Unusual White Wines You’ve Never Heard Of

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Carrie Wynkoop, GoLocalPDX Contributor

The best part about my job is introducing people to new wineries – and even new varietals – that they’ve never heard of. There are a lot of unusual wines being made all over Oregon that are extraordinary.

Ever heard of Tannat or Muscadet or Auxerrois? All of these are being made in small batches here in Oregon by wonderfully obsessed winemakers dedicated to bringing unusual varietals to your table.

So to honor the back-to-school season, we’ve dedicated our September selections at Cellar 503 to learning about unusual varietals. Next time, we’ll talk about reds. But for now, let’s talk about a couple of luscious white wines that you’ve likely never heard of – Arneis and Melon de Bourgogne.

Arneis is a white varietal that is known for producing highly aromatic wines with clean, crisp notes of pear, almonds, and citrus and grown in the Piedmont area of Northern Italy. It’s not commonly found in the Northwest, but luckily, Bill and Cathy Redman of Redman Vineyards were not afraid of Arneis’ rascally nature.

This month, we’re featuring a 2014 Arneis from Helioterra Wines. Produced by star urban winemaker Anne Ebenreiter Hubatch, it’s a lively wine with aromas of jasmine and orange blossoms and a juicy palate that offers lemon custard pie, kiwi, and papaya. Anne likes to say that “Helioterra is a champion of rare and interesting whites, which means Arneis is right in our wheelhouse.”

Melon de Bourgogne is grown primarily in the Loire Valley region of France and is the primary grape in the French wines known as Muscadet.

It’s very rare on this side of the Atlantic (where those in the know just call it “Melon”) – grown here in Oregon, up on Bainbridge Island, and in Ontario, Canada. In Oregon, it has a bit of a fascinating history. In the 1980s, quite a bit of Melon was planted here – but it was all mislabeled as Pinot Blanc. Once discovered, much of it was torn out and replanted with true Pinot Blanc.

Nonetheless, what little is left has quite a cult following here in Oregon. Perhaps because the French consider Melon to be the best wine on the planet to pair with seafood.

Which is why we’re excited to be featuring the 2013 Melon de Bourgogne from Roots Wine Company this month. Grown in the Yamhill-Carlton region at the Deux Verts Vineyard, you’re going to taste soft citrus flavors, peaches and nectarines, along with a creaminess and minerality that gives it the strength to stand up to grilled shrimp, fresh oysters, or carpaccio.

Helioterra Wines 2014 Arneis Ribbon Ridge
You may have heard of Anne Ebenreiter Hubatch. Sought after urban winemaker, collaborative winemaker and now cider maker, Anne has her hands full and loves it!
How did a gal from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, grow up to become one of Oregon’s up-and-coming winemakers?

Growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan, Anne Ebenreiter Hubatch felt a deep connection to the land around her. In college, she studied geology with an eye toward becoming an environmental policy wonk. She started down that path, as a political organizer and environmental activist.

But politics doesn’t often come with tangible results, and as Anne says, “it’ll drive you to drink!” Soon enough, her passion for the land found its expression in her hands – as a winemaker. After several years of working for well-known wineries in the Willamette Valley, Anne struck out on her own and launched her own label and her first vintage in 2009.

Of course, once an organizer, always an organizer. In addition to her own labels, Whoa Nelly! and Helioterra, Anne has helped organized Guild, a cooperative of four Portland winemakers working together to make great wine.

Roots Wine Company 2013 Melon de Bourgogne Yamhill Carlton

For Chris Berg, winemaking is really all about family.

Growing up in Wisconsin, he didn’t really know what he wanted to be when he grew up. But when his parents moved to Oregon to run a manufacturing plant, he followed and helped them with their other dream – making wine. Together they found a piece of land in Yamhill-Carlton and planted seven acres of Pinot Noir on their twenty acre property.

Fast forward to today, Chris and his wife Hilary and their son live on the property. They opened a small but gorgeous tasting room last year and are set to open a full winery on the site this fall.
Chris’ mom still helps out and can be found in the tasting room most days, graciously welcoming guests, dogs and kids who are enthralled by the old school Pac-man machine in the corner (no quarters required!). Chris cut his winemaking teeth at a variety of well-known wineries in the area and still consults with several.

Carrie Wynkoop is the founder of Cellar 503, a new wine club featuring unique, high quality, affordable wines that represent the full range of great Oregon wine. Cellar 503 is for anyone who loves Oregon wine and wants to explore.