Pinot Noir
With cool, wet winters, warm dry summers and the marine influence from the west, the coastal Willamette Valley of Oregon is perfect for growing pinot noir grapes.

Dr. Loosen’s Oregon Wine Adventure
The Loosen Family wine estate in Germany is famous for it’s rieslings. Closer to home, Ernst Loosen – one of the rock stars of wine making, currently partners with Chateau St. Michelle in Washington state, to produce the famous Eroica riesling we all love. One of the best food-friendly wines that we always keep on hand.

Now Ernst Loosen wants to make great pinot noir, so he is partnering with Oregon based winemaker, Jay Somers, of J. Christopher Wines, in a new venture, Loosen Christopher Wines LLC.

Currently Somers and Loosen have crafted two pinot noirs:

2006 Appassionata
A finely selected, limited-production Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. To assemble the wine, Ernst and Jay taste through all of the barrels in the J. Christopher cellars and select a distinctive combination of clones, terroirs and cooperages to produce an elegant pinot noir with powerful Oregon fruit and fine Old World structure.

Under the new Loosen Christopher Wines venture, Appassionata will continue to be a top of the line special bottling, eventually coming primarily from estate-grown grapes after the vines on the new vineyard are established. Very New World with a dark purple color. Rich, deep black cherry scents leading to substantial dark fruit intensity, extended tannins and a long, dry finish. Only 99 cases produced, so this is definitely a collector’s item. The vintage will be released for the first time this March and will retail for $75.

2006 Two Worlds
A value-priced Pinot Noir. Originally a blend of German and Oregon grapes, this label will be 100 percent Oregon going forward. Currently, the Two Worlds Pinot Noir is 90% fruit from the sunny Pfalz – contributing purity of fruit and structure – and 10% is a selection from the Oregon cellars of J. Christopher – lending deeper fruit, stronger tannins and a firmer backbone. Two Worlds has a deliciously pure, bright cherry fruit melding with the darker, sturdier structure that often characterizes Oregon Pinot Noir. Two Worlds retails for $16. (Because of all the hype about the wine, the cheapest I could find it was at K & L for $18.)

Check out the J. Christopher website.

The Ideal Wine for Food
“In many ways, Riesling is an ideal white wine. It is flavorful–a characteristic that, despite bland Pinot Grigio’s popularity, seems to be a key consideration for mainstream wine drinkers. It is generally not bone dry, just like all those popular, mass-market Chardonnays, and it is delicious with very flavorful foods. It’s fruity, easy to drink and typically has relatively low alcohol content.

We have always loved good Riesling, and we applaud the efforts of sommeliers to entice American wine drinkers by offering Riesling by the glass. Promoting Riesling has seemed to us an uphill battle, however. Riesling, even more than rose wines, suffers from an image of being “too sweet” and therefore the opposite of chic. And yet–statistics don’t lie–Riesling is on the move.” Ted Baseler, chief executive of Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle winery

According to Lynne Char Bennett of the San Francisco Chronicle, “west coast vintners have discovered that this aromatic white is suited to Northern California’s Monterey County and to Washington state’s Columbia Valley. Good domestic Riesling is available for less than $15 a bottle – a bargain when you consider its flexibility at the dinner table.”

2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling ($10): When this off-dry Riesling was first produced in 1972, it was labeled Johannisberg Riesling. Consistent, easy drinking and value-priced, with plenty of fruit, including green melon, cantaloupe and citrus; seamless acidity, pink grapefruit on the finish.

2008 Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Riesling ($14): Fess Parker’s son, winemaker Eli, and head winemaker Blair Fox now oversee about 700 vineyard acres in Santa Barbara County. Tropical fruit, pineapple and lime; fresh, clean aromas and flavors; weightier body with a fruity, moderately sweet finish.

2008 Firestone Vineyard Central Coast Riesling ($11): In 2007, Bill Foley’s Foley Family Wines purchased Firestone, which was founded more than three decades ago in Santa Ynez Valley by Leonard Firestone and his son, Brooks. This bottling treads a bit on the ripe side; very aromatic and lush with lemon compote, stone fruit and ruby-red grapefruit.

2008 Jekel Vineyards Monterey Riesling ($12): Pear, pineapple and ripe tropical aromas merge on the medium-bodied palate that is not quite as lively as the nose, but will do well by mildly spiced foods. Includes a tiny bit of Muscat.

2008 Maddalena Monterey Riesling ($14): The San Antonio Winery is the last producing winery in Los Angeles. Established in 1917 by the Riboli family, the winery also produces wine from Paso Robles and Rutherford fruit. Lovely aromas and flavors of pear, apple and stone fruit; clean and fresh. This well-balanced off-dry wine is perfect with Asian food.