It’s October and fall is in full swing with changing leaves, less daylight and somewhat cooler temperatures.  This is a good time to enjoy some of the wines you’ve been meaning to try but felt the warm temperatures made them seem less enticing.

Such a wine would be the Stoller 2014 Pinot Noir from the Dundee Hills region located in the Willamette Valley AVA in Oregon. Made from estate grown grapes, this Pinot Noir is sophisticated yet approachable. On the nose there are wonderful notes of dark cherry, raspberry, clove, cinnamon and licorice. On the palate there are lingering flavors of cherry, vanilla, more spice and pepper. At around twenty-five dollars, this wine over delivers and will stand out as a Sunday dinner favorite.  Pair with grilled salmon, roasted chicken, mushroom tart appetizers and assorted hard cheeses.

In keeping with the fall season and the state of Oregon, there are a few movies that were entirely or partially filmed in the picturesque state that you should view between now and Halloween.

The Goonies Stand By Me The Ring

  • The Goonies – 1985: A somewhat scary but mostly hilarious movie about kids looking for lost treasure to stop the development of a golf course and subsequent  destruction of their neighborhood.  With young, future stars like Josh Brolin, Sean Astin and Martha Plimpton, this is a fun trip back to the eighties.
  • Stand By Me – 1986: Another classic from the eighties dealing with coming of age in the 1950’s, from the gentler side of Stephen King’s imagination. The story takes place in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine but the film’s director Rob Reiner substitutes Oregon on the opposite coast. Look for a young Keifer Sutherland who plays a serious badass.
  • The Ring – 2002: Naomi Watts starred in this remake of a cult Japanese film made a few years earlier. Filmed all over the northwest, including Oregon, this film was an excellent chiller when it was released.  You won’t look at televisions or wells quite the same way after watching this film.

Until next time, when I’ll have more Halloween treats!