Oregon's only Japanese female winemaker, Akiko Shiba studied in Germany before making the move to our famed Willamette Valley, where she produces mostly Pinot Noir. Lucky for us, she stumbled upon a block of Auxerrois, a relatively obscure grape grown mostly in France, where it is typically used as a blending grape. Shiba blends hers too, but places the Auxerrois front and center, deftly highlighting what is usually a background player. Pinot Noir (9%) and Pinot Gris (19%), are relegated to supporting roles, and the resulting wine is fresh and playful, with a nicely tart baseline accented with pleasant summertime aromatics. Native yeast fermentation with no fining or filtering, just a touch of sulfur at bottling. Our new favorite patio pounder.