Lingua Franca Oregon Wine Tasting with Special Guest Founder Larry Stone MS Thursday, November 12, 2026 7:30 PM
"It's a hard grape to grow. As you know. Right? It's, uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it's neglected. No, pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And, in fact, it can only grow in these really specific, little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression."
Miles – Sideways
I remember the first time I met master sommelier Larry Stone, it was at Rubicon restaurant in San Francisco in the early 1990’s on my second trip to California as a young sommelier while working at Café Maxx. Larry Stone was one of the first people to pass the MS exam and I was excited to meet him when our group from Café Maxx ate at Rubicon. Larry has a photographic memory and has an encyclopedic knowledge of wine so you can imagine how impressed I was as a young sommelier hoping to get to the next level. I was very impressed with Rubicon’s wine program the organization of the wine list and of course Larry did not disappoint me as he was very approachable and although we only had a brief conversation about wine that night I knew from that moment on that I would pursue a career in the wine industry.
I remember my first trip to Oregon in the summer of 1994 for the IPNC (International Pinot Noir Celebration) this is one of the best wine parties that I have ever attended. The festival is limited to 500 attendees as it is hosted by McMinnville College and that is all they can accommodate in their lecture facilities. I remember not only was the quality of the wines at the highest level but the people in attendance were some of the most passionate Pinot Noir lovers that I had ever come across. This was the second time that I met Larry Stone and this time I got to hang out with him and play pool at a local bar after one of the evening’s festivities. Once again he was very easy to engage and I was even more impressed with his knowledge and demeanor once again making me an even bigger fan of this MS.
It was quite a few years after that when Larry started Lingua Franca winery and visited the Wine Watch. I was so excited to learn that Larry was stopping by the store to taste me on his wines. I was eager to tell him the story of how impressed I was with him and what an inspiration he was to me when I first started out in the wine business. Of course, he did not remember either of our first two meetings but I was so impressed with his wines that I ordered everything that was presented to me that day and have had them listed on our site if they were not on the shelf ever since that day. Larry was so impressed with the Wine Watch that he promised to host an event with us the next time he came back to South Florida.
Join us as we welcome the founder of Lingua Franca Winery Larry Stone to Wine Watch for a special evening of wines from Willamette Valley’s most prized vineyard sites. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Lingua Franca Oregon Wine Tasting
with Special Guest Founder Larry Stone MS
Thursday, November 12, 2026
7:30 PM
2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Avni Willamette Valley
2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills
2023 Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Chardonnay Willamette Valley
2022 Lingua Franca Winery AVNI Chardonnay Willamette Valley
2022 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills
2017 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills
2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Avni Willamette Valley
2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Estate Eola Amity
2023 Lingua Franca 'The Plow' Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
2022 Lingua Franca Mimi’s Mind Pinot Noir Eola Amity
2022 Lingua Franca Tongue & Cheek Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Sea Scallop Carpaccio with Candied Citrus and Lavender Aioli
Beef Tartar served Over Bone Marrow Canoe with Whole Wheat Toast and Truffle Aioli
Duck Confit with Pinot Noir Cherry Reduction and Purple Potato Mash
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about Lingua Franca Winery
Lingua Franca Winery
(n) lin·gua fran·ca
(1): a universal language used to connect people of diverse backgrounds.
At precisely 4 pm on December 31st, 2012, Larry completed this once-in-a-lifetime acquisition. The Janzen Farm, sought after for over 40 years by the finest names in Oregon winemaking, was now in his hands to develop.
Following low-impact, organic, and biodynamic farming principles under the guidance of dear friend and renowned regenerative viticulturist Mimi Casteel, our estate vineyard was planted with different combinations of rootstock and budwood to reflect the varying soil conditions within the vineyard.
The exceptional fruit produced from this land showcased unparalleled purity and elegance, capturing the attention of esteemed white wine producer Dominique Lafon.
Widely respected as one of the top winemakers in Burgundy, Dominique Lafon took notice of this exceptional vineyard site and joined Larry Stone to craft uniquely expressive wines harnessing the unique terroir of Oregon.
The Willamette Valley is an ideal location to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Its average seasonal temperatures, long daylight hours in the summer months, and total annual rainfall resemble the conditions in Burgundy, where the fruit attains uncontested perfection. All of our work is guided by respect for the environment, encouraging healthy diversity of life around and among us.
All the wines from Lingua Franca Winery on SALE!!
2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Avni Willamette Valley
Price: $32.50 Your Price: $29.25
(92 Points) The 2023 Chardonnay Avni has alluring aromas of quince, white peach, meringue, chamomile, beeswax and hazelnut. The medium-bodied palate has a satiny texture and expansive, honeyed flavors. Its generosity is balanced by mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, textural finish. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills
Price: $49.50 Your Price: $44.55
(94 Points) A bright, yellow/green-toned hue, the 2023 Chardonnay Lingua Franca Estate features notes of green apples, fresh flowers, citrus zest, and crushed stones. The palate is more linear and bright, with a scintillating spine of electric acidity and a clean, zesty finish. It’s going to benefit from another 6-12 months in bottle and should easily drink well over the coming 8-10 years. Jeb Dunnuck
2023 Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Chardonnay Willamette Valley
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50
Though crisp and lean on the tongue, Bunker Hill Estate Chardonnay 2023 has a surprisingly floral, marzipan, and mineral nose, but on the palate it is lemon peel, citrus and herbs. Surprisingly muscular, richly textured and bright with lemon highlights. The aroma of freshly picked Provençale herbs emerges as the wine opens with aeration. There are layers of flavor in the round, spicy and citrusy finish. The vineyard has yielded a paradox of wonderfully luxurious flavors on the foundation of its usual taught restraint.
Vineyard Notes: Bunker Hill is 100% sourced from our Bunker Hill Estate Vineyard in the South Salem Hills and is the oldest source of fruit for any of our wines, having been planted in 1995 to CH76. It is among the earliest of the Dijon-clone plantings in Oregon, situated on the remnant of an 1840s pioneer farm. The soils are quite thin over the basalt bedrock and the slope faces the ocean winds on the west, which makes for thicker skins.
Production Notes: The grapes were handpicked to maximize freshness and tension in the finished wine. The grapes were 100% whole cluster pressed, settled in tank for 24 hours on average, then barrel fermented with native yeasts in a combination of 23% new, 600-liter puncheons and 77% old French oak barriques and puncheons from diverse coopers. Full malolactic fermentation completed spontaneously in each barrel. After 11 months aging on lees, the wines were combined in tank with their lees for five months prior to bottling.
Winemaker Notes: The growing season in 2023 started off with a pattern that had prevailed for the previous two years with a cold wet spring, though never with any frost or other extreme event. The cool spring weather led into a beautifully warm second week of May with temperatures in the mid 80s in the Eola-Amity Hills that promoted shoot growth. This set up for a good flowering in June. There were no real extremes of heat this summer but with overall very helpful warm to an occasional hot day throughout the season. Picking began mid- September in good weather and each block could be picked at exactly the right time.
2022 Lingua Franca Winery AVNI Chardonnay Willamette Valley
Price: $33.00 Your Price: $29.70 Quantity in Stock: 3
This is the only key production wine that is not estate grown. Larry originally was going to sell fruit, so he planted mainly Pinot Noir on the site. In order to make the volume of Avni Chardonnay he uses about 60% Chardonnay that is from his neighbors, organically farmed on shallow, volcanic Nekia soils. The rest is purchased from the Van Duzer Corridor, where the temperatures are cooled by winds coming off of the nearby ocean. The main source is from the west side of the hill at the valley floor just to the south of Lingua Franca. On the nose this wine has aromas of lemon citrus and mineral, all organically farmed, showing notes of white flowers as the wine opens up. Bright and focused bouquet with lemon citrus, white flowers and a distinct minerality here, a firm hand of acidity and excellent length and complexity on the finish. Finish 45+ Most Excellent
2022 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills
Price: $50.00 Your Price: $45.00 Quantity in Stock: 8
Floral notes leap out of the glass of the 100% Estate-grown Chardonnay 2022, with notes of jasmine, gardenia and lemon blossom. The contribution of low-yielding CH548 blocks seem to impress their character on the late vintage. The palate is round and fresh, entering with green apple and creamy lemon, which develop into chamomile and sea salt, with a round-textured, long finish of floral and saline notes.
Tasting Notes: Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay is a permanent addition to our wine portfolio. Its aroma is a combination of creamy lemon custard, grapefruit zest, jasmine and vanilla. While it has the richest aroma and texture of all our Chardonnays, it is still lively and bright, lifted by its underlying energy, an excellent expression of our vineyard.
Vineyard Notes: Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay is sourced 80% from the original blocks planted by Larry Stone in 2012 and now augmented by two additional blocks grafted over to Chardonnay from Pinot Noir in 2018 and 2019. The newer blocks will have more of an influence in coming years as they mature.
Production Notes: The fruit field sorted, hand-picked, then 80% whole cluster pressed, 20% crushed and pressed, then settled in tank for 24 hours on average, barrel fermented with wild yeast in a combination of 27% new, lightly toasted 500- liter puncheons, and 73% old French oak puncheons and barriques from diverse coopers. Full malolactic fermentation completed spontaneously in each barrel. After 11 months aging on lees, the wines were combined in tank with their lees for five months prior to bottling.
2022 Lingua Franca 'Sisters' Chardonnay Willamette Valley
Price: $79.50 Your Price: $71.55
(93 Points) Smoky crushed rocks and nuances of curry leaf give way to nectarine and a hint of spice as the 2022 Chardonnay Sisters blossoms in the glass. Distinctly savory, it offers soft textures and ginger-infused orchard fruit that take on a salty sensation toward the close. Intense citrus leaves a tart chewiness and mouthwatering quality as crunchy mineral tones linger. Vinous
2022 Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Chardonnay Willamette Valley
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50 Quantity in Stock: 2
This is Larry stone former sommelier, an Estate vineyard farmed biodymanically and this is located in Salem, their winemaker worked at DRC and Dujac and this wine has a good amount of minerality flinty with white flowers and lemon citrus, green apple. A cosmic label imaged taken from the hubble spacecraft, this wine has a lovely balance and a creamy mineral laced texture, very complex and layered finish the bottle opened yesterday is almost identical to the one opened today and both were even better the following day- Bravo the best Chardonnay I have ever tasted from Oregon. Finish 50+ Most Excellent
2019 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills
Price: $50.00 Your Price: $45.00 Quantity in Stock: 5
(92 Points) "This Is Tight And Balanced, Though Not As Deep Or Rich As In Past Vintages. Sleek Flavors Of Lemon Rind And Green Apple Come With Ample Acidity, Even With Full Malolactic Fermentation. The Wine Has The Structure And Length To Age, So Tuck It Away For A Couple Of Years And It Should Develop Nicely. Paul Gregutt" Wine Enthusiast
2017 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills
Price: $59.00 Sale Price: $45.00 Quantity in Stock: 18
Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay is a permanent addition to our wine portfolio. Its aroma is a combination of creamy lemon custard, grapefruit zest, jasmine and vanilla. While it has the richest aroma and texture of all our Chardonnays, it is still lively and bright, lifted by its underlying energy; an excellent expression of our vineyard.
2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Avni Willamette Valley
Price: $35.00 Your Price: $31.50
Bright strawberry and raspberry fruit with a nice amount of pretty floral notes, earthy highlights. This is all estate bottled on Jory soil mainly pommard clone the biggest berry clone from the heritage plot Ponzi family 115, 114 and 113. Big ripe red cherry red raspberry very seductive and easy to drink with ripe open fruit very pretty structure mineral floral notes and exotic spices. Bright and fruity but not light in nuance and spice. Finish 45+ Excellent +
2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Estate Eola Amity
Price: $49.50 Your Price: $44.55
This is on the Gelderman soils, mainly 777 and 543 and this wine has a bit more perfume and floral notes with black raspberry fruit and a bit more minerality and complexity on the nose. A big Pinot Noir but quite elegant and this wine has some tannins but a very balanced and a long finish all that nuance from the nose lingering through the finish. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +
2023 Lingua Franca 'The Plow' Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50
(95 Points) A bright red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir The Plow is from the top blocks of the estate and then blended blind. It has lifted, bright aromatics of pomegranate, strawberries, sweet herbs, and floral perfume. It's medium-bodied, with a graceful and approachable feel, fine tannins, and a floating finish. It’s delightful now and should drink fantastically over the coming 12-15 years. Jeb Dunnuck
2022 Lingua Franca Mimi’s Mind Pinot Noir Eola Amity
Price: $79.50 Your Price: $71.55
(95 Points) Fleshy in texture but steely at the core, with vibrant acidity and crushed stone accents framed by raspberry, guava, fresh violet and black tea flavors that gather tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2034. Wine Spectator
2022 Lingua Franca Tongue & Cheek Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50
(95 Points) Sleek and silky yet keenly structured, with a simmering backbone of mineral-tinged acidity framed by raspberry, cherry, forest floor and savory tea accents that build toward the dynamic finish. Wine Spectator
A bit about the history of wine in Oregon
It was in 1979 when serious wine producers started to look at the potential of this area as Eyrie Vineyards' 1975 South Block Pinot Noir placed in the top 10 of Burgundy-style wines at the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiads, and was rated the top Pinot Noir. This send the news around the wine world and shortly after Robert Drouhin, head of Burgundy's legendary Maison Joseph Drouhin, was visiting America's west coast promoting the Drouhin Burgundies. The California wine industry was just starting to receive its first recognition back then, but there was little if anything going on in Oregon. Robert's first visit to the Northwest and its earliest vineyards left him with the impression that it quite possibly would be Oregon, not California, that would ultimately prove to be the best place to grow the great grape of Burgundy - Pinot noir.
Inspired by his trip to Oregon and the results of 1979 tasting that was held in Paris, where, for the first time, the best new Oregon Pinot noirs were tasted in competition with the finest Burgundies. Robert decided to hold his own blind tasting in 1980 at the Drouhin cellars in France, with several of the best Oregon Pinot noirs going up against the finest Drouhin Grand Crus. It was a Drouhin Grand Cru that took first place this time, but an Oregon wine (the now legendary 1975 Eyrie Vineyards South Block) placed 2nd by a very narrow margin with the French experts. News of this tasting brought the first widespread international attention to Oregon Pinot noir.
After a few years’ time Robert's daughter Véronique just graduated with an advanced degree in enology from the University of Dijon, and wanted to expand her experience by working in Oregon. Véronique interned with Adelsheim Vineyards, Bethel Heights, and Eyrie for the 1986 vintage. Later on, Robert mentioned to David Adelsheim that it might be interesting to buy a piece of land in Oregon, to see what it might produce. What started as a passing thought began its transformation into reality when Adelsheim phoned the Drouhins in Beaune not long thereafter to tell them of a property that was for sale that they might be interested in. The rest is history and with one of Burgundies foremost wine producing families moving to Oregon the writing was on the wall that this wine producing region would soon get its much-deserved recognition as one of the world's premier Pinot Noir growing regions.
Today, the state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.
American Viticultural Areas entirely within the state include the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, Umpqua Valley, and Rogue Valley AVAs. Parts of the Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, and Snake River Valley AVAs lie within Oregon.
Currently there are over 1000 wineries in Oregon and a bustling tourism industry has developed around wine tasting. Much of the tourism focuses on the wineries and tasting rooms in and around the Yamhill Valley southwest of Portland.
back