The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 is a wine I found for $12.99. It is a brand from the Union Wine Company.
The Story
Underwood is their brand that produces very good, affordable wine from all over Oregon, not just the Willamette Valley.
The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris, the 2024 vintage, is sourced from 81% Willamette Valley, 10% Rogue Valley, and 9$ Umpqua Valley.
This wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel vats.
Pinot Gris is the same grape as Pinot Grigio; Gris is French for grey, and Grigio is Italian for grey.
Oregon is a great Pinot Noir growing region, and typically, where Pinot Noir thrives, so does Chardonnay. But Chardonnay is rare, and Pinot Gris is the White grape of Oregon.
The Story I was told is that when Oregon was first beginning to grow grapes, a wine expert told them to grow a certain clone of the Chardonnay grape. Different clones do well in specific soil types and climates, and the expert got it wrong. The Chardonnay was lackluster, but the Pinot Gris loved the cool weather and the long growing season.
They have since corrected the Chardonnay clone mistake, so Oregon Chardonnay wine should be more plentiful.
The alcohol content is 13%.
The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 tasting Notes
The color is almost clear with some lemon yellow. The nose is melon, lemon, bell pepper, peach, pear, and apple. The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 is nicely rounded and fruit-forward with solid acidity.
The Pinot Gris tastes like a stew of apple, peach, and lime, then coconut milk, nectarine, and a little tropical fruit.
The acidity makes this a bright and juicy wine.
The Summary
- The Underwood Oregon Pinot Gris 2023 is a tasty, well-made, not the same old, same old wine.
- The nose didn’t telegraph the flavor profile; I was pleasantly surprised.
- This is an easy-drinking wine that would pair well with Asian cuisine, fancy salads, and pasta with white sauce.
