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Little Crow, Picker's Red - Oregon, 2023

Brian Hibbard

— 2 min read
Little Crow, Picker's Red - Oregon, 2023
Photo Courtesy of The Oregonian

Fast Facts:

Winemaker(s): Jess Miller
Region: Eola-Amity Hills -> Willamette Valley -> Oregon -> USA
Varietal(s): Pinot Noir
Terroir: Volcanic basalt and marine sedimentary soils. Biodynamic
Serving Temp: 50-55°F

Jess Miller gained her winemaking chops during some intensive hands-on work with friends in France and Germany. After discovering this new love, she found some darling yet neglected vineyards in Oregon, leading to Little Crow Vineyards starting up in 2016. In addition to winemaking, marketing, distributing, all those business-y thangs, Jess Miller happens to also do all the biodynamic farming herself! A rarity for a US producer.

Picker's Red is her love letter to the volunteers who help her harvest every year. The wine was actually born from an accident - she ended up blending red Pinot Noir juice with rosé from Pinot Noir, and it turned out to be magic. Jess farms two vineyards biodynamically in the Willamette Valley - one of them Hollow Oak Acres in the Chehalem Mountains, where she works alongside her vineyard partners Lisa and Bradley Oliver. That's where the rosé component comes from. The red Pinot comes from a tiny half-acre parcel in Eola-Amity Hills where Jess works harvest in exchange for fruit, an excellent deal! That high-elevation fruit gets fully ripe while keeping fresh acidity and crunch. The blend happens in barrel, and the result is this incredibly refreshing, chillable red that feels more like Beaujolais than typical Willamette Valley Pinot.

The blend happens in barrel, and the result is this incredibly refreshing, chillable red that feels more like a playful Beaujolais than typical Willamette Valley Pinot. Light, bright, crunchy, and totally crushable.

Why'd we pick it?

Jess' hands in the dirt vibe is strong, and she embodies a farmer-first philosophy, which you can feel it in every aspect of Little Crow. Her wines are honest AND delicious, and it's the kind of wine you can sip all evening as you make dinner without feeling heavy. Plus, biodynamics are the most fun!

Field Notes

  • Tastes like: Quite the epitome of crunchy red fruit! Raspberries and red currant galore, and some tart strawberries. There's a smidge of forest floor bringing a bit of earth, mineral, and dank. Refreshing with a bit of wild, and just enough tannin to keep it structured.
  • Serve it cold-ish! This is definitely in the "glou glou" vibe. Pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving.
  • Food Pairings: As I write this on a weirdly sunny 60°+ day in February, I'm thinking about this grilled chicken with za'atar and garlic yogurt recipe. It would also be an excellent pizza party vino, with an emphasis on good tomato sauce.

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