The northern portion of Oregon's Willamette Valley is only an hour's drive from Portland, the state's largest city, but the 5,200 square mile swatch of wine country seems a world apart in its unhurried, scenic way.
Tempranillo -- the grape whose Spanish incarnations as both traditional and modern-style Rioja I've been writing about here for the past few weeks -- is highly versatile, food friendly and capable of great things.
The high quality potential that Pinot Noir has when it's produced well is worth preserving. In fact, luxury selections of this wine (priced between $50 to over $100 per bottle) are delicious -- and quite popular among wine lovers.
You'll need something quenching to wash down overcooked turkey, something with a hint of sweetness so it won't taste bitter with the side dishes, something tart enough to cut their sweetness, and something friendly that everybody will love.