I love it when wine astonishes me. The surprise of tasting the dry palate found in a highly fragrant, floral Torontes from Argentina, or the refined sophistication in a steely Mosel Reisling.

Willamette Valley’s Gran Moraine Winery is known for producing premium-quality, terroir-driven Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that celebrates the natural gifts of Mother Nature.

But that’s not all the experiment-driven, adventure-seeking winemaker for Gran Moraine, Shane Moore, has up his sleeve. Since 2014 the winery has been working on crafting SO2-free white wines with character using carbonic maceration. The result is a deeply colored, aromatic orange wine crafted from Pinot Blanc fruit grown on sister-winery, Willakenzie’s, Yamhill-Carlton estate.

Gran Moraine Flavorscape Pinot Blanc has a gorgeous golden orange tint and opens with aromas of wildflowers, tropical mango, marshmallow, and honey, leading to exotic layers of melon, citrus, and spiced, candied pineapple on the palate with a spicy bite on the finish. It is delicious, and as delicious as it is, it is the texture that keeps us going back for more. The palate has the weight of a red wine, coating the palate with a mouthwatering mix of tannic and acid, perfect for food pairings. Enjoy with hard cheese, charcuterie, bacon candy, and pork loin. #cheers