Old Grapes, New Heights

Forty years ago, mentioning a visit to wine country might have prompted the question "Burgundy or Bordeaux?" Twenty years ago, it might have provoked "Napa or Sonoma?" But as of 2002, wineries can be found in all 50 states, so a visit to France or California is hardly a foregone conclusion. Wineries elsewhere -- including the other leading wine-producing states of Washington, Oregon, New York and Virginia -- offer their own allure.

Last month, in a kind of busman's holiday, we visited wineries in Oregon, which is known for Burgundian varietals chardonnay and especially pinot noir, the state's most-planted grape; and on New York's Long Island, known for Bordeaux varietals cabernet sauvignon and especially merlot, that region's most-planted grape.

Oregon

Pioneering Pacific Northwest chef Stephanie Pearl Kimmel was the first to feature Oregon wines on her restaurant menu in the 1970s. At her Eugene restaurant Marché, we sampled an exquisite six-course dinner with Oregon wines. After tasting a broad range of the state's offerings, from the elegant sparkling 1998 Domaine Meriwether Brut Thomas Jefferson Prestige Cuvee with a cucumber granita-topped oyster to the boldly rich 2006 Spangler Vineyards Syrah with blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts, we were primed for more.

We found it at King Estate, one of Oregon's largest wineries, just southwest of Eugene in the south Willamette Valley. Like other Oregon wineries, it is known for pinot noir and chardonnay, but this one has become virtually synonymous with pinot gris. In fact, King Estate is so convinced of the potential of this varietal that it produces more of it than any other American winery.

Never before had a pinot gris made us sit up and take notice as this one did. We tasted our first sip over dinner at the Sidestreet Bistro in the Oregon coastal town of Florence; we were amazed by its versatility with shrimp scampi, crab cakes and a wonderful boneless "knife-and-fork" fried chicken. The wine's crisp acidity cut through the richness, while its own rich texture and fruit flavor mirrored it.

At the winery, the 2006 King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris ($25) complemented the acidity of halibut and littleneck clams in a lemon basil sauce. But the slightly drier 2007 King Estate Signature Pinot Gris ($17; $14 at Total Wine) showed its stuff as an extraordinary aperitif and a bright and refreshing match for estate-made salumi and radishes, earning its spot as Karen's pick this week.

We've long thought Riesling to be the most food-friendly varietal around. In the King Estate pinot gris we found a close runner-up; its crisp flavor and creamy texture created the kind of irresistible balancing act that brings out the best in food. It also demonstrated the aging potential of whites. The 2003 King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris ($25) had a notably deeper richness than its younger siblings, with caramel notes and a silky texture that mirrored the silkiness of our seared scallops with corn, estate-made pancetta and leeks with sauce aromatique.

King Estate's grapes are certified organic as of 2002 via the Oregon Tilth organization. We're convinced that the commitment to quality can be tasted in these alive, complex wines -- all the more at King Estate's on-site restaurant, where they accompany dishes made from the estate's own organically farmed produce.

Long Island

A relatively young wine region even by American standards, Long Island has come of age during the green revolution, so it's not surprising that the Wolffer Estate, founded 20 years ago on the South Fork in the Hamptons, practices sustainable agriculture. With its loam soil (marked by sand, silt and clay) and maritime climate, the area has been touted in the past two decades for its similarities to Bordeaux and the ability of the region's varietals, such as merlot, to thrive here.

Although we enjoyed the 2007 Wolffer Pinot Gris ($25) as a rich but refreshing summer wine that we'd match with oysters or veal, it was the appealingly complex 2005 Wolffer Reserve Merlot ($18), with luscious plum fruit and light but earthy tannins, that won us over and prompted Andrew to name it as his pick this week.

But don't stop there, lest you miss the lighter-bodied 2005 Wolffer Reserve Chardonnay ($18), whose crisp lemon and toasty brioche flavors are ideal with chicken with summer vegetables. In our June 25 column, "Try On Something Pink for Summer," we praised the 2007 Wolffer Rosé ($15), which we've since enjoyed again as an aperitif and paired with turkey meatloaf.

Have a sweet tooth? Both the 2007 Wolffer Late Harvest Chardonnay ($37/375ml) and the 2006 King Estate Signature Vin Glace ($25/375ml) are sweet and rich with the flavor of honeyed apricots and peaches, respectively, yet they are well balanced by acidity that lifts their weight. The first sip of either provides proof that sweet vinous treasures exist outside Sauternes, too.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat" and the forthcoming "The Flavor Bible," can be reached through their Web site, http://www.becomingachef.com, or at food@washpost.com.