Restaurants

The Perfect Cheese Wine?

This Oregon Find Is A Worthy $15 Start

By

One evening this week I opened a bottle of Pinot Gris from Oregon; I was making a zucchini/onion/ricotta cheese/Parmesan/garlic/basil/rigatoni dish, and wanted something to pair it with, something that was not too oaky or dry. What I chose was a 2015 from Pike Road Wines, and everything in the bottle came from the Willamette Valley.

Bright, fruit-forward from the beginning, the wine’s citrus notes made the zucchini sing, while the acidity and balance called out the garlic in the dish. The undertone of spice played well with the nutmeg I grated into the ricotta. A good pairing, and at $15, this wine is something you definitely want to try.

Pinot Gris was first planted in Oregon in 1965, by David Lett, the founder of Eyrie Vineyards. (In fact, Lett’s Pinot Gris plantings were the first ever in the U.S.) Eyrie still produces Pinot Gris, and the grape is widely planted in Oregon, including by Pike Road.

2015_PG_SM

This wine is cold fermented in stainless steel tanks, and the grapes used come primarily from Pike Road vineyards — a small amount is purchased from other Willamette growers. It’s crisp, and I’d drink it with cheese as well as vegetable pasta, and it would make an ideal meet-and-greet choice.

 

Top Father's Day Gifts

Swipe
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026
  • Bering's June 2026

Advertisement
Water reflection with foreground foliage
Three mirrored bunny sculptures in Dallas Arboretum garden
Hunt Slonem — Bunnies, Birds and Butterflies — April 20 to September 30 Only at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden Experience a Gallery in Bloom
Scroll

Featured Properties

Swipe
Your home. Our expertise ® | Since 1985
loading more posts Loading More Articles
X
X