Author: threestringswine
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Oregon’s finest: Wine and Cheese Pairing Bites
Every year, cheesemakers, retailers, consumers and food critics (and foodies) come together to judge over 4,000 cheese from over 40 countries for the World Cheese Awards. Surprisingly, Oregon’s Rogue River Blue Cheese won in 2019/2020, the first time an American cheese has won the title of “World’s Best Cheese.” Most people on the East Coast…
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Southern Oregon’s Iberian Surprise: Amazing Tempranillo
Unlike Willamette Valley to the north, Southern Oregon’s warmer and drier Rogue River and Umpqua Valleys do not have a “signature” grape. Over 20 different wine grapes grow in the region. That provides an unique wine tasting experience — something for everyone at one winery. As I tasted wine from a variety of wineries in…
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Viticultural Dreamin’: The Farmers of Rogue Valley AVA
The landscape of Rogue Valley is filled with rows of deep green fir trees, flat valleys with fields of vineyards and other crops, and overlapping mountain ranges on the horizon. Surrounded by three mountain ranges — The Cascades, the Siskiyou, and the Coast Range — southern Oregon is the site of highly skilled farmers, who…
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Going Native: Four California Zins that Somms Love to Drink
Zinfandel is the third most popular grape grown in California, a wine predictably offered by the glass in most restaurants and a dozen examples can be found in most grocery store aisles. But if you ask most somms to rank it among their preferred varieties, it probably would not rank in the top five. Most…
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Getting to Know You: Petit Manseng
A rare variety, Petit Manseng originates from southwest France, most famously, the Jurançon region, at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains. Often undergoing desiccation, the grape’s sugars and flavors concentrate on the vine, producing a sweet nectar once used to baptize a king. It is often blended with other rare varieties, notably Gros Manseng, to…
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Extreme Wines on Trend: Canary Islands
Over the last couple of years I have noticed more references to the wines of the Canary Islands, in wine publications and in wine lists. In fact, I had a good friend snap of pic of one recently and send it to me asking what I knew about these wines. I was able to learn…
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#savelugana: Beautiful Wines of Northern Italy
While attending the WBC 2018 in Walla Walla, Washington, I had the pleasure of experiencing wines of a region over 5,400 miles away – Lugana DOC, Italy. The Turbiana grape is a white grape that is related to the more well-known Italian grapes of Trebbiano and Verdicchio. It is grown just south of scenic Lake…
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East of Rutherford, Chiles Valley AVA
On my last trip to Napa, I wanted to visit an AVA I had never tasted before. From Rutherford on the Napa Valley floor, my husband and I followed Highway 128 east for about 25 minutes in a narrow and winding path passing Lake Hennessey on the left (cover photo) and the Vaca Mountains on…
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What to Drink from Washington State: Rattlesnake Hills AVA
When I stepped out of the Tri Cities Airport in Pasco, Washington, I noticed right away the vast openness of the countryside. Looking out as far as your eyes can see, you view multiple mountain ridges and often have a 360 degree view. The Yakima Valley Wine Association arranged for attendees of the Wine Bloggers…
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Gem of the Pacific Northwest: Yakima Valley Wines
Driving in Yakima Valley, you see agriculture all around you. Apple, pear, cherry, and hops orchids surround the highways. Mt. Rainer is visible over rolling hills and various mountain ranges in the Valley. A few key facts about Central Washington State and Yakima Valley. Fact 1: 90% of organic apples in the United States come…