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Remy Wines 2014 Three Wives Fischerman’s Pinot Gris
A natural-born winemaker
In third grade, Remy Drabkin decided she’d grow up to be a winemaker. With childhood BFFs named Adelsheim and Ponzi, that is perhaps not quite a surprise. But Remy is no scion of a great winemaking family. Rather, her mom was a chef at Nick’s Italian Cafe – the classic Italian restaurant in downtown McMinnville – the place where Oregon’s first winemakers would take their families for birthdays and celebrations. During summers and weekends as a teen, Remy worked in wineries, doing whatever needed to be done.
After high school, she explored the world. From a kibbutz in Israel – growing grapes and making wine – to a semester at a viticulture school in France. Eventually, Remy landed at an Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh, where they were shipping in California grapes and making house wine in the basement.
Before long, Remy was back in Oregon, working in well-known wineries by day and making her own wine at night. A decade ago, at age 25, she launched Remy Wines and she’s never looked back. Today, she’s known for her support of local charities in Yamhill County – and for being unafraid to self-identify as an LGBT winemaker. In the forthcoming documentary, Red, White & Black, Remy shares her story about coming out as a winemaker in Oregon.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Remy Wines, Dayton, Oregon
2014 Three Wives Fischerman’s Pinot Gris
Remy is most well-known for growing and producing Italian varietals in the Pacific Northwest, particularly unusual ones with elegance and complexity.
Her Three Wives label is a “playground” label, designed to try new experiments each year, while producing great everyday wine. She includes varietals more traditionally found in the Willamette Valley but produced in a playful way. They change from year to year and allow Remy to experiment with different grapes and different winemaking styles. The Three Wives wines are the perfect wines to open on a Tuesday night when friend stops by to say hi.
Around the world, Pinot Gris can express itself in many different ways. Remy’s 2014 Fischerman’s Pinot Gris is a classic Oregon take – leading with aromas of honeysuckle, lemon rind, and caramel. With ripe citrus, pear, and apple flavors, it finishes cleanly with hints of minerality.
A Cellar 503 selection in January 2016, Red White & Black: Minority Winemakers Pinot Gris
