FOOD & DRINK
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS THESE WINES DESERVE A PLACE AT YOUR TABLE By Tina Mulqueen
his is the place where the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown in the New World,” enthuses Chris Hermann from my laptop’s Zoom window, followed by a sip of his winery’s “VGW,” an abbreviation for Very Good White.
00 VFW
Hermann is the founder of award-winning 00 Wines located in Carlton, Oregon. While Napa owns the spotlight on most domestic wine lists, Oregon wineries like 00, one of several hundred in the region, are attracting both domestic and international attention for a good reason. The cooler climates in the Willamette Valley make it ideal for growing fickle Pinot Noir grapes and Chardonnay—so much so that even Burgundian winemakers are purchasing property and cultivating grapes in its foothills. Moreover, while climate change has pushed Napa and Sonoma to higher temperatures with marked impacts on the region’s famous wines’ alcohol content and character, Oregon wines have benefited from the recent climate impact. To get a better sense of what the region has to offer, I’ve selflessly tasted my way through Oregon wine country. If you’re looking to embellish your holiday menu with exceptional domestic wines, start here.
00 WINES VGW I had the pleasure of tasting 00’s VGW, the winery’s award-winning Chardonnay blend. Floral notes and vibrant stone fruit on the nose lead to a delicate but complex honey-citrus interplay and a synchronous texture full of nuance and silky minerality. In short, it’s true to its name—Very Good. While this wine would make a fantastic pairing with an appetizer like crab cakes, it’s so good that it can stand on its own. What makes 00 Wines so special is their Burgundian production method and their meticulous attention to detail. “For years, my father and I talked about having a winery,” recounts Hermann. “We wanted to experience our environment through food and wine and to introduce people to that. It culminated in wanting to build on something exciting in the Willamette Valley, but because we spent so much time in Europe, we thought about things differently.” The family hired a French winemaker, Pierre Millemann, to combine the best of the Old and New Worlds. Millemann produces wines for the label in Burgundy and consults with the winery’s second-generation Willamette Valley winemaker, Wynne Peterson-Nedry. They use a traditional Burgundian method to tease the flavors and textures out of the skins. “We knew that the grapes that are grown are at the highest quality-level worldwide, and we wondered: what can we do with those grapes if we practice typical Burgundian winemaking techniques?” Courtesy of 00 Wines
66 | OUR CITY, YOUR LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
The result is an incredible portfolio of wines. Info: 00wines.com.
