Now that you’ve unboxed your shipment, we want to make sure you maximize your experience of enjoying Winderlea wines at your table. When it comes to food pairing, think of it as a game of matching and compliments. For example, the acid in the wine balances or compliments saltiness. Acid also helps to cut through creamy textures and meat proteins. When it comes to the weight of the wine, matching the weight of the food and wine is critical so that neither the wine nor the food will overpower the other.

What to pair with Oregon Chardonnay?

To begin, it’s important to understand the structure of a wine. Winderlea Chardonnays are grown in Oregon’s cooler climate, which sharpens the acidity, pairing well with rich and creamy textured foods such as cheese and cream-based pasta dishes.

Each vintage (or growing season) and each single vineyard brings its own nuances to the wine. Our Winderlea Chardonnay often conveys an abundant and bright nose: think pie crust and toasted almond mixed with lime zest and plumeria. The flavors of stone fruit, blood orange, marzipan, and a hint of rosemary add depth to this well-structured and balanced wine that pairs well with pork tenderloin with a fruit sauce, Thanksgiving dinner, or a charcuterie & cheese board enjoyed on a summer evening. A creamy camembert is an excellent cheese to pair with our Chardonnay.

Our Chardonnays are layered with flavors and textures, making it the perfect wine to balance many meals. That’s why we always recommend pairing a wine with the foods you love.

What to pair with Oregon Pinot Noir?

Pinot Noir is one of the most elegant wines to consume, as it isn’t as heavy as a Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. Like Chardonnay, it has many nuanced layers of flavors distinct to the place in which it was grown. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is home to world-renowned Pinot Noirs, with the Dundee Hills AVA considered its epicenter, and a primary reason why we started Winderlea in order to capture the romance of this wine in a bottle for you to enjoy.

The Winderlea Dundee Hills Vineyards Pinot Noir carries the original name of our estate and is an approachable and drinkable Pinot, focused and full, with firm yet integrated tannins. The color is dense and penetrating blackberry and the aromatics practically burst from the glass.

In contrast, our smaller production, single vineyard Pinot Noirs, such as the Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir, produces a dramatically different wine from the Winderlea Vineyard. With flavors of bramble, baking spice, cherry, cranberry, tarragon, and the essences of the forest floor, the palate is punctuated by white peppercorn, cedar, and a structure of firm, fine tannins and bright, fresh acidity.

When pairing Winderlea Pinot Noir with food, we invite you to have fun and explore what works best for your palate, as these wines are versatile in their pairing options. For lighter, more fruit-forward Pinots, we recommend roast chicken or, in true Pacific Northwest fashion, salmon baked with miso butter. For more weighty and earthy Pinots, we recommend crispy duck, pasta lightly flavored with truffle oil, or beef bourguignon. An aged Gruyère favors a lighter-bodied pinot noir; a strong blue cheese holds up to a bolder Pinot Noir.

Do you have a favorite wine and food pairing? We’d love to hear about it. We understand the pure satisfaction that comes with the instant gratification of opening the perfectly aged wine. When Winderlea arrives at your door, all you have to do is enjoy! It’s a perk you can look forward to uncorking throughout the year.

We’ve specifically designed this subscription service to take the effort, guesswork, and patience out of aging your wines. We much prefer the option of being able to drink the wine right away. Each shipment of Winderlea at Your Door (WAYD) includes wines that have been perfectly aged to consume as soon as you open the box. These wines are at optimal drinkability and aged to perfection, for any day of the week or special occasion, from the moment they hit your doorstep.