12 May For Oregon Wine Month, 2019 Planet Oregon Pinot Noir
During May, Oregon Wine Month, you have options.
Oregon wineries (which number over 900) now
offer an impressive variety of varietals.
Merlot, Grenache, Gamay, Vermentino and many other
niche wines that were once side projects…experiments really…
are now available to the consumer.
But the leader of the Oregon pack…by far…
continues to be Pinot Noir.
It’s Wine Thursday!, our weekly recommendation
of a good wine that sells for a reasonable price
and is easy to find, either at your store, online or both.
This week we’re shining the Wine Thursday! light
on a selection that checks all of the
Oregon Wine Month boxes.
It’s a Pinot Noir, it has “Oregon” in its name,
and most importantly, it’s a great buy.
Where it’s from
Perched atop a hill outside Carlton, Oregon,
Soter Vineyards specializes in high-end Pinot Noir
and sparkling wines. Planet Oregon, Soter’s value brand,
reflects Soter’s commitment to biodynamics and sustainability.
For every bottle of Planet Oregon sold,
Soter donates $1 to the Oregon Environmental Council.
What it is
The 2019 Planet Oregon is an exception to the rule…
the rule that says there are no Oregon Pinots
in the $20 range that are worth your bother.
This bottle would hold its own…it might even win…
in a blind tasting with many $30-$40 Oregon Pinots.
Planet Oregon is bright and tangy with raspberry and blackberry flavors.
Medium-bodied with dialed-in acidity,
it is drinkable on its own but would be perfect
for that quintessential Oregon pairing:
Pinot Noir and salmon.
Kudos to Soter Vineyards.
Where to buy it
Planet Oregon is at Fred Meyer for $20.99.
Total Wine sells it for $22.99.
It’s on the shelf at QFC for $25.99.
You can order Planet Oregon from Wood’s Wholesale Wine for $17.94
https://www.woodswholesalewine.com
Empire Wine has Planet Oregon for $17.95
The price at Stirling Fine Wines is $19.99
https://www.stirlingfinewine.com
Gary’s Wine & Marketplace also has it for $19.99
It’s the same price at Basser’s Fine Wine – $19.99
and Star Wines & Liquors has it for $22.99