Holiday White Wine ~ Oregon Pinot Gris is a perfect match for holiday foods

The range of flavors from Oregon Pinot Gris is similar, I’ve personally found, to California Petite Sirahs… The range being huge!

It’s a winemaker’s palate; and I’m not referring to a wine palate, I’m referring to an artist’s palate. Just as an artist begins his or her oil painting by filling the palate with all of the colors available for that piece of art, so do Oregon Pinot Gris winemakers use a diverse range of shades…

Most have said, during the first two of Oak Knoll Winery’s Oregon Pinot Gris Symposium, that viticulture is not playing a major role in the variety’s flavors. Terroir seems to be the same throughout the northern part of Oregon, where most Pinot Gris is crafted. They’ve even discussed in which direction the vines are facing for sun exposure. It seems that in most years – having the amount of rain they do, which is similar to France’s Burgundy region – placement of the vines’ facement isn’t the issue.

The real affecting factor: when Oregon Pinot Gris gets into the hands of their winemakers, the use of an artist’s palate exerts the most influence.

The next important information is to state which Oregon winemakers do what to influence the flavors of their Pinot Gris. Here’s our general guide:

• Airlie Winery
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • No Malolactic Fermentation
  • Alcohol: 12.9%
• Apolloni Vineyards
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • No Malolactic Fermentation
  • Made in the traditional style of an Italian Pinot Grigio
  • Sugar at harvest: 20.5° Brix
  • pH: 3.15
  • Alcohol: 13.1%
• Christopher Bridge Cellars & Satori Springs Estate
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • Most of the wine doesn’t go through Malolactic Fermentation
• David Hill Winery
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • Brix at harvest: 21.5 and 24
  • Residual Sugar: 1.0%
  • TA: 0.78
  • pH: 3.21
  • Alcohol: 12.5%
• Oak Knoll Winery
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • No Malolactic Fermentation
  • No Oak Aging
  • TA: .56
  • pH: 3.31
  • Residual Sugar: .82
  • Alcohol: 13.73%
• Pudding River Wine Cellars
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • No Malolactic Fermentation
  • TA: 7.0
  • pH: 3.43
  • Residual Sugar: 0.56%
  • Alcohol: 12.1%
• Terrapin Cellars
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • No Malolactic Fermentation
  • TA: 7.5 g/l
  • pH: 3.25
  • Residual Sugar: 0 .6
  • Alcohol: 12.0%
• Yamhill Valley Vineyards
  • Stainless Steel Fermentation
  • pH: 3.38
  • TA: 5.4 g/L
  • Residual Sugar: 0.4%
  • Alcohol: 13.9%

Finally, the foods that would pair well with each Oregon Pinot Gris, from this group of savvy marketers, as recommended by the wineries:

1. Airlie ~ Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers
2. Apolloni ~ Pesto perfection, Giada shows three ways to make it
3. Christopher Bridge ~ Chilled Poached Halibut with Fresh Apricot Salsa,
4. David Hill ~ French Potato Salad with White Wine and Celery Leaves
5. Oak Knoll ~ Curry-Rubbed Salmon with Mango-Pear Relish
6. Pudding River ~ Sweet & Spicy Asian Seafood Meatball for National Meatball Day!
7. Terrapin Cellars ~ Chicken and Mushrooms in a Garlic White Wine Sauce
8. Yamhill Cellars ~ Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

Related articles

• Oregon Winemakers define their own Pinot Gris style to Paul Gregutt (wine-blog.org)