Winderlea Vineyard & Winery, Chardonnay

A few years ago, I was lucky to attend “Oregon Pinot Camp”—an annual, full-immersion educational experience. It is hosted by Willamette Valley wineries for the benefit of sommeliers from all over the country, and the winemaker-led tastings, vineyard visits, lectures, and dinners are all invaluable to understanding this truly great terroir for Pinot Noir. I had two big takeaways from my experience there: (1) I was probably the oldest sommelier in attendance by a good 10 years, which was depressing; and (2) many of the most memorable wines, for me, were white wines. Yes, white wines. Chardonnays especially (and several Rieslings, too). Maybe it’s because I already knew the Pinot Noir was great; the tastings and visits only served to confirm this. The commercial success of its Pinot Gris wines notwithstanding, I didn’t think of Willamette Valley for white wines, though I’m not sure why not—it stands to reason that a cool-climate region well-suited to Pinot Noir would also be hospitable to