CLICK HERE TO VIEW the latest 5-minute "WineBoy" webcast. Gazz wine blogger John Brown is often asked about whether he supports adding a flavor dimension to wine by aging it in oak barrels. Does the oak actually improve the taste? His answer to that question goes all the way back to his grandfather's wine cellar. View the latest "WineBoy" webcast -- and see Brown's own oak barrel-- at the "WineBoy" blog at thegazz.com. For more ruminations on the art of oak and wine, see the "WineBoy" post below.

I had never been to the Oregon wine country. So this past spring as I searched the internet for “Oregon wine events,” the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) popped up and, after reviewing the program, I immediately registered for what turned out to be a spectacular wine and food extravaganza.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting some of the world’s most heralded wine regions but, until last week, I had never ventured to Oregon’s Willamette Valley where the pinot noir produced there is considered among the best being made anywhere. While superb wine and food was the centerpiece of this educational weekend, Oregon is also a feast for the eyes with incredible natural beauty that actually rivals our own right here in “West By Golly.”

But the goal of this trip was to immerse myself ('Come on in, the wine’s fine... ') in Oregon pinot noir and the wonderfully fresh local foods prepared by an all-star lineup of chefs from some of the region’s most highly regarded restaurants. The wine makers and presenters at the event were among the most accomplished at what they do, yet their approach - to what can be a very technical and daunting subject- was very laid back and devoid of the usual wine jargon. (They actually had a session called “International Wine Jargon Jeopardy” where participants were encouraged to match their wine-geek wit against a panel of experts). If this sounds like fun, it was!

So what’s so special about pinot noir produced in Oregon? Simply put, it’s about location. The vast Willamette Valley begins near the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington border and stretches about 100 miles south to the city of Eugene. It is approximately 60 miles across at its widest point, and is an incredibly fertile area which produces a virtual cornucopia of fruits and vegetables, including wine grapes. The valley lies between the coastal mountains on the west and the Cascade Range to the east. The weather in this area consistently produces long growing seasons with warm days and cool nights . That's what is needed – meteorologically speaking – to grow good pinot noir.

The northern Willamette Valley (about 60 miles south of Portland) is where the most famous Oregon wineries are located within several American Viticultural Area (AVA’s) including Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge, and Yamhill Carlton. Within these AVA’s, wineries such as Domaine Serene, Argyle, Elk Cove, Ken Wright, Patricia Green Cellars and more than 200 others produce pinot noir in styles distinctly different from wines made from the same grape grown in different parts of the world. Surprisingly, pinot noir from the Williamette Valley seems to have more in common with Burgundy than it does with wine produced from the same grape in California.

Don’t assume, however, that all pinot noir made in Oregon tastes exactly the same. It doesn’t. Yet there is a taste characteristic which I’ll describe here as “earthy” that seems to be present in most of the wines. This is not to suggest that the wines taste like dirt, but rather that they exhibit a flavor nuance not unlike the taste of fresh mushrooms. This is very subtle, but is fairly distinctive. Some Burgundies have a hint of this flavor component, but they have a lighter mouth feel (generally speaking) and more acid than the wines from Oregon or California.

Anyway, it’s kind of fun to note these dissimilarities. Take California pinot noir, for example. More dramatic differences are evident when one compares Oregon to California. Whether from Carneros, the Santa Rita Hills or the Russian River Valley, these California wines are generally more fruit-forward, rounder and seem to have less balance between fruit and acid than their Oregon counterparts. The Oregon wines can be rich and round, but they have more dark fruit and earthy flavors, and generally are more balanced.

Confused? Remember, this is wine tasting here – not some precise, objective treatise by a true professional oenophile (I’m really just a jack-leg writer with a penchant to wax hyperbolically). However, having had the opportunity to sample a virtual sea of pinot noirs – particularly from Oregon – I have both a renewed respect for pinot noir and for the dedicated folks that grow the grapes and make the wine. Next time, I’ll tell you about the great food and wine pairings at the IPNC event, and of my favorite wines from the weekend.

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The International Pinot Noir Celebration event I attended a couple weeks ago was a marvelous exploration of Oregon wine, the region’s wonderfully fresh produce and the various meats and seafood harvested from the area’s woods and waters.

The event was held at Linfield College – a small institution located in an idyllic setting in McMinnville, Ore., which was wine central for Oregon pinot noir that weekend and hosted the many alfresco lunches, tastings and dinners. My wife and I stayed at the lovely and romantic Mattey House B&B (503-434-5058) situated on a seven-acre farm and vineyard outside McMinnville. We were hosted by Jack and Denise Seeds, the wonderfully accommodating owners, who demonstrated an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Willamette Valley’s wines, wineries and people.

Here’s the agenda for a typical day at the IPNC: alfresco breakfast with fresh berries, croissants/breads, mini-omelets, juices and espresso/coffee/tea; visit to a winery with an extensive tasting of pinot noirs from Oregon and the world and a Q&A with winemakers; lunch in the winery prepared by a chef from the region and paired with that winery’s wines; back to Linfield for afternoon seminars on such topics as “pinot lab” (learn how the stuff is made and play winemaker for a day) and “old vines vs. young vines” (how does vine age make a difference?); and a two-hour tasting of dozens of pinot noirs before an outdoor dinner.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: how can any normal human being survive all this food and wine for two and one-half days without either (a) exploding or (b) calling “Ralph or Buiiiick”? Well, it wasn’t easy (particularly for yours truly) but the key was moderation and a willingness to spit out the wine after rolling it around in your mouth for a quick taste impression.

Yes, the same activity that is normally viewed as uncouth and barbaric in polite society (and even where I am domiciled) is totally acceptable and, indeed, necessary if one is to attempt to taste and evaluate hundreds of wines. So, I was able to get through the days by eating lightly (the hardest thing to do) and expectorating into cups.

The two evening meal events were nothing short of exquisite! On the first night, four chefs from some of the best Oregon and Washington restaurants prepared this feast: Oregon albacore tuna tartare with Provencal flavors; roasted squab with morel confit, millas cake and corn-sweet onion relish; Cascade natural whole roasted filet mignon with summer vegetable ratatouille and arugula oil; and a pinot noir parfait consisting of pinot noir chocolate mousse layered with vanilla custard, chocolate pound cake and topped with orange and chocolate diamond gelees (I think these were “sprinkles”).

What did we drink with this gourmet extravaganza? Well, just about every kind of pinot noir, but also Champagne and White Burgundy (we tasted three different ones at our table including a Puligny Montrachet, Mersault and Chassagne Montrachet).

The next day those participants who visited a winery the previous day stayed on campus for a morning seminar on pinot noir’s role in sparkling wine and Champagne. This was an excellent program and featured a discussion among wine makers from Champagne and Oregon along with other’s in the wine trade and New York Times wine columnist/blogger Eric Asimov. You can find his excellent musings on wine at: http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/.

Later, the group had a tasting of pinot noir rose’s and then enjoyed a multi-course alfresco luncheon with guess what ….. more wine. The afternoon was filled with seminars and then another early evening two-hour tasting which was followed by a traditional Northwest salmon bake (see photo of wild salmon roasting on alder wood) with about 20 mouth-watering side dishes again all prepared by a crew of gourmet chefs. More wines with dinner and then an outdoor dance under the Oregon stars. The next day’s brunch (with sparkling pinot noir rose) was a gourmand’s delight and ended a truly memorable event. For the superhuman, there was an afternoon tasting of all the wines poured at the entire IPNC event. I demurred.

What truly made this weekend even more special was the informal approach of the hosts to what can be a very technical subject and the exceedingly genuine and friendly attitude of everyone including our fellow IPNC participants. If you love wine and particularly pinot noir, you should check out the IPNC website (http://www.ipnc.org/) or call them (800-775-4762). It's not too early to book reservations for next year's celebration to be held July 25-27, 2008.

So which were my favorite pinot noirs of the weekend? I can honestly say there was only a handful with which I found serious fault. Of those I particularly enjoyed, here are ones which I’m pretty sure are available in the state: Argyle, Archery Summit, Domaine Serene, Willakenzie, Patricia Green, St. Innocent, King Estate, Ponzi, Panther Creek, Erath, Cristom, Eyrie, Golden Eye, Sokol Blosser and Chehalem.

I am convinced that a great number people who would like to enjoy wine with everyday meals are discouraged from doing so by a concern for both prudence and moderation. Prudence dictates that one should not be profligate and purchase a perishable (and sometimes expensive) product that cannot be consumed before it goes bad, while moderation demands that we drink alcoholic beverages responsibly.

So here’s the paradoxical question: how can you drink wine in a responsible manner everyday without wasting the majority of an oftentimes expensive bottle? In other words, how do we preserve the freshness and drinkability of wine over several days once it has been opened?

Now, this is not a problem for spirits drinkers since the level of alcohol in a bottle of hootch is enough to preserve the stuff through the next millennium. And beer drinkers are not confronted with this dilemma either since the 12-ounce bottles which contain that frothy amber fluid are easily consumed at one sitting.

Wine, on the other hand, is usually bottled in a 25-ounce glass container with an average alcohol content of between 10 and 15 percent. This amount of alcohol serves to protect the wine from spoilage in the first few hours after the bottle is opened, but it is not sufficient to keep the stuff fresh over an extended period.

So what can you do to keep the wine fresh if the unthinkable occurs and you don’t finish the entire bottle in the first couple of hours after it is opened? Unlike chili, beef barley soup or meatloaf, fine wine, especially the white varieties, does not improve over several days in the refrigerator. In fact, a partially full bottle of wine will deteriorate rather quickly if you don’t take certain precautions.

An open bottle of wine has a schizoid visitor: oxygen. When a wine is un-corked, the oxygen that invades it initially does wondrous things for the aroma and can actually serve as a catalyst to unleash the complex flavors that have developed over time in the bottle. Like a good friend (Dr. Jekyll), oxygen has a positive influence on wine - up to a point.

Enter Mr. Hyde. Unfortunately, after a few hours of uninterrupted contact with air, most wines begin to fall apart rather quickly - even if you screw the cap back on or put the cork back in the bottle.

But fear not intrepid oenophiles, I’m here to give you a few pointers on how to keep that special bottle fresh for days or even weeks!

First, since the major problem is too much oxygen, you must reduce the air space in the partially consumed bottle. You can do this by pouring the wine into a smaller container (such as a half-bottle). It is safe to leave about an inch of air space at the top of the bottle which, of course, must be secured by inserting the cork or affixing the screw-cap. Then, either put the wine in the refrigerator or store it in a dark, cool place to drink another day. If you’re going to drink the wine the very next day, you can sometimes get away with simply re-corking the bottle and putting it in the refrigerator. Young red wines seem to tolerate contact with air much better than older reds or any white wine. However, leaving any wine with significant air space in the bottle for more than one day is courting disaster.

Another tip is to keep different size containers (with accompanying lids) in your kitchen cabinet so you’ll have them when the need arises. (If you're a native West Virginian, remember to save that empty half-pint voting-inducement bottle from the last election- they work just fine) Be sure also to save a couple of empty fifth bottles and their corks to store wines from unfinished 1.5 liter bottles or jugs.

Some folks have suggested putting marbles into a partially empty bottle of wine to take up the air space. Not only is this an impractical solution, you’re sure to lose your marbles over time.

WINEBOY RECOMMENDS: 2005 Newton Napa Valley Claret ($25) Claret (pronounced Clair-it) is the term the British use to refer to the red wine of Bordeaux. The Newton Claret is a Napa Valley blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and syrah. It is a rich, chocolaty, minty, mouthful of wine that -- while it should benefit from a few more years in the bottle -- is ready to enjoy now. I matched it with thick, oven-broiled pork chops glazed with a delicious, roasted raspberry chipotle sauce. (I must confess – the glaze is from a bottle, Fischer & Wieser, and I ordered it from www.jelly.com.) The ’05 Newton Claret is a pleasure to enjoy over a long winter’s dinner with someone special.