Ep 273 – Oregon Wine Beyond Pinot Noir: The Regions, Grapes & Wines You Need to Know with Samantha Cole-Johnson

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EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT: A Wine Podcast Exploring Wine Regions, Grapes & Education 58 min 2 speakers 4 chapters transcribed 1 month ago

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Janina Doyle 0:05

Welcome to Eat Sleep Wine Repeat, a podcast for all you wine lovers who, if you're like me, just cannot get enough of the good stuff. I'm Janina Doyle, your host, brand ambassador, wine educator and sommelier. So stick with me as we dive deeper into this ever-evolving, wonderful world of wine. And wherever you are listening to this, cheers to you. Hello, wine friends, and welcome back to the podcast where today we are heading to Oregon, where we're going to explore how cross-state ABAs actually work and where the state lines really matter when it comes to wine style. We're going to take a closer look at the Rocks District of Milton, Florida. free water. This is a tiny, fascinating ABA with some of the most distinctive soils in the Pacific Northwest.

Janina Doyle 0:57

And we are going to be diving into Oregon Pinot Gris and comparing it with those from Alsace and Northern Italy. My guest today is Samantha Cole-Johnson. She is the Senior US Editor for JancisRobinson.com. She's worked harvests across both hemispheres, teaches WSET Level 3 and Diploma, and has been recognised for her wine writing and communication, including an award for her top score on the Stage 1 Master of Wine exam. She's also the creator of the Mission Blind tasting series and also for the earlier part of this year has brought us the weekly Wine News in 5. And make sure you stay to the end because I will be asking Sam with all of this Wine News in 5, what does she think has been some of the most important developments recently?

Janina Doyle 1:53

that will actually shape the future of wine and some fantastic wine recommendations from someone who is constantly tasting and thinking about wine. So pour yourself a glass, settle in and enjoy the episode. Sam, I'm so excited to have you on the podcast.

How did Samantha’s wine training shape the way she tastes and writes about wine?

Janina Doyle 2:14

Welcome. Welcome into the wine chair. I'm so excited to be here. Yay! To be honest, everybody listening, you have no idea how much we've been speaking already. Almost an hour just now. chatting wine wine talk um but we're gonna we're getting serious now aren't we oh yeah we're gonna we're gonna actually stick to what we were supposed to talk about instead of everything else well i don't know i think it was still very wine themed but we are going to talk about you and your wine journey and some of the wine regions that you love to discuss. So, I mean, you have worked in cellars, you have studied formally, you're doing your Master of Wine, you report on wine globally. So the fact that you've covered it all, let me ask you as we start this podcast, how has that combination shaped the way that you actually taste and you think about wine today?

Janina Doyle 3:06

Okay, so deep, deep question, right?

Samantha Cole-Johnson 3:08

I think it's a blessing and a curse to have your entry into wine be kind of classical and academic focused. So going through the WSAT or going through the Court of Master Sommeliers, the CMS, because I find that people who watch people taste or are very intrigued by this process from a consumer standpoint are like, oh man, how do you do that? How do you give a tasting note? And you're like, well, there's this thing called the SAT. which is the standardized approach to tasting. And they give you all these descriptors and they are like, okay, so now you evaluate the sweetness, the tannin, the acid, the alcohol, the body, and then we have these fruit descriptors for you. But the curse of that is that if you do that early on, you kind of box yourself in for a while, right?

Samantha Cole-Johnson 4:02

And you have to reach for new descriptors that might not be shared language because you've also been indoctrinated into this cult of shared language where if I say black current, you know what I mean. Because we're speaking from this grid that we all understand. Except the world doesn't understand this grid. So we actually don't have a shared language with everyone. We just have a shared language amongst ourselves. So you have to reach beyond that and broaden your scope if you are then wanting to speak to more people. So blessing and curse, how this affects how you write about things.

Janina Doyle 4:47

Well, let us see now how you talk about the wines as we go on on this episode.

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Chapters

4 chapters

1 What is the main topic discussed in this episode? 0:05–2:14 2 How did Samantha’s wine training shape the way she tastes and writes about wine? 2:14–26:29 3 Do state lines or AVAs matter for Oregon and Columbia Gorge wine styles? 26:29–43:16 4 What makes the Rocks District’s basalt cobblestones produce distinctive Syrah and Grenache? 43:16–58:44

Speakers

2 identified

Samantha Cole-Johnson 36 min Janina Doyle 19 min

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Topics in this episode

Apple Podcasts 1 Spotify 1 Washington 1 London 1 Oregon 1 Sam 2 Pinot Noir 1 Janina Doyle 2 Mayfair 1 Claridge's 1 Willamette Valley 1 Walla Walla 2

Source

Recorded03 Aug 2026

Publisherfeed.podbean.com ↗

Transcriptspeaker-named · 100+ languages

Handlerec:19619303

Show notes

Think Oregon is all about Pinot Noir? Think again. In this episode I'm joined by Samantha Cole-Johnson, Senior US Editor at JancisRobinson.com and the Master of Wine student who achieved the highest mark in the world in Stage One of the notoriously challenging MW programme, to uncover the side of Oregon that most people never discover. From cross-border wine regions that ignore state lines to savoury Syrah grown on basalt cobblestones, richer styles of Pinot Gris and a brand-new sparkling wine movement, this episode will completely change the way you think about Oregon. Along the way, we also discuss what the future of wine might look like - and why the biggest challenge facing the wine industry may have nothing to do with wine itself. You'll discover why the Rocks District produces some of America's most distinctive Syrah, why Oregon's Pinot Gris deserves far more attention, how Method Oregon is putting the state's sparkling wines on the map, and the producers and wine regions that should be firmly on your travel wishlist. So, if you're ready to look beyond Pinot Noir, pour yourself a glass, sit back, and enjoy this episode. Shownotes 03:05 – Learning how to communicate wine — how Samantha’s experience in cellars, formal study and wine journalism shaped the way she tastes, writes and speaks about wine today. 05:54 – Do state lines matter in wine? — why geographical boundaries rarely determine wine style, but can have important legal and commercial consequences for producers. 06:53 – Understanding the Columbia Gorge — how rainfall and temperature change dramatically from west to east across this cross-border Oregon and Washington AVA. 08:36 – Visiting the Columbia Gorge — why Portland makes an ideal starting point for exploring its wineries, cycling trails, breweries and famous windsurfing. 09:26 – Inside the Rocks District — what makes this tiny Oregon AVA’s basalt cobblestones and distinctive soils unlike almost anywhere else in the United States. 10:40 – The unmistakable Rocks District flavour — how low acidity, heat and saline soils can create Syrah with savoury, ferrous, rosemary and cured-meat characters. 11:22 – Why Grenache is thriving — the grape varieties performing particularly well in the Rocks District’s hot, dry and intensely sunny conditions. 13:41 – The problem with Rocks District labelling — why many wines grown inside the AVA must legally be labelled as Walla Walla when they are made across the border in Washington. For a deeper dive into Washington State wine, listen to Episode 271 with Chris Stone and Avril Mooney from the Washington State Wine Commission. 15:37 – Cayuse Vineyards and Christophe Baron — why one of the Rocks District’s most celebrated producers chooses not to place the AVA name on his labels. 17:49 – Christophe Baron and Cayuse — why one of the Rocks District's pioneering winemakers chooses not to feature the AVA name on his labels. 18:44 – How to identify wines from the Rocks — why a Walla Walla label does not guarantee Rocks District fruit and what wine lovers should investigate before buying. Producer to look out for who trained with Christophe Baron - Matt Reynvaan of Reynvaan Family Vineyards 20:40 – Oregon beyond the Willamette Valley — exploring the smaller wine regions and cross-border AVAs that exist beyond the state’s best-known centre of production. 21:25 – Why small producers rarely reach export markets — how direct-to-consumer sales in cities such as Seattle and Boise can leave little incentive for wineries to export. 23:23 – Oregon’s artisanal wine culture — how the state developed around small-scale wineries, hands-on farming and producers working with limited resources. 25:32 – Is Oregon wine becoming more commercial? — how new investment, vineyard management companies and larger businesses are changing the region’s traditional identity. 27:23 – Why American wine can be expensive — the impact of land prices, debt, staffing, healthcare, investors and corporate structures on the final cost of a bottle. 30:29 – Looking beyond the romance of winemaking — the economic reality behind owning vineyards, employing staff and running a sustainable family wine business. 31:18 – The authentic small-winery experience — why visiting working producers may involve muddy cellars, vineyard trucks and less glamour, but far greater access to the people behind the wine. 34:53 – Small wineries versus large production — why Oregon still has far more small producers, even as a growing proportion of its wine is made by larger companies. 35:49 – Oregon beyond Pinot Noir — discovering Tempranillo, Bordeaux varieties, Gamay, Chardonnay and the diversity emerging across the state. 38:46 – Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio? — why Oregon producers use both names and how the label can indicate whether a wine is inspired by Alsace or northern Italy. 39:41 – The classic Oregon Pinot Gris style — fresh, mineral and fruit-driven wines from producers such as King Estate and Sokol Blosser. 40:09 – A richer side of Oregon Pinot Gris — Ridgecrest, The Eyrie and Antiquum Farm demonstrate how old vines, skin contact and oak can create more textured, age-worthy wines. 42:25 – Comparing Alsace and northern Italy — the differences between richer, more powerful Alsace Pinot Gris and the fresher, leaner styles commonly associated with Italian Pinot Grigio. 43:46 – What matters most for Oregon Pinot Gris — why old vines, warmer vineyard sites and individual producers may be more important than any particular AVA. 44:38 – Introducing Method Oregon — the new initiative establishing rules for traditional-method sparkling wine made entirely from sustainably grown Oregon fruit. 46:08 – How Oregon sparkling wine is made — the specialist services helping still-wine producers manage secondary fermentation, riddling and disgorgement. 47:55 – Oregon’s leading sparkling wine producers — the history of Argyle and Soter, and the new vineyards being planted specifically for traditional-method sparkling wine. 49:44 – Developments shaping the future of wine — lower-alcohol fermentation, de-alcoholised wine, growing demand for white and sparkling styles and greater interest in environmental certification. 51:00 – Is declining socialisation hurting wine? — Samantha’s theory that remote working, screen time and fewer shared meals may be more important than generational drinking trends. 52:23 – Wine as a social experience — why encouraging people to gather, connect and spend longer around the table could be essential to the future of the wine industry. 54:04 – Barbecue wine recommendations — Samantha recommends Bedrock Wine Co. for outstanding Zinfandel, alongside lighter chillable reds for relaxed outdoor gatherings. 55:23 – Pairing wine with hand-holding — why Samantha chooses a lower-alcohol Txakoli rosé for an experience that has nothing to do with food. 📩 Email: [email protected] 📸 Instagram: @eatsleep_winerepeat 🎥 YouTube: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat 🌐 Website: www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Cheers to you 🥂 THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST Featured in Decanter Magazine and Radio Times, and ranked among the Top UK Wine Podcasts by Feedspot. RECOGNITION: Finalist, 67 Pall Mall Award for Best Global Wine Communicator in Audio (2025) Shortlisted, IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Communication (2025 and 2026) Ranked #18 in 2024 and #22 in 2025 on Drinks Retailing’s Most Influential People in Drinks list.

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