Where does the time go, at this time of year? With so much going, it can be hard to find time for each other. So Mr Purple Teeth and I decided to start a new idea. Virtual "armchair travel" dates. We randomly pick a hemisphere, lat and longitude, and find somewhere on the map that's nearby and looks worthy of a "little trip".
For a wine-enthusiast, it was a lucky break to find our first location was Oregon USA.
Oregon's food culture is simple: sustainable, local, seasonal, with a dash of Pacific Northwest game, and Asian fusion influences.
As for the wine, the area is gaining a great reputation for quality Pinot Noir. And while the wine's are not exactly priced for midweek, nor available in a giant supermarket near you, it is getting easier to get hold of them.
With an "Oregon-inspired" backdrop of music by Pink Martini, Elliot Smith, the Decemberists and Josh Garrells, we started with a little discussion of what we had found out about the area from our online studies, and were surprised to find that recreational cannabis use has been legalised. We decided not to try to bring this element of Oregon life into our living room. Instead, we started with a Pinot Gris, sourced at £13 from Marks and Spencer.
Boasting "Willamette Valley Grown" on the label, the grapes must have been vinified elsewhere. Willamette is one of several AVA (American Viticultural Areas - a similar regulatory system to Europe's protected designations of origin, like DOC), in Oregon. You might also look for Umpqua Valley, Walla Walla (which sounded more Australian to me), Rogue Valley or Columbia Gorge. There are several others, but, Willamette is the one I've seen most of in the UK.
For a wine-enthusiast, it was a lucky break to find our first location was Oregon USA.
Oregon's food culture is simple: sustainable, local, seasonal, with a dash of Pacific Northwest game, and Asian fusion influences.
As for the wine, the area is gaining a great reputation for quality Pinot Noir. And while the wine's are not exactly priced for midweek, nor available in a giant supermarket near you, it is getting easier to get hold of them.
With an "Oregon-inspired" backdrop of music by Pink Martini, Elliot Smith, the Decemberists and Josh Garrells, we started with a little discussion of what we had found out about the area from our online studies, and were surprised to find that recreational cannabis use has been legalised. We decided not to try to bring this element of Oregon life into our living room. Instead, we started with a Pinot Gris, sourced at £13 from Marks and Spencer.
Boasting "Willamette Valley Grown" on the label, the grapes must have been vinified elsewhere. Willamette is one of several AVA (American Viticultural Areas - a similar regulatory system to Europe's protected designations of origin, like DOC), in Oregon. You might also look for Umpqua Valley, Walla Walla (which sounded more Australian to me), Rogue Valley or Columbia Gorge. There are several others, but, Willamette is the one I've seen most of in the UK.
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With a delightful nose of honeyed peach and hint of floral, that seemed a nod to Alsace styles, I was initially hopeful. In fact it was bright and powerful - the scent leapt out of the glass.
Following through on the palate, there was honeydew melon, ripe peach, a rich and full body. Nothing like Pinot Grigio! Relief. It's oily texture and silky feel was reminiscent of the French styles and though it's dry, it's so rich that you could think it "sweet because of the fruitiness", as Mr Purple Teeth highlighted. Mr Purple Teeth loved it. "Big flavours, ripe melon and peach a seems a bit sweet - I love it!" What a relief. Normally he's more into reds, but with a Pinot Noir coming next, I had to hedge my bets. |
I didn't investigate the provenance of the sea bass, but cooked in an Asian style with chilli and pak choi, it made an exotic but simple appetiser. The wine's label had also indicated chilli and lime chicken as a suitable food partner along with Asian style cooking.
Powerful enough to stand up to the robust flavours of the dish, the wine was a success. I will certainly be buying it again.
In a world where the decent independent wine merchants are disappearing from our high streets as fast at the butcher and the grocer, Marks and Spencer do seem to be offering something a little different from most of the supermarkets. With a decent selection from less commercial regions, they make finding something a bit different, just a little easier for those of us who don't have a fantastic wine shop nearby. Not everyone wants to stock up in bulk on-line.
Powerful enough to stand up to the robust flavours of the dish, the wine was a success. I will certainly be buying it again.
In a world where the decent independent wine merchants are disappearing from our high streets as fast at the butcher and the grocer, Marks and Spencer do seem to be offering something a little different from most of the supermarkets. With a decent selection from less commercial regions, they make finding something a bit different, just a little easier for those of us who don't have a fantastic wine shop nearby. Not everyone wants to stock up in bulk on-line.
With the main course, I'd planned the Lemelson Six Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012. (£17 from The Wine Society, but currently out of stock). This had been on the wine rack for some time. I may have mentioned that getting Mr Purple Teeth to choose to open a Pinot Noir is a bit like getting me to choose a trip to the dentist. It has to be done sometimes, but it's not often going to be top of the list...
At 14.2%, and with a very full body and richer, darker colour than many French or New World Pinots, I was hopeful that it would pass the test. I have noted that Mr Purple Teeth likes a full body (lucky for me, eh?!).
Produced organically, from a blend of lots vinified separately from 6 single vineyard sites, this has all the Oregon tick-boxes covered.
Like the Pinot Gris, this had a powerful nose, with the bouquet leaping from the glass at the first pour. Wild strawberry and an almost Rioja-like vanilla from American oak were very pronounced.
Following through, a great sensory mouth-feel from fine-grained, smooth tannins, juicy acidity and that full body, at last, a Pinot Noir that had the potential for Mr Purple Teeth to enjoy it. How would it pair with the dish I had planned?
At 14.2%, and with a very full body and richer, darker colour than many French or New World Pinots, I was hopeful that it would pass the test. I have noted that Mr Purple Teeth likes a full body (lucky for me, eh?!).
Produced organically, from a blend of lots vinified separately from 6 single vineyard sites, this has all the Oregon tick-boxes covered.
Like the Pinot Gris, this had a powerful nose, with the bouquet leaping from the glass at the first pour. Wild strawberry and an almost Rioja-like vanilla from American oak were very pronounced.
Following through, a great sensory mouth-feel from fine-grained, smooth tannins, juicy acidity and that full body, at last, a Pinot Noir that had the potential for Mr Purple Teeth to enjoy it. How would it pair with the dish I had planned?
I had decided to cook some local British venison steaks, with seasonal flower sprouts as my nod to Oregon cuisine. With a preference for redcurrant or fruity, or even chocolate sauces with my venison, I was concerned that these may overpower a nice Pinot Noir.
So, continuing the fusion theme, I opted for a hint of sweetness with a Teriyaki sauce with sesame. While this is hardly "Fat Duck" level creativity, for someone who claims not to cook, I was quite impressed with this.
The sweetness was great with the iron-rich game and greens, and the umami from the soy played nicely with the wine. It was a gamble that paid off. The greens too, played their part, and didn't clash.
(I also enjoyed the wine with a strong cheddar the night after our "day-trip to Oregon").
While it won't replace Gevrey-Chambertin as Mr Purple Teeth's Pinot of choice, he enjoyed it. He also said that this was the best venison he'd had in a long time - including from several very good restaurants. While it may have been the Pinots talking, I'm taking that.
So, continuing the fusion theme, I opted for a hint of sweetness with a Teriyaki sauce with sesame. While this is hardly "Fat Duck" level creativity, for someone who claims not to cook, I was quite impressed with this.
The sweetness was great with the iron-rich game and greens, and the umami from the soy played nicely with the wine. It was a gamble that paid off. The greens too, played their part, and didn't clash.
(I also enjoyed the wine with a strong cheddar the night after our "day-trip to Oregon").
While it won't replace Gevrey-Chambertin as Mr Purple Teeth's Pinot of choice, he enjoyed it. He also said that this was the best venison he'd had in a long time - including from several very good restaurants. While it may have been the Pinots talking, I'm taking that.
Oregon's wines and food culture inspired us both, and the idea of "virtual" travel will be something we continue with while we save up enough for our next "trip of a lifetime".
Oregon wine country is well established for oenotourism, and while not as well known as Napa or Sonoma, I hope that I'll one day be able to visit it for real. We finished off the evening by getting a further insight into Oregon culture with an episode of Portlandia (see below). £30 for wine might seem a lot for a Wednesday night, but compared with a couple of substandard glasses down the local, or a transatlantic flight, I think we got a bargain.
I'd love to hear about any Oregon wines you've tried, or indeed, if you've already visited. We are also open to suggestion for food, wine and culture for our next "virtual date" location. The latitude and longitude picked found us somewhere just off Argentina's Patagonia. Suggestions welcome...
Cheers!
Oregon wine country is well established for oenotourism, and while not as well known as Napa or Sonoma, I hope that I'll one day be able to visit it for real. We finished off the evening by getting a further insight into Oregon culture with an episode of Portlandia (see below). £30 for wine might seem a lot for a Wednesday night, but compared with a couple of substandard glasses down the local, or a transatlantic flight, I think we got a bargain.
I'd love to hear about any Oregon wines you've tried, or indeed, if you've already visited. We are also open to suggestion for food, wine and culture for our next "virtual date" location. The latitude and longitude picked found us somewhere just off Argentina's Patagonia. Suggestions welcome...
Cheers!
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