Oregon Wine Month with Erath

May is Oregon Wine Month.

So many amazing wines are coming from this great state; especially ones that are low production and higher costs. But what about some every day wines?

I get calls on a regular basis from friends in bigger retailers and grocery stores who need help   selecting a wine for dinner or similar gathering.

Erath is one vineyard that consistently produces value wines. I recently tried the 2017 Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, along with a lovely Rose of Pinot  Noir, along with my Grape Minds co-host Julie Glenn and Erath winemaker Gary Horner.

He has an interesting story and takes a look back at what has made Oregon such a great wine making state.

Check it out here...

Virtual Tasting with the Legendary Domaines Barons de Rothschild

Nothing takes the place of a face to face wine tasting with a wine maker. However, in these times of social distancing it's not an option. Like so many industries, there is a shift to virtual gatherings.

Wineries have come up with a variety of ways to connect with owners, wine makers and wine experts. Wine.com has created an entire tasting series complete with celebrity vintners and with wines that have wide appeal.

It's quite simple. Select the tasting you want to participate in, sign up, and the wines are shipped right to your door.

I recently participated in a tasting with Saskia de Rothschild, chairwoman of the legendary Domaines Baron de Rothschild (Lafite).

We tasted four of Saskia's wines from the family's vineyards around the world. She tasted along from her home in France, commenting on the history of the properties and vines, while sharing what she was tasting and smelling in each of the four wines.

We began with Chateau d'aussières Chardonnay; a delightful surprise for me. From the Corbieres Valley in Langeudoc, it was rich but not oaky or buttery, rather fresh with lots of minerals, nice acidity, and citrus. My Sauvignon blanc drinking friends loved it.

Next was CARO Amancaya; a partnership with the famous Catena family in Argentina. A blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon it was a beautiful deep ruby color, with flavors of cherries, fig, caramel and pepper. I finished it later with pasta and it was perfect.

Moving to neighboring Chile we tried Los vascos Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. It smelled like violets and eucalyptus and had soft tannins. I tasted dark fruits like cherry and plum and agreed tis Saskia's suggestion of chilling it a bit and serving with grilled veggies.

Finally we moved to Bordeaux, where Saskia's roots are. Only the Chateau L 'Evangile Blason de L'Evangile was from the right bank; most of family's legendary vineyards are on the left. From the famous Pomerol region, it was predominantly merlot with a little cabernet franc as well. The wine was sensual and big, but still balanced.

The Wine.com tastings are also recorded; if you miss the live event, you can still get in on the wine fun. Here is Saskia's. 

If there are too many wines in the tasting for you to open at once, you simply click on the link and pick back up with the next wine when you are ready. I unashamedly uncorked them all.

The majority of people tuning in would never have the opportunity to meet Saskia or visit all of the wineries featured here. It's a great way to learn and enjoy some delicious wines while sheltering at home.