It’s a newbie or novice move but I purchased the Rascal Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from the Great Oregon Wine Company, simply because of the label.  I’m an animal lover and especially a sucker for dogs.   That rascal is a golden retriever! A reasonable price of around $10.00 doesn’t hurt either.

There’s an air of intrigue with the website.  All it lists is a bunch of Point-Of-Sale materials and nothing that makes it feel like its a homepage to draw you in.  I’m probably putting more thought into this than I should.

I keep digging.  I also catch a link for Stone Wolf Vineyards which doesn’t shed much more light. The mystique is growing.   I found an article that sheds more like on the winery or wineries if you will.

There is a difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio, which is a reminder that wine education is a life-long process.

So enough crack research and onto the wines.   I don’t drink a lot of Pinot Gris and this bottle didn’t help matters.  I’m sure there’s plenty that are lights out in abundance.  This didn’t do it for me.

It was too sweet.  The tasting notes mentioned apples, peaches, and a touch of citrus.   If that’s what was there, then they seemed too jumbled together.  I tasted a disappointing white wine with some undetectable fruits.  Maybe it was the bottle itself.

I brought this to a dinner party and even letting it chill a bit more didn’t help.  This was barely open an hour and seemed to get with time.   It didn’t work with the food yet the meal itself was magnificent.  My friends prepared a pasta dish of spirals with meatballs, yummy sauce, brussels sprouts, and asparagus.

Alternate wines were on hand as was some water to cleanse the palate. Even with one mediocre wine that I brought, the night was still a success.

A night with good pals, food, wine is simplistic yet so stimulating.

Which leads us to the Pinot Noir.  This is a winner.   It started off slow but a few minutes of breathing time and this came together like a great wine should.  I tasted strawberry preserves which made my mouth and heart melt.  The notes mention a few similar characteristics such as cherry, earth, and light toast.  So I’m happy to be in a similar vicinity.

Ground turkey tacos were the perfect accompaniment for this second dinner party.   Yet this wine could be had with most delightful meals or enjoyed by itself.

This is one of the sweeter Pinot Noir’s I’ve had and would love to have again. And again.  A funny thing is I recall having this same wine a couple of years back and not appreciating it as much.  I’m glad my tastes have changed, and I’m happy for the dog too.

For our friends in the Baltimore area, there is a strong likelihood you can find this at your local wine shoppe.  I found mine at Bo Brooks Lighthouse Liquors.  So I’m hoping on a national level you will be able to find the same, if this piques your curiosity.

The Pinot Noir is now on the running list of whenever I need a straight-forward, no gimmicks, and no pretensions wine.    That’s how every experience should be.

I find the ritual of looking for the right wine to fit the mood so exciting.  And it doesn’t have to cost you too much.  This is meant to be fun.  And I had a lot of fun with this one.  I hope you did too.

All the best,

Ideen