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Growing Reputation
Washington and Oregon are important wine regions in the USA, especially the Northwest USA. Besides California, Washington, and Oregon are growing in reputation and produce quality wines to match their reputations.
Notable Regions
Washington
USA’s second largest wine producing region. Most of the vineyards are located on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains where there is little precipitation.
Oregon
Some of Oregon’s vineyards are at the same latitude as France’s Bourgogne wine region. Both regions are famed for their Pinot Noir wines. Pinot Noir makes up over 70% of Oregon’s wine production.
Key Varietals
Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium to full bodied and velvety wines with flavours of blackberry, cherry, boysenberry, chocolate, earth, mint, and dried herbs.
Food pairing: Pairs well with heartier foods such as beef, lamb, game, poultry, mushroom dishes, and aged hard cheeses.
Pinot Noir
Fresh wines with intense notes of cranberry, strawberry, blackberry, black cherry aromas accented with cinnamon, mint, or earth.
Food pairing: Pairs well with roasted herbed chicken, fish, roasted root vegetables, and nuts
Chardonnay
Pale to deep in colour. Fresh and crisp wine with flavours of apple, citrus, pear, peaches, tropical fruits, and sometimes mineral. If wine is oak aged then there will be notes of vanilla, toast, and butter.
Food pairing: Pairs well with shellfish, fish with herbed butter, beans, walnut and pear salads, creamy pasta, and soft cheeses.
Merlot
Medium to full bodied dry wines with flavours of ripe plum, blackberry, cherry with notes of vanilla, earth, and chocolate.
Food pairing: Merlot pairs well with barbeques ribs, cheeseburgers with blue cheese, tomato based pasta dishes, and caramelized vegetables.
Did you know?
Pinot Noir is Oregon's most planted grape variety.
Eastern Washington sees up to 17 hours of sunlight a day in the summer.
There are 725 Oregon wineries, and more than 1,000 vineyards growing 72 varieties of grapes
