Oregon Wine

By now, you may have decided to give Oregon wines a try. What can I say? I'm a fan and I think you should be too. If you have given it a try, you're doing yourself a favor. Eco-warriors love the state's attitude towards sustainability, traditionalists love the care and craftsmanship, and just-plain-wine lovers love the seriously good wines.

Most of the time in my circle of friends and acquaintances, you can't talk about Oregon without talking about Pinot Noir. And we aren't alone. The state of Oregon is a world renowned Pinot Noir producing state, with the most prized ones coming from Willamette Valley, where the mild year round climate is perfect for growing. Not only is Pinot Noir the state's premier wine, it's also the most often grown grape variety, out pacing it's nearest competitor, Pinot Gris, by nearly 7 to one in terms of acreage and nearly 3 to one in terms of yield, surprising for the legendarily finicky grape variety.

Don't let that little love poem to Oregon's Pinot Noir fool you, because the best wines list is not a one man show. As previously mentioned, Pinot Gris is also prolific in several wine regions including Willamette Valley, Umpqua Valley, and Columbia Gorge. Perennial white wine favorite Chardonnay and red wine favorite Merlot are also among the top rated wines in the state.