Event Wine List
Zenith Vineyard proudly provides the wines for your wedding and event.
We feature Zenith Vineyard wines, our partner, St. Innocent’s wines, as well as the wines of other local vineyards and wineries. Expect to see a list of perhaps ten wines, products of the Oregon wine community with a reasonable selection of sparkling, White and Red. Our goal is for your guests to have an authentic Oregon winery experience, so you won’t see an Asti Spumante on the list. As a part of your event contract you will have a minimum wine purchase of one case of wine per forty guests.
Some wine math: One bottle = 750 ml = 25.4 oz. One glass of still wine is about 150 ml, or 5 oz. One glass of sparkling wine (we use a tall chimney glass) is about 100 ml or 3.5 oz. So for each case of still wine, expect to get about 60 glasses; for each case of sparkling wine, expect to get about 90 glasses. Our one case per 40 guest minimum equates to about 1.5 glasses of wine per person.
We hope you will agree that our list provides the breadth of wines that you will want for your event, at a wide range of price points. The list is constantly evolving as Oregon wines are most often made in small production lots.
White Wines
Chardonnay
2010 Zenith Vineyard Estate Chardonnay
$30 per bottle, $360 per case
Vintage 2010 was a test to the heart and soul of farming! Bloom was quite late, on July 2nd insuring a late and high-risk harvest. Birds aggressively stole 25% of the crop – the worst in 30 years! Yet we enjoyed beautiful, crisp, and clear days well into late fall, allowing us to harvest our bird-netted Chardonnay on November 4th! The reward was ripe fruit and bright acidity, and a tiny yield of 1.8 tons per acre. The Estate Chardonnay, from 14 year old Dijon-clone vines was barrel-fermented and aged for 10 months in 33% new French oak. We love the balance of tropical fruit notes, crisp acidity and a silky finish. 35 cases produced. Alcohol 12.6%.
Pinot Gris
2009 Zenith Vineyard
$18 per bottle, $216 per case
The 2009 Zenith Vineyard Pinot gris is floral and rich with notes of fresh cut peach, pear, apple and tropical fruit flavors. It has a lovely mouth filling texture and its flavors linger well into the finish. This vintage is finished with 0.6% residual sugar and has a long and smooth finish. 13.0% alcohol.
Riesling
2010 Redhawk
$22 per bottle, $264 per case
The Redhawk Riesling has the floral and tropical notes layered with the characteristic “petrol” nose that is typical of great Riesling. The finish is semi-sweet and is a crowd pleaser. 12.0% alcohol.
Auxerrois
2009 Elemental Cellars, Zenith Vineyard
$22 per bottle, $264 per case
Auxerrois is a white grape that is indigenous to the Alsace region of France – a steely cool climate varietal that is not at all widely planted in North America. Zenith grows these grapes and sells them to Elemental Cellars – the side project of Steven Westby – winemaker at our neighbor, Witness Tree Vineyard. The wine is fermented dry in stainless steel and has excellent acidity and a clean finish. 12.0% alcohol.
Red Wines
Pinot Noir
2007 Zenith Vineyard Barrel Select
$29 per bottle, $348 per case (price reduced from $40!)
The 2007 Barrel Select Pinot Noir is a cuvee of our seven favorite barrels from the 2007 vintage. A significant portion, 52%, comes from the final vintage of what was once known as O’Connor Block One. The final blend is 58% Pommard; 21% Wadenswil; 14% Dijon clone 113; and 7% Dijon clone 777. It was aged for sixteen months in 46% new French oak barrels. The Barrel Select Pinot Noir emphasizes the unique qualities of this site’s terroir: dark red fruit, spice, and an appealing brightness to the aromas and textures. 172 cases produced; 12.3% alcohol.
2009 Zenith Vineyard Barrel Select
$40 per bottle, $480 per case
The 2009 Barrel Select Pinot Noir is a cuvee of our seven favorite barrels from the 2009 vintage. The Barrel Select Pinot Noir emphasizes the unique qualities of this site’s terroir: dark red fruit, spice, and an appealing brightness to the aromas and textures. The blend of Pinot noir clones is 33% Pommard, 33% 114, 27% 828, and 7% 777. It aged for fifteen months in 33% new French oak barrels. The Barrel Select Pinot Noir can be enjoyed in its youth or aged up to 15 years. It is an excellent accompaniment with a wide variety of savory foods including grilled or braised meats, rich fish, and cheese. 184 cases produced. 13.4% alcohol.
Syrah
2006 Elemental Cellars
$30 per bottle, $360 per case
A fascinating, deeply complex Syrah with smoky violets and bacon, mineral, coffee and leather notes with vibrant berry fruit. Unmistakably Syrah – but a different animal than most Northwest Syrahs. 2006 was a perfect vintage for growing Syrah in Oregon’s Willamette Valley – it was hot a dry and made for an absolutely smoking Syrah. The wine is co-fermented with Viognier, and a hint of floral sweetness announces its presence. Sadly, this is the last vintage of Elemental Syrah. Smack dab in the middle of some of Oregon’s famous Pinot noir country is little Deux Vert Vineyard, growing Melon, Viognier, Tempranillo, Pinot noir, and Syrah. This is Old vine Syrah (planted in 1995) by Deux Vert Vineyard owners Mike and Patty Green.
Sparkling
2007 Argyle Brut
$32 per bottle, $384 per case
The 2007 growing season was picture perfect up until the end of September. Not too cold, and not too hot, usually makes Argyle a very happy winemaker. 2007 sparkling fruit had an amazing expression of ripe fruit flavor masked behind especially high natural acidity. A judicious amount of barrel and malolactic fermentation was employed to help build creamier textures and mouth rewarding complexities. Bottle aged on the yeast for three years, our flagship Brut is disgorged on demand to ensure its appealing freshness. Varietals: 63% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot noir. Alcohol: 12.5%. Residual Sugar: 1.5%.
