Pair This: Baked Artichoke & Pinot Noir

Just last week, I discovered a stellar wine and food pairing while I was out for happy hour with friends at the Granary Pizza Company on Fifth Street in downtown Eugene.

The Granary has a cozy wine bar located in the front of the restaurant that looks out over Fifth Street and Fifth Street Public Market. Bistro tables line the floor to ceiling windows and the leather chairs are especially comfortable. Although pizza is their specialty, the items on their appetizer menu are always what captures my attention, and this time was no exception. The Baked Artichoke Stuffed with Italian Herbed Goat Cheese, Roasted Garlic and Paremsan was exactly what I was in the mood for, and little did I know, Lemelson’s ’09 Pinot Noir would be the perfect pairing with the baked artichoke.

The Wine: Lemelson 2009 Six Vineyard Pinot Noir- Served in the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir wine glass, this Pinot fully represents the Oregon Pinot’s that are consistently raved about by wine enthusiasts around the globe. On the nose, berries galore with a hint of smokiness lead into a lush mouthfeel with nutty flavors that are enhanced by more berries. It’s all wrapped up with that oaky, earthy Pinot finish that I love.

The Food: The baked artichoke was stuffed and overflowing with steaming melted herbed goat and parmesan cheeses. The goat cheese was tangy and creamy with the perfect amount of complimenting herbs, and the parmesan’s nutty, salty flavors combined perfectly with the goat cheese and artichoke.

The Pairing: The creaminess of the goat cheese and the nuttiness of the parmesan cheese really paired well with the smoky, berry, nutty flavors of the wine. Unexpectedly scrumptious, this pairing was well worth a mention.