Merriman Wines

Merriman Wines' Eric Brasher makes Pinot noir from the winery's estate vineyard, located in the hills above Carlton, Oregon. A best value, their second label is called "Cummins Road."

Merriman's newest wine is the Brasher Block Old Vine Chenin Blanc from the Webster Vineyard in Yakima, Washington. Made from one scant acre of rugged, rocky soil, the Chenin Blanc vines were planted 39 years ago, some of the oldest in the state. Eric found them by chance, spotting a neglected stand of vines in rural Yakima Valley and persuading the owners to let him lease one acre. To bring the vines back into production, he practically lived with them in the desert. He camped out and hacked through the weeds, pruned and cultivated, and developed a one-of-a-kind Washington white wine.

In honor of Eric's herculean labors repairing and managing the vines, the owners named it the "Brasher Block."