The Undiscovered Country: Part II

July 24, 2007

By Leigh Brown
Leigh's Wine Buzz

This week's wine blog is a continuation of Leigh's Wine Buzz: The Undiscovered Country. Read on to hear part two of Leigh's adventure in Lane County. Cheers!

Across the way, one gets a glimpse of the sloping hills that brought out about the name, Sweet Cheeks Winery. The tasting room looks over Crow Valley, hence the Crow on their label. They recently acquired Mark Nicholl, an Australian, to be their new winemaker. They are most definitely a lucky bunch to have this Aussie on board. Mark was kind enough to give us a tour of the building and let us see their barrel room and winemaking facilities. Along with the tour, we sampled his soon-to-be bottled vintage of Pinot Noir. Wow. Mark also walked us down to their grape vines to show us the tiny green berries, soon to be ripe and juicy this fall.

On 65 acres they grow Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling. Speaking of Riesling, I was most fond of their 2005 Semi-Sweet Riesling. While I don’t much enjoy sweet wines, this one would be perfect for Thai or something spicy with its compliment of spice but hint of sweetness to tame the heat. And the view is yet another bonus.

Not that it would take yet another winery to inform one that Lane County is worth visiting, but off we went to Iris Hill. A popular spot for weddings, this lovely winery sits on top of a hill in the Lorane Valley, just 18 miles southwest of Eugene. With wild Douglas Iris and wildflowers surrounding the 44-acre Chalice Vineyard, one can only wish their wedding vows were exchanged at such a spot. We met with Mary, the event coordinator, who poured us a flight of lovely wines. The 2005 Unoaked Chardonnay was my favorite and reminded me of those in Chablis. My boyfriend was wowed by the 2005 Pinot Noir, a charming red full of character, lush fruit and earth. This is definitely the place to sit and relax while enjoying company and an incredible view.

To continue down the road of indulgence, one can’t miss an evening at King Estate. At King Estate you feel like royalty while gazing at their enormous certified organic property. The wine selection is first rate, the service is impeccable, and the wine, food and view battle in keeping your gaze. Before sitting down to dinner, we visited their tasting room for a selection of lovies. I could go on an on about their list of wines, of which I fell in love with. Their 2006 Craftsman Muscat (only available at King Estate) brought my level of joy up about 5 notches. Pears, honey and peaches tangled in my mouth before strolling down the rest of their wine list. Eventually, we made it to the patio where my boyfriend and I wanted to keep the day of sampling at full tilt so we enjoyed flights of Pinot Noirs and heavy reds. As a starter we shared the charcuterie plate, which included a rillette of lamb and caraway, a terrine of rabbit with hazelnuts and house cured duck ham with cherry compote that had enough fat on it to make you feel your heart stop (in a good way). While trying to decide which sampling of meat was the favorite, warm confit of duck leg salad was set down in front of our noses. Poised and ready to dig in, this salad consisted of crackling duck, frisee greens, and dried onions mixed in a Roquefort dressing. The duck made me feel decadent and indulgent but euphoric. My dinner entrée was a tender roasted organic guinea fowl with brioche stuffing, seared livers, wild mushrooms, white turnips in a wild sage sauce, while my boyfriend was in heaven with his lobster. And what woman doesn’t order dessert?! Lemon crème brulee was shared and its luscious crème sent me whirling. While it coated my mouth, its lemony velvet aroma lingered while I gazed once more at the view. For anyone on a trip to Lane County, a meal at King Estate can not be missed.

For those of you who are in for something new and different, it’s time to discover what has been overlooked for far too long. Lane County is not only beautiful but its charm and hospitality will surely make it the next big thing. Be romanced with a surprise or two and you won’t be disappointed. Cheers.

Editor's Note: Leigh Brown works for Urban Wineworks in Portland and will be bring to life Oregon's wine scene in her bi-monthly column, Leigh's Wine Buzz.

add to del.icio.us | digg this

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

Newsletter

Sign up for news:


Add to Technorati Favorites


Order your free Travel Oregon magazine

Travel Oregon features unique travel ideas and information that can inspire your own Oregon adventure. And it's free!