Terra Vina Wines

Formerly Dalla Vina Wines, Terra Vina Wines is the creation of Carole and Karl Dinger. During my visit on a hot July day, the cool tasting room was a welcome oasis. Even more welcoming was the broad array of wines available for tasting for a nominal fee. At Terra Vina, you can experience Karl’s line-up of Burgundian-, Italian-, Bordeaux-, and Rhône-style wines. It’s a veritable tour of Old World classic wines: chardonnay, pinot noir, sangiovese, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah are some of the wines to taste in this smorgasbord.

Although many followers of Terra Vina Wines know it by its former name, the name change was prompted because of a California-based winery with a similar moniker. However, a wine by any other name would taste as sweet, to paraphrase a certain English playwright. While waiting for their Wilsonville-based vineyard to come into production, the Dingers source most of their grapes from vineyards in Washington state and eastern Oregon. As a member of the tasting room staff noted, the wines are ready to be enjoyed today, but also can be stored in the cellar for many years, awaiting that special moment (it’s got to be 5 p.m. somewhere).

Karl must be doing something right. Although new to the Oregon wine scene, this former garagiste has received a treasure trove of awards and accolades, including gold, silver, and bronze awards from some prestigious Oregon wine competitions. For example, at the 2008 McMinnville Food & Wine Classic, his 2006 Syrah took home the gold.

WineTrail tip: Purchase a bottle of Terra Vina Wines to accompany your dinner at Cuvée restaurant. Located next to Terra Vina Wines, Cuvée gets our vote for the best French restaurant in Oregon wine country. I believe it waived the corkage fee when we produced the Terra Vina Syrah for uncorking. Nice touch. It was a perfect way to end the day, even though it was still early — 5 p.m.