Thursday, October 6, 2011

The 10 Best Wine Regions You've Never Heard Of

 
According to Fox News the Southern Oregon Wine Region is in the top 10 places one should visit.

6. The Southern Region, Ore. 
Where: The Southern Region is a rugged mountain valley that stretches 125 miles from south of Eugene to the California border. It's edged by the Cascade Mountain Range to the east and the Coast Range to the west. 
Why go: Known for its thunderous waterfalls, covered bridges, diverse wildlife, and awesome overlooks, the Southern region also produces nearly 12 percent of Oregon's wines. Leafy vineyards pepper the green valley, along with majestic mountains, breathtaking volcanic formations, and the 7,000–year–old Crater Lake—the deepest in all of North America.
Regional specialties: Notably warmer than up north in the better known Willamette Valley, the southern region grows rich dark fruit with higher sugar levels and intense flavors. Big, bold beefy reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc do well here. However, there are cooler areas of this region in the higher sections, which produce floral Viogner, crisp Riesling, savory Gewurtzraminer and spicy Syrah.