Oregon winemakers pump up the volume
WATERS ON WINE
David Millman loves lunch. As the general manager for Domaine Drouhin’s wine interests in Oregon, he says he never gets tired of settling around a table and enjoying a glass of wine.
“When ever I open a bottle of wine, I slow down. I’m making that time to relax and slow down,” Millman says as he takes his seat at a restaurant in Toronto’s fashionable Yorkville district. “If I’m able to have a glass of wine with lunch, I know I’m having a good day.”
The modern conventions of grabbing a bite on the run or eating at a desk aren’t lost on the former music industry executive. That’s makes the occasion to linger around the table and trade stories imminently enjoyable, he says.
He’s clearly found the right occupation.
The Drouhin family has been making wine in its native Burgundy for four generations. They expanded their interests to Oregon in 1987 after being bowled over by the grape growing potential and the passion of the winemakers who established the region.
Millman signed on in 2004 and has helped champion its wine and the promise of the Willamette Valley region to international audiences. “We’re small, we’re focused,” he says, referring to an industry that’s large built on top quality Pinot Noir production.
Wine lovers in Canada can expect to see a growing range of wines from Oregon. The region has enjoyed a string of good vintages and has enough inventory to seriously consider export.
The timing couldn’t be better predicts Millman, suggesting that winemakers are able to take advantage of a number of beneficial factors that didn’t exist even five years ago.
“People look at Oregon with interest and not just for wine,” he continues. The coffee culture, the thriving craft beer industry, the internationally recognized food scene. Plus global brands like Nike and Columbia are based in Oregon, which helps give consumers a sense of place.
“Little by little,” Millman says. “Oregon wine has come a long way, but has a long way to go.” Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2015 Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir Willamette Valley The Cloudline label was launched in 2002 as an affordable introduction to Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It’s a label that continues to improve and evolve, with 25 percent of the grapes coming from the winery’s own RoseRock Vineyard to flesh out Pinot Noir purchased from local growers. This is a ripe and enjoyable expression, with fresh acidity and gentle tannins that nicely balance the core of juicy fruit and attractive smoke and spice notes. Well-made Oregon Pinot Noir makes an impression with its ripe character that’s rich and flavourful while still retaining freshness and fragrance. That yin-yang mix of power and elegance is what makes this enjoyable example stand out. Don’t be fooled by the pale colour, this has plenty of complexity and charm.