Nugent Vineyard - Robert Stemmler

Robert Stemmler

2006 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Nugent Vineyard

11 acres in the heart of the Russian River Valley; tightly spaced vines of Dijon 115 and 667 clones. This Pinot is consistently light, very little pepper and stable fruit. Excellent to sip with friends or to enhance a pork meal and perhaps seabass. You can't go wrong with this forty dollar bottle which was found at Trader Joes for Twenty Dollars. Good luck finding a bottle, and look for it at special restaurants. Even though this is not a value priced wine, it is a must share announcement.

Stone Wolf Vineyards - 2006 Pinot Noir

For those who have not heard of, or tried any wine from, the Willamette Valley of Oregon is the up and coming Napa Valley (still in its infancy). Willamette Valley actually made a top 10 list, ranked number 6, destinations for 2009. A destination for wine lovers to try before it is the next high priced, tourist destination.

Along with our BBQ Turkey for Thanksgiving (which turned out fabulous), we enjoyed the Stone Wolf Vineyards (http://www.stonewolfvineyards.com/) 2006 Pinot Noir. I am not a big fan of Pinot as they tend to be very simple red wines. This Pinot was a complex, medium bodied red that paired well with our turkey. Priced at $18-$20, this is a wonderful wine, one to be enjoyed as a starter to the night or with your dinner - or just to drink for no other reason. I was surprised by this one, and would recommend trying this along with others from the Willamette Valley.