Drinking Wine Like Listening to AM Radio, in Stereo.

This title line is the motto of Ovum Wines in Southern Oregon. Is it safe to guess that husband-and-wife duo John House and Ksenija Kostic have neither a turntable nor Sonos at home?

I particularly love the idea of this project for two reasons:

1) Aromatic grapes - aside from Riesling - don't get enough love in my view. High-toned aromas don't mean the wine is sweet; hence, "salt" in the name resonates with me.

2) Texture is an under-rated quality in wine. There are self-proclaimed "acid freaks", but acidity is only one dimension of palate feel.

I enjoyed my first glimpse of Ovum and look forward to tasting more of their wines in the future!

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Ovum Wines 2018 Big Salt Oregon White Table Wine 12.9% $17
This unusual, co-fermented, dry white blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat and a smattering of other grapes hails from vineyards scattered across the state and planted from 20 to 40 years ago on ancient ocean and volcanic soils. True to its name, it comes with a salty, saline smack on the attack that is filled in with a nicely rich and expansive texture that fills every crevice of the palate. Tasting of Comice pears and donut peaches sprinkled with delicate spring flowers this glides into its solid finish with ease. There awaits a fun surprise of an almost crystalline, acidic crunch! I thoroughly enjoyed the textural patchwork on the palate, though this Big Salt vintage was less aromatic than I expected. Nonetheless, I was impressed by this wine's elegance and drinkability.
Drink: 2019-20