There's Something About Alloro...

The first time I heard the name Alloro Vineyards I was on a plane to Portland for our first trip to Oregon.  Anytime you are headed to wine country, anywhere in the world, people have opinions on where you "must go".  As this guy spouted off about Alloro to his friend, I didn't pay much attention to him but I did file the name in the back of my brain for future reference.  

As you drive down Highway 99 from Portland into the Willamette Valley, the first AVA you hit is Chehalem Mountain with the town of Sherwood marking the entrance to wine country.  Blue and white signs along the road announce which wineries are where and your heart starts to beat a bit faster just thinking about all of the delicious wine that awaits you.  And as we came through Sherwood on that initial drive down through the valley, one of the very first blue signs I see is for Alloro Vineyards.  Including the location of the winery into that file in the back of my brain, we drove on through Newberg, then Dundee and Lafayette, stopping finally in Carlton to check in to our apartment.

That evening at dinner James Moises is talking about other wineries that have approached him about distributing their wines in New Orleans.  Again the name Alloro comes up and I realize that after the third mention in a day, I need to pay attention.  So James ends up visiting the winery the day we leave the valley and is incredibly impressed with the place, the wines and the people.  Yes, he will be picking up the wines and he can't wait for us to try them.  And after much discussion we end up putting Alloro Vineyards on our itinerary for our upcoming Artisan Oregon wine trip in October, based purely on James' excitement about his experience.

Photo from allorovineyards.com

Then comes the big Wine Spectator article on Oregon's 2010 vintage and the Alloro Riservata Pinot Noir is chosen as one of the top 20 wines out of 550 tasted for the article and the Chehalem Mountain Pinot scoring 92 points!  No longer filed in the back of my brain, the wines certainly have gotten my attention and are now in the store. We finally had a chance to revisit the 2010 Chehalem Mountian with dinner last night, inspiring this blog post today!

From the southwest facing slope of Laurel Ridge in the Chehalem Mountains, the vineyard plantings start at 475 feet and rise to about 650 feet and have either a southwest or southeast aspect.  The soil is classified as Laurelwood Series, a silty soil made of ancient decomposed volcanic material with a top layer of ancient sediment. 

It's all estate grown fruit and they only produce 1200 cases of the Chehalem Mountain and 300 cases of the Riservata.  Both are in stock as well as their lovely Pinot Noir Rose'!  So if you are a fan of really well made, small production Oregon Pinot Noir, come by, we are sure you'll be impressed!

2010 ALLORO PINOT NOIR, 92 points

Sleek and refined, with a nice point to the black cherry and mineral flavors, lingering with haunting delicacy on the finish.  Drink now through 2018. 

2010 ALLORO ‘RISERVATA’ PINOT NOIR, 93 points

Polished, expressive and distinctive, offering meaty, savory overtones around a silky core of black cherry and mulberry fruit, coming together with intensity and harmony on the finish.  Drink now through 2020. 

Wine & Culinary Travel, Artisan Oregon 2013

Artisan Oregon,  Willamette Valley Winemaking Tour

October 9-13, 2013

                                                       
Join Swirl Wines and James Moises of Bizou Wines for a unique, hands-on experience of small production, artisanal winemaking at its best!  We'll take you to the stunningly beautiful Pacific Northwest where the lush foothills of Oregon's Willamette Valley await.  Nestled between the Oregon Coast mountain range and the snow-capped Cascades, the many different terroirs and microclimates makes this one of the most distinctive places on earth for grape growing.

On this five day tour you will visit small, off the beaten path wineries and vineyards; meet, taste and dine with winemakers and witness one of the most exciting times of the year in wine country, the harvest!  You will get an exclusive, insiders look into what goes on behind the scenes as you'll have the opportunity to pick grapes, sort fruit and see many aspects of the grape harvest and early stages of production first hand.

                                 Sorry, This Trip is Full!

Pinots Rule!

I had the pleasure last week of tasting 3 really delicious Oregon Pinots with the owner of Moises Wines, Dr. James Moises. Although James is better know as a ER doctor and professor in New Orleans, in his "spare" time we works in the Willamette Valley making wine to keep himself sane. The wines were beautiful, and as James quotes, "...are a reflection of my celebrated Lebanese heritage. Known as one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world, the ancient Phoenicians of Lebanon were influential for setting the standards with viticultural and enology traditions. We continue to have a strong philosophy with the same ideology here in the Willamette Valley – practicing sustainable farming in the vineyard and minimal handling in the cellar – producing wines of depth, grace and character."

Through the assistance of our mutual friend Bob McGuire, James and I made an instant connection knowing we needed to launch these wines in New Orleans and Swirl was the place to do it!! So mark your calendars for Saturday August 15th and the Launch Party for Moises Wines. Dr. James Moises will be popping corks on 4 of his amazing Pinots, as we celebrate his debute as a serious player in the world of Oregon Pinots! I'll be writing more about James, his wines and the event in upcoming emails, so stay tuned for more information!

Speaking of Pinot...
Our Tuesday tasting this week will take a look at our favorite "Pinots" from around the world including Pinot Grigio/Gris and Pinot Noir. This will be a great opportunity to taste the stylistic differences as well as the influence of "place" on the same grape varietals. We'll also be tasting my new favorite Pinot Noir rosé made by the exciting team at Lioco. Great summertime wines, these 6 Pinots of either color deliver a refreshing lightness perfect for this time of year.