Food & Occasion

Sparkling wine from Oregon pairs beautifully with what's caught along the coast and in the rivers: Dungeness crab, oysters from the Pacific coast bays, and salmon. The acidity cuts through fat and salt, while the fine bead refreshes the palate.

A Brut Rosé with Pinot fruit, like the one Soter makes, also works well with salmon cooked on a cedar plank, a classic of the American Northwest. The smoke meets red berries and crisp acidity.

The valley itself produces hazelnuts; Oregon grows by far the largest share of the American crop. Roasted and added to salad or cheese, they make a fine partner for a sparkling wine with yeasty character. Add to that marionberries, a blackberry variety bred in Oregon, and, in autumn, mushrooms from the forests of the Coast Range.

Fried and salty foods suit sparkling wine naturally. Crab cakes, fried oysters, or smoked salmon on toast all call for something that cuts fat and resets the palate, and that's exactly what carbonation does. For those who prefer it sweeter, marionberries with hazelnut brittle make a fine dessert, paired with a sparkling wine of higher dosage. Next to something sweet, a Brut with very low dosage can taste sharply acidic; the sweetness of the dish shouldn't outdo that of the wine.

There's no shortage of occasions. At Thanksgiving in November, when turkey and cranberries come to the table, acidity never hurts, and many wineries host tastings over holiday weekends.

In New Mexico, green chile from Hatch is a kitchen staple, found on enchiladas, in stews, or as a sauce. Heat and fat call for a cool, dry sparkling wine, with the bubbles tempering the burn. In October, Albuquerque, where Gruet has run its winery since 1993, hosts the Balloon Fiesta, a festival celebrating hot air balloons.