ABOUT: Doug Tunnell established Brick House in 1990 in what is now called the Ribbon Ridge AVA, a sub region of the Willamette Valley AVA in Oregon. Originally thinking he would grow organic grapes on his 40 acres and sell them on to wineries in the region, he soon learned he'd have to make his own wine to earn a living. In the early 2000's he began implementing biodynamic practices to his 30 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay and is now both organic and biodynamic certified.Visiting Brick House in Newberg is a real treat, sipping great Pinot Noir on the porch. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. TASTE: The Cascadia block of Chardonnay is where Brick House began experimenting with biodynamics in the Ribbon Ridge AVA . Scant amounts of this wine are made each year, usually between 300 and 500 cases, and we consider it a beacon of what Chardonnay can achieve in the Willamette Valley. It spends 18 months in barrel before bottling and has dry flavors of lemon, green apple, honeydew, brine and baking spices. It’s a medium bodied wine which has the depth and richness you might find in a wine that is higher in alcohol than Cascadia’s 12.6%. The finish is long and the complexity is high. Many more years of development to look forward to. Produced in Oregon but takes cues from Burgundy. PAIR: Original flavor Corn Nuts, Shakshouka, coconut curry, egg salad sandwich, asparagus with saffron and tarragon cream sauce, and Thai noodles with peanut sauce.
