Welcome

I relocated and settled in the Willamette Valley little under a year ago. Since then, I have realized the need to write with more focus, specifically on my region. Not only will this help me in getting to know my own backyard better, it will help me to be a better resource for those who follow my writing and a better teacher to those who seek my professional services. These are the primary objectives for creating Northwest Whites.

While the red wines of Oregon and Washington typically garner all the praise and acknowledgement—and surely not by any accident!—producers are crafting beautiful Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer…the list goes on. And in Idaho and British Columbia the white wines are in fact the backbone of their wine industries, though we rarely see or hear much about them. White wine also has a lot of biases working against it—especially in America—but I would like to change that and plan on starting right here.

Thankfully there is no shortage of admirable writers or professionals in the Pacific Northwest wine world who are enthusiastic about the region. I continue to meet new people and develop wonderful relationships here as I explore—this is absolutely a center of knowledge, support, and collaboration. We’re all just damn happy to live in such a glorious place and want to share it with everyone. That said, I don’t know of anyone that has a particular focus on white wine being produced here, so I am happy to claim this little piece of the wine world. But not solely for my own.

I’m claiming it so that I can do my part to support quality white wines in my home and surrounding regions. I’m claiming it so that I can share some incredible wines with my friends, neighbors, and clients for a weeknight dinner or an all out celebration and every moment in between. I’m claiming it for the many people who feel bad about enjoying white wine because they’ve been lead to believe one can only enjoy red (“real”) wine if you have a sophisticated palate. I risk sounding like a politician here though.

Instead, all I can truly hope for is that you will enjoy what you find here and perhaps take something useful away. Every day I learn something new, and the most gratifying thing is being the reason someone else learns one new thing on any given day.

I look forward to your thoughts, comments, and suggestions as the project takes shape.

Thank you, and enjoy.

Ryan Reichert