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Christina Kelly,
Avalon Wine Senior Editor

Christina Kelly spent the first half of her career as a journalist for daily newspapers and magazines. She left daily journalism to work in corporate marketing/communications, but as a passionate wine enthusiast, she continues to write about the Northwest wine industry (since 1997) for many national publications.

Christina is a multiple fellowship winner to the Professional Wine Writers Symposium in Napa, including 2012. Christina has written for Avalonwine.com for the past 12 years. She can be reached at winewriter@comcast.net.

Jean Yates
Avalon Wine Owner

Jean first worked with the Oregon wine industry in 1989, when she helped develop marketing brochures for wineries in the South Willamette. She then started Avalon, and has supported the industry through her wine shop and web site ever since. Jean enjoys promoting Oregon and Washington wines and bringing Northwest wines to the notice of the wine-loving public across the country. She previously worked in high tech marketing and research in Silicon Valley.

Jean built and continually updates the Avalon web site, writes our Wine Club Newsletter, numerous e-mail articles on NW wine, and articles for the web site. Her twenty five years of experience working with NW wineries and winemakers gives Avalon a deep knowledge of the industry. She's judged NW wine at various competitions since 1997. Jean's favorite activity is photography, and many of the images on the Avalon web site are hers. She's from NC via Palo Alto, and lives in the South Willamette wine country.

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August 24, 2009, at 8:17 pm

Remy Wines’ Lagrein: Oregon’s One Acre of Italian Fascination

By Jean Yates Avalon Wine, on August 24th, 2009

remy-lagrein-novint-200pRemy Wines Lagrein 06 – Get me started on this wine and I just can’t stop. It’s made from the one scant acre of the Italian Lagrein grape grown in the Pacific Northwest.

Gossip is that Remy Drabkin’s Lagrein is a hit at the ultra swank Bandon Dunes Resort’s restaurant – where some super sophisticated wine drinkers go to relax after a round of golf. Apparently the Lagrein was found fascinating, even by people who can have any wine they want. Piqued our curiosity.

Remy uses a glass cork, and the label is an embossed matt black. Cool. As soon as the cork popped, the scent floored us. It is a super-perfumed bundle of raspberry, vanilla, fresh saddle leather, and, yes, hints of bread pudding. Hints of black plum as well.

After a lot of swirling and sniffing, time to venture a sip. Succulent. Sweet, deep black fruit flavors (black plum, black cherry, black currant, briar). Tellicherry peppercorn, meaty (as in charecuterie). Unusual. Giant. Creamy, like a rich pudding, but with a tannic backbone and berry style acidity that enlivens the wine. Remy took inspiration from the traditional Italian style – rustic and hearty; she added her own distinct northwest twist.

The Remy Lagrein 06 is a bit young. As Adrienne says, this is a wine to age for 5-6 years – something I really want to do, if I can resist showing off my few bottles to friends.

Marcus and Adrienne agree that Remy’s Lagrein screams for game sausage – elk, venison, or maybe Oregon lamb. Or perhaps cassoulet.

“A richly textured, rustic, highly tannic wine made from very low-yielding vines, with the scent of wild mulberries. This is a rare Italian grape variety, recently introduced to Oregon.” – Portland Monthly September 09

remy-photo-185pRemy makes about 60 cases of Lagrein from one acre of mature grapes planted at Illahe Vineyards, in the mid-Willamette Valley, not very far from Avalon Wine. As far as we can tell, it’s the only Lagrein grown in the entire northwestern US.

Remy Wines Lagrein 06 $59.95/$53.95 – Yes, it’s pricey. It’s also fascinating. Give it a try if you’re up for a splurge.

At right, Remy Drabkin, owner and winemaker at Remy Wines

August 24th, 2009 | Category: Oregon Wine | Comments are closed

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