1997 Thomas Winery Pinot Noir

Thomas Winery was founded in 1984, when John Thomas planted pinot noir on his 4-acre estate. Thomas makes only about 400 cases a year, and eschews publicity, a website or the protocols of public wine tastings. He tends to his dry-farm vineyard himself, and he makes his own wines. Because of his small production, his label is not widely known – except to connoisseurs of Oregon Pinot Noir. Vinous has noted that “It's little wonder that so many Burgundy aficionados, this writer included, count this small producer as one of their favorite New World sources for Pinot Noir.”

Dundee Hills AVA is in Yamhill County, and it is entirely contained within the Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon’s best known appellation. Dundee Hills is about 30 miles southwest of Portland, and has 1,300 vineyard acres. It was awarded AVA status in 2004 and, like much of Oregon, is known for Pinot Noir. Several of Oregon’s 20th century wine pioneers established their vineyards and wineries in Dundee Hills, adding to its status as a region long-recognized for producing high quality, iconic Oregon wines. Eyrie Vineyards, Erath Winery and Sokol Blosser remain some of Oregon’s most celebrated producers, and all were founded in what is now Dundee Hills in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

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.