wine tasting

I love wine tasting. My first trip, ever, to Napa was inspiring. Clearly, I fell in love with the grapes, people and all of the available wine. Really it is all about the wine. So, when the idea of tasting wine in Oregon came up, of course, I had to make it happen. My friend, Jan, is a beer drinker. Specifically Stella Artois. She only deviates from this beer if there is no alternative. When this occurs she is visibly annoyed. Her idea of ideal world would be available Stella at every bar, restaurant, market. She is a true fan of that product.

So, I was a little surprised when she appeared interested in wine tasting. We began the day at Sweet Cheeks. I found a few pinot noirs that were lovely and considered purchasing one of them. Honestly, I am not a huge pinot fan. I prefer bold reds and knew in the spirit of compromise, pinot noir would be on the menu. Jan likes pinots.

We asked the guy from Sweet Cheeks for suggestions. He mentioned that Pfeiffer was eclectic and fun. Sounded perfect and I wanted to try somewhere that I had not been to before. A few years ago I went wine tasting with Jade. Awesome story and would add on too much to the current one. Anyways, we drove up to the next winery, entered the building and found the clerk busy with three other people. The pricing seemed a little exorbirant. $12 for four reds, one port, and a commemorative glass. $20 for all of their current offerings--red and whites, plus riedel glass. I opted for the red and Jan tried all of them. The guy was preoccupied with the three people and started me on my tasting. He returned to the threesome while Jan waited to begin her tasting. I found it odd since he watched us walk in together and instead of starting her lengthy tasting, he focused on me. Finally, he started her tasting. He alternated between me, them and Jan. The wine was fine but I didn't like the amount of wine we were given. Extremely minute in comparison to Sweet Cheeks and eventually, King Estate.

Of the three wineries, King Estate was the best, by far. The grounds were beautiful. I could have sat there all day taking in the scenery and drinking wine. Stunning.

The wine tasting was lovely, too. Six wines and I found a few that Jan would like, too. I wanted to bring a bottle or two to Mossyrock to enjoy with Jean. Jean is familiar with King Estate and I knew she would enjoy wine from there. I settled on an easy pinot noir for Jan and a syrah for Jean and I. I felt that we would both enjoy the bigger red--we did.

Glad that wine tasting was a priority of the trip. Possibly my favorite day or the Oregon adventure. I would love to return to check out other wineries and explore the region more fully for food, too. Also, the trip was fantastic except that I would have preferred more one on one time with my sisters. I miss them mucho! Perhaps another trip 2011?