A couple weekends ago Liz and I, with my folks, took a drive own through Oregon wine country, and made a stop at Amity Vineyards to sample their sulfur-free wines.  Amity is about an hour south of Portland in the beautiful Yamhill County. Their location is an amazing southerly facing slope that looks out over the long valley and maximizes the sunshine, even in late October.

Amity is “helped establish the area’s reputation for world class Pinot noir as early as 1985, the year Robert Parker “Discovered Oregon,” praising Amity Vineyards’ 1983 Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot noir.”

We happened upon the winery right in the midst of their harvest, and the grapes were coming off the vines and into the warehouse on the hill.   The staff noted that this was the latest harvest they could remember, and they were very optimistic about the fruit quality.

Having taken the time to learn about wine making this fall and understanding the importance of adding sulfites to the wine in order to kill off the natural, and difficult to harness, yeasts on the grapes, I have an appreciation for both the art and the science of these “Eco-Wines”. 

The 2007 Pinot Noir really needs some time in the wild to open up, but once it does, it becomes rather enjoyable, especially if you are averse to sulfites in any way and can appreciate the commitment to sustainability and organic growing.