Wine from the Columbia Gorge
Our Critic's Top Wine Picks
About an hour’s drive east of Portland, one of our region’s smallest (and oft-overlooked) wine regions—officially known as the Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area (AVA)—stretches for some 40 miles from the town of Hood River to The Dalles, along the Oregon and Washington sides of the Gorge. But within that short stretch lie many microclimates, which means that the AVA’s 19 wineries are able to produce everything from pinot noir to syrah. Here are three impressive wines made from the region’s best grapes. —Condé Cox
2006 Wy’East ‘Blue Chip Blend’ Pinot Noir $22 Made from grapes grown at Wy’East Vineyards, just a few miles south of Hood River, this nearly transparent pinot noir has a firm texture and is marked by berry flavors that pair nicely with grilled chicken or pork. Best of all, it’s very reasonably priced. |
2007 Sineann ‘Wy’East Vineyards’ Pinot Noir $42 Peter Rosback, owner and winemaker of Newberg-based Sineann winery, makes this pinot noir from Wy’East Vineyards fruit, but this wine gains influence from toasty French oak barrels. As a result, Sineann’s pinot has a bigger mouthfeel. |
2006 Syncline ‘Cuvée Elena GSMC’ Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre-Cinsault $35 Located on the Washington side of the Gorge, Syncline Wine Cellars has produced an authentic southern Rhone- style blend that exhibits the typical cherry flavor of grenache and the leathery texture of syrah. |
Published: November 2008
