2018 Big Table Farm Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir

Big Table Farm started in 2006 when Brian Marcy and Clare Carver uprooted themselves from Napa to farm 70 acres in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The couple wanted a working farm with vineyards so they could produce not only food but wine. Brian had worked in Napa at Turley Wine Cellars, Neyers Vineyards, Blankiet Estate and Marcassin, among others. Carver is an artist who designs the labels. Big Table produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Gris, Riesling and blends. Big Table Farm wines have won scores in the mid-90s from wine journals. The New York Times has called Big Table Farm “an up-and-coming producer.”

Yamhill-Carlton AVA is located in Yamhill and Washington Counties, and it is entirely contained within the Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon’s most prestigious wine producing region. It has 1,200 vineyard acres and was awarded AVA status in 2004. The region grows Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Muscat, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Ken Wright Cellars, Elk Cove Vineyards and WillaKenzie Estate are among the district’s best-known producers. All focus on Pinot Noir.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.