The days here are pleasant with highs in the seventies, sunny skies and gentle breezes. This year the Northwest is in the throes of a serious drought with the worst wildfires in Washington history. And though I’m not a person that particularly enjoys days of rain, I would relish some rain for a few days. While we’re settling in and searching through boxes at the storage unit for dishes and silverware, I’m still drinking wine.

For dinner tonight I cooked chicken, on the stove because I gave away the grill in the move and haven’t replaced it, marinated in chili powder, cumin and crushed red pepper (for a bit of heat), a salad and for the wine I opened a bottle of Erath, an Oregon Pinot Noir vintage 2013. This is a light pinot Noir, not like some of the California Pinot Noirs I’ve had. The color in the glass was a light red, almost like a strawberry soda. The wine had an alcohol content of 13%. You can find them at http://www.erath.com.

I could smell the alcohol first, probably because it was a bit too warm. I didn’t get it chilled enough before opening it. The wine was dry and a bit tart with a light finish. The wine was a bit drier than other Pinot Noirs I’ve had, but still very drinkable. I could taste strawberries and light fruit. This is a nice light red wine for summer or fall for that matter.

This wine went well with the spicy chicken, but I think it would also go well with burgers and fries. This is a wine that I will buy again especially when I’m looking for a red wine that is lighter and not quite so heavy.