March was a funny month for me as I believe I may have met every winemaker in Oregon. And what was funny about that was March is Washington Wine Month! Now it is May and our friends from the Willamette Valley are far too busy to come and visit. But I asked Jesse Lange, creator of some of my favorite new wines at Eden Prairie Liquors, to write a little something about his success with Oregon winemaking. Lange Vineyards was voted “Winery of the Year” for 2012 from Wineland Spirits.
Here is what Jesse had to say:
Our small family winery and vineyard has operated in the heart of Oregon wine-country- The Dundee Hills, since our first vintage in 1987. We started with a dream to make world class pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot gris. Twenty six vintages later, we are still chasing the perfect pinot! That being said, we still hand-craft all wines from small, focused viticulture on the farm and usher each wine to bottle many months later. In a world of mass produced wines, our philosophy dictates that we make wines that not only have inherently high quality, but also maintain a sense of regional and varietal integrity. While its been superb to garner accolades from respected third parties, our commitment to our customers and our wines remains the same. Like we say at the winery, “Its your palate, its your party!”. -Jesse Lange, Lange Estate Winery
Recent Accolades from Wine & Spirits Magazine
93 Points: 2009 Pinot Noir “Freedom Hill Vineyard”
92 Points: 2009 Pinot Noir “Lange Estate Vineyard”
92 Points & Best Buy: 2010 Pinot Noir “Willamette Valley”
92 Points: 2010 Chardonnay “Three Hills Cuvee”
91 Points: 2009 Pinot Noir “Three Hills Cuvee”
90 Points: 2009 Pinot Noir “Reserve”
90 Points: 2011 Pinot Gris “Reserve”
Tammy Wanchena, Central Buyer
Tana Wold, Liquor Store Manager
