Kronenbourg 1664

Oregon – in the Pacific Northwest of the USA – is rapidly developing into one of the world's most respected Pinot Noir regions. The state first earned a place on the international wine map in the late 1960s and has secured its position steadily ever since. Sub regions and grape varieties. Columbia Gorge and Walla Walla Valley are notable winegrowing zones in the north of the state. However, the majority of Oregon vineyards are located in state's western one-fifth, within 80 miles of the Pacific coastline. Here, a broad, shallow valley is formed between the low-lying mountains of the Coast Range and the much larger Cascades to the east. In a similar way to Burgundy, much smaller AVAs have developed within the broader zones. Thus producers can create quite lengthy portfolios of subregional Pinot Noirs. Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Chehalem Mountains and Eola-Amity Hills are four such appellations in the Willamette Valley. According to the state's industry census of 2020, 60 percent of vineyard area in Oregon is devoted to Pinot Noir. Oregon vs California. Oregon's wine industry stands in stark contrast to that of its southern neighbor. California is the long-established, dominant force of American wine, dominated by a few large companies, Oregon is a relative newcomer composed of smaller, family-run, boutique wineries. California's 150 American Viticultural Areas span 600 miles from north to south and 150 miles inland. In contrast, Oregon's 25 AVAs are all located almost exclusively in the western fifth of the state, near the Pacific coast. California's warm, sunny climate produces rich, robust wines, whereas Oregon's moist, cool climate creates finer, more delicate wines. Oregon vs Washington. There are also obvious differences between Oregon and its northern neighbor, Washington, which has around 60 percent more vineyard area. These run at a much higher average yield, producing over three times more wine. This makes Washington the USA's second most important wine region by volume. Washington wine often comes from grapes grown under contract in the state's dry, continental interior. They are then shipped to one of the numerous wineries located around Seattle. Oregon wine, by contrast, comes almost exclusively from estate grapes grown in cool, rain-refreshed vineyards relatively close to the coast. History. The earliest records of cidermaking date back to the first Century BC, when the Roman armies arrived in Britain. Recipes explaining how to make cider soon spread to other parts of the Roman Empire which, at that time, included territories all around the Mediterranean, from Tunisia to northern France and Portugal. As knowledge of distillation became more widespread, so cider-based spirits (applejack and apple brandy) began to appear. The most famous of these is French – more properly, Norman – Calvados. Production methods and styles. The fruit is harvested in autumn, traditionally by hand but now increasingly by using mechanical, tractor-like harvesters. Some producers favor maceration prior to pressing (which tends to extract more tannins from the skins) but in the main, the apply juice is extracted in a press or mill, and then begins fermentation – the conversion of sugars into alcohol (by either cultured or naturally occurring yeast). The pulp (pomace) left behind is either discarded or used for distillation. Cider production methods vary from region to region and style to style. They dictate not just the cider's alcoholic strength, but also its depth of color and whether it is clear or cloudy, still or sparkling. Alcohol levels vary considerably between ciders; most fall somewhere around 5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), but some high-strength ciders reach 13 percent. Cider was traditionally a still, relatively dry, cloudy liquid, but modern consumers have shown a clear preference for clear, off-dry, sparkling styles. Cider regions. The most developed and one of the more historic regions for cider production is England – the British are the biggest consumers of cider per capita in the world. Southwest English counties such as Somerset, Devon and Cornwall have a long history of cider production, as does the East Anglian county of Suffolk and also Kent, in the southeast of the country. Further afield, cider is very popular in Ireland and throughout Europe, mainly in regions with a Gaelic or Celtic connection, particularly Brittany, Normandy (the home of Calvados), the Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia. In Germany, the Pfalz and Rheinhessen regions produce apfelwein alongside their regular grape-based wines. Food pairings for cider. Seared scallops. Thin-sliced octopus drizzled with sudachi (Japanese citrus).