2021 Parkhurst Wine Cellars Pinot Meunier Rogue Valley Oregon 750 ml

Oregon's Rogue Valley—and specifically Parkhurst Wine Cellars Pinot Meunier—is a secret weapon for lovers of California wine looking for something different. While it might share a state flag with the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley is several hours south and much, much warmer.

Here, the Grestoni Vineyard's slopes luxuriate in the daytime heat and cool off dramatically at night. It's a climate suited to producing expressive Pinot Meunier that showcases the variety's rustic, earthy character. And in the outstanding '21 vintage, Parkhurst produced a bottle that should have wine lovers reconsidering what Oregon can do—one made by one of Southern Oregon's most acclaimed winemakers, no less.

Pinot Meunier is the third member of Champagne's holy trinity, alongside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. While closely related to Pinot Noir—the grapes look nearly identical—Meunier brings its own personality to the table. The name translates to "miller's grape," a nod to the white, flour-like down on the underside of its leaves. As a still wine, Pinot Meunier offers something that fans of Pinot Noir will recognize but with a twist: earthy complexity, lower tannins, and a dusty palate that makes it incredibly food-friendly.

Oregon's Rogue River Valley is remote, it's gorgeous, it's untamed, which means Parkhurst is off the radar for most wine lovers—including plenty of connoisseurs within the Pacific Northwest. But that makes it a rare opportunity: Parkhurst’s winemaker is Chris Graves, one of the most respected enologists in Southern Oregon and a former speaker at the Oregon Wine Symposium. In 2021—one of the state's greatest-ever vintages—he made a bottle that showcases why Pinot Meunier deserves its moment.

Bright red fruit, like wild strawberry, cherry, and cranberry, meets savory earth and a subtle herbal lift, while the palate stays supple and energetic with fine, chalky tannins and a mineral streak that carries through to the finish. It's a wine built for the dinner table: try it with sheet-pan chicken and feta, grilled salmon with herbs, or duck confit with white beans. The earthy complexity and low tannins make it one of the most versatile reds you can pour.