A three-glass tasting of Oregon Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, the cool-climate wine country 30 miles south of Portland that the world watches.

The Willamette Valley's modern wine industry traces to 1965 when David Lett (Eyrie Vineyards) planted Pinot Noir in Dundee Hills. By 1979, Lett's South Block won fourth place at the Gault-Millau French Olympics in Paris, tying with Joseph Drouhin's Chambolle-Musigny; Drouhin bought land in Oregon two years later. The Willamette Valley AVA was granted in 1983 and now contains seven sub-AVAs. Portland wine bars (OK Omens, Ava Gene's, Olympia Provisions) all run heavy Willamette Pinot programmes by the glass. Bring a designated driver if you head south on 99W; the cellars are 30 to 45 minutes from downtown.

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