Pinot Noir: Hard to Make, Easy to Love

The Pinot Noir grape is notoriously difficult to cultivate. It grows best in limestone soil and needs a long, cool growing season (too hot and it loses all of its delicacy and character). Even when all conditions are right, the vines tend to mutate easily, making clone selection extremely important. Once harvested, it is highly unstable and difficult to vinify, requiring a gentle touch and a minimalist approach. But when everything is right, Pinot Noir is the most romantic grape of all, regularly described with such sensual terms as: velvety, silky, smooth, sexy and supple. If that sounds appealing to you, then be sure to join us for our November program featuring Oregon Pinot Noirs paired with food bites from Pasta Nova in Woodinville.

Guiding us through our parade of Pinots will be David LeClaire, who you may remember from our Rosé program last year. David is the founder and president of Best of the West, a series of upscale wine events held throughout the United States. He is also a certified sommelier, an instructor at North Seattle Community College, a free lance wine writer, and former wine director at the Alexis Hotel and Library Bistro. He is a knowledgable and entertaining speaker, so come prepared to learn and enjoy.

Our Oregon Wineries
We will be tasting wines from six Oregon wineries, known for their excellent Pinot Noirs. Starting in the northern Willamette Valley, Elk Cove Vineyards is a family-owned winery producing outstanding Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling. Founded in 1974 by Pat and Joe Campbell, and later joined by their son Adam as winemaker, they are dedicated to producing hand-crafted, estate-grown wines. We will be tasting their 2004 Mount Richmond Pinot Noir, the first national release from this promising vineyard which lies in the shadow of the Coast Range and is planted with Pommard clones.

Not far from Lange is Sineann, a producer of meticulously-made, highly sought-after wines. Owner and winemaker Peter Rosback is committed to crafting small amounts of great wine. The Yamhill County Winery Association states: "Sineann is passionate about producing the most intense, flavorful wines. ... Crop sizes are minuscule; the wines handcrafted. Good luck finding any Sineann wines!" Look no further—we will be pouring their 2004 Wyeast Pinot Noir at our program.

In the southern Willamette Valley, not far from Eugene, lies the majestic winery of King Estate, founded by the King family in 1992. Reminiscent of a French château, it is a beautiful mountain vineyard site with elevations ranging from 800 to 1,100 feet, moderated by cool, prevailing northwest winds. We will be pouring their 2002 Signature Pinot Noir, which garnered both a Gold Medal and Best of Show at the 2005 Oregon State Fair Wine Competition.

Moving further south into the Umpqua Region is the relatively new Brandborg Vineyard and Winery. Owners and winemakers Terry and Sue Brandborg craft their wine with minimal intervention in order to preserve the character of the fruit. While they wait for their own vines to mature, they are making their Pinot Noir with grapes from the cooler, northwest part of the Umpqua Valley, where the marine influence allows only cool-climate varietals to mature. We will be tasting their 2003 Bench Lands Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir.

Only six miles from the California border, in the Rogue Region, Foris Vineyards Winery is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most southern wineries. Their vineyards are surrounded by the Siskiyou Mountains and receive strong ocean and mountain influence. On our tasting card for the evening is their 2000 Siskiyou Terrace Pinot Noir, a blend of grapes from seven separate sites, using mostly Dijon clones.

Tasting Menu by Pasta Nova
Entering Pasta Nova is like being transported to a small village in Northern Italy. Like visiting a Tuscan farm house, you want to stay for awhile. There is music, food made from the freshest local ingredients, wonderful desserts, and a wine list featuring fine wines from the local Woodinville Wineries.

Pasta Nova serves authentic Northern and Central Italian cuisine. Chef Armin Amano (or Fred, as he is known to his customers) has been creating traditionally prepared pastas, sauces and Italian dishes for years. In true Italian tradition, he displays a passion for and commitment to the perfection of every dish and recipe he creates. For our November program he will be preparing:

Caesar Salad
Crisp romaine lettuce with
Pasta Nova’s famous caesar dressing
Eggplant Parmigiano
Three layers of eggplant, topped with mozzarella
and parmigiano cheese and Pasta Nova’s
homemade marinara sauce
Penne à la Matrician
A classic spicy Italian red sauce over
Italian sausage, with bacon, red pepper and white wine. Finished with pecorino cheese.
Tiramisu Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

What more can we say?! Pasta Nova is located at 17310 140th Ave. N.E. in Woodinville (412-483-3716). They invite you to come by for the Caesar salad, homemade soups and antipasti. Or try their gorgonzola walnut ravioli with Alfredo or the traditional meat lasagna. Have a glass or two of wine. Stay for awhile.

Special Thanks
The Seattle Wine Society wishes to thank Elaine Drongowski for her invaluable help in selecting and procuring the Oregon Pinot Noirs for our November program. Elaine is the founder of Occasions Northwest, a marketing and event production company that focuses on the Pacific Northwest wine and culinary industry. For more information, she can be reached at elaine@occasionsnw.com.

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