Had a really pleasant weekend including a visit to one of my local favorite wineries, Reustle Vineyards. Got an email from them telling me about this weekend, and what was going on in their “cave” this last weekend before the Holidays start.

Two things stuck me head on, Stephen and Gloria always put on quite a wine / food pairing with their new releases, and I didn’t have any plans for the day. And away I went.

Arriving at Reustle Vineyards, I wasn’t to surprised at the fact that everywhere you looked there were cars and trucks parked, and swarms of wine sippers coming and going. You see, if you have never been there before, when you finally get the chance, you will find that not only are the wines awesome but they owners as well. Friendly, hospitable, with a world class “Cave” tasting room, or I should say rooms. They created this underground cave, with multiple rooms, private tasting rooms as well as a grand chamber with long tables. All wine tastings are always paired with food for you to truly enjoy the flavors of each wine. All I can say is that it is a pretty fine tasting experience.

So there I was looking for a parking space, and as luck would have it I found one in a small lot where the employees park, knowing that I am a good friend of this winery, so no worries with the spot. They actually had a major waiting line inside for seating, which was also not surprising, one which I managed to breach a bit.

To my surprise and pleasure, while waiting to be seated, in walks a wonderful lady Sally Jarrett and her son and daughter in law. Sally was a neighbor of mine for five years when I first moved to Oregon. Sally and I could tell some stories about life on Singing Waters Lane, but maybe that’s for another story. I will say that we had an experience one day, when I opened a bottle of wine she had in her basement, a very old bottle from France if memory serves me right. What a marvelous example of high dollar vinegar that was.

As luck would follow us tom our table, and placed us all together for our wine experience. The tastings and food pairings proceeded, and as usual I had my favorites. They were presenting their newly released 2010 Syrah Reserve with a dark ruby color, with blackberry and black currant on your nose and mid-palate. I found a hint of black pepper and a good bite of tannins, which over time will mellow and soften, making this a strong life partner, well, at least a few years. I have to add that with this Syrah, I had some of the tastiest barbequed pork ribs I have had in some time.

Next place of honor is something I fell in love with years ago after tasting it for the very first time at Reustle Vineyards, their Grüner Veltliner, an Austrian grape, grown and produced at Reustle. Reustle Winery was one of four vineyards that I know of in the United States producing this grape, and the first to produce in quantity to market. What they had just released, and I was tasting, their 2011 Grüner Veltliner Reserve, with pear, apple and hints of white pepper, and a minerality to it as it passes your mid-palate. Quite surprising, this rich tasting white has length one would expect only with a great red, but there it is, every time I sip some. I find this wine quite enjoyable with a host of seafood and Asian specialties. Whenever my wife prepares our fresh Alaskan Halibut, she always expects Grüner Veltliner on the table, at least one to two bottles. And she is absolutely correct in this pairing.

So there you go, and experience in Oregon wines, wineries and food, and another place for you to visit in the great state of Oregon.

Cheers,

Gary