International Selections and Local Favorites
Light and flavorful white
wines to pair with seafood dishes are
among the most beloved wines around the world.
We tasted some crisp Albarino from both its native Spain and from
Oregon, tasty Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire in France and from the Northwest,
and Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc from Oregon and Washington.
Albarino
Abacela 2018 Albarino, Estate, Umpqua Valley - $21
Abacela proprietors Earl
and Hilda Jones are dedicated to the production of Spanish varieties in
Southern Oregon and this grape does very well in their Umpqua Valley region.
Aromas and flavors of pear and apple mingle with notes of citrus and honey –
tasty with both oysters and mussels, as well as other seafood. Be sure to visit
touting their Vine and Wine Center which doubles as a tasting room and
educational center for sustainability and green living, open 11am to 5pm, near
Roseburg. Abacela.com
Fillaboa 2017 Albarino, Estate, Rias Baixas, Spain - $20
Fillaboa produces wine
solely from estate-owned fruit, and Bodegas Fillaboa is unique in their
commitment to a single bottling per vintage for the U. S. market. This very
special Albarino should be sought out for its superb balance of tropical aromas
and flavors mingling with dusty mineral, pear and lemon. It is a delightful
seafood wine and makes a nice counterpoint when tasted against Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc
Saget La Perriere 2018
Blanc Fume de Pouilly, Loire, France - $30
Among the original wines hailed
as those that best accompanied oysters and other seafoods were the crisp white
wines of the Loire Valley in France. Blanc Fume, Sancerre, Muscadet and others
have been served with seafood of the nearby Atlantic coast for centuries. The
Saget family produces each of the favored wines of the area including this
flinty and complex Blanc Fume featuring citrus, pear and tropical fruits on
both the nose and palate.
King Estate 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Croft Vineyard - $28
This wine is part of King
Estate’s Vineyard Designate program matching superb vineyard sites with
meticulous winemaking. Croft Vineyard is located southwest of Salem, Oregon
along the Willamette River. Tasters enjoyed this wine’s ripe fruit of pear and
citrus with complex spice and sur lie character – best paired with rich seafood
choices or seafood dishes with rich sauces. Kingestate.com
Mercer Estates 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills - $13
Grapes for this refreshing
Sauvignon Blanc came from Mercer’s Princeton Vineyard in Washington’s Horse
Heaven Hills AVA. Processing of the fruit and fermentation were conducted in
such a way as to encourage grapefruit and passion fruit flavors in the finished
wine. Look for bright citrus aromas and flavors with hints of new mown hay,
gooseberry and lychee. Mercerwine.com
Waterbrook 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley - $12
This wine came from a mix
of vineyards in the wide Columbia Valley AVA of Washington State. This produced
a complex wine showing many aromas and flavors such as key lime, honeydew
melon, stone fruits, gooseberry and honey. The finish on the wine is bright and
crisp to pair with your favorite shellfish or other seafood. Waterbrook.com
La Petite Perriere 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Saget, France - $13
Grapes for this
value-priced wine were sourced from the Saget estate vineyards in the Loire and
also from select vineyards in the South of France. The wine is elegant and
understated with clean and balanced flavors to pair with many seafoods. Look
for aromas and flavors of white flowers, flinty mineral, white peach, lychee
and hints of citrus.
Pinot Gris
Primarius 2017 Pinot Gris, Oregon - $14
Here’s another fresh and
friendly Oregon Pinot Gris that fills the bill for sipping with seafood or
light snacks. Winemaker Sarah Cabot crafts the Primarius brand for Precept
Wines to show spicy pear, floral perfume, lime zest and crisp acidity on the
finish. Primarius.com
Ponzi Vineyards 2017 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley - $19
Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Gris
was among the Oregon Pinot Gris bottlings that the Washington Wine Writers
group featured at a comparative tasting in Seattle in 1988. We enjoyed the
differences between the (only) seven Pinot Gris then available from the
Willamette Valley. Ponzi’s Pinot Gris has gone on to set the bar for excellence
featuring a bouquet of floral aromas, honey, white pepper and citrus aromas.
Flavors of pear, kumquat and stone fruits delight the palate. Ponziwine.com
King Estate 2017 Pinot Gris, Steiner Block, WV - $28
The Steiner Block at King
Estate is a tribute to Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the biodynamic approach
to agriculture in the 1920s. At 1,033 acres, King Estate is the largest Demeter
USA-certified biodynamic vineyard in North America. My tasters enjoyed this
special Pinot Gris for bright aromas and flavors of stone fruits, tropical
citrus, pear and honeydew melon.
Gravel Bar 2015 Pinot Gris, Columba Valley - $18
This wine was cold
fermented in stainless steel then allowed to age sur lie, giving the wine a
creamy texture over the distinct Pinot Gris fruit. Look for aromas and flavors of juicy pear,
apple and honeydew melon.
Skagit Crest Vineyard 2017 Pinot Gris, Puget Sound AVA - $20
Skagit Crest Vineyard and
Winery is located in Washington’s Skagit Valley near Sedro Wooley. The six-acre vineyard is planted on a
southwest slope and provides the fruit for most of the winery’s bottlings. The
winery has a tasting room in the historic town of La Conner. Skagit Crest Pinot
Gris offers aromas and flavors of ripe peach, grassy herbs and melon with a
hint of citrus. SkagitCrest.com
Pinot Blanc
King Estate 2017 Pinot
Blanc, Foris Vineyard, Rogue Valley - $24
King Estate’s winemaking
team crafted this wine from grapes grown at Foris Vineyard in Southern Oregon’s
Rogue Valley AVA near Cave Junction. Aromas of wild flowers and white peach
mingle with tropical guava and melon. The medium bodied palate is redolent of
stone fruits, crisp citrus and hints of earthy mineral.
Willamette Valley Vineyards 2016 Pinot Blanc, WV - $24
In my mind, Pinot Blanc is
to Pinot Gris what Semillon is to Sauvignon Blanc – a richer wine with
distinctive aromas and flavors that require a bit of getting used to. This complexity and richness serve to
complement many seafood dishes such as mussels and other bivalves served simply
in their own juices mingled with wine. Look for pear, fuji apple, lime and
lychee with notes of earthy mineral and lemon grass. Wvv.com
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