex fruit notes.

The 2012 Pinot Noir, Temperance Hill, $36, had just been released and had a great nose. The cherry and spices in the nose and on the palate hold up well with grilled dishes. It competed well with offerings we sampled at other vineyards in the $45-65 range.
Poster in the Barrel Room
Note the Reflection in the Corner

One of the highlights of the winery is the  tasting room. It is decorated with intriguing poster art. The art adorning the facility must be experienced and, as we discovered, it is all through the tasting room and into the barrel room. Mark provided us with an impromptu tour and we were not disappointed. It was clear that in every area they are committed to creating and offering high quality wines.

RECOMMENDATION: St Innocent is a must stop on an Oregon Willamette Valley       wine tasting excursion.

-- Bob and Christina Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Left Coast Cellars - Oregon Trail

Driving across the Willamette Valley on a beautiful July day we arrived at Left Coast Cellars  in Rickreall, Oregon, to enjoy some great wine tasting. 

We were greeted on our arrival by Suzanne, one of the owners, who welcomed us to her cellars and vineyard. She is rightfully proud of the vineyard and the operation.  This winery is a showplace--adorned with flowers and bees, and 130 acres of vineyards surrounding a great tasting room and outgoing friendly people. And great wines--did I mention the wines?
Left Coast Cellars Tasting Room

This is one of those not to be missed wineries in the Willamette Valley. The atmosphere is enjoyable, the diversity of the wines is solid, and the quality is superior. Jen guided us through our tasting and she was very knowledgeable about the wines and the operation of the vineyard. She was able to answer my myriad of questions while also presenting the wines in the best possible manner. I appreciated her enthusiasm and love of the wines produced. While we were there the vineyard manager, Luke, also stopped by for a visit and a chat. He is rightfully proud of the wines produced by Left Coast Cellars. 

The day we visited, six wines were being tasted. We felt that the 2013 Orchards Pinot Gris, $18, was an especially good buy. It had a nice fruity nose of peach and pear with bright flavors and good acidity and minerality. 

Another good buy was the 2013 White Pinot Noir, $20, which we found to be unique and smooth with tropical fruit, peach and pear. It was a very enjoyable wine which should be very good with a wide variety of foods and cheeses. A nice summer time wine.

One other wine, which was not on the scheduled tasting, but which we were able to taste was the 2012 Cali's Cuvee Pinot Noir, $24. This wine was a real treat with lots of cherries and plums with hints of floral flavors and good acidity to make a very nice wine. 
Flowers at Left Coast Cellars

There is more to this winery than just the wines. There is a kitchen which offers a variety of sandwiches and some very nice chocolate candies. There is an outside seating area to purchase a bottle of wine and enjoy a sandwich. The vineyards are very scenic with walking paths and trees. This may be one of the most scenic vineyards that we visited during out visit to the Willamette Valley to enjoy Oregon wine tasting. 

RECOMMENDATION: Do not miss this winery during a Willamette Valley wine tasting tour. The wines all have great price points and the beauty of the winery and surrounding area must be experienced. 

-- Bob and Christina Doan, Elkridge, MD