In The Glass: Wine By Joe Pinot Noir

Last week, while enjoying an excellent crepe filled lunch with the Local Lunch Gals at The Vintage in downtown Eugene,  Oregon, I thoroughly relished in a glass of their impressive house red wine: the 2009 Wine By Joe Pinot Noir.

Wine By Joe is the second label for the critically acclaimed Dobbes Family Estate wines out of Dundee, Oregon. Joe Dobbes, owner and winemaker at Dobbes Family Estate, has a great sense of humor, which can be found throughout his JoeDobbesWines.com website. The Wine By Joe line of wines, which include a Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose’ and Pinot Noir, are all under $20 and have, over the years, been consistently really good.

The 2009 Pinot Noir displays dark fruit aromas and flavors to match. There’s a touch of earthiness along with some spice and it’s very well balanced and easy to drink. I love it when restaurants pick out house wines that are not only affordable, but also palatable.