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Best Oregon Pinot under $40

SUZOR 2015 THE TOWER PINOT NOIR, YAMHILL-CARLTON DISTRICT This bottling from rising-star winemaker Greg McClellan offers a silky texture, great density, with notes of dark, ripe plums, sweet baking spices, salted caramel, and crushed leaves. I love the vineyard sourcing: one-third bright, elegant Menefee Vineyard, two-thirds dark, sinister fruit, all muscle and tension, from Fennwood Vineyard.

6 Oregon wines illustrate chardonnay’s ascendance in the Willamette Valley

2015 Suzor Wines “The Sunflower” Willamette Valley Chardonnay The winery may be new, but owners Greg McClellan and Melissa Rondeau are both wine industry veterans. Because of this inaugural bottle of chardonnay, the 2016 version is going to be at the top of my “must-buy” list. The Sunflower is appropriately named given its lemon-gold color. Scents of grilled pineapple, honeysuckle and limeade fill the nose while flavors of cantaloupe, toasted filberts and brown spice coat the palate. 

Gamay Noir Wine Is a Cult Classic That’s Here to Stay

Perhaps more than anything, Gamay reminds us that wine is, essentially, a simple joy. It’s made to be enjoyed with friends and food and, ideally, make both things even better in its company. Mélissa Rondeau and Greg McClellan of Suzor Wines in Oregon are cheerleaders of the variety, offering a hard-to-argue-with perspective.

“We are particularly excited to produce Gamay because of its unpretentiousness,” says Rondeau. “We believe it can reach a broader audience, from wine geeks to the novice. It’s juiciness, stylistically versatile from a winemaking stance, makes it a playful yet serious wine to produce.”

This is Suzor’s first vintage of Gamay and it’s a quality effort. The nose is reminiscent of wild blueberry jam while the more expected flavors of pomegranate and cranberry round out a full and zesty flavor profile.

5 Emerging West Coast Wineries You Need to Know

Suzor is comprised of another talented couple in Melissa Rondeau and Greg McClellan. The Pinot Noir is chock-full of layers while the Chardonnay is always elegant. The couple even has a tasty new Gamay Noir to bring to the label’s table. While the growing project dreams of one day having its own facility serving escargot on the side, Suzor currently makes its wine within Methven Family Vineyards in Dayton and conducts appointment-only pop-up tastings in downtown McMinnville.

Melissa Rondeau and Greg McClellan

This interview is with Mélissa Rondeau and Greg McClellan of Suzor Wines. In this interview, the couple talk about their experience in wine and hospitality and eventually Oregon. They then go on to speak about their experiences abroad, and how that informed them starting their own label. They then speak about how they got the name, its vision, and what Greg’s winemaking philosophy and Mélissa’s business philosophy is. Towards the end of the interview, the couple describes what they want people to take away from their wines, where they see themselves and Suzor heading in the future, and where they see the future of the Oregon Wine Industry heading.

Westward American Single Malt Pinot Noir Cask Finish

Westward has a Pinot cask-finished Spirit in their core lineup, but this one was made especially for us and it has a lighter, more herbaceous flavor profile. Westward partnered with us and their favorite Oregon Wine-makers — Greg McCLellan and Melissa Rondeau of Suzor Wines — to make just 745 bottles of this special Flaviar edition Westward American Single Malt Pinot Noir Cask Finish.

7 chilling wine tips for Halloween haunts and treats

If you are like me, an inner wild child emerges every Halloween. And, of course, I had to pick an extended skin-contact “orange wine” to complement the pumpkins.

The mischievous “Wild Child” features sturdy tannins, bright acidity and flavors like sweet-tart Ginger Gold apples, raspberry lemonade and a touch of thyme. And at 12% alcohol by volume (ABV), the “Wild Child” won’t slow you down while answering those doorbells.

10 Mother-Daughter Weekend Trips She’ll Remember Forever

Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley is a great alternative to the prices (and scene) of Napa. In McMinnville, you’ll find charming independent boutiques along the main street, fresh local food at restaurants like Thistle Restaurant & Bar, and hot design sleeps like Atticus Hotel along with more than 20 tasting rooms in town, which feature bottles from the 250-some-odd wineries located within a 20-mile radius. […] head to the Suzor Wines speakeasy tasting room in the back of Yamhill Valley Dry Goods for their High Tea with Wine on Saturday afternoons. If you need to squeeze in some spa time (we don’t blame you!), book an afternoon at the nearby Allison Inn & Spa for a signature “Pinotherapy” treatment followed by lunch at farm-to-table restaurant Jory.

3 Oregon wines that give back to hospitality workers during Covid-19

Suzor, Brooks, and Dobbes Family Estate wineries are all making a commitment to relief organizations with sales of special blends. Suzor Wines in Dayton has created a special pinot noir called Ensemble that gives $10 from every $25 bottle, also to Family Meal.

A Festive Mulled Wine Recipe With Oregon Vintners Suzor

With a love for wine that spans generations, Suzor is committed to a sustainable and minimal winemaking approach. From aromatic Pinots to a Chardonnay reminiscent of a crisp apricot galette, each bottle is hand-harvested in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and fermented without any added yeasts. The result is a vibrant, balanced, and complexly layered wine that is elegant and easy to enjoy. 

Finding ourselves inspired by Suzor’s story, we spent some time hearing about their winemaking process, tips for tasting, and what makes Oregon wine special. 

Suzor, Yamhill-Carton Pinot Noir “The Tower”

Crafted by a young couple devoted to keeping things small and doing things right, Suzor’s “The Tower” is Oregon Pinot Noir at its precision-balanced, Burgundy-inspired best. “This stunning Pinot Noir is a showpiece for a young winery that works “Old World” magic with pure Willamette Valley fruit. After a few years in bottle, it has evolved into a silky and elegant wine that re-defines what’s possible at this price point.”

3 Oregon wines making a difference during tough times

Ensemble is a wine offering from Mélissa Rondeau and Greg McClellan of Suzor Wines in Dayton. Its sales have already raised thousands of dollars for Family Meal, a Portland-based nonprofit providing foodservice and agricultural workers with COVID-19 relief grants. At Family Meal’s request, Rondeau and McClellan will now donate $10 for each bottle of Ensemble sold between June 26 and July 10 to the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition.

The pinot noir grapes used to make the Ensemble hail from a pair of sustainably farmed vineyards free of synthetic herbicides or pesticides. They helped create a graceful pinot noir with a translucent garnet hue and aromas of Bing cherries, bittersweet dark chocolate, thyme and a wisp of pipe tobacco. Each sip brings more bright red cherries to go along with flavors like orange peel, mocha and cedar.

Celebrate Oregon Wine Month with 12 Stunning Wines

With May being Oregon Wine Month, we are glad for an opportunity to savor the wonderful diversity of Oregon’s internationally acclaimed wines. On that note, here is a curated list of rockstar Oregon wines that totally steal the show.

Aptly named [Suzor Sunflower 2019], this golden-hued bottle is bold, bright and beautiful. It exhibits plenty of pineapple, honey and vanilla flavors. There is lots of tension, rocky minerality and most importantly, the fruit really shines through every sip of this creamy Chard. A perfect summer pairing would be charred barbeque or pork sliders. There are only five barrels made, so be sure to score yours soon!