-Tour of Oregon - 3 bottles

Give the Grand Tour of Oregon's Wine Country!

Three very different wines from some of Oregon's best small wineries. Great wines, many not available outside of Oregon. One bottle of each wine in a gift that's sure to please.

Laura Volkman St. James
Pinot noir 09 $25
Chehalem Mountains

Now we head south and west to Laura Volkman Vineyards. Laura, a woman with a special talent for hands-off winemaking, has this motto: "The soil, the sun, nurturing the vines, harvesting at the peak of perfection, the fruit will make the wine." We know there's a bit more to winemaking than that and year after year she charms us with her aptitude. Her three vineyard blocks are named for her family: Rachel, for her daughter, Jacob for her son and St. James for her husband. He must be one terrific guy to merit sainthood. The wine named in his honor deserves high praise indeed - it is is plush, dark and full of succulent blackberry, raspberry and cherry fruit flavors. A real bargain at $25.

Elemental Cellars Syrah 06 $20
Yamhill Carlton

Continuing south, we arrive at Elemental Cellars, just west of Salem. Elemental is the personal label of Witness Tree winemaker Steve Westby. This fascinating Syrah is a real crowd-pleaser. It was co-fermented with Viognier which gives it an extra lift. It's a deeply complex wine with smoky violets and bacon, mineral, coffee and leather notes with vibrant berry fruit. At $20, this is a real steal!

Territorial Vineyards
Pinot gris 09 $15
South Willamette Valley

Our tour continues south to Territorial Vineyards. Territorial bottles wine from three different vineyards, two nestled up against the Coast Range west of Junction City and one further south in the beautiful Crow Valley near Eugene. Their Pinot Gris is a fine example of Oregon Pinot Gris, with crispness, citrus, and honeyed tropical fruit. While Oregon salmon is the perfect accompaniment to this wine, you won't go wrong pairing it with any type of seafood or poultry.