Wine Tasting

July 4^th, 2006

We stopped by a winery called FIRESTEED while driving on 99W back to Hillsboro, OR. We both were about to embark on our first wine tasting experience. We also wanted to look at the different types of grapes grown in the vineyard too. Anyway, we drove straight in about 15 minutes before the vineyard closes for the day. It was 2$ per person wine tasting fee. So, we both started with the sweet and smooth white wines and graduated into the beautiful dry burgundys’. We started with trying 2002 PINOT GRIS, sweet and very mild white wine, followed by a 2003 PINOT GRIS that was fruitier owing to its age. As wine ages, the grape matures and loses its fruity characteristics. We then moved to the very popular PINOT NOIRs. We tried the 2004 OREGON PINOT NOIR. It had a bright burgundy color. It was aged in oak cellars that are mostly mildly roasted before storing the wine in. It tasted like regular Pinot Noir. Next, we tried a slightly older PINOT NOIR, 2003 and once again it tasted less fruity than the 2004 PINOT NOIR. Now come the better dry red wines. The first, Amar’s favorite was 2001 WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT NOIR. This is older wine is made from carefully chosen grape clusters and oak barrels. It was about 13% alcohol by volume. My favorite was a wine from a winery in Asti, Italy also bottled there. Its called 2001 BARBERRA D’ASTI. It was about 13% alcohol too. There was another interesting variant that we tried later. It is called 2004 CAYALLA RTW. It gets it name from two different Indian tribes Cayuse and Walla Walla. It is a blend of four red varietals – Cabaranet Franc, Cabaranet Savignon, Merlot and Syrah(Chiraz). Finally, Amar tried the 2004 SC WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT NOIR about 13.8% by volume.

We both were a little tipsy at the end of the wine tasting experience. We went to look at the Pinot Noir and Pinor Gris grapes but they were all very very tiny. We finally left the place with a piece of advice from an old geography professor from University of Kansas ..”wine’s a bad addiction, nevertheless have it”.