Walnut City WineWorks Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2004

Refreshing like a late summer breeze, the 2004 Walnut City WineWorks Willamette Valley Pinot Gris offers more than a flavorful, thirst-quenching libation; it is the quintessential Oregon Pinot Gris and could easily double as the poster child for Pinot Gris – one of Oregon’s two state drinks. Pale in color, with the barest hint of green, this Pinot Gris proffers a light, easy aromatic profile, replete with the aroma of spring flowers, ripe apples, and a twist of lime. Fresh and pleasantly fruity on the mid palate, but never sweet, the Walnut City Wine Works Pinot Gris comes back to finish bone dry on the finish. A wine of many faces, this 2004 Pinot Gris remains a true chameleon; at the same time that it slakes one’s thirst, it’s adds a bit of intrigue and mystery to its inception. In fact, there is a whole lot of good things going on inside the 2004 Walnut City Wine Works Pinot Gris that add up to very pleasurable drinking. We suggest serving this fine Pinot Gris at between 35° - 40° F.

Break out the California rolls. Bring on the tuna sashimi, and don’t forget the sushi and the edamame, either. Shrimp and rice, sushi, and a whole host of Japanese seafood specialties make excellent companions for the 2004 Walnut City Wine Works Pinot Gris. Baked or grilled trout provides another winning combination. We are also partial to shellfish with this wine. Clams, oysters, and mussels – served baked, grilled, or on the half shell – pair beautifully with the summer freshness of the Walnut City Wine Works Pinot Gris and in turn are enlivened by the tangy citrus qualities of the wine. Antipasti and most light hors d’oeuvres will do this wine justice, too. Enjoy!

Walnut City WineWorks is the dream of John Davidson and John Gilpin, two Oregon farmers, nurserymen, and winemakers who have planted more than a million vines throughout Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the past two decades. The two met back in 1984 at one of Yamhill County’s first wineries. From the beginning, the two shared a love for Pinot Noir and a desire to establish Oregon’s Willamette Valley as one of the world’s premier producers of Pinot Noir. Over the years, that dream has grown to include Pinot Gris, Oregon’s response or rebuke, if you will, to Chardonnay. Walnut City WineWorks opened its doors in 1999 in the original Willamette Valley Walnut Company building in the heart of historic McMinnville. After an extreme interior make-over, Davidson and Gilpin, along with winemaker Zac Spence, have set about fashioning a bevy of clean, tasty Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir wines from two hundred acres of Willamette vines they either own or manage. Davidson and Gilpin’s own work is bottled under the Walnut City WineWorks label; the rest is made and bottled for other producers. Walnut City WineWorks also functions as a custom crush facility for a number of small growers, who share Walnut City WineWorks’ like minded passion and joy for wine.