Evolution white was created out of the desire to make a fun wine, one that would accompany the modern predilection for yoking different kinds of food together. It is a blend of nine grape varieties: Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Sémillon, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner. It is a beautiful mosaic with, as they say, snap, spice and zing, very much more than the sum of its very disparate parts. The label will also give much pleasure to the diehard traditionalist.
SOKOL BLOSSER, Dundee Hills Organic
Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser planted their first vines in 1971 in the Dundee Hills. Back then there was no Oregon wine industry. Now Dundee, in the heart of the Willamette Valley, is the epicentre of Oregon Pinot Noir.
Sokol Blosser estate vineyards are farmed organically; local organic straw, organic cow and horse manure, grape pomace from the crush and organic rock phosphate contribute to the composting. The insect population is kept in check by a resident flock of bluebirds.
The vineyards have been certified "green" by LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology, an international certification) and the underground barrel cellar, built to US Green Building Council standards, became the first winery in the country to earn the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.