Gran Moraine

Spent a day wine tasting in the valley. Gran Moraine was not on the list but was recommended by two people at other wineries… and happened to be near some other destinations on our list. What a pleasant surprise! By far the best wine across the board for the day. The pinots are just pure bliss. Do check it out, as I have a feeling this place is going to start racking up the awards and become quite popular as it grows.

What a fantastic winery and location! Just 10 – 15 min drive off of 99W. I drove in on a foggy day but it cleared up pretty soon to reveal the magnificent views. The drive up is pretty picturesque with story book like red barns and an undulating single lane road leading up to the winery.
This winery is a hidden gem for Portlanders, especially because it’s so conveniently located too! Great place to hang out with friends and family and they have several events too. I heard about a ‘truffle festival’ this weekend. how cool is that?!
Their Pinot’s are fantastic and I hear about some Chardonnays coming soon too! I bet you’ll love this winery like I did. especially if you’re a wine lover like I am =)

Jack and the Giant? Nothing so sinister here? So the story goes, the Jackson family of wineries bought up Solena and a ton of vineyard land here in the valley. Normally the ethos of Portland eschews big players moving in and scooping up little guys. But surprisingly, the overwhelming sentiment of most of the locals I encountered is that it’s welcome. Big money and big names can help bring prominence to this burgeoning region. While I’m sure there are others who would disagree (I myself was skeptical, since I have no love for the sauce that Kendall Jackson slings on discount at your average Safeway), one thing I can say for sure is that I was summarily impressed by the tasting room, the staff and most particularly, the wines.
This winery currently produces two wines, the regular ‘ol pinot and the Estate Reserve. Both are worthy. Nice, big, red, juicy pinots. Wines with substance. They stand apart from the often delicate and subtle pinots that come from this region. They display a lot of the qualities of the more lush pinots that some of the wineries in the area produce. California style? Maybe. Not hot enough, but still packs a punch. I was motivated to purchase a bottle of each. Currently on limited production, these folks have plans to blow up production over the next several years. And if they can use the Jackson machine to get more Oregon wine love to more parts of the world, well, is that a bad thing?
I’m not in on the internal politics of Oregon wine, but I do know what I like to drink. And I like these wines. I like the thick, ripe style. I can see them being drinkable now (as most 2012 vintages are) or standing up for a few years and turning into something even more interesting.
The price is up there. So these are not entry-​level, accessible pinots for the masses. They’re doing something more refined. I’m curious to see where this goes. For now, I like what I drank here.

Gran Moraine was a nice surprise… It’s a small-​production new venture by the Jackson family (Kendall-​Jackson, et al), so at least for now, they only offer 2 pinot noir wines. But, wow, are they good! We decided they were among the best we had on our recent Oregon wine tour
No appointment is needed… The property has nice vistas, the winery building is newer and large, and they’re in the process of re-​configuring the tasting room to make it more customer-​friendly. The small staff is also welcoming and knowledgeable
It may not be on many people’s radar just yet, but I predict Gran Moraine will quickly rise in prominence… Worth a visit
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