1994 Sokol Blosser Redland Reserve Pinot Noir

Sokol Blosser was started by Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser in 1971, when they planted their first vines in the higher elevations of the Dundee Hills. Recent college graduates with little agriculture experience, the young couple was part of the first wave of modern Pinot Noir winemaking in Oregon. Their first vintage was in 1977. Within a few years their Pinot Noirs were winning international awards, and the estate, having expanded to 72 acres, became part of an early sustainable agriculture movement in the Pacific Northwest. Today Bill and Susan’s children, Alex and Alison, are co-presidents. Alex is also head winemaker. Sokol Blosser makes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, red and white blends, sparkling wine and a rosé, among other wines.

Willamette Valley AVA was established in 1983, and it is the oldest appellation in Oregon. Oregon’s modern wine industry began in the Willamette Valley in the 1960s when artists, vagabond winemakers, and U.C. Davis oenology graduates looking for new territory started their own, small, off-the-grid wineries. The appellation is the state’s largest, and it extends 175 miles from Columbia River on the Washington/Oregon border to just south of Eugene, near central Oregon. The Willamette River runs through the area, helping to give the appellation a mild year-round climate. There are six smaller sub-appellations within this AVA, but altogether the Willamette Valley has the largest concentration of wineries in Oregon, as well as the majority of the state’s most famous producers. Pinot Noir is king here, followed by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. To most admirers of Oregon Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley offers the most distinctive wine choices in the state.

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.