Location:
United States, McMinnville

Wine, Oregon, Unique

By Kristyn Lak Miller

Never Have Lunch with a Winemaker

By Kristyn Lak Miller

The restaurant, a tapas bar, is moody yet cheerful. Our large round table claims a perfect spot between the elegant bar and the floor-to-ceiling windows. To my left sits Maria Stuart; to her left is her husband Rob, the “R” in R. Stuart & Co. Winery here in McMinnville, Oregon; to my right is my husband Mark. We all order generously—it’s a tapas bar, after all—with two or three plates per person. “So Kristyn,” Rob says, looking across the table at me. “What wine should we order to complement these dishes?”

My mind goes blank. Panic!

My love affair with wine began very casually with a bottle of Bully Hill Love My Goat Red given to me for my 21st birthday. I always thought of wine as stuffy, but I related to Bully Hill’s humor and approachableness. Over the last decade, my palette and I have matured and each year my “reasonable price” limit for a great bottle grows a bit higher.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a “Wines of Oregon” class and fell hard for a grape I knew little about: Pinot Noir. One taste, and I was hooked. Oregon is one of the Top 5 U.S. wine-producing states and it’s particularly good at growing hard-to-grow Pinot Noir grapes. Yet it’s still not well-known . . . and it should be! In early 2005, I participated in a blind Pinot Noir wine tasting. R. Stuart & Co. 2003 Autograph Pinot Noir placed second on our list of favorites. Rob participated incognito in the class, and only after our choices were revealed was Rob’s identity revealed as well.

The participants all got a little livelier upon hearing the news and, after the class, many swarmed Rob like a rock star, asking him to autograph his Autograph wine. When the frenzy diminished, I approached Rob about my upcoming trip to Oregon’s Willamette Valley (pronounced “will-AM-met”). With what I found out later is characteristic generosity, Rob invited Mark and me to visit his winery during our trip.

In November 2005, we took Rob up on his offer when we visited Oregon wine country during its month-long harvest festival. Most wineries were open and we enjoyed hazelnuts, cheese, pears, and exceptional wine. We delayed the best, visiting R. Stuart & Co. on our last day.

Rob met us in his tasting room and brought us next door to the actual winery, a converted granary where all the magic happens. Rob ran around the winery and expertly climbed up stacks of barrels, thief in hand, and returned time and time again with just enough wine for us to get a taste of several of his offerings, including really young Pinot Gris and the port Rob has been working on for years (and which will be available, in small quantity, to the public around 2010). The granary was chilly, but we warmed up rather quickly. To be in the presence of an enthusiastic and passionate winemaker, in his winery, tasting his wine, was the experience of a lifetime.

After our taste buds were teased and pleased, Rob and Maria invited us to lunch at one of their favorite restaurants. Which brings me to my what-wine-to-order-predicament. “Something from R. Stuart, naturally,” I suggest. Or am I asking?

“Oh no, no,” he responds. What was it everyone ordered? I think, frantic. The waitress arrives with some of our dishes. “You’ve got to try this eggplant,” Maria says and I quickly do, figuring Rob can’t possibly expect me to order the wine through a mouthful of (oh yes, this is delicious) eggplant. I don’t look up but I hear Rob consult with the waitress and decide upon a Spanish wine. When it arrives, it perfectly complements each dish. Of course it does—he’s the wine expert!

Mark and I plan to revisit Willamette Valley again during the grape harvest in the fall. When we do, we’ll definitely see Rob again . . . only we’ll be visiting sometime after the lunch hour.

When To Visit: The 200 or so vineyards in the Willamette Valley aren’t always open to the public, but most are during Memorial Day and Thanksgiving weekends. For the most fun, visit during the annual International Pinot Noir Celebration, typically in July.

Where To Eat (without a Winemaker): La Rambla Restaurant & Bar, 503-435-2126, www.laramblaonthird.com, where we dined with Rob and Maria, is an undiscovered gem in the historic town on McMinnville; here, enjoy a Spanish tapas twist on Northwest cuisine. Where La Rambla is off the radar, Dundee Bistro, 503-554-1650, www.dundeebistro.com, is smack dab in the middle of all the action on what I called “winery row” in Dundee; it has a well-deserved reputation for first-class dining.

Where to Drink: This is wine country, after all, so skip the bars and hit the tasting counters. My favorite wineries include R. Stuart & Co. Winery (McMinnville), 866-472-6990, www.rstuartandco.com; Owen Roe (Newberg), 503-678-6514, www.owenroe.com; Ponzi Vineyards (Beaverton), 503-628-1227, www.ponziwines.com; Van Duzer Vineyards (Dallas), 800-884-1927, www.vanduzer.com; Lange Estate Winery & Vineyards (Dallas), 503-538-6476, www.langewinery.com; Argyle Winery (Dundee), 888-427-4953, www.argylewinery.com; Rex Hill Vineyards & Winery (Newberg), 800-739-4455, www.rexhill.com and Bergström Winery (Newberg), 503-554-0468, www.bergstromwines.com.

Where To Stay: McMenamins Hotel Oregon, www.mcmenamins.com, 888-472-8427, is a 100+-year-old charmer in downtown McMinnville with historic details, unique rooms, and special touches like a soda fountain. Springbrook Hazelnut Farm Bed & Breakfast, 800-793-8528, www.nutfarm.com, in Newberg, is a 10-acre retreat with row after row of hazelnut trees, gardens, and a 1-acre pond. Word is that a luxury hotel is in the works for this area . . . and it’s about time!

Further Information

Travel tips: As indicated in the article, the 200 or so vineyards in the Willamette Valley aren’t always open to the public, but most are during Memorial Day and Thanksgiving weekends. For the most fun, visit during the annual International Pinot Noir Celebration, typically in July.

Must see/do at this place: Get a map. Drive around. Take every back road. Get lost. Have fun!

You should avoid here: Don't expect snobbiness. Oregon wine country is relaxed and inviting. Check the attitude at the door (if you have one) and be open to experiencing world-class wine.