Reds other than Pinot Noir in Willamette?

I’m not the biggest Pinot Noir fan but I’ll be spending a weekend in Portland in November and our small group is planning a trip southwest for a day.

Of course I plan on trying plenty of Pinot Noir, but are there any wineries that have other red options? I love Cabernet Franc, is anyone making a decent version? Nebbiolo? Syrah (from Willamette)?

Gamay noir (brick house, willakenzie, bow and arrow, division wine works, plenty of others no doubt), Pinot meunier (Eyrie vineyards though hard to get, archery summit too I think, willakenzie), Syrah (Matello / Goodfellow, Biggio Hamina, Domaine Serene under a second label, I can’t recall but something about a Rock, Helioterra). Natalie’s Estate does a cab franc and a zin. These are all in “the wine country.”

The urban wine scene in Portland (Seven Bridges and Enso come to mind, but there are others) do a lot of varying wines, including merlot and cab Frank and Mourvèdre, but of course all the fruit comes from Washington. Sineann does a couple cab daubs with fruit from both Washington and California. And a zin from 1890s vines.

So there is really quite a lot. And of course if you go south to Umpqua Valley there are hotter weather varieties.

I’d just like to say that auto-correct works horrors with these posts. Please fOrgive any IDioSyncracies about cab Frank.

There’s a tasting room in downtown McMinnville that has, on an outside window, the slogan “Not just pinots. Big reds here!” I forget what it is, but it’s on the main street. (I didn’t stop in.)

Michael

If you get to Carlton, Oregon, Seven of Hearts produces Rhone varietals as well as cab, cab franc,& merlot.

Here is a link to their current releases:

http://sevenofheartswine.orderport.net/wines/New-Releases

Remy Wines, Leah Jorgensen, Natalie’s Estate.

Todd makes a pretty good syrah himself.

That’s right, me too. Thanks Lee.

Leah is Cab Franc crazy though…

Right down the street in Carlton you can visit the Tyrus Evan tasting room, which is a Ken Wright venture by another name. Bordeaux and Rhone grape wine, but sourced from Washington and Rogue Valley, as is much other non-Pinot wine you can taste in the Willamette area. There are really dozens of tasting rooms that feature red wines other than Pinot. In Carlton, for instance, Cana’s Feast and Troon, each which have an interesting and notorious side story. Better wine, Tempranillo and Syrah, from the Columbia Gorge at Dominio IV, a half block from Matello.


P Hickner

An alternative would be to visit some of the wineries on the Columbia River Gorge. Some pretty interesting stuff being done there, and it’s close to Portland. I’m thinking about doing that next time I’m up there, so would be nice to see if anyone has any feedback on if any of those wineries are worth visiting.
http://www.columbiagorgewine.com/

For specifically Willamette Valley fruit:

Syrah: Brittan, Biggio Hamina, Cristom, Adelsheim, and myself(Matello/Goodfellow)

Cab Franc: Bow & Arrow

Blaufrankish: Johan(I love this wine)

Gamay: Brickhouse, Evening Land, Division Wines, and Bow & Arrow

Beaux Freres had Grenache planted but it may have been grafted over to something else as I have not seen the wine in years.

Also worth a try: Minimus Wines, the personal label of Omero winemaker Chad Stock.

Gorge fruit: Dominio IV in McMinnville, but it might be worth heading out to Analemma and Syncline. Also try Viento wines out that way.

Southern Oregon fruit: Day Wines, Leah Jorgenson, and Random Wine Company(I think Beau Carufel uses eastern Oregon fruit as well but he can clarify that)

If you’re pressed for time I would go to Sineann. They have 20+ wines to taste from WA, OR, & CA. They’re Zin is special…I liked the Cab Franc too. Owen Roe is another I’d aim for

+1 on Cristom Syrah but I don’t think they make a lot of it.

All of these producers have wineries in Portland:

Division* - Cab Franc

Bow & Arrow - Gamay

Fausse Piste - Syrah, GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre)

*Division also runs the SE Wine Collective where you can taste several producers.

Archery Summit does not make a Pinot Meunier.

Terra Vina is the winery (I think). They make a bunch of different big reds.

Beaux Freres pulled out their Grenache 4-5 years ago, since it only got ripe in really hot years.

Helioterra.

Andrew Rich at the Carlton Studio for Rhone varietals and Cab Franc. As mentioned above, Boyd Teegarden at Natalie’s Estate does a nice job.

Re Gorge wineries I haven’t yet visited but have had some nice wine from Syncline, Memaloose and Annalemma. Maryhill Museum is a must-visit.

Amalie Robert Estate makes a Syrah from their own fruit. They’re in Dallas near the Freedom Hill Vineyard.

Robert

Has anyone had John Paul’s Nebbiolo yet?