River’s Edge Pinot Noir (2007 – Red Wine)

Jul 29 2009

What do you get when you take great soil, lots of sunlight, and some hard work? Oregon wine! What do I think Oregon does REALLY well? Pinot noir! Yes, today we talk a little about Pinot Noir. Specifically the River’s Edge 2007 Pinot Noir, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

A little history: Pinot noir (pronounced Pino nwar), is a red wine grape. The name is French, coming from the words “pine” & “black” or “dark”. While grown in many places of the world, a couple that really stand out to me are the Burgundy regions of France and of course the Willamette & Umpqua valleys of Oregon.

Now, on to the tasty part. River’s Edge winery, really does sit on the edge of the Umpqua River and produces some very fine wines. One of my favorites from this particular hotspot, is the 2007 Pinot Noir. Here’s my thoughts on it:

Bouquet. Aroma. Nose. All the same thing, but all VERY important in this particular wine, and in any wine or food really. If you can smell something, you can taste it THAT much better. Get into this bottle. Open it up, let it set, or better yet, dump the whole thing into a decanter and give it a nice rough swirl. Don’t be shy, you wont hurt it. Now, pour yourself a glass, stick your nose into it, and let the smokey, fresh cigar aroma get you ready for what comes next.

Your first sip. I’m talking earthy, dark current, cherries, and a slight vanilla undertone that pairs AMAZING with a nice seasoned pork chop. Hell, I’ve even cooked pork IN this wine. Have a glass with a crazy goat cheese, or a nice creamy brie. As with many pinots, it goes amazingly well. You may notice a buttered toast finish if your palate is extra sharp!

Go out and grab a bottle for around 18 bones. You’ll be glad you did!