Name: Filet Mignon with blackberry Pinot Noir sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 tbs oil (neutral or olive); 2 bacon wrapped Filet Mignons; ½ pint of fresh blackberries; ¼ cup Pinot Noir; 1 small shallot (finely chopped); 2 tbs butter

Kill Hill Pinot Noir – struggling vines making concentrated wine from Lenné Estate

Jun 2, 2021

Steve Lutz didn’t start out planning to be a winemaker. Wine found him.

He grew up in Colorado and planned to be a lawyer. In college at the University of Oregon, he had his first real experience with wine. He applied to law school and worked for a bit for an oil company, but always came back to that wine. Learning about wine was his calling. He packed up and moved to Napa.

He worked at Beringer, Franciscan, Inglenook, and Merryvale in the tasting rooms and cellar for a decade. Needing a change (and likely having that entrepreneurial spirit) he opened a pizza place in Santa Rosa. It was then that he met his wife Karen.

Four years in he sold the pizza place and he and Karen spent a year in England. Then returned to Oregon where Steve went back to work in the wine industry. That entrepreneurial urge was still there, and they started looking for a property where they could build a house and start a vineyard.

The origin of the name Lenné Estate

“People often ask about the French origins of Lenné. Then, I tell them it was born from a chicken farm west of London, England, in the small town of Wokingham.”

The Estate is named, in a fashion after Steve’s father-in-law. Karen’s father Lenny, passed away shortly before they purchased the property. It’s a much more complicated story than it initially sounds.

Originally the winery was to be named Nashgrove Lane, after the Lane that passed by Lenny’s chicken farm. Then one day Steve was looking at a photo of Lenny, it is the profile shot that you see now as a sketch on the label, “Lenny,” he thought, no “Lenné”! As he says he “French-fried” the name. He could not wait to tell Karen when she came home.

Karen was not as enthusiastic as he had anticipated. Her father was a difficult man and they had not had the best of relationships. But, he had stowed away some money that upon his death became an unexpected inheritance for her and her two siblings. It was that inheritance that allowed them to purchase the property in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. It took some time, but Steve convinced her, and today the bottles of Lenné bear a sketch of Lenny’s likeness.

Lenné Estate 2018 Kill Hill Pinot Noir

This wine is the smallest production wine that they make at Lenné Estate, sourced from the highest elevation block with the poorest of the poor soils on the site. When we talk about poor soils, these are soils that make the vines dig deep to find nutrients. The name Kill Hill is because many vines don’t make it. The mortality rate on this block is the highest on the estate. In the first year, they lost 30% of the vines.

Luckily this mortality rate is only for the vines, although early on there is a story of Steve rolling their tractor on this steep section of vineyard. I guess there are multiple meanings here.

These vines are clones Dijon clones 114 and 667. You’ll find here in Oregon, that Pinot Noir clones are blended to build out the complexity of a wine in the same way that they blend Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Pinot is a transparent grape that shows off the place it is planted so a variety of Pinot Noir clones allows a winemaker a bit of room to play.

Lenne Estate 2018 Kill Hill Pinot Noir and pairings

Steve notes that the Dijon 114 is all about red fruit with bright acidity and the 667 is more structured and intense.

The grapes coming from these tortured vines tend to be small, which gives you a greater skin to juice ratio when making wine. They are also very concentrated. You might think of Pinot Noir as a light to medium-bodied wine. Here at Lenné Estate and especially here on Kill Hill, they tend to have a bit more body.

My notes:

The 2018 Kill Hill Pinot Noir hit my nose with dusty cocoa powder, then black cherry, raspberry, and blackberry. There was a bit of bramble, a whiff of fresh eucalyptus leaves on a tree, wet stone, and a bit of steaming coffee. Behind that was a bit of cedar then savory notes and a bit of tobacco.

In my mouth, I found black cherry and blackberry with more of those mocha notes.

125 Cases Produced – 14.1% abv – $60 SRP

Finding a Pairing for the Lenné Estate Kill Hill Pinot Noir

The winery noted “blackberry, raspberry, and mocha” in the aromas and flavors of the 2018 Kill Hill Pinot Noir, so I ran with that as I composed my recipes.

Pinot Noir is often subjugated to lighter meats, chicken, pork, and fish. I knew this wine would have more body than a typical Pinot Noir, so we went with beef, but kept it light doing a bacon-wrapped filet, then doing a pan sauce with a bit of the wine and blackberries.

For our side, I wanted to play on the coffee notes in the wine. We roasted carrots in salt and coffee…well, coffee, and coffee grounds (reduce reuse recycle people!).

We finished with a super simple salad of spring greens and sliced almonds that I dressed with olive oil, balsamic reduction, salt, and pepper.

Did the pairings work with the Kill Hill Pinot Noir?

Hell to the Yeah! These were not complicated dishes, but they stayed true to the notes in the wine and the pairing was delicious.

The coffee salt-roasted carrots had this great sweetness that worked with the wine and the coffee notes blended the food and wine seamlessly. The Pinot has enough acid to cut through the fat in the bacon on the filet. The savory notes in the wine elevated the beef and then the berry notes in the sauce bringing it all together

We finished the evening with some store-bought brownies, that also were wonderful with the wine.

We also had an unexpected dinner guest.

Lenne Estate 2018 Kill Hill Pinot Noir with pairings

Lenné Estate produces between 1500-2000 cases annually. The poor soils give the wine concentrated flavors. The wines see around 35% new French Oak and are filtered before bottling.

Their wines are available primarily through their website and in their tasting room. As you can see these wines are not available in huge quantities. They are special wines and worth seeking out. When you have one, you have something special in your hand.

You can visit their website https://www.lenneestate.com/contact to schedule a tasting. They are typically open from Thursday to Monday. They also have vineyard tours and as the world opens up again, they will likely be back to doing some seminars and other events that you can find on their site. You can also reach them in the tasting room at 503.956.2256.

They are located at 18760 NE Laughlin Road, Yamhill, OR 97148

Not too long ago we tasted the Lenné Estate 2018 Scarlett’s Reserve Chardonnay. It was a beautiful wine. You can read more about that at

Lenné Estate – Poor Soil, Hardworking Grapes and a Beautiful Reserve Chardonnay

More on Oregon Wines from Crushed Grape Chronicles

Filet Mignon with blackberry Pinot Noir sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Filet mignon is a decadent meal, but it's worth a splurge. We did a blackberry Pinot Noir pan sauce to drizzle over the filets and make this a perfect pairing with an Oregon Pinot Noir from Lenne Estate.

Ingredients

2 tbs oil (neutral or olive)
2 bacon wrapped Filet Mignons
½ pint of fresh blackberries
¼ cup Pinot Noir
1 small shallot (finely chopped)
2 tbs butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° F
Put the blackberries in a blender and puree
Pour the berries into a fine-mesh sieve. Press through to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds and save the juice for your sauce
Heat a rod iron skillet over high heat.
Add 2 tbs of oil and swirl to coat
Sear the filets for 3 minutes per side.
Do a quick spin to sear the bacon, (think of rolling a tire around your pan)
Place in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes to finish cooking
Remove the steaks from the pan and let rest under tented aluminum foil for 5 minutes, while you make the sauce
Pour all but 1 tbs of the oil from the pan, but keep all the crunchy bits that will add flavor to your sauce.
Return the pan to medium-high heat
Add the shallots and the wine to deglaze the pan stirring up the crusty bits in the bottom
Reduce by half (3 minutes)
Add the blackberry juice/puree reduce slightly
Turn the heat to low and whisk in 2 tbs of cold butter
Serve over the rested filets and garnish with fresh blackberries

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 463Total Fat 37gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 83mgSodium 311mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 5gSugar 5gProtein 17g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Salt and coffee roasted carrots

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Roasted carrots get an earthy update, roasted in salt and coffee. This recipe is great for reusing coffee grounds! The carrots are roasted, buried in a combination of coarse salt and coffee grounds. The mixture also makes for a fun presentation, the carrots on top of the coffee and salt, looking as if they were just pulled from the dirt.

These went beautifully with the Lenne Estate 2018 Kill Hill Pinot Noir, which had notes of coffee also.

Ingredients

6 carrots, remove the green (use that for pesto)
1/3 cup of coffee grounds
¼ cup of course salt
2 tbs Olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F
Toss the carrots in olive oil
Mix the salt and coffee (grounds) in a small bowl
Place the carrots in a glass dish side by side
Cover with the salt and coffee mixture
Roast the carrots for 15 minutes
Reduce the heat to 275 and continue to roast for another 35 to 45 minutes
Spoon the coffee mixture onto a dish and plate the carrots on top

Notes

I did not save enough coffee grounds for my recipe. No worries, I just added some freshly ground coffee to fill it out.

I also am decaf these days, so my coffee (and grounds) were decaffeinated. It does not affect the flavor.

I happened to have some pink Himalayan salt pebbles that I used. I also added some freshly ground salt and some Pinot Noir salt I happened to have. You can do this with almost any kind of salt, but I do think the coarser, the better.

And don't forget to save those carrot greens! While this is in the oven you have plenty of time to whip up a carrot top pesto!

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 168Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 0mgSodium 14228mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 1g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

Robin Bell Renken I have always loved people’s stories. I spent a career in Theatre helping to tell stories, as a Stage Manager. Daily enabling artists to freely and safely tell stories through their art. Then I fell in love with wine. There are so many details, so many nuances, not just in the glass, but in the vineyard, the region and the people. As I met winemakers and vineyard owners and even the people in the tasting room excited to pour me a glass and tell me the story of this wine, I knew these were stories I wanted to share. I completed my study and became a Certified Specialist of Wine and continue learning daily as I meet and interview people in this industry.

Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Bells Up – Wine to celebrate Memorial Day

May 26, 2021

Bells Up

Typically when you see a French horn being played, you see the bell (the horn part where the sound comes from) pointed down and to the side of the musician. Typically also they have their hand and perhaps a cloth in the bell to soften the sound.

Upon occasion, like in Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”, the composer will add a note in the music “Pavillons en l’air” or “Schalltricter auf” which means “Bells Up”.

The idea is that the bell of the French Horn at this point is pointed up so that more of the sound is sent straight out to the audience.

At the same time, you can’t keep your hand in the bell here, so the sound is louder and meant for hearty passages!

So why would you name a winery Bells Up?

Dave Specter had played French Horn throughout high school and college. He then went on to become a corporate tax attorney. Yeah, that is as horrible and stressful as it sounds. So, he escaped and turned to something he loved and that was winemaking. It began with making wine in the basement. After working at Henke Winery in Cincinnati and then winning a couple of amateur winemaking competitions he and his wife Sara up and moved to Newberg Oregon, in the Willamette Valley.

Bells Up Winery is Dave’s “Bells Up” moment. He has found what he loves to do and he is doing it loudly and proudly!

It’s also a nod to Bell Road where their winery is located.

Bells Up Winery

The winery is in the Chehalem Mountains AVA where they have a 9-acre estate vineyard, planted to Pinot Noir and Seyval Blanc. Established in 2013 their winery is young. Their first vintage release was Memorial Day 2015 and we are celebrating their 6^th anniversary of releasing wine with a Memorial Day feast! We are also celebrating Oregon Wine Month!

First, let me tell you about the wines

*These wines were received as media samples. All opinions remain our own.

Bells Up 2020 Rhapsody Pinot Blanc Willamette Valley

The wine is named for George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. I have fond memories of this piece. (I can hum it to you in its entirety). You perhaps know it as the music from those old United Air Lines commercials. When Gershwin wrote this piece, it was groundbreaking.

He combined jazz with classical music. That clarinet glissando that introduces the piece is unmistakable.

The 2020 Rhapsody Pinot Bland is a new wine for Bells Up. This 100% Pinot Blanc came from a difficult vintage (well, a difficult year all around for all of us). The fruit comes from Plum Hill vineyard in Gaston Oregon.

This vineyard sits on the other side of the Tualatin River from the Chehalem Mountains AVA and these Pinot Blanc vines are 13 years old.

2020 delivered a cool wet June, right at the time of flowering, and meant fewer grapes at harvest. Then there was the fear of smoke taint from the fires, which luckily these grapes were free from.

They found this fruit “Lithe and Lively” and call this a jazzy white (so it is aptly named!). They aged it sur lie in Stainless Steel for 6 months. This adds body to the wine, rounding it out, but it still retains wonderful crispness.

46 cases produced – 12.5% abv – $28.00 SRP

Bells Up 2020 Prelude Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains AVA

The name of this wine comes from one of Franz Liszt’s 12 Symphonic Poems, a genre that he created. Liszt was originally a performer, he was one of the greatest piano virtuosos of his time.

In his middle age, his mistress, the unhappily married Princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, convinced him to stop performing and compose full time. He dedicated this piece to her.

The piece is a series of passages which used dissonance for harmonic color.

Hmm… so do we see this reflected in the wine?

We’ve mentioned the difficulties of this season of 2020, we mention the dissonance in the music. We often think of rosé as a cheerful wine.

There is not a lot of depth in a typical rosé it doesn’t sit on the skin very long, it comes out bright-eyed and a bit naïve, not having touched all the difficulties that the skin of the grape endured throughout the year, being made mostly of the juicy protected pulp of the grape. This wine is different.

This wine did a cold soak for 24 hours and then was lightly pressed. This gave the skins time to impart some of the lessons learned over the year to this wine. It is joyful despite adversity, not because it was sheltered from it.

The nose is at first dusty with bright red fruit beneath it as well as bramble, you know, the prickly part of the bushes that create such delicious fruit. It is a blend of light and dark.

So while joyful, this wine has depth and a sense of seriousness to it.

109 cases produced – 13.5 abv – $24 SRP

Bells Up 2020 Prelude Rose of Pinot Noir from Chehalem Mountian AVA

A Memorial Day Celebration

So to pair with the 6^th anniversary of their first release and these two lovely wines, we put together a small feast to enjoy in the backyard with friends. Yes, Memorial Day is a few days away…we celebrated early to bring you ideas for your own backyard pairings!

Halibut sliders with garlic parmesan aioli

So simple. Michael threw these on the grill in some foil and then they were dressed with an aioli sauce of grated parmesan, garlic, and mayo and topped with fresh thyme. (our thyme came from the backyard and Michael picked it as we plated since the plant was only 5 feet from the table!)

These were PERFECT with the Pinot Blanc!

Halibut sliders with garlic parmesan aioli with the Bells Up 2020 Rhapsody Pinot Blanc

Mexican Street Corn

Street corn is new to me! I know, I’m behind the times here. I made a quick sauce of mayo, sour crème, lime zest, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt and pepper.

This is painted onto the corn after it is grilled, then you roll them in crumbled cotija cheese. So good!

With the Pinot Blanc, the cotija cheese was so flavorful!

Watermelon balls with kiwi and basil

With it just being two of us, a whole watermelon is just too much. I picked up one of those tiny watermelons. We made watermelon balls, sliced up a kiwi, and added some fresh basil.

Bahn mi inspired sausage dogs

I was determined not to have plain hotdogs or your typical topping. Michael found brioche buns and grilled up some sausage, we used a honey mustard dressing (stone ground mustard, mayo, and honey).

A smear of the dressing goes in the bottom of the bun, then we added thin ribbons of carrot and cucumber, the sausage, and topped it with more of the mustard mixture and fresh mint. YUM!

I decided it was worth trying this with the Pinot Blanc and was rewarded. The Pinot Blanc brought out the smokiness in the sausage in a wonderful bright way. This was an unusual pairing, interesting and delicious.

Hamburger sliders with bleu cheese and fig jam

I mean really how can you go wrong. The ingredients are all there in the title, juicy little burgers topped while they are hot with bleu cheese and finished with a dollop of fig jam, all sandwiched in a Kings Hawaiian Sweetbread roll. We did do these healthier by using the wheat rolls. LOL

The rosé really made the bleu cheese pop!

Hamburger sliders with bleu cheese and fig jam

Prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe

Simple, sweet, and savory. I find making these almost a meditation in the midst of cooking a bunch of dishes. slice the canteloupe and gracefully wrap each slice with a delicate thin piece of prosciutto.

The savoriness of the prosciutto and the sweetness of the canteloupe made this go well with the rosé

BBQ sliders with purple slaw

I cheated here and picked up BBQ, it was smoky and sweet and delicious. We topped it with slaw from purple cabbage, apple, cucumber, and carrot, with a dressing of mayo, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.

This was stunning with the rosé, the wine picking up on those sweet notes in the bbq sauce.

BBQ with purple slaw of cabbage, apple, cucumber & carrot in a sweet dressing, to pair with the Bells Up 2020 Prelude Rose of Pinot Noir

Salt & Pepper Potato Chips for our Memorial Day Feast

Oh and potato chips. Michael picked up salt and pepper crinkle chips that were the perfect crunch.

I encourage you to find a bottle of these wines, to pair for Memorial Day or any day this summer. Perhaps tune into these pieces of music and see how they pair. I’ll leave you with links.

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic (1976)

Liszt: Les Preludes, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

We look forward to tasting the Bells up 2018 Titan in the not to distance future and sharing with you more about this winery and its story.

Until then, you can find them online at Bells Up Winery.

If you will be in the Willamette Valley and want to book a tasting, you can do that! They are a micro-boutique winery (ie. really small). The best part about that is the personal service. Call and schedule a one on one tasting with Dave himself! You can reach them at 503.537.1328 or email them at [email protected].

It’s Oregon Wine Month!

We did not drink nearly enough Oregon Wine this month, there are so many amazing wines in Oregon to enjoy! Check out what is still happening in the Willamette Valley to celebrate, as well as what is happening beyond in the rest of Oregon at the Oregon Wine Board Site! (check out their #PourItForward campaign on Instagram & Twitter!)

More on Willamette Valley Wineries from Crushed Grape Chronicles

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Sokol Blosser Celebrating 50 years – an inside peek at the family behind this pioneering winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

May 4, 2021

“I remember that story just slightly differently…”.

A family gathered, reminiscing, telling stories. It’s a joyful place to be, as a guest listening as a family shares their stories, with joy and fondness. It’s especially joyful when the family sharing the stories is one of the pioneers of wine in the Willamette Valley.

I was lucky enough to attend a virtual tasting with the Sokol Blosser family. Susan, Bill, Alex, and Alison (assisted by the wonderful Liz Barret), invited a group of wine writers to taste through 4 of their wines as they shared stories of the history of their winery and celebrated 50 years in the Willamette Valley.

When I first became interested in wine, we planned a trip to the Willamette Valley. Before going, I had picked up the book, “At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life” by Susan Sokol Blosser. She shared both the trials and tribulations of being one of the first handful of winemaking families to plant in what is now such a well-known region. I was completely taken in by her story.

The family at Sokol Blosser, Susan, Alex, Alison and Bill (photo courtesy Sokol Blosser)

The story of Sokol-Blosser

The Sokol-Blosser story begins as Bill says with “Dreamers who loved wine.”

Susan’s father had a cellar and many amazing bottles of Burgundy, that the two were lucky enough to experience. Bill spent a year in France. When the two graduated from Stanford and married, both with liberal arts degrees they had the feeling that they could do anything. What they decided to do was move to Oregon and grow Pinot Noir. They began planting in 1971 in the Dundee Hills, 34 years before the area became its own AVA.

In 1977 they had their first vintage. There was no wine industry in the region at that time. As to sustainability? Well, they were farmers first, so sustainability just seemed common sense. You take care of the land if you want it to produce well, and you avoid chemicals because you are raising kids on this land!

The property they found in the Dundee Hills, was the closest thing to a Burgundian climate in the new world. It was an abandoned prune orchard and they bought it just 2 weeks after the birth of their son Nik.

They got in at the right time for land prices. The family joked that while they would love to buy more property to expand the vineyard now, they are priced out of their own backyard. The Dundee Hills when they started had a handful of growers, today there are close to 65.

Not only did they get in at the right time for land prices, but they were also starting as the local Oregon bean farms were converting to bush beans! This meant a plethora of leftover wire and posts were available for grape trellising!

As they shared vintage photos with us Bill was teased about his beret, which he brought back from France. Susan said he would only take it off to shower or sleep. Bill claims

Bill Blosser in his beret (photo courtesy Sokol-Blosser)

“I had to wear it in the vineyard because the vines demanded it!”

They pushed forward, planting vines, welcoming Alex to the family, building a winery, opening a tasting room (the first in Oregon), gaining international recognition, and then having Alison join the family!

Susan became the President of the winery in 1991 and Bill returned to using his Stanford degree for urban planning.

The 2nd Generation of Sokol Blosser

The children were raised to choose their own path and of course, none of them thought that included working at the family winery. Bill and Susan knew first-hand how tough this business was and wanted their kids to have a life! They had not planned the business as one to hand down, they were just doing their thing. Nik really did escape, and Alex with his BS in Philosophy (don’t laugh it is a Bachelor of Science degree from Portland State) and Alison were determined not to come back.

Nonetheless, the vineyard drew them back in. (Really, where can you find a cooler job?) In 1998 Alex returned, and in 2004 Alison did also. Finally, in 2008 the two took over the daily operations. They joke that their mom always says it took two of them to replace the one of her!

The Historic Accolades and Firsts

But that’s just the short story, of course, they skipped many of the accolades, so I’ll give you a quick list here:

1979 International recognition at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.
1983 honored by the US Soil and Water Conservation District for Susan’s work with experimental cover crops to control erosion on hillside vineyards.
1996 The first winery to be certified “Salmon-Safe”
1997 joins LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) through Oregon State University
2002 their underground barrel cellar is the first winery building in the country to be LEED-certified and they start to transition to organic farming.
2007 they add solar which provides 1/3 of their total energy needs.
2015 they become B Corp Certified

Of course, there is more. Bill was active in the Development of the Oregon Winegrowers Association, the Oregon Wine Board, the Yamhill County Wineries Association, the International Pinot Noir Festival, and the Yamhill County Tourism board.

Susan led on the environmental front with her work on cover crops and leading the business into the triple bottom line concept of people, planet, and profit.

Okay, you get the idea…they have been leaders in the wine industry in Oregon, a state that leads the nation when it comes to wine industry standards for quality and sustainability.

Alex is now the winemaker, a position he took over in 2013 when their previous winemaker Russ Rosner retired after 15 years with Sokol Blosser. Alex was also involved in the process of submitting the 6 sub-AVAs Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, Chehalem Mountains, and Ribbon Ridge, beginning in 2002.

Alison is the person guiding the winery strategically. She puts to use her knowledge of PR and marketing. She led our tasting as only a little sister could, sharing photos of Alex asleep in the sandbox as a child and commenting on his numerous baseball analogies. We left feeling like we had been sitting around with the family for a bit of nostalgic storytime, and what a story it is.

Of course, there were also the wines!

As if enjoying the stories of the history of Sokol Blosser, straight from the mouths of the people who lived it was not enough, we were also sent 4 wines from the vineyard. Their Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvee Sparkling Wines, the 2018 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, the 2018 Old Vineyard Block Pinot Noir and the 2012 Big Tree Block Pinot Noir. So we were able to taste a bit of the history with them.

(*These wines were received as media samples, but all opinions remain our own)

Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvée Sparkling Wine 2018

We toasted with this traditional method sparkling wine at the top of the session. Sokol Blosser has long supported the Prescott Western Bluebird Recovery Project. The Western Bluebird artwork on the label was designed by Jared Tuttle. If you visit Sokol Blosser you might see the 15 bird houses around the property providing shelter and a breeding habitat for these beautiful birds.

The wine is a blend of grapes from Oregon and Washington including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of course, but also, Müller Thurgau and Riesling as well as a bit of Early Muscat.

Alex told us that the idea is to blend the best of Germany and France and then the Early muscat is added to lift the aromatics (just 2 to 3 %). They like freshness in this wine, with purity of fruit.

The wine is definitely aromatic, those notes of Riesling and Early Muscat giving the sparkling wine fruit notes. We paired this with an early dinner of spring rolls, fried chicken, and mac & cheese (all great pairings for sparkling wine.)

1,000 cases produced, SRP $32

Pairings for the Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvee

Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvée Sparkling Wine 2018

Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2018

This wine is sourced from the 90 acres around the winery in the Dundee Hills, all certified organic. They did a lot of ambient yeast in 2018 because the fruit was so clean. They do punch downs for cap management and ferment in open-top fermenters then press off into barrel for about 16 months.

It is is a blend of Pinot Noir clones including 115, 667, 777, Pommard UCD4, Wadenswil 2A, and Gamay Beaujolais (which is a weird name for a type of Pinot Noir). This saw about 20% New Oak. 2018 was a great vintage with a balanced of ripe fruit, good acid, and good tannins. 2012 was similar.

This wine has notes of black cherry and cranberry and wonderful notes of mushroom and forest floor.

4,798 cases produced, SRP $42.

Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2018

Sokol Bosser 2018 Old Vineyard Block Estate Pinot Noir 2018

This 50^th Anniversary wine has a retro label, an ode to the original Sokol Blosser label from the 70s.

The vineyard was replanted on to new rootstock in the mid-90s, due to phylloxera (they were the 2^nd to get it in the region).

After replanting, they looked at the blocks which had been producing stand-alone wines. This the Old Vineyard block which was their first planting. It is a combination of Wadenwil 1A (the Lett clone)& 2A, Pommard and Pinot Droit. Pinot Droit is an upright clone of Pinot Noir. This has a bit more weight and intensity with more color from the Pinot Droit, red fruit from Pommard, and density and spice from the Wadenswil, when it gets ripe.

You’ll find notes of cherry, pomegranate, spice, and leather.

There were just 496 cases made of this wine, and the celebration bottling retails at $60.

Sokol Bosser 2018 Old Vineyard Block Estate Pinot Noir 2018

Sokol Blosser 2012 Big Tree Block Pinot Noir

2012 was like 2018 in that it was an amazing vintage. It was also Alex’s first vintage as winemaker and he didn’t think he would see another like it.

Alex had a baseball analogy (Alison teases him about these analogies, but she also does give him props, that they are all unique, he doesn’t repeat them!)

“The winemaker, he or she, they are the batter and Mother Nature is the pitcher…as a batter, you have to make adjustments every year, because you are never going to see the same pitch twice. And if you see the same pitch, you make the pitcher pay. In a vintage like 2012 and 2018, that’s a pitch we’ve seen before, so you hit it out of the park.”

One sip of this wine…it is complex and you can taste the age, but there are still plenty of fresh primary fruit notes. In 2012 they went without rain for a month. From the end of September, they were dry and could pick whenever they wanted. Alex says it was like being in California! They had the ability in this vintage to ripen the grapes as much as they wanted to, there was no rushing to pick to avoid the rain.

The Big Tree Block is 5.27 acres at 450-500 ft elevation in Jory soil. The clones are 115, 777, and Pommard. Just 300 cases were produced. It spent 17 months in 42% new French oak.

$70 upon release, this library wine now retails at $95, and it is worth every penny. This is a magical wine. Tart cherries, blueberries, baking spice, and those beautiful notes of wet leaves…I savored this glass.

Sokol Blosser 2012 Big Tree Block Pinot Noir

The next 50 years at Sokol Blosser

Now they get ready for the next 50 years. The goal is to keep Sokol Blosser family-owned and operated and that means continuing to make wines that consumers seek out.

Quality and sustainability are at the forefront. Last year they started distributing the Evolution wines in box! These are more sustainable than glass., and they can share this at an accessible price point! Recently, they were recertified by B Corp for the 3^rd time and their score went up 25%. (Congrats!)

They are experimenting with new varieties for them, like Gamay and Sav Blanc, and continue to move forward with their Sparkling wine program.

As they plant they are looking at new rootstocks which will be helpful with climate change. They planted a test block this spring, putting the same Pinot Noir clone on a bunch of different rootstocks that they do not already use, to see how it does. They want to set the next generation up for success as they will deal with more of the effects of climate change than we are currently.

As they slowly reopen they look forward to increasing the quality of the wine/food/hospitality experience. So if you find yourself able to travel, you might consider a trip to the Willamette. Stop in for a glass of sparkling and stay to enjoy the Pinot!

Currently they are open Thursday to Monday 10 am to 4 pm by reservation only. Call ahead or visit the website to see what their current hours are for tastings and if you need a reservation, as these things are changing as things reopen.

Sokol Blosser Winery

5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane
Dayton, OR 97114 USA
503-864-2282

Sokol Blosser Vineyard Fall 2018 (photo courtesy Sokol Blosser)

More on Oregon wine Country from Crushed Grape Chronicles

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Tea smoked tuna and roasted beets with an aromatic plating paired with a Utopia 2017 Pinot Noir

Mar 17, 2021

We received this beautiful Pinot Noir from Utopia Vineyards as a media sample. What to pair with it? Tea and umami are notes that are often present in Pinot Noir, it is also noted for its earthy notes. The tasting notes from the winery mentioned rosemary and spice notes, so I wrapped this all up in a dish that made me excited to get cooking.

Lavender Earl Grey Tea Smoked Tuna with Roasted Golden Beets and Rosemary

Rather than salmon, we decided to go a bit bolder with tea smoked tuna. I looked for ahi but was only able to find Yellowfin, which worked beautifully.

I riffed on a recipe by Feasting at Home, for tea-smoked five-spiced salmon, using the Chinese smoking technique she describes. We plated this on a bed of rosemary roasted golden beets.

Utopia 2017 Pinot Noir with Lavender Earl Grey tea smoked Yellowfin Tuna with roasted golden beets with rosemary

It’s easier than you think

I know this dish sounds fancy, and it is! It looks like something they would cook on one of those fancy cooking competition shows! The truth is, this is not hard to do at home. Quite honestly it was easier than most recipes I put together.

You do need a few pieces of equipment: A wok, a metal vegetable steamer, aluminum foil and a set of bowls that you can nest one larger than the other, for individual serving.

The tuna needs to marinate for 30 minutes and while it is doing that, you can get everything else prepped. Start to finish you can do this dinner in less than an hour. Perfect for a romantic dinner!

Tea smoked tuna ingredients with a Utopia 2017 Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir

Start with the marinade

We began with a marinade of garlic, ginger, olive oil, soy sauce, honey, blood orange juice, and zest with some brewed tea. I incorporated my lavender earl grey tea here. All the ingredients mix up quickly in a blender, then go into a zip lock bag with the tuna steaks. This heads to the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or more).

Preparing your wok for smoking

So let’s get to this smoking in the wok. It’s genius. I love smoked foods, but I am not a big griller, so the idea of a smoker for the patio is just not for me. The idea that I could cook tea smoked tuna and other foods on my stove inside, was very appealing.

In this method, you line the bottom of your wok with aluminum foil. I did an 8 x 8 square that was 4 layers thick. This is important to contain the mess and protect your wok.

In the center of the aluminum foil, I placed my mixture of sugar, tea, rice, and spice (I used 2 broken star anise) This should be in a 4-inch diameter pile. On top of that, you place a metal vegetable steamer. You know, the cute little ones with the feet that fold open like a flower. The feet keep the steamer above the tea mixture, you don’t want this touching the bottom of the steamer.

On to the beets

Ingredients for the rosemary roasted golden beets to pair with the Utopia Pinot Noir

Once this is prepped, you can move on to the beets. I like the golden beets because they are beautiful and have a slightly more delicate flavor than red beets. They are also decidedly less messy.

I preheated my oven to 450 degrees F, then scrubbed and sliced the beets into ¼ inch thick rounds on a mandoline. These get tossed with olive oil, fresh chopped rosemary, and salt and pepper. Lay these out on a baking sheet. I used a silicone mat under them for an easy clean-up and to keep them from browning too much. I wanted them soft, not crispy. Before these go in the oven go back and get your tuna ready to smoke.

Making the tea smoked tuna

Pull the tuna out of the marinade and discard the marinade (after having raw fish in it, it’s no longer safe to eat unless you boil it). Blot just the bottom of the tuna and place them in the steamer basket so that they are not touching.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and top with a lid (ideally a glass lid).

Now you can put your beets in the oven for 20 minutes, but set your timer to start checking on them after 15 minutes.

Place the wok on the stove over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. You should start to see puffs of smoke. *Tip: turn your vent on! I did not and was watching and watching and not seeing smoke. After 5 minutes, I turned on the vent, and then I could see the smoke. This caused me to slightly overcook my tuna from where I had originally wanted it.

Once you see the puffs of smoke, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 5 to 8 minutes (5 gets you rarer tuna).

Prepping your plates

While that is cooking, prep your dish for plating. Turn on your kettle with some water to boil. Pull out bowls that you can nest one inside the other for plating. In the larger bottom bowl place sprigs of fresh rosemary and one or two star anise. Place the bowl for your beets and tuna on top in the center.

When your tuna is done smoking, sear it on each side in a rod iron skillet for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.

Pull the beets from the oven and layer them in your bowl, place the tea smoked tuna on top.

*While I did not do this, I would suggest adding a drizzle of sauce to the top of this. A mixture similar to your marinade with a bit of miso, warmed on the stove, that you can drizzle on top. Finish this with some julienned strips of orange zest.

The magic of serving this

To serve, put your hot water in a teapot and gently pour the water into the bottom bowl with the rosemary and anise. This will create lovely aromatic steam which will enhance the dish and add to the wine pairing.

Utopia 2017 Pinot Noir with tea smoked tuna with rosemary and anise scented steam

Additional pairings

With this Pinot Noir, we also enjoyed a cheese plate with camembert macerated with ground clove and five-spice topped with black cherry and rosemary and a dessert of mini-pineapple upside-down cakes topped with the same compote. The cherry and rosemary, as well as the caramelized notes on the pineapple, worked wonderfully with the wine.

About the Utopia 2017 Estate Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge

The Utopia 2017 Estate Pinot Noir is 100% Pinot Noir but from multiple clones (variations on the Pinot Noir variety). This gives winemaker Dan Warnshuis the ability to make a beautiful blended Pinot Noir. You can read more on this wine and winery here.

You can visit Utopia located in Washington’s Willamette Valley, more specifically in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, by booking an appointment on their website https://www.utopiawine.com/visit-us. They also have a cabin on their property, which is perfect for a bit of a getaway!

Lavender and Earl Grey tea smoked yellowfin tuna on roasted golden beets with rosemary plated with steamed aromas of rosemary and star anise

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Stick with me here. This sounds really fancy (and it looks really fancy too), but it is really not difficult! A little marinade, a bit of time with a pretty simple stovetop smoking technique. The fancy steam plating? You can make hot water, right?

You do need a few kitchen items to make this work, a zip lock bag, a wok, aluminum foil, a metal vegetable steamer, a skillet to sear the tuna, and a sheet pan for the zucchini. For the plating, you just need 2 bowls that will fit together, one larger than the other, for the rosemary, star anise, and hot water, under the dish holding your tuna and beets.

Cooking time is 20 minutes, add 30 minutes to marinate the tuna and 10 minutes for it to rest.

I've laid the recipe out to cook the beets and tuna simultaneously.

This is so elegant. The flavors and aromas are spectacular. I think I might be hooked on tea smoking tuna! This will also work on salmon.

We paired this with an Oregon Pinot Noir, from Utopia Vineyard that we received as a sample.

Ingredients

2-3 Yellowfin Tuna steaks
2 cloves of garlic
3 tbs fresh ginger sliced
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs brewed tea
3 tbs honey
¼ cup blood orange juice
1/2 tsp grated blood orange zest
3 tbs rice
2 tbs Lavender and Earl Grey tea leaves
2 tbs sugar
6 whole star anise
2 golden beets slice ¼ inch thick
¼ cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup fresh rosemary
4 large sprigs of fresh rosemary

Instructions

Mix the garlic, ginger, ¼ cup of olive oil, soy sauce, brewed tea, honey, blood orange juice, and zest in a blender until mixed.
Place your tuna in the zip lock bag and pour the marinade in.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Prep the wok
Make an 8-inch square of aluminum foil 4 layers thick, place in the bottom of the wok
Mix the sugar, tea, rice, and 2 of the star anise together
Place the mixture in the center of the foil flattening to a 4-inch diameter circle
Place the metal vegetable steamer on top, being sure the bottom does not touch the mixture
Prep the beets
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
Scrub the beets and slice into ¼ thick rounds on a mandolin
Toss with olive oil, chopped, rosemary, salt, and pepper
Place on a baking sheet
Smoke the Tuna Roast the beets
Pull the tuna from the marinade and blot the bottom of the tuna with a paper towel
Place the tuna in the steam basket so they are not touching
Cover the wok with aluminum foil and place the lid on top
Put the beets in the oven for 20 minutes, checking on them after 15
Place the wok on the stove over high heat for 2 -3 minutes (you should see puffs of smoke)
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 8 minutes
Prep your dishes for plating.
Turn on the kettle to boil some water
Pull out your nested bowls for plating
Put two sprigs of rosemary and 2 whole star anise in each of the larger bowls
When your tuna is done smoking, sear each side in a rod iron skillet for about 1 minute
Pull the beets from the oven. Layer them in the bottom of your small bowls. Place the tuna on top.
Place the small bowls in the larger bowls with rosemary and star anise
Pour the boiling water into the larger dish
Enjoy immediately with a delicious Pinot Noir, letting the fragrant steam wash over you and add to the experience

Notes

***I did not have the vent hood on and was watching closely for the smoke. After 5 minutes and no smoke, I turned on the hood, and then I could see the smoke rising. As a result, my tuna was a bit more cooked than I would have liked, but it was still delicious.

*** I left mine smoking for 8 minutes and it was just slightly pink inside. If you would like your tuna steak to be closer to rare, go with 5 minutes.

A sauce might have been nice….

Looking back, I would have made a light sauce to pour on top of this. Use similar ingredients to the marinade and make a sauce on the stove. If you do this, I might suggest adding some miso to it for extra flavor.

Garnishes

I totally meant to top this with small curls or julienned slices of orange zest, but in the fray, I forgot.

More on Utopia!

We also did a pairing with the Utopia 2017 Estate Chardonnay. You can find that recipe and pairing here!

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Oregon’s Utopia – A bit of vineyard perfection in the Ribbon Ridge AVA

Mar 4, 2021

Utopia. It’s a place of ideal perfection. That’s what Dan Warnshuis thought when he first saw the site on Oregon’s Ribbon Ridge in the Willamette Valley. The site was a horse pasture. It wasn’t even for sale. None-the-less, he walked to the door of the house on the property and knocked. The next thing you know, he had the start of his vineyard, of his own Utopia.

Dan had fallen in love with wine while working in Silicon Valley. His original plan in life was to teach math and science and coach swimming, having completed his degree at Michigan State on a swimming scholarship. But the Universe had a different path.

Out of college, and at home with his parents in the Bay area, he ended up with a job in the Tech field due to a connection of his father’s. It definitely paid better than teaching, so he didn’t look back.

Dan Warnshuis of Utopia (photo courtesy Utopia Wine)

Looking forward, however, there was the pull of wine country. His boss introduced him to some beautiful wines and he began collecting. Then he started doing a bit of import and export with wine, then marketed wines in Napa and did some custom crush work. This was all during the time of Napa’s climb into the spotlight.

By now he had visited Oregon and loved Oregon Pinot. While land prices in Napa were not friendly, in Oregon this wine thing was just getting really going, and land was available and a bit more affordable.

He found his Utopia in 2000. Soil tests followed and then the hard work of planting a vineyard. 16.8 acres of south-facing hills on Ribbon Ridge which at that time was not even its own AVA. (The AVA was established in 2005).

It is the petit nesting doll in the Willamette, contained within the Chehalem Mountains AVA, which itself sits inside the Willamette Valley AVA.

Chehalem Mountains, Ribbon Ridge AVAs (Willamette Valley Map courtesy of Willamette Valley Wine Association)

Ribbon Ridge AVA

This, the tiniest of Oregon’s AVAs, spans around 3,500 acres, with about 400 acres planted to vine. For a bit of perspective, it’s about 3 ½ miles long and 1¾ miles wide. It’s set out a little from the Chehalem Mountains, like its own island.

Soil & climate geekiness (scroll by if you want, but I love digging into the dirt!)

This AVA is protected by geographical landmasses on 3 sides, north, south, and west, so it’s warmer and drier than the valley floor.

Soils here are younger and finer sedimentary soils than you find in the regions surrounding them. These silty-clay loam soils are part of the Willakenzie series.

This is primarily marine sediment created through a tectonic upheaval 30 to 40 million years ago. The mountains came up and the sea was pushed back and this strip of land was left behind.

When Dan arrived in 2000 there were only about 7 vineyards in the Ribbon Ridge area, now there are over 40.

Planting and planning a vineyard

Luckily this was pasture land, so there were no trees to pull out. After the soil tests were complete, then the process of selecting the vines and getting them in the ground began.

The region was (and is) known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Rather than limit himself, Dan designed the vineyard to incorporate 12 different Pinot Noir clones. He can vinify each clone separately and then blend which gives him both freedom and control over his Pinot.

They farm sustainably here and became L.I.V.E. certified back in 2008.

Dan is the President of the Ribbon Ridge Winegrowers Association. This year all the members will sign a pledge to go herbicide-free. Eventually, the goal is to have everyone farming organic or biodynamic in Ribbon Ridge.

The Ribbon Ridge AVA has a pretty inspiring statement of principles. Small, but mighty.

A family affair

Dan’s first vintage was in 2005 when he made 97 cases of Pinot Noir. Since then they have increased to 2,500 cases annually from the estate with some additional bottlings with contracted fruit.

His wife Kathy and their daughter Erin round out this family business. Kathy is the “quiet inspiration” behind the brand. Erin worked side by side with her dad during the first harvest in 2005. She continues to expand her wine education and gains experience working on the family wine business.

In 2018 they purchase an additional 36 acres in Ribbon Ridge. The property had a building which they have turned into their winery. They are looking to put in another 15 acres of vineyard here on the new property including they say “some non-typical fruit varietals”. I look forward to hearing more about that!

The new property also boasts a cabin where guests can stay, nestled into the forest of the 37-acre property. The perfect getaway in the woods with all the modern amenities.

*These wines were received as media samples. All opinions are our own.

Onto the wines.

Utopia 2017 Estate Chardonnay

The Utopia Estate Chardonnay is made up of 3 Dijon clones: 76, 95 & 96 that are planted in blocks 12, 13 & 14.

This wine is 100% whole cluster press. It spends 11 months in a mix of 20% new French oak, 40% neutral French oak, and 40% stainless steel.

13.2% abv – 337 cases made – $45 SRP

My notes:

The first thing to hit my nose was lemon pith, then lemon and green apple. There was a hint of salinity and fine notes of chalk.

The wine was soft and light on its feet. We found this opened to more tropical notes. This wine is round with a lovely texture.

Utopia 2017 Estate Chardonnay Ribbon Ridge AVA

Pairings for the 2017 Utopia Estate Chardonnay

Avocado Blood Orange and Kumquat salad with citrus, cardamom and rosewater dressing

With the Chardonnay, we paired a pretty complex, but visually stunning salad of Avocado, roasted blood orange, and kumquats with a dressing with citrus, cardamom, and rosewater.

The salad smelled heavenly, I was transported to my mother’s rose garden. Being new to using rosewater I was worried that it might be overpowering, but it was beautiful.

I found that the wine popped the rosewater note. It was bright but not overpowering and balanced well with the salad, amping up the brighter notes, like the kumquats, and blending beautifully with the rest.

Utopia 2017 Estate Chardonnay with avocado, roasted blood orange and kumquat salad with a citrus, cardamom and rosewater dressing and Utopia 2017 Estate Chardonnay pairings Avocado and Roasted Blood Orange with kumquats in a citrus, rosewater and cardamom dressing and Pork chops with yellow apples, sage, apple butter, and maple

Pork chops with yellow apples, sage, apple butter, and maple

Our main dish was Pork chops with yellow apples, sage, apple butter, and maple.

The pork chops were seared in a rod iron skillet, then cooked for just a few minutes. They came out and the apples, butter, garlic, and sage went into the same pan. The pork chops were slathered with apple butter, put back in the pan with the apples drizzled with maple syrup, and broiled for 2 to 3 minutes.

The yellow apple was still a bit firm and was great with the wine, the aromatics of the apple, cinnamon, and maple were heavenly. We found the dish pulled out tropical notes in the wine.

Utopia 2017 Estate Pinot Noir

Here is where the clonal diversity comes into play. The Pinot Noir clones in this wine include: Wadenswil, Pommard 4 & 5, Dijon 115, 777, 667, Swan, Calera, Arcus 2 & 3, & Shea, Wadenswil.

The grapes are 80% destemmed and 20% whole cluster, aged 11 months in 40% new Burgundian oak and 60% previously-filled Burgundian oak.

14.1% abv – 1203 cases made – $48.00 SRP

My notes:

Medium ruby in color, this wine had boysenberry, currant, and fruit punch mix on the nose upon opening. It opened to black cherry and black fruit with notes of green peppercorns, rose petals and potting soil.

Pairing for the Utopia 2017 Estate Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge

A cheese plate to begin

We began with a cheese plate of manchego that I happened to have, some Iberico ham, and a Camembert cheese that I macerated with ground clove and five-spice.

Utopia Pinot Noir with manchego, Iberico ham and camembert macerated with five-spice and clove with a black cherry rosemary compote

Lavender Earl Grey Tea smoked Yellowfin Tuna with roasted golden beets and rosemary

Dinner was Lavender Earl Grey Tea smoked Yellowfin Tuna with roasted golden beets and rosemary.

This dish sounds very fancy (and it is) but it’s not very hard to do. The tuna marinates for 30 minutes in a marinade that includes some brewed tea, ginger, olive oil, garlic, honey, and orange juice.

The smoking takes place on the stove in a wok with a metal vegetable steamer and it steams it for about 10 minutes. Give it a quick sear and then plate it on a bed of the roast golden beets.

We plated this beautiful dish on a bowl of steaming rosemary and star anise, the fragrance enhancing the pairing with the wine. This really set the experience over the top.

Dessert

We finished with mini pineapple upside-down cakes with a black cherry and rosemary compote. The caramelized pineapple, cherries, and rosemary all paired well with the wine. The tartness of the cherries making this dessert pairing work.

Utopia 2017 Pinot Noir with mini pineapple upsidedown cakes with cherry rosemary compote

Here are the links directly to the recipes!

Here’s the link for the Chardonnay pairing recipes!

Utopia 2017 Estate Chardonnay with an aromatic salad and warm cozy pork chops with apples

And the Pinot Noir!

Tea smoked tuna and roasted beets with an aromatic plating paired with a Utopia 2017 Pinot Noir

Visiting Utopia

The Tasting Room at Utopia is currently open daily from 11-6. You can make an appointment on their website at https://www.utopiawine.com/visit-us

Sources and Resources

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Rainbow Root Vegetable Gratin and Baked Rainbow Trout paired with 2 Youngberg Hill – Pinot Noirs

Jan 25, 2021

Rainbow Root Vegetable Gratin and Baked Rainbow Trout Recipes

I guess we are on a rainbow theme here!

These dishes were for our pairing menu, to go with 2 Pinot Noirs we received as samples from Youngberg Hill.

We did the main course of Baked Rainbow trout. This is a fish that is a little meatier and fattier to stand up to the Pinot. For our side, this rainbow root vegetable gratin, that brings in earthier notes to pair with the Pinot Noir. I know, fish and cheese? It might be a little out of the box, but it worked.

This “Rainbow” was made with beets in red and yellow, sweet potato, and parsnip.

The baked rainbow trout with its distinctive flavor and fat stood up to both of the wines, even the brooding Natasha. The rainbow root vegetable gratin really worked well, much credit should be given to the Gruyere topper for pulling the pairing together. With the blend of 4 vegetables, I found I preferred the parsnips with the Cuvée and the beets with the Natasha. Overall, a very satisfying pairing.

Scroll to the bottom for the recipe cards.

Youngberg Hill

I have a connection with this winery. Years ago, Michael and I ventured to Oregon on our first trip to explore the Willamette Valley. An old friend of mine, Adam, met us and made sure we visited Youngberg Hill, where he and his wife had recently been married. We had a lovely day and I have great memories from visiting the winery.

2016 Youngberg Hill Natasha Pinot Noir

Our notes

This wine had a very integrated nose. It was heavier than the Cuvée with more brambles and bramble fruit. It was lively in my mouth with tartness, like tart blackberry and good acid. Notes of red currant, with bits of smoky vanilla, popped up as I paired it. The finish was lengthy and mouth and gum warming.

This wine is a bit more brooding and earthier than the Cuvée.

2017 Youngberg Hill Cuvée Pinot Noir

Our notes

The nose was full of red fruit with a waft of dustiness then brambles and spice. Baked strawberry came to mind. It was bright in my mouth with med/high acid and light drifty tannins that evaporate. A medium finish that brought up bits of cola.

Rainbow Root Vegetable Gratin and Baked Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Root Vegetable Gratin

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

We adapted this recipe for my vegetable with our Pinot Noir pairing. I went earthier choosing a root vegetable gratin, in a rainbow of colors, with red beet, sweet potato, golden beet, and parsnip.

Ingredients

2 red beets
2 golden beets
1 sweet potato
1 parsnip
1 cup of cream
4 oz of grated parmesan
1 tbs+ fresh thyme
1 clove of garlic minced
1 oz of shredded gruyere
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Grease a baking dish (2-quart size)
Peel and slice the vegetables thinly into rounds and place them in separate bowls. (How perfect and fancy you want to get depends
on your style. I hand cut these and was not concerned about having them all look the same size, but you could use a cutter to make all of your circles uniform if you chose)
To each bowl add bits of the cream (4 tablespoons each to the beets, 2 tablespoons each to the potato and parsnip you should end
up with about ¼ cup left)
Divide your parmesan in ½ and then divide that into 4 parts and sprinkle this on each of your 4 bowls.
Divide the thyme 4 ways over the 4 bowls.
Stir up each bowl seasoning with salt and pepper and make sure all the slices of vegetables are coated.
In the base of your buttered baking or gratin dish, pour the rest of the cream, add the minced garlic, and ½ of the remaining parmesan.
Now, layer your gratin, start with a bunch of the parsnip (5 or 6 slices) followed by the yellow beet, followed by the sweet potato, and finally the red beet, standing them on edge making rows. Continue until your dish is full. (Feel free to play with your patterns and colors artistically as you see fit).
Top this with a bit of S & P and the rest of the Parm.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
Uncover and top with the gruyere
Bake another 20 minutes. (Cheese should be melted and lightly brown)
Sprinkle with a bit more thyme and serve)

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 419Total Fat 32gSaturated Fat 19gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 99mgSodium 705mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 3gSugar 9gProtein 14g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Baked Rainbow Trout

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Salmon & Pinot are so traditional, we stepped just a bit outside the box. The key to red wine with fish is choosing a fatty fish and so we chose rainbow trout. The trout with its distinctive flavor and fat stood up to both of the wines, even the brooding Natasha Pinot Noir from Youngberg Hill.

Ingredients

2 trout (scaled and gutted)
1 lemon
Dill
Green onions (chopped)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450 F
Rinse the fish and pat dry
Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper
Add half the dill and green onions inside
Drizzle with Olive oil
Do the same to the other fish
Cut 3 shallow diagonal cuts in the top of each fish
Drizzle olive oil on top of each fish
Stick a ½ lemon slice in each of the cuts.
One last sprinkle of salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Pop them back under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up the skin and serve.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 193Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 46mgSodium 192mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 17g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Read the whole piece on our pairing dinner for more details on the wines and this winery

Youngberg Hill – Reminiscing and Making New Memories with 2 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noirs

How to find Youngberg Hill?

The Willamette Valley is a beautiful place to visit and has so much wonderful wine!

You can find Youngberg Hill at 10660 SW Youngberg Hill Road, McMinnville, OR 97128

Tastings are appointment only 10-4 daily, call them at 503-472-2727 or drop them an email at [email protected]

For more information on this region visit

https://www.oregonwine.org/

https://willamettewines.com/

Or check out some of these pieces right here on Crushed Grape Chronicles

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Minted Pea Mash

Jan 21, 2021

Sometimes you look at a plate and it just needs some green. What if you really DON’T feel like a salad? I found a quick and easy recipe for Pea Mash on Sprinkles and Sprouts and updated it adding fresh mint to brighten the dish.

The mint brightens it, making it taste as vivid green as it looks!

Just a reminder, make sure that you rinse your peas with cold water after cooking them to keep them bright green!

We made this ahead and stuck it in the fridge until it was time for dinner and enjoyed the cool temperature of the dish as a contrast to our warm entree. Of course you could feel free to warm it again and serve it that way!

This dish is so quick and easy and I bet it might be a fun way to get the kids to eat their peas!

Minted Pea Mash

Feeds: 4

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 16 oz package of frozen peas
1 clove of garlic (peeled and chopped in half)
1 tbs butter
2 tbs sour cream
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
Add the peas and garlic
Return to a boil and boil 2 minutes
Drain the peas and rinse with cold water.
Into your food processor, add the peas and garlic, butter, sour crème and mint.
Process until smooth to your liking.
Season with salt and pepper.

You can serve this hot or cold. We found that with the mint, we enjoyed it cold.

We served this with Roasted Cornish Game Hens with a Savory berry drizzle

And Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

The wine we paired was a 2018 Alloro Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley that we received as a sample.

To learn more about this wine check out our post

Alloro – Stunning Wines from Oregon’s New Laurelwood District AVA

Minted Pea Mash

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Sometimes you look at a plate and it just needs some green. What if you
really DON'T feel like a salad? I found a quick and easy recipe for
Pea Mash on Sprinkles and Sprouts and updated it adding fresh mint to
brighten the dish.

Ingredients

1 16 oz package of frozen peas
1 clove of garlic (peeled and chopped in half)
1 tbs butter
2 tbs sour cream
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil

2. Add the peas and garlic

3. Return to a boil and boil 2 minutes

4. Drain the peas and rinse with cold water.

5. Into your food processor, add the peas and garlic, butter, sour crème and mint.

6. Process until smooth to your liking.

7. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes

You can serve this hot or cold. We found
that with the mint, we enjoyed it cold.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 131Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 12mgSodium 109mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 5gSugar 5gProtein 6g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Alloro Pinot Noir Recipe Pairings

Here you will find all of our wine pairing Recipes

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

This is one of those dishes that you see on pinterest and can’t get out of your head.

Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and
potatoes that were available in the winter.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-mixed-potatoes-with-spring-herbs-and-burrata/

Roasted Cornish Game hens with savory berry drizzle

This was an elegant dish that we paired with a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette
Valley. We wanted something that would
not be too heavy, but would match the elegance of this wine. Incorporating Pinot Noir into the dish as
well as adding a savory berry drizzle, help to match notes in the wine and make
this pairing extra delicious.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Moon and Back on Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8938/cornish-game-hens-with-garlic-and-rosemary/

We adapted the recipe to feed 2 rather than 4 and made a few other adjustments.

Minted Pea Mash

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

Jan 19, 2021

I was looking for a roasted baby potatoes side dish to pair with an Oregon Pinot Noir and was surfing Pinterest for inspiration. It’s the visuals of the food I love. You eat with your eyes, you know what I mean?

I came across this dish and couldn’t get it out of my head.

Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and potatoes that were available in the winter.

This dish was to pair with an Oregon Pinot Noir and the blend of fat of the cheese the roasted potatoes and the different greens and herbs seemed to make this a perfect side dish.

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

Feeds: 4

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil (you will need a little more later for drizzling)
1 lb of baby mixed potatoes
½ lemon juiced and zested
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 cup fresh basil (1/2 of this chopped the remainder whole for garnishing)
½ cup o fresh spinach
½ cup of chopped radicchio (torn and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes)
4 oz of burrata
Salt & Pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
In a baking dish combine the potatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper
Roast for 15 minutes, toss and roast another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp.
After you have tossed them the first time…
Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped basil, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
Take the potatoes out of the oven and place on a serving plate. Break the burrata and place on the plate, garnish with the spinach, radicchio and fresh basil.
Spoon the lemon zest mixture on the burrata
Drizzle the whole plate with EVOO.

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach, and radicchio with lemon - closeup

What to serve this with?

We served this with Roasted Cornish Game Hens with a Savory berry drizzle

And Minted Pea Mash

The wine we paired was a beautiful 2018 Alloro Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley that we received as a sample.

To learn more about this wine visit our post Alloro – Stunning Wines from Oregon’s New Laurelwood District AVA

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This is one of those dishes that you see on pinterest and can’t get out of your head. Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and potatoes that were available in the winter.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-mixed-potatoes-with-spring-herbs-and-burrata/

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil (you will need a little more later for drizzling)
1 lb of baby mixed potatoes
½ lemon juiced and zested
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 cup fresh basil (1/2 of this chopped the remainder whole for garnishing)
½ cup of fresh spinach
½ cup of chopped radicchio (torn and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes)
4 oz of burrata
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

2. In a baking dish combine the potatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper

3. Roast for 15 minutes, toss and roast another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp.

4. After you have tossed them the first time…

5. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped basil, and lemon zest.
Season with salt and pepper.

6. Take the potatoes out of the oven and place on a serving plate. Break the burrata and place on the plate, garnish with the spinach, radicchio and fresh basil.

7. Spoon the lemon zest mixture on the burrata

8. Drizzle the whole plate with EVOO.

Notes

We served this with Roasted Cornish Game Hens with a Savory berry drizzle and Minted Pea Mash. The wine we paired was a 2018 Alloro Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 287Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 22mgSodium 234mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 3gSugar 2gProtein 9g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Alloro Pinot Noir Recipe Pairings

Here you will find all of our wine pairing Recipes

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

This is one of those dishes that you see on pinterest and can’t get out of your head.

Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and
potatoes that were available in the winter.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-mixed-potatoes-with-spring-herbs-and-burrata/

Roasted Cornish Game hens with savory berry drizzle

This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Moon and Back on Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8938/cornish-game-hens-with-garlic-and-rosemary/

We adapted the recipe to feed 2 rather than 4 and made a few other adjustments.

Minted Pea Mash

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Savory Berry Drizzle

Jan 18, 2021

This recipe for Roasted Cornish Game Hens was an elegant dish that we paired with a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We wanted something that would not be too heavy, but would match the elegance of this wine. Incorporating Pinot Noir into the dish as well as adding a savory berry drizzle, help to match notes in the wine and make this pairing extra delicious.

Roasted Cornish Game hens with savory berry drizzle

Feeds: 4

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Scroll to bottom for Recipe Card

Ingredients for Cornish Game Hens

2 Cornish Game Hens
4 tbs of olive oil (divided)
½ lemon quartered
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
8 cloves of garlic
3 tbs of wine (choose to match your pairing, we used Pinot Noir)
3 tbs of chicken stock
Rosemary and lemon slices for garnish.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450.
Rub the Cornish Game Hens with olive oil (about 2 tbs spoons)
Season with salt and pepper
Place 1 piece of lemon inside the cavity, followed by a sprig of rosemary and another piece of lemon.
Line a small roasting pan with aluminum foil
Place the 2 Cornish Game Hens in the roasting pan, breast up.
Add your whole garlic cloves around the birds, and the remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary.
Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

While this is roasting make the berry drizzle

Savory Berry Drizzle

Ingredients for Berry Drizzle

1 cup of frozen berries (ours were blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries) * you can also use fresh berries if you have them.
1/3 cup of chopped dried cranberries
½ lemon juiced and zested
2 tbs frozen orange juice
2 tbs wine (again we used Pinot Noir)
1 tsp of rosemary chopped
Salt & Pepper

Directions

Place all items in a saucepan, warm over medium heat stirring regularly.
Cook until the berries break down. Season to taste

*You can make this ahead if you like and just warm it before drizzling on the hens.

After 25 minutes of roasting the hens…

Whisk together your wine, chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Remove the Cornish Game Hens from the oven, lower the heat to 350 and pour the mixture of wine, broth and olive oil over the hens.

Return to the oven to roast an additional 25 minutes, basting with the juices every 10 minutes. The hens should be at 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer inserted at the thigh.

Take the birds out and let them rest on a cutting board under foil. Carefully pour out any juice that is inside the birds into the pan.

In the meantime prepare the sauce…

Pour the juices from the pan into a saucepan with the garlic, boil until the liquid is reduced by half.

Cut the birds in half lengthwise and arrange on a platter, spoon the sauce around the base of the Cornish Game Hens with the garlic.

Drizzle the berry sauce over the hens.

Garnish with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs.

What sides to pair?

We did a side of minted pea mash and roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon.

Paired with an Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir from Oregon

All of these paired beautifully with the Pinot Noir. Which we received as a sample from Alloro Vineyard.

This is the genius of Pinot Noir, it is filled with flavor but is light enough to meld well with a variety of dishes. With this dish, it was beautiful with the acid of the wine, cutting through the fat in the hens, the fruit notes, enhancing the berry sauce and rounding it out with accentuating the rosemary and garlic.

To learn more about this wine and the pairing

Jump to the recipes for…

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach, and radicchio with lemon

Minted pea mash

Roasted Cornish Game hens with savory berry drizzle

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This was an elegant dish that we paired with a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette
Valley. We wanted something that would not be too heavy, but would match the elegance of this wine. Incorporating Pinot Noir into the dish as well as adding a savory berry drizzle, help to match notes in the wine and make this pairing extra delicious.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Moon and Back on Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8938/cornish-game-hens-with-garlic-and-rosemary/

We adapted the recipe for 2 game hens rather than 4 and made a few other adjustments like adding the berry drizzle.

Ingredients

1 cup of frozen berries (ours were blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries) * you can also use fresh berries if you have them.
1/3 cup of chopped dried cranberries
½ lemon juiced and zested
2 tbs frozen orange juice
2 tbs wine (again we used Pinot Noir)
1 tsp of rosemary chopped
Salt & Pepper
2 Cornish game hens
4 tbs of olive oil (divided)
½ lemon quartered
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
8 cloves of garlic
3 tbs of wine (choose to match your pairing, we used Pinot Noir)
3 tbs of chicken stock
Rosemary and lemon slices for garnish.

Instructions

Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir and the ingredients for Roasted Cornish Game Hens

1. Preheat your oven to 450

2. Rub the hens with olive oil (about 2 tbs spoons)

3. Season with salt and pepper

4. Place 1 piece of lemon inside the cavity, followed by a sprig of rosemary and another piece of lemon

5. Line a small roasting pan with aluminum foil

6. Place the 2 hens in the roasting pan, breast up.

7. Add your whole garlic cloves around the birds, and the remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary.

8. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

9. While this is roasting make the berry drizzle

Savory berry drizzle ingredients in a pot

10. Use ingredients 1 through 7

11. Cook until the berries break down.

12. After 25 minutes of roasting the hens

13. Whisk together your wine, chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

14. Remove the hens from the oven, lower the heat to 350 and pour the mixture of wine, broth and olive oil over the hens.

15. Return to the oven to roast an additional 25 minutes, basting with the juices every 10 minutes. The hens should be at 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer inserted at the thigh.

16. Take the birds out and let them rest on a cutting board under foil. Carefully pour out any juice that is inside the birds into the pan.

17. In the meantime prepare the sauce

18. Pour the juices from the pan into a saucepan with the garlic, boil until the liquid is reduced by half.

19. Cut the birds in half lengthwise and arrange on a platter, spoon the sauce around the base of the hens with the garlic.

20. Drizzle the berry sauce over the hens.

21. Garnish with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs.

Notes

What sides to pair?

We did a side of minted pea mash and roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 574Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 27gCholesterol 169mgSodium 187mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 6gSugar 16gProtein 30g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Alloro Pinot Noir Recipe Pairings

Here you will find all of our wine pairing Recipes

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

This is one of those dishes that you see on pinterest and can’t get out of your head.

Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and
potatoes that were available in the winter.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-mixed-potatoes-with-spring-herbs-and-burrata/

Roasted Cornish Game hens with savory berry drizzle

This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Moon and Back on Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8938/cornish-game-hens-with-garlic-and-rosemary/

We adapted the recipe to feed 2 rather than 4 and made a few other adjustments.

Minted Pea Mash

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Alloro – Stunning Wines from Oregon’s New Laurelwood District AVA

Jan 14, 2021

“Alloro”

It’s the Italian word for laurel. When David Nemarnik purchased this now 130-acre site, he named it after the Laurelwood soils found on the site.

He grew up nearby in Portland, making homemade wine in his garage. He searched the area for the right site, testing soils to find the best for growing the Pinot Noir that he loved. When he found this site, it wasn’t even for sale. The owner who lived in Shasta allowed him to dig test pits and agreed to sell him 40 acres in 1999.

They planted the first 20 acres of grapes in 1999. Since then they expanded the property from the initial 40 acres to 130 acres and now have 34 acres of vineyard.

The Russian Doll AVAs of Oregon

Willamette Valley AVA

We mentioned Pinot Noir, so you probably immediately think of Oregon, and beyond that the Willamette Valley AVA. This overarching AVA covers the Northern part of the state from Eugene near its southern border to Portland on its northeastern border. It is defined by the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Coast Range to the West.

This massive AVA is filled with 9 sub-AVAs from North to South they are Tualatin Hills, Laurelwood, Yamhill-Carlton, Chehalem Mountains, Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills, McMinnville, Eola-amity Hills, and the Van Duzer Corridor.

Chehalem Mountains AVA

The Chehalem Mountains AVA is the largest sub-AVA in the state, covering over 100 square miles. 20 miles long and 5 miles wide the AVA was established in 2006 and sits within the larger Willamette Valley AVA.

There are around 150 vineyards, many family-owned and averaging just 12.5 acres. It was here that in 1968 Dick Erath first purchased land, he was followed by David Adelsheim, Dick and Nancy Ponzi, and Paul Hart of Adelsheim, Ponzi, and Rex Hill respectively.

But this is not as small as we go. Within the Chehalem Mountains AVA is the Ribbon Ridge AVA that sits on the Northwest end of the Chehalem Mountains and the brand new Laurelwood District AVA which encompasses 33,600 acres on the northeast-facing flank of the Chehalem Mountains.

Laurelwood District AVA

This AVA was just approved in June of 2020! The topography here can reach more than 1,600 feet. This AVA is defined by the Laurelwood soils, windblown loess that came with the Missoula Floods. This AVA was a decade in the works.

Of course, as this was just approved, you will not see this on bottles until 2020 vintages are released.

Alloro Vineyard

Alloro was a part of the push for this new AVA. In 2018 they were part of a group of winemakers who gathered for a blind tasting of Chehalem Mountain wines all from within the Laurelwood AVA. So today, the raised laurel on their label takes on even more meaning.

Their vineyard sits at between 450 and 700 feet and is wind-blown loess (Laurelwood) over basalt.

On the property, in addition to grapes, they raise cattle and sheep. They are LIVE certified (Low Impact Viticulture & Enology). David’s philosophy is to look at the overall health of the farm, minimize inputs, use beneficial insects, and leave natural areas for biodiversity. He looks at the farm as a complete system. The idea is to leave the soil and ecosystem better than when he found it. LIVE is a science-based approach that does not eliminate synthetic products. As he uses beneficial insects, he tries to avoid sulfur which can harm them.

All their wines are estate wines.

David Nemarnik, Vineyard Manager and Proprietor

David Nemarnik loves the land. He helped to build his family’s produce company, in Portland while he was in college. He still heads that company as CEO. Here at the vineyard, he is the proprietor and also the Vineyard Manager. He hired a winemaker to make the wine in 2009. In 2010 Tom Fitzpatrick joined the team and they have a synergy. The team here is small. David, Tom, David Lopez the Vineyard Foreman, Andrew Ward the Cellar Master.

Tom Fitzpatrick, Winemaker

Tom has a master’s in viticulture and enology from UC Davis and has worked in wine all over the world. He began in Washington State, working with a small winery, spent time in New Zealand and Napa, where he worked at Pine Ridge. His Masters Thesis was “Variation in the Phenolic Composition of California Pinot Noir Fruit and Wines: Analysis and Explanation.” (Just the kind of fascinating geeky thing I would love to read!). So Pinot Noir is a grape he has looked at in-depth.

He spent some time in Bourgogne before returning to the US and settling in Oregon. He worked at Hamacher Wines, before coming to Alloro. He is also the Proprietor and Winegrower for Élevée Winegrowers where he studies Terroir.

Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir

This is one of the 3 Pinot Noirs the produce annually.

Medium red-ruby in color

Pronounced nose of red cherry, sweet tobacco, cola, forest floor a slight floral note, and a hint of eucalyptus.

Dry with medium to light tannins and body, medium to high acidity, Pronounced flavors of black plum deep red ripe fruit, spice, cola, and red cherry.

A wine that will age well. This is one of their largest production wines with 1850 cases produced.

100% Pinot Noir – 14.2% abv – SRP $45.00

*This wine was received as a media sample. No other compensation was received. All opinions are our own.*

Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir from the new Laurelwood District AVA

Pairings with the Alloro 2018 Pinot Noir

To pair with this Alloro Pinot Noir, we settled on Roasted Cornish Game Hens with a savory berry drizzle, Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach, and radicchio with lemon and a Minted pea mash.

We ran the gamut with herbs in these dishes; mint in the peas, rosemary in the game hens, basil in the potatoes. The wine paired well with all of these.

It pulled forward the mint in the peas in a lovely soft way, like a mother gently nudging a shy child into a well-deserved spotlight. The acid in the wine played nicely with the fat on the hens and then elevated the berries in the sauce. The lemon zest and acid as well as the savory notes in the roasted potatoes were brightened and accentuated by the wine. Even the bitter notes in the radicchio were elevated and rounded to a perfect level.

Alloro 2018 Chardonnay

This is the one Chardonnay that Alloro makes annually. This is a barrel-fermented Chardonnay that does full malolactic fermentation with Bâtonnage then ages for 11 months in French Oak (20% new). Only 290 cases were produced.

Pronounced nose of Meyer lemon, with notes of mineral, saline, and toasted bread.

On the palate, it is dry and full-bodied with pronounced round flavors of Meyer lemon that sweep over your mouth, making your gums tingle and a long finish.

This is a wine that is as much at home in winter as summer and can pair well with the dishes of either season.

100% Chardonnay – 13.7% abv – SRP $39

*This wine was received as a media sample. No other compensation was received. All opinions are our own.*

Alloro 2018 Chardonnay from Chehalem Mountains Oregon

Pairing the Alloro 2018 Chardonnay

We paired this with a Scottish chowder with potatoes and pollock.

This dish came to us from SunBasket but is a simple and delicious dish to recreate.

With onion, potatoes, paprika, pollock, cream, and bay leaf, this dish is warming and goes beautifully with the wine. The wine pulls forth the richness of the fish and the broth with the paprika playing well with the Meyer lemon notes in the wine. The salinity and minerality of the wine round out the pairing with the dish.

We added a side salad and toasted ciabatta to complete the meal.

Visiting Alloro

In 2019 Alloro broke ground on a new tasting room. The previous tasting room had been converted from an apartment David had built on the property. This new tasting room which just opened in mid-December has an outdoor space, where you can do a reserved tasting. It is set up as a 75-minute experience.

Be aware that this is an outdoor tasting, so you might be exposed to wind and/or rain. They do have heaters but dress warmly. They are working with the best practices to keep everyone safe at this time.

To book your experience you can visit their website or call them at (503)625-1978.

They are located at 22075 SW Lebeau Road Sherwood, Oregon 97140

I look forward to the future when this beautiful facility with a wood-burning oven, demonstration and commercial kitchen, and a barrel room for small events will be able to open fully.

Sources and Resources

More on Oregon wines and Pairings from Crushed Grape Chronicles

Alloro Pinot Noir Recipe Pairings

Here you will find all of our wine pairing Recipes

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

This is one of those dishes that you see on pinterest and can’t get out of your head.

Inspired by this recipe from Half Baked Harvest, we updated to include different greens and
potatoes that were available in the winter.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-mixed-potatoes-with-spring-herbs-and-burrata/

Roasted Cornish Game hens with savory berry drizzle

This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Moon and Back on Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8938/cornish-game-hens-with-garlic-and-rosemary/

We adapted the recipe to feed 2 rather than 4 and made a few other adjustments.

Minted Pea Mash

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Découverte! Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Dundee Hills and Mediterranean Salmon #Winophiles

Dec 18, 2020

Découverte! Discovering the Dundee Hills Vineyard for Maison Louis Jadot’s Oregon winery Résonance.

The French #Winophiles for December are diving into Oregon + Bourgogne Tied Houses. We are led by L.M. Archer and Lynn of Savor the Harvest

For this journey, many of the #Winophiles will be featuring wines from Domaine Drouhin Oregon, and Résonance Wine.

If you are reading this in time you can join us on Saturday morning December 19^th at 11 am EST or bright and early at 8 am PST for a great Q&A discussion on Twitter. Just follow and use the hashtag #Winophiles to join the conversation.

I was lucky enough to receive this bottle of Résonance Découvert Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017 thanks to Jennica at Kobrand Wine & Spirits

*I received this bottle as a media sample. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.*

Maison Louis Jadot

Label and logo of Maison Louis Jadot

If you have tasted a French wine in the US, you have likely tasted a wine by Maison Louis Jadot. It is one of the most beloved French wine brands in the United States. You know the logo. You have seen it on countless wines from Bourgogne (Burgundy) and Beaujolais.

Maison Louis Jadot originated in Beaune France and produces wines from over 150 appellations in Bourgogne with 110 hectares in the Côte d’Or.

This renowned house was founded in 1859, which, coincidentally is the year that Oregon became a state. Of course, Oregon and Bourgogne share a latitude of 45 degrees.

Résonance

In 2013 Maison Louis Jadot took their first steps outside of Bourgogne purchasing the Résonance Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Jacque Lardière the longtime Maison Louis Jadot winemaker, had recently retired and he and Thibault Gagney, whose family operates Maison Louis Jadot were off to find a bold new project. The vineyard already had a French name! Well, they did add the accent mark, but it was Kismet.

If you click the map to make it larger, you will find the Résonance vineyard. It is on the bottom half of the map near the center.

The Résonance vineyard had been planted in 1981 and it was own-rooted, which is rare. It is one of the oldest dry-farmed vineyards in the Willamette Valley, sitting between 262 and 492 feet in elevation. Their custom-built winery opened its doors in May of 2019. Our friends at AdVINEtures visited them a bit ago meeting with winemaker Guillaume Large.

But our story takes us beyond the Résonance Vineyard.

Découverte – Discovery in the Dundee Hills

The Dundee Hills are the historical heart of winemaking in the Willamette Valley. It was here that David Lett, Dick Erath, and the Sokol Blosser’s came to plant their vineyards.

David Lett’s Eyrie Pinot Noir caught the attention of the French in 1979 when it placed in the Top 3 in the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiads. Domaine Drouhin took enough note to open their winery here in 1987.

In 2014 Maison Louis Jadot treaded into these red hills purchasing 18 acres with 8 acres of vineyard planted. This is the Découverte Vineyard. It sits at a much higher elevation than the Yamhill-Carlton property. The 15 acres now under vine sit between 600 and 690 feet above sea level. Most of this (12.5 acres) is planted to Pinot Noir, with the remaining to Chardonnay.

You will find them on the map on the right side 6th up from the bottom.

They call these the Red Hills because of the rich, red volcanic Jory soil. This soil comes from ancient volcanic basalt. It is iron-rich, not very fertile, and well-draining.

Résonance – Découverte Vineyard 2017 Pinot Noir

This Pinot Noir is from the second Résonance Estate Vineyard, Découverte. Découverte means “Discovery” in French.

The 2017 Vintage saw late flowering due to a cold wet winter and spring. The summer, on the other hand, set a new record high in August. This vineyard is organically farmed.

This wine saw 17 months in French Oak barrels, 30% of which was new.

My notes:

Medium ruby in color with a fuchsia rim.

The nose hits you first with rich warm spices, followed by red fruit. Notes of earth, integrated black fruits, cherry, and notes of mint.

Dry with medium tannins the mouth was rounded and savory on the first sip. Rich but elegant, bright tart cherry notes emerge, and medium tannins that unevenly coat your teeth.

The mineral finish is the give-away here that this is a Dundee Hills wine. Those red Jory soils shining through.

Keep in mind that this wine is young. This is a wine that will age and it will continue to evolve and grow more complex.

100% Pinot Noir – 13.5% abv – $65 SRP

Résonance – Découverte Vineyard 2017 Pinot Noir

A Classic Pairing – Oregon Pinot Noir and Salmon

We paired this with a classic Oregon Pinot pairing, salmon. We did have a Mediterranean twist adding a honey-harissa glaze. We added sides of slaw with cabbage and apple and pan-roasted summer squash.

Résonance – Découverte Vineyard 2017 Pinot Noir with honey-harissa glazed salmon

I was a little skeptical of the harissa glaze. Harissa is a Tunisian spice blend, usually made in a paste from dried chili peppers, spices, olive oil, and garlic. The peppers range from smoky to hot and the spices are often toasted. Our harissa was powdered rather than in paste form and it had a smokiness from roasted peppers and spices. While there was a little heat on when tasted on its own, we were mixing it with honey to glaze the salmon, which I hoped would tone down the heat and elevate the smoky notes.

Would it work with the wine? It did. The harissa and honey pulled out the spice notes in the wine and the wine did not elevate the heat in the harissa. Our other dishes, the apple and cabbage slaw, and the pan-roasted summer squash played background to the salmon but blended seamlessly with the wine.

Is it crazy to think that the color of the harissa brings to mind the color of the dirt in the Dundee Hills. Is that why it connects so well with this Découverte Vineyard Pinot Noir?

#Winophiles

I am looking forward to reading all the pieces by my fellow writers in the French #Winophiles! There is so much knowledge and a diversity of viewpoints within this group so I am anxious to hear their thoughts! Dive in and give these a read!

Participating #Winophile Food & Wine Pairings:

Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm tells of “Countries United Through Food and Wine”

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Galette au Chou + 2017 Résonance Pinot Noir”

Terri at Our Good Life tells us about “Resonance Pinot Noir and Roasted Pork Loin”

Lynn from Savor the Harvest shares “Oregon Pinot Noir With a Burgundian Heart – Domaine Drouhin Laurène”

Jennifer at Vino Travels cooks up “BBQ Brisket with Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir”

Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Oregon PN for a PNW holiday meal”

David from Cooking Chat “Braised Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Oregon Pinot #Winophiles

Jane from Always Ravenous has an “Oregon Pinot Noir Paired with Braised Chicken Thighs, Blackberries, and Fennel Purée”

Melanie from Wining With Mel tells us “New World meets Old World: Oregon’s Résonance pinot noir paired with beef bourguignon”

Liz from What’s In That Bottle shares a “Taste of the 45th Parallel”

Jeff from Food Wine Click! tells us about “Louis Jadot on Both Sides of the Pond”

Payal from Keep the Peas shares “Burgundy via Oregon”

Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares “From France’s Bourgogne and Oregon’s Willamette Valley: Domaine Drouhin Does Pinot Noir #Winophiles

Nicole at SommsTable has a “Burgundy vs Oregon Showdown with Drouhin Wines”

Jill at L’Occasion covers “Bourgogne’s Western Vineyards: Crafting Pinot Noir in Oregon”

L.M. Archer shares life “À Table with Domaine Drouhin Oregon and Résonance Wines”

And Michelle, of Rockin Red Blog, shared a post on Forbes for this topic: Best Of Both Worlds: Burgundy Producers Craft High-Quality Wine In Willamette Valley.

The Oregon Wine Board and the Oregon Wine Symposium 2021

I have to give a shout out to the Oregon Wine Board. Their site is full of great information on Oregon, its soils, vineyards, and wines. It really is my go-to place for information on Oregon when I am doing research.

The Oregon Wine Symposium is a wine education and trade show that they produce annually for the Northwest Wine Industry. In 2021 it will be virtual, held online from February 16 to 19th.

Visit their site for information.

Oregon Wine Symposium Feb 16-19 2021 wine and food industry events

Sources and Resources

More on the Willamette Valley from Crushed Grape Chronicles

Crushed Grape Chronicles 12 Days of Wine 2020

We are in the midst of our 12 Days of Wine 2020 celebration at Crushed Grape Chronicles! We invite you to join us as we taste and pair a wine each day leading up to Christmas. Great wines from around the world with the stories behind them, plus recipes and pairings including Dessert!

You can visit the page to catch up on what you have missed! Crushed Grape Chronicles 12 Days of Wine 2020

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Youngberg Hill – Reminiscing and Making New Memories with 2 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noirs

Nov 13, 2020

Years ago, Michael and I ventured to Oregon on our first trip to explore the Willamette Valley. An old friend of mine, Adam, met us and made sure we visited Youngberg Hill, where he and his wife had recently been married.

I remember, having a joyful conversation with Adam in the backseat and me in the passenger’s seat. We had already stopped at one winery and Michael was being the designated driver. We were chattering away on the small roads leading to the winery. These were the days before in-car navigation systems and Adam was directing us. Of course, he and I kept getting distracted in conversation, and to Michael’s dismay, we had to turn around and backtrack, more than once.

We made our way to Youngberg Hill and Adam was greeted warmly as we arrived. He has a way of making friends wherever he goes. We tasted wine and toured the property, getting the play by play from Adam on the wedding, as he blissfully (and adorably) reminisced.

Recently we received samples from Youngberg Hill. The memories took me back to this earlier visit and I looked forward to opening the wines.

*We received these wines as samples, but all opinions are our own.*

An Arial view of Youngberg Hill – photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill

View of the vineyard at Youngberg Hill – photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill

View of the Valley from Youngberg Hill – photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill

The Youngberg Hill Inn in Oregon’s Willamette Valley – photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill

The History of Youngberg Hill

This property had been a family farm since the 1850s. Back then a Swedish immigrant named Youngberg established a 1600-acre homestead here. The family lived off this land for 130 years.

In 1987 the family sold 700 acres. The new owner planted vines in 1989 overseen by Ken Wright. These vines were sourced for wines at Panther Creek, Wright’s winery at the time.

The Bailey family arrived at the property in 2003 and began the process of making this a sustainable vineyard as well as an event venue, the views here are stunning.

They produce 2 labels, Youngberg Hill and Bailey Family Wines.

The approach to growing grapes was informed by Wayne Bailey’s youth in Iowa on a farm. He takes his stewardship of the land seriously. His career path, from mechanical engineering to supply chain management dropped him into the beverage field. That led to a bit of time in Burgundy which led him to want to grow Pinot Noir.

Bailey’s farming here, at Youngberg Hill, began with sustainable methods and a non-interventionist approach. He moved to organic and then beyond. The goal wasn’t certifications, the goal was the best way to take care of the land. They employ various organic and biodynamic practices to suit the site. They farm by the farmers’ almanac via the phases of the moon, as farmers have done for centuries. This practice is often considered “biodynamic”, but it has been used long before biodynamics was a thing. He’s pragmatic in his approach to farming.

“It’s like raising children,” he says. “You can’t make a rocket scientist out of a child who’s born to be a musician.”

The Youngberg Hill estate is 50 acres with 20 acres planted to vine. This is in the Western portion of the Willamette Valley which receives significant maritime influences sitting just 25 miles from the Pacific as the crow flies. While the maritime climate doesn’t come straight through, it sweeps it’s way up through the Van Duzer Corridor south of them. They don’t get as much rain here as the rest of the valley and the temperatures tend to be cooler overall. The original 11 acres are own-rooted.

We tasted two of the Youngberg Hill Pinot Noirs, one a blend of non-estate and estate fruit and one from the very specific Natasha Block.

Wayne Bailey of Youngberg Hill and Bailey Family Vineyards - photo courtesy of Youngberg Hill

2017 Youngberg Hill Cuvée Pinot Noir

This 2017 blend comes from fruit from the Bailey Block on the Youngberg Hill estate, as well as some fruit from Yamhill Valley Vineyards.

The Bailey block was planted in 2008. This is 3 acres of 777 clones. Soils here are well-drained mixed Steiwer/shale and the vineyard sits at 660-700 feet in elevation.

The rest of the fruit is from Yamhill Valley Vineyards and from Dijon 667 & 115 clones. This is a 150-acre estate. They are the oldest winery in the McMinnville AVA. We met their winemaker Ariel Eberle a few years ago pouring her own label “A Cheerful Note”.

Soils here are sedimentary clay with basalt.

The details:

100% Pinot Noir
14 months is 25% French Oak
Case production: 660
ABV 13.1%
SRP $35

Our notes

This wine is a bit more brooding and earthier than the Cuvée.

2016 Youngberg Hill Natasha Pinot Noir

The Natasha Block is a Bailey Estate Block, planted in 1989 and named after Wayne’s eldest daughter. Facing southeast this 6.6-acre block gets great sunlight and sits at 600 feet. The soil here is the Willakenzie series of Marine sedimentary and volcanic rock.

The details:

From 40% Wadenswil and 60% Pommard clones
14 months in 37% New French Oak
Case Production 859
ABV 14.3%
SRP $60

Pairings for these Youngberg Hill Pinots

Salmon & Pinot are so traditional, we stepped just a bit outside the box. The key to red wine with fish is choosing a fatty fish and so we chose rainbow trout. For my vegetable, I went earthier choosing a root vegetable gratin, in a rainbow of colors, with red beet, sweet potato, golden beet, and parsnip.

How did the pairings go?

The trout with its distinctive flavor and fat stood up to both of the wines, even the brooding Natasha. The gratin really worked well, much credit should be given to the Gruyere topper for pulling the pairing together. With the blend of 4 vegetables, I found I preferred the parsnips with the Cuvée and the beets with the Natasha. Overall, a very satisfying pairing.

Rainbow Root Vegetable Gratin and Baked Rainbow Trout with Youngberg Pinot

One more unexpected pairing!

We did not finish both bottles in one sitting, so we had some left over to pair with lunch. Youngberg Hill mentions that the Cuvee will pair with everything!

“You can even pair this with PB & J or spiced tacos.”

Challenge accepted! We paired with PB & J to our delight and it was wonderful, the acid in the wine cutting through the fat in the Peanut Butter and melding beautifully with the fruit in the grape jelly! Do It! Preferably in your jammies on the couch with a good book or a great movie. This is genius for a nesting day!

Rainbow root vegetable gratin

Cutting red beets for Cheesey Root Vegetable Gratin — Cutting red beets

Cutting Sweet Potato for Cheesey Root Vegetable Gratin — Cutting Sweet Potato

Cutting Parsnips for Cheesey Root Vegetable Gratin — Cutting Parsnips

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Grease a baking dish (2-quart size)
Peel and slice the vegetables thinly into rounds and place them in separate bowls. (How perfect and fancy you want to get depends on your style. I hand cut these and was not concerned about having them all look the same size, but you could use a cutter to make all of your circles uniform if you chose)
To each bowl add bits of the cream (4 tablespoons each to the beets, 2 tablespoons each to the potato and parsnip you should end up with about ¼ cup left)
Divide your parmesan in ½ and then divide that into 4 parts and sprinkle this on each of your 4 bowls.
Divide the thyme 4 ways over the 4 bowls.

Rainbow root vegetable gratin

2 red beets
2 golden beets
1 sweet potato
1 parsnip
1 cup of cream
4 oz of grated parmesan
1 tbs+ fresh thyme
1 clove of garlic minced
1 oz of shredded gruyere
Salt & pepper

Stir up each bowl seasoning with salt and pepper and make sure all the slices of vegetables are coated.
In the base of your buttered baking or gratin dish, pour the rest of the cream, add the minced garlic, and ½ of the remaining parmesan.
Now, layer your gratin, start with a bunch of the parsnip (5 or 6 slices) followed by the yellow beet, followed by the sweet potato, and finally the red beet, standing them on edge making rows. Continue until your dish is full. (Feel free to play with your patterns and colors artistically as you see fit).
Top this with a bit of S & P and the rest of the Parm.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
Uncover and top with the gruyere
Bake another 20 minutes. (Cheese should be melted and lightly brown)
Sprinkle with a bit more thyme and serve

Cheesey Root Vegetable Gratin ingredients

grating Parmesan for Cheesey Root Vegetable Gratin — grating Parmesan

Mixing Sweet Potato for Cheesey Root Vegetable Gratin — Mixing Sweet Potato

Baked rainbow trout

2 trout (scaled and gutted)
1 lemon
Dill
Green onions (chopped)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 F
Rinse the fish and pat dry
Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper
Add half the dill and green onions inside
Drizzle with Olive oil
Do the same to the other fish
Cut 3 shallow diagonal cuts in the top of each fish
Drizzle olive oil on top of each fish
Stick a ½ lemon slice in each of the cuts.
One last sprinkle of salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Pop them back under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up the skin and serve.

Youngberg Hill Recipes

Salmon & Pinot are so traditional, we stepped just a bit outside the
box. The key to red wine with fish is choosing a fatty fish and so we
chose rainbow trout. For my vegetable, I went earthier choosing a root
vegetable gratin, in a rainbow of colors, with red beet, sweet potato,
golden beet, and parsnip.

Baked Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Root Vegetable Gratin

We adapted this recipe for my vegetable with our Pinot Noir pairing. I went earthier choosing a root vegetable gratin, in a rainbow of colors, with red beet, sweet potato, golden beet, and parsnip.

How to find Youngberg Hill?

The Willamette Valley is a beautiful place to visit and has so much wonderful wine!

You can find Youngberg Hill at 10660 SW Youngberg Hill Road, McMinnville, OR 97128

Tastings are appointment only 10-4 daily, call them at 503-472-2727 or drop them an email at [email protected]

For more information on this region visit

https://www.oregonwine.org/

https://willamettewines.com/

Or check out some of these pieces right here on Crushed Grape Chronicles

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

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