SUNDAY SCHOOL’S WINE BUYING GUIDE: ALTERNATIVE OREGON ______________________________________________________________________________ There are 80+ grape varieties grown in Oregon. One of those is Pinot Noir—and that accounts for 57% of production. So, what else is out there? Some are familiar grapes like Chardonnay and Gamay (but in smaller quantities than you’d think), while others are little-known varieties such as Trousseau or Saperavi. Cool, eh? Our guide focuses on the more obscure, but we realize that if you’ve never heard of it, you’re not going to know what it tastes like, let alone if you’ll like. So, we’ve made note of some starting point grapes so you can continue your adventure from there. Remember, each of these grape varieties is distinct in and of itself— we’re only giving you a rough place to start (we can’t guarantee if you love Pinot you’ll also going to have a weakness for Trousseau, though you might!). Find the wine you tend to gravitate toward and then get to exploring. The alt wine world is your oyster! IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY THIS… WHITES IF YOU LIKE: PINOT GRIS/PINOT GRIGIO ...or a light, crisp, easygoing white TRY: Melon de Bourgogne – minerally, saline (Grochau Cellars or Helioterra Wines) Chasselas – melon, herbaceous (Eyrie Vineyards or Teutonic Wines) Arneis – mellow peach and honey (Helioterra Wines) Aligoté – richer texture, lemon curd (Day Wines) Silvaner/Sylvaner – peach, floral, mineral (Teutonic Wines) Ribolla Gialla – apple, pear, beeswax (Holden Wine Co. or Johan Vineyards) (For a better-than-expected Oregon Pinot Gris look for Eyrie Vineyards, or try a skin-contact version from Johan Vineyards.) 1 IF YOU LIKE: RIESLING …or a light body, distinctly aromatic white TRY: Müller Thurgau – peach, citrus, rose (Golden Cluster) Gewürztraminer lychee, rose, ginger, spice (Beckham Estate, Teutonic Wines) Malvasia – flowers, perfume (Day Wines) Muscat – orange blossom, perfume, not always sweet (Brooks Wine or Teutonic Wines) (For great Oregon Rieslings try Brooks Wine, Teutonic Wines or Ovum.) IF YOU LIKE: SAUVIGNON BLANC ...or a med-light body, crisp, tart white with tropical fruit and green notes TRY: Grüner Veltliner – green pepper, lime (Ricochet Wine or Franchere) Vermentino – grapefruit, citrus, almond (Holden Wine Co. or Craft Wine Co./Minimus) Albariño – zesty, zingy (Golden Cluster or Grochau Cellars) (For an Oregon Sauvignon Blanc look for Love and Squalor or Division Winemaking Co.) IF YOU LIKE: CHARDONNAY ...or a full-bodied white with a luscious mouthfeel and big texture TRY: Chenin Blanc – pineapple, ginger, jasmine (Division Winemaking Co.) Grenache Blanc – honey, brioche, pear (Sis & Mae) Marsanne – low acid, beeswax, peach (Day Wines or Cowhorn) Roussanne – higher acid, lemon, beeswax (Day Wines or Cowhorn) Viognier – oily texture, floral, orchard fruits (Apolloni Vineyards or Illahe Vineyards) Semillon – waxy body, floral, pear, spice (Golden Cluster) (For a delicious Oregon Chardonnay try Hazelfern Cellars or Statera Cellars) REDS… IF YOU LIKE: PINOT NOIR 2 ...or a light and earthy red TRY: Gamay – tart red fruit, very low tannin, potting soil (Love & Squalor or Evening Land) Pinot Meunier – less earthy, rose, cherry (James Rahn) Trousseau (James Rahn or Eyrie Vineyards) IF YOU LIKE: TEMPRANILLO ...or a medium bodied red with good tannin and big flavor but not oily or thick TRY: Mencia – meaty, pepper, berries (Annalemma) Blaufrankisch – black cherry, chocolate, pepper (John Vineyards) Tinta Cão – violets, red fruit (Abacela) Graciano – herbaceous, red fruit (Abacela) Sangiovese – red fruit, dirt (Apolloni Vineyards, Idiot’s Grace) (For an Oregon Tempranillo look for Grochau Cellars, Upper Five, or Abacela) IF YOU LIKE: SYRAH OR MERLOT ...or a full-bodied, smooth red with softer tannins TRY: Dolcetto – cocoa, violet, plum (Holden Wine Co., Libertine) Mencia – meat, berries, spice (Annalemma) Saperavi – velvety, red berries (Golden Cluster) (For an Oregon Syrah try Franchere, Goodfellow, or Golden Cluster.) IF YOU LIKE: CABERNET SAUVIGNON OR MALBEC ...or a full-bodied red with high tannin and dark fruit TRY: Lagrein – plum, raspberries (Remy Wines) Cabernet Franc – berries, green pepper, chili pepper (Leah Jorgensen) Touriga Nacional – plum, violet, chocolate, spice (Abacela) Tannat – plum, spice, chocolate (Day Wines, Troon Vineyard) 3 (For an Oregon Malbec, also called Côt, look for Leah Jorgensen or Division Winemaking; for an Oregon Cabernet Sauvignon look for Analemma or Golden Cluster.) There are many more that are not listed above. Here are some Oregon alt wine producers we especially stand behind. When all else fails look for anything from these guys: Analemma Beckham Estate Brooks Wine Craft Wine Co. Division Winemaking Co. Day Wines Eyrie Vineyards Fossil & Fawn Franchere Golden Cluster Grochau Cellars Illahe Vineyards James Rahn Johan Vineyards Love & Squalor Maloof Ovum Sis & Mae Statera Cellars Teutonic Wines If you’re in Portland, here are the wine shops I suggest contacting: Baldwin’s (Lake Oswego), Park Avenue Wines (Downtown), Mom & Pop Wine Shop (NE Sandy), Bar Norman (SE Clinton), Division Wines (SE Division), Dame (NE Killingsworth), Ardor Natural Wines (SE Belmont). Or, contact the winemakers directly – many are offering curbside pickup or free shipping. Have questions or thoughts or want more guidance? We love hearing from you! Email us ([email protected]), or shoot us a message on Instagram (sundayschoolwine). Happy shopping. :) 4 .