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W i n e s & V i n e s M AY 2 0 1 4 23 D ayton, Ore.—Chardonnay is enjoy- ing a revival of sorts, and North- west winemakers are in the vanguard of reinventing the grape for a new generation of wine drinkers. Winemakers attending the third annual Oregon Chardonnay Symposium on March 8 proved that there's plenty of room for differences in style. A technical panel of nine winemakers agreed that Chardonnay from Oregon shouldn't try to be Chardon- nay from some other part of the world— but defining Oregon Chardonnay remains an ongoing work. "Oregon is Oregon, and we shouldn't try to be Burgundy," said Veronique Drouhin, winemaker at Domaine Drouhin Oregon. She encouraged the purest possible expres- sion of local grapes—although it was clear from the wines offered during the technical seminar and at the grand tasting that fol- lowed that local grapes can express them- selves in diverse ways. The more than 40 wines being poured during the grand tasting—a shortlist selected from more than 70 considered— ranged from those in a Burgundian style to those hinting at the richness of the expressions for which California is known, and at times reviled. Two or three were shot through with sharp citrus notes, while many were restrained as if fearing to venture too far one way or another—bearing out the general resis- tance to following the California model of buttery, oak-warmed wines. That route, in the words of Dominique Lafon of Evening Land Vineyards, would be, "kind of like a disaster." Robert Brittan of Brittan Vineyards, who also makes wine for other local producers (including Ayoub Wines and Winderlea Vineyard & Winery), said that Oregon pro- ducers need to give Chardonnay the dedica- tion it demands, rather than making it to stock shelves. He warned that Oregon might not have a signature style of Char- donnay for another two generations; in the meantime, producers need to bear that in mind and spend the interim crafting wines that work toward the signature style that will emerge. —Peter Mitham Oregon Winemakers Rally for Chardonnay Vintners hope to draw on success of Pinot Noir to entice more wine drinkers Jesse Lange of Lange Estate Winery (left) and Doug Tunnell of Brickhouse Vineyards sit on a panel during the Oregon Chardonnay Symposium. The original, BOTTLE-MATIC-II 3 YEAR WARRANTY INCLUDED D ISPENSA-MATIC Label Dispensers Price subject to change without notice. 2/01/10 28220 Playmor Beach Rd, Rocky Mount, MO 65072 Call Toll Free: 1 (800) 325-7303 or (573) 392-7684 FAX:(573) 392-1757; E-mail: info@dispensamatic.com Web: http://www.bottle-labeler.com STOP Wasting Time Labeling by Hand! $1800 for Wines & Vines Readers! Front & Back! Label any cylindrical container fast and accurately from ½" to 8" diameter, @ Speeds of 1200 Pcs. per hour. NOT A CHEAP, IMPORTED KNOCK-OFF! 21 day trial MADE IN USA! Front and Back! M A Y N E W S