SAVORY SIPS: AIRLIE

THE WINE

BUBBLES 

Airlie offers four different half-bottle options of wines that are carbonated. Bubbles are a pallet cleanser and a wonderful way to start a meal with your appetizer or on its own. Airlie sells it in half bottles based on talking with clientele and finding that many prefer to have only a glass or two. 

• Carbonated Pinot Noir & Müller Thurgau “Blush 2021”: A blend of red and white grapes, with just a “touch” of barrel aging, this delightful bubbly pink confection will tickle your nose with pink grapefruit, ripe strawberries, honeysuckle, along with slight notations of tropical fruit. Balancing the wine is a perky acidity and almost chalky mouthfeel along with the song of the earth, a strong mineral presence.  An easy summer favorite, enjoy it by itself or have it with a strawberry cheesecake. Chocolate cheesecake would suffice in leu of strawberries.
• Carbonated Rosé of Pinot Noir 2021: This is a rosé made for the red wine drinker. These grapes are left in contact with the red skins for 2-3 days, giving it a darker color. Floral red roses, notes of leather, herbs, and earthy stone flavors of the minerals. It receives some time on neutral, older oak. It would be a great companion to a charcuterie board.
• Carbonated Chardonnay 2021: The dominant aura in the nose to me was again the song of the terroir: minerals. As with all of Airlie’s wines, it was beautifully balanced with notes of pears, a whiff of lemons, and herbs like rosemary along herbal flowers. It has a very fresh feel on the palate and the acidity lights up the mouth causing salivation. This would complement fresh oysters very well. 

WHITES 

The majority of Airlie’s plantings are white grapes at 60%. As with many of the vineyards in the Willamette Valley, being tucked in next to the forest and the evening winds pushing in from the coast favors grapes that do well in colder conditions, such as the popular varietal Pinot Gris.  

• Pinot Gris 2021: A dry wine with a floral bouquet immersing you in honeysuckle and gardenia, peaches, balanced by the stony earthy minerals and herbal notes. It’s a dry wine with a creamy texture and a medium plus range of acidity, your mouth will water with this wine. Made from 100% estate fruit from Airlie, it is an easy drinking wine. Bring this bottle with you to your next Dungeness crab dinner party, it’s sure to be a favorite.
• Dry Gerwürztraminer 2021: A light, warming wine of honeydew, white peaches, pink grapefruits, and essences of pineapples and lemons accompany strong earthy tones expressed through the smells of wet stones. 100% Airlie grown, this wine is fermented in stainless steel. For something different, try a bottle with a roasted red pepper soup, curry dish, or an artichoke.
• Seven 2021: As suggested by the name, this is a white varietal blend of seven different grapes. Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, gewürztraminer, viognier, Riesling, sauvignon blanc, and pinot gris. Yellow pear, yellow peaches, green peppers, laced with tropical notes and balanced by the earthy mineral tones makes this a very friendly wine. Shrimp scampi, with fresh baguettes along with a fresh salad and a bottle of Seven is a recipe for a memorable meal.
• Reisling 2021: 100% estate fruit, a citrusy nose with yellow pears, a subtle sweetness like baked yellow apples and herbal tones like rosemary. Stainless steel fermented and balanced by the ever familiar minerals that are the signature of the terroir of Airlie’s little slice of paradise. As lovely as the nose is, the pallet is a touch sweeter than what is presented on the nose. Pair it with crispy pork belly spring rolls with a spiced apple purée.
• Müller Thurgau 2017: In 2021, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awarded gold to Airlie’s Müller Thurgau 2017. 100% estate fruit, bright citrusy notes, green apples, and herbal essences. Combined with the smells of minerals and the forest floor, it gave off floral sunflower notes as well. The impression it gave was as if walking through a field of sunflowers, hints of sweetness balanced by the smell of the earth. I do believe that I agree, this wine is so friendly that you could pair it with just about anything. When you don’t know what wine to bring to the party, pick this one, it’s sure to have more than a few fans.  

DESSERT  

• Gewürztraminer Late Harvest 2020: What offering would be complete without a dessert wine? Airlie makes it ice wine style, freezing the grapes to enhance their natural spice. The end result is delicious baked yellow pears drizzled in honey, notes of cardamom, and whiffs of daffodils. It’s easily enjoyable on its own, or pair with a cheese fondue, cheesecake or even a Danish.  

REDS 

Airlie boasts 40% pinot noir plantings, the signature of Willamette Valley. However, don’t dismiss their other offering, the Maréchal Foch. 

• Pinot Noir 2016: 2015 was a banner year for the Willamette Valley, but 2016 did a pretty good job of producing some quality fruit. Aged in new French oak barrels for about 10-15% and then finished off in neutral oak barrels. Plums, blackberries, ripe strawberries, red roses, leather, spices, and minerals dance on the pallet. Pairs well with light sauces and meats, such as salmon or lamb lollipops. If you’d like to be a little more casual, pair it with a pizza, even a simple classic like pepperoni and cheese. This bottle received high accolades, with 93 points, it was listed as a top 50 US Pinot noirs by Wine & Spirits Magazine.
• “Nudge” Maréchal Foch 2018: A hybrid grape from France that is partial to cold weather, it imparts a deep dark purple color to the wine. Barrel aged for 3 years in neutral oak, it sang of dark currant jam, blackberries, minerals, and a tobacco spices. With a long lingering finish and full round body, pair this with steak and blueberry reduction. Grenache, or any rich dark chocolate will make an intriguing companion to this outstanding wine.
• Maréchal Foch-Signature 2019: Similar but very different would be the description I’ve give for the two Fochs. This wine was more floral reflecting the fragrance of dark, deep red roses pungent at full bloom backed by familiar dark plum, blueberry, and tobacco spices. Herbal earth tones with the wet stone minerals balance out the wine and a hint of bubblegum brightens the palate. This would make an excellent companion to a dessert fondue with an offering of fruits and chocolates. Cheesecake with berry sauce would also be an excellent choice.