Wine Shop

About Oregon Wines

When John first entered the wine business he was eager to discover new wines and introduce them into the market and his clients – the famous words from the movie Animal House come to mind: 'Road Trip!' Off in the car he would go heading to really what was an undiscovered yet emerging new wine region, Oregon and the Willamette Valley. Few books were written, maps far and few between and worse still, the dearth of any good restaurants other than Nicks Italian Kitchen in McMinnville and the Red Hills Café in Dundee Oregon. Other than that the road trip was a great way to eat badly.

It is not a coincidence that when wineries set up shop, good restaurants follow, but that’s for another time. One cannot say Oregon wine without recognizing David Lett from Eyrie Vineyards. Other pioneers were Ken Wright, from Ken Wright Cellars (but when he first came up he started Panther Creek winery), John Paul from Cameron, Dick Ponzi, and one of my heroes and ad hoc mentors, Toney Soter who moved his family from Napa and started Soter Vineyards—yummy Pinots and sparkling wine by the way. Others that come to mind are Bethel Heights, Steve Dorner at Cristom & Evesham Wood and Sokol Blosser.

The aforementioned list does not do the region or its dedicated producers justice—a visit to Oregon is indeed in order.

ps Not only does McMinnville have a great array for restaurants and bars but is boasts a world class flight museum.