The Cool Clones

One of the key drivers behind the vast improvement in Oregon wine in the 2000s was the widespread implementation of so-called Dijon clones. The University of Oregon was the first entity in the United States to bring in these clones of pinot noir and chardonnay (clones are genetic subtypes of a variety). Named after Dijon the city in Burgundy where France’s ONIVINS plant materials laboratory is located, the numerous Dijon clones (with exciting names like 115, 667, and 777) are heralded for their complex flavors and ability to ripen fully in cool climates.

Blue cheese generally makes most red wines taste richer and livelier.

Answer: False.

While I love blue cheese, I usually don’t pair it with red wine. Extremely salty and pungent, blue cheese’s aggressive, palate-coating flavors strip the flavor of virtually all dry red wines, making them taste insipid and washed-out. Just about the only wine that has the intensity and body to counterbalance a blue cheese’s forceful character is a powerhouse like Port, because it is both sweet and fortified. The combination has been considered a European classic for centuries. (For more on pairing cheeses with wines, watch my video on wine and cheese parings here).

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The Cool Clones

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