Mid Eola – Amity Hills WineTrail

Can you say pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc, chardonnay, viognier, and dolcetto? For the most part, these are cool climate grapes and representative of one of Oregon’s newest viticultural areas – Eola Amity Hills AVA. In 2006 Eola – Amity Hills became a sub-appellation of Willamette Valley AVA. If you are fortunate enough to visit in late summer/early fall, check out the pinot noir grapes. They have a distinctive dark pinecone look. Apropos to the pinot noir’s name, pinot is French for “pine” and noir for “black.” Cultivation-wise, this finicky grape provides low yields. A lot can go wrong: whether it’s mildew or early fall rains, pinot noir is vulnerable to all sorts of attacks. All of this contributes to the mystique and charm of pinot noir and your quest to find the best pinot noir.

The Mid Eola – Amity Hills WineTrail is perfect for the wine enthusiast searching for a bottle (or a case or two) of pinot to take home for the cellar. Along the way, you might also want to spring for a set of the new Riedel stemware developed specifically for pinot noir. Perhaps it was the power of suggestion, but it worked for me…I did taste the difference when I tested Riedel’s pinot noir glasses. As they say in Burgundy, “À votre santé!”