Having written for Wine Enthusiast for over a decade, Virginie Boone is currently a Senior Contributing Editor to The New Wine Review. The publication — which debuted in 2023 — seeks to become the most interesting place on the internet for people who love wine.
Based in California, Virginie is both a wine writer and critic who has written about and reviewed Napa and Sonoma wines for 10-plus years. Prior to her time at Wine Enthusiast, she wrote about wine, food, and travel for Lonely Planet, Food & Wine, GuildSomm, Somm Journal, Tasting Panel, Pix and many other publications.
Virginie just filed an article entitled “Oregon Is Making Some Of The Best Wines In The World Right Now.” She writes:
Oregon has become one of the world’s great wine regions yet continues to feel like a place that’s up-and-coming. Both native producers and outside investors (particularly from France and California) are drawn to its cool climate, relaxed atmosphere and highly respected reputation for Pinot Noir and, increasingly, Chardonnay.
In the section, “You Should Be Drinking More Oregon Whites,” Virginie calls out several of the white wines for which the Willamette Valley has increasingly become known. She mentions Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling, as well as Pinot Blanc. She also highlighted our own Helios Estate Seyval Blanc and Joy Estate Seyval Blanc Brut, writing:
There’s plenty of obscure stuff worth checking out, too. Bells Up Winery in the Chehalem Mountains AVA has a rare planting of Seyval Blanc, a hybrid variety grown mostly in England, which it makes into a sparkling Brut and still wine.
Additionally, Virginie offered tasting notes on two of our wines:
2021 Jupiter Estate Pinot Noir: From a small producer in Newberg, this is a small-production estate wine grown in volcanic soils that offers structure and acidity alongside soft, well-integrated tannins and dark berry fruit.
2022 Joy Estate Seyval Blanc Brut: Made entirely from an unusual hybrid variety known more commonly in the Midwest and East Coast, this sparkling wine is high in acidity and subtle in fruit, dry and light.
Want to sample our Helios Estate Seyval Blanc or 2021 Jupiter Estate Pinot Noir? Both are currently available during private wine tastings hosted by Winemaker Dave, exclusively for one group at a time.
