Oregon Winery Raptor Ridge Shines

I was excited to see as I read through the Oregonian's Spring Guide to Oregon Wineries yesterday that Raptor Ridge was highlighted as producing one of the paper's top 20 picks for summer wines. I had the priviledge of meeting and working with Raptor Ridge winemaker and Intel business planner, Scott Shull, when I worked at VTM and enjoyed picking his brain about some of Oregon's wine-growing nuances.

Raptor Ridge Winery is located on the northeast side of the Chehalem Mountains about 10 miles north of Newberg, Oregon (Go Bruins!). They grow much of their own grapes on the 27-acre property but also utilize grapes grown by other vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley.

The wine the Oregonian highlighted was their 2007 Pinot Gris, describing it as a "crisp, bracing, elegant wine that will refresh on the most torrid and torpid summer day." The winery develops its pinot gris in the Alsacian style. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to taste this wine yet but, obviously, plan to do so in the coming weeks.