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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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July 14, 2010, at 3:12 pm

Oregon Wine – Matt Kramer on Westrey Wines

By Jean Yates Avalon Wine, on July 14th, 2010

Matt Kramer, who writes for Wine Spectator and The Oregonian, just published a very complimentary story about Westrey Wines and a glowing review of the Westrey Oracle Pinot noir 08.

westrey-abbey-275-nonvHe describes Westrey’s wines, saying:  “They are the real things, wines that make you sit up, reach for another sip and even remind you that life is very much worth living. That’s no small achievement for what is, after all, just wine.”

He goes on to describe the Oracle Pinot noir:

“Westrey Pinot Noir “Oracle Vineyard” Dundee Hills 2008 ($22.45 any 12) is an exemplar of Oregon’s exceptional 2008 vintage. In Westrey “Oracle Vineyard” 2008 you find the alliance of the tight, dense core of berryish fruit characteristic of the 2008 vintage allied to a bright, precise flavor definition made more apparent by a good, but not excessive, acidity.”

“Everything in this wine is just so: its garnet hue is bright and deep but “natural” … oak is restrained, indeed barely discernible, which allows the fruit purity to shine. The fruit intensity is substantial yet with a delicacy that reminds you why pinot noir is unique among red grapes.”

Back in January, Avalon Wine  selected Westrey as our Winery of the Year. Months after that designation, Westrey released the best wine they’ve ever made – 2008 Abbey Ridge Vineyard Pinot noir. Abbey Ridge is one of the Willamette Valley’s oldest and most prestigious vineyards.

The Westrey Abbey Ridge Pinot noir 08 ($32.36 any 12) is drop dead sexy. Like Pavlov’s dog, the bell rings, the wine is poured, we salivate. Raspberry pie from the oven, fresh cherries from the market. A magical sweet earth note. This is gorgeous stuff. According to winemaker David Autrey, this is the best wine that Westrey’s made. We agree.

Magnums of the Westrey wines are rarely available. We lucked into a few magnums of the Oracle 08, Abbey Ridge 08, and a very few Reserve Chardonnay 08 (not yet released). They’re on our Westrey page, or give us a call for more information. 541-752-7418.

Read more about David and Amy’s Westrey Wines on our website.

July 14th, 2010 | Category: Jean's Blogs, Oregon Wine | Comments are closed

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