the Rizzo winery NOTEBOOK
At Rizzo, we want to help our valued customers learn about how many hands this bottle went through before reaching their glass - or why wine has been the chosen beverage for thousands of years throughout history. We wanted to share the tools that enable our wine lovers to feel confident about discussing the bottle of Rizzo they are drinking with friends.
We created the Notebook to help get you there and to pass on our wealth of knowledge to you.
Summer Is Here!
Rizzo Winery is celebrating the summer season with a flight to cool you down while you soak in the sun on our patio, and new hours on Friday so you can stay later with your friends and make those summer memories!
To celebrate the season we’ve got a special flight and new hours!
To us, Summer means getting off early and hitting the happy hour! At Rizzo, happy hours are here all summer long on Fridays from 3 to 7 PM. Reservations are encouraged as we have a small space, but they’re not required. We understand that some things are spontaneous, and we hope you spontaneously decide to visit our Estate Tasting Room!
While tasting through our Summer Breeze flight you’ll feel as free as that bird of prey hunting the sky in the photo above. It begins with our bright 2017 Chardonnay, made entirely in glass. This keeps the flavors fresh and authentic to Chardonnay itself. To continue keeping your cool through the flight is our delicious 2015 Viognier made from grapes on our estate! A heavier, creamy mouthfeel with this white wine gives us a different perspective from the Chardonnay before and gives us the best of both worlds. Our 2019 Pinot Noir Rosé is darker than most rosé’s, a little more time with the skins increases the color in the wine, but also the flavor complexity! This wine is perfect if you want to bridge the gap between rosé and red wine, or to convert your red wine loving friend to the rosé side. To finish off the flight we have our 2014 Carménère, a silky and spicy red wine that pairs perfectly with vegetables right off the BBQ!
Our Estate Tasting Room is Open
Friday 3-7 PM, Saturday and Sunday 11-4 PM
Rizzo's Spotlight: Cabernet Sauvignon!
Rizzo Winery is based in the Eola-Amity Hills, a sub-region of the famed Pinot Noir King: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Though Pinot Noir is king, winemaker David Rizzo has an affinity for bolder red wines, specifically Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape is what made David want to start creating wine, and in turn, Rizzo Winery was born.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine that sparked joy in David Rizzo’s heart, and gave him the “wine bug". That spark is one that many wine lovers know and understand well, as it happens to all of us. David was visiting California in the early 90’s and wine tasting with some friends. Back then, the wine industry was a bit smaller on the West Coast, the fire burning passion and love of wine that exists strong at Rizzo Winery, was alive and well in every single tasting room. As David tasted a beautiful, lush, Cabernet, the one pouring for him was telling him all about what went into the liquid that filled the glass in his hand. As David asked questions about the winemaking practices that went into the wine, a lightbulb went off in his head saying “I can do that” and so it began.
Cabernet Sauvignon, a tale as old as time.
Tasting wine with a spread of the tasting characteristics typical of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon typically has characteristics (that you’ll see on the board above) of red or black cherries, blackberries, fig, red plums, ripe strawberries, bell pepper, mint, and cedar. Holding the wine above a white tablecloth will help you see the color of the wine, at it’s best.
