For our first foray into finding good yet inexpensive wine, we will journey just outside of Eugene to Veneta, where, if you aren’t driving too fast and can spot the sign obscured by the brush, you will find Secret House Vineyard.
Before walking into the tasting room, let’s go over a few terms and etiquette that will be useful to you when trying and selecting your wine.
Varietal: This term indicates that the wine was made with one type of grape. For example, Chardonnay is made with Chardonnay grapes. Pinot Noir is made with Pinot grapes.
Sometimes it is hard to tell what is a blend or a varietal. Blends are wines made of two or more different types of grape. Wines like Bordeaux or Chianti tend to be blends. However, these last two wines also refer to regions where they were originally made, in parts of Europe, so it can often be confusing as to what a wine is, what it was made from or where it comes from. Therefore, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Next, find out what vintage a wine is or when it was made. This can often be very important information. White wines, such as Pinot Gris or Chardonnay, are often drunk young, or very soon after being made, probably two years or so. This is because white wines don’t often age well and need to be drunk fairly soon. Reds, such as Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon, will keep for many years. However, there are exceptions, so, again, don’t be afraid to ask.
Finally, the tasting itself: There are many different ways to taste and enjoy wine. When tasting wine, you will be given a small amount to try, starting with light whites and moving down to complex reds. Although some people choose to spit out the wine, it is perfectly acceptable to swallow it. Also you don’t need to rinse out your glass after every sample. Finally, savor the flavor; swish the wine in your mouth; smell it; notice its texture; be sure you really like what you may buy.
I found the wine at Secret House Vineyard of exceptional quality and very accessible and easy to drink. The whites are of good value and quality and are all well within or below the $10 range. They offer excellent value. The reds, on the other hand, while also quite good, were on the more expensive side. If you don’t mind dropping $20 for a bottle, then you will find the available selections quite right for your budget.
However, there is a more modestly priced bottle of Pinot Noir made from Umpqua Valley grapes that is priced between the whites and superior reds. While this Noir doesn’t have the full body or richness of the estate Noir that is available, it gives beginning wine drinkers easy access into Pinot Noir, the jewel of Oregon wines.
Also, for those just entering the wine market, I would suggest the white Pinot Noir. This is actually a blush wine that is made from Pinot grapes but was aged without the peels, which give the red pigment.
The Pinot Gris is also very good and gives a sweeter complexity that the white Noir is missing. There was also a 1996 Chardonnay on hand that was very good. Unlike the other whites, it has been oak-barrel aged and gives more complex flavors that would match up well with a seafood dish.
Finally, while I am not a fan of sweet or sparkling wines, those of you who enjoy champagne will certainly find the selection of sparkling wines a delight, full of flavor and modestly priced.
If you want to get a real taste of Secret House, you might opt for the estate Pinot Noir, giving you a look into what Secret House winemaker Mark Dortch calls “micro climates” that “are all unique in their own production,” giving each vineyard in Oregon a taste all its own.
If you can make it to Secret House in the very near future, the workers will be harvesting and crushing fruit in preparation for the production of another vintage. And you are invited to experience this process. However, this will be finished soon, so hurry if you want to experience some of the mystique of vinting.
Look for this column again in two weeks, and remember to drink responsibly and always have a designated driver.