Introducing Underwood First Crush

Underwood First Crush Chilled Wine in a Can

Some wines have a lot of opinions. About the glass, the temperature, the vintage. First Crush has one: serve it cold.

We’re introducing Underwood First Crush, our newest Chillable Red — a wine genuinely designed for the fridge, built for the can, and made for the kind of night that doesn’t need a reason.

Oregon Roots, Unexpected Blend

First Crush pulls from two of Oregon’s most distinct growing regions: the Willamette Valley and the Umpqua Valley. The Willamette brings cool-climate finesse; the Umpqua adds warmth and structure. Together, they make something that works.

The blend is unconventional, and you’ll taste why. It has the fruit and structure you’d expect from Oregon Pinot Noir, with a brightness that keeps things lively from the first sip to the last.

What You’re Getting

Cold from the can, First Crush opens up with pomegranate, red currant, and a hint of black peppercorn. Fruity without being sweet, with a brightness that keeps things lively. Share one with your person, or grab two and call it a night well spent. Either way, it’s easy to crush.

Why It We Made It 

When Ryan Harms started Union Wine Company in 2005, the premise was simple: Oregon makes exceptional wine, and more people should be drinking it. Not just collectors and enthusiasts — everyone. That’s still the point.

First Crush is maybe the most direct expression of that idea we’ve made. It’s a red wine that doesn’t ask you to follow the rules — chill it, drink it from the can, pair it with whatever you actually have in front of you.

Underwood Chilled Red Wine and Romance Books

Where It Fits

First Crush is for the moment right before the season changes. The first warm enough evening to sit outside. The spontaneous plans that turn into the best night. It’s for new crushes and old ones, for friends who show up unannounced, and for the romance novel you’ve been saving for exactly this kind of evening.

It fits in a jacket pocket, a tote bag, a koozie. It’s B Corp certified, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly. Unexpected, a little charming, and very easy to fall for.

National Park Inspired Cocktails

We’re celebrating summer with 3 cocktails you can make with our Underwood limited-edition national park cans, in partnership with the National Park Foundation. Whether you just got back from exploring a national park, or are planning a trip, keep these cocktail recipes handy for a fun afternoon of reminiscing or planning. Like the can designs, each cocktail is inspired by the mountains, water ways, and deserts our cans are showcasing.

Underwood Pinot Gris Pinecone Punch

Pinecone Punch

(serves 3)

Ingredients

1 can of Underwood Pinot Gris
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/3 cup gin
Juice from 1 and a half limes
2 oz pine and satsuma syrup
Extra lime slices for garnish

Directions

Add a few handfuls of ice to a pitcher, then add all the ingredients and stir. Add a few ice cubes to each glass and pour in the punch. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Underwood Rosé Bubbles Sparkling Desert Bird

Sparkling Desert Bird

Ingredients

1.5 oz mezcal
.50 oz aperol
.25oz agave syrup and .75 oz pineapple juice (or 1 oz pineapple gum)
Pinch of salt
Underwood Rosé Bubbles

Directions

Shake all the ingredients except the Rosé Bubbles in a cocktail shaker, strain over ice and top with 1-2 oz of Rosé Bubbles.

Underwood The Bubbles Lakeside Spritz

 

Lakeside Spritz

Ingredients

3 oz of Underwood The Bubbles
1 oz St Germain
Lime juice from 1/2 a lime
1 oz Soda water
Basil and mint

Directions

Add St Germain, lime juice and a few torn herb leaves to a glass. Stir together, add ice and top with The Bubbles and soda water.

Pinot Noir & Radicchio Risotto

Undewood Pinot Noir Risotto

Most risotto recipes include a bit of white wine to deglaze the pan with, but we found a risotto made with red wine and we love it. This recipe comes from the cookbook Bitter Honey, Recipes and Stories from the Island of Sardinia. They use a local red wine, but we made the recipe with Underwood Pinot Noir. With a small amount of prep work, this dish comes together easily. A perfect dish to share on Valentine’s Day or to help get you through the last of the cold winter months.

Undrewood Pinot Noir Rissotto

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups (500mL) Underwood Pinot Noir

10 tablespoons butter

1⁄2 head of large radicchio or 1 small entire head, finely sliced

pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon sapa or an aged balsamic

2 small white onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 cups risotto rice

3oz Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

Underwood Pinot Noir Risotto

PREPARATION:

In a deep saucepan over low heat, mix together your stock and wine.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a separate saucepan. Reserve a handful of radicchio for decoration then fry the rest until it just wilts. Add a pinch of salt and the vinegar. Continue cooking for a minute or so and set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a deep saucepan and fry the onions and garlic gently, until soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir for a minute or so. Add a ladle of your wine and stock mixture and stir until it has been absorbed into the rice. Repeat the process, ladle by ladle, stirring after each addition until the rice absorbs the liquid.

The whole cooking process should take around 17–20 minutes. Once your rice is al dente and the liquid has mostly evaporated, set it aside for the ‘mantecatura’, or ‘creaming’.

With a wooden spoon, beat the rest of the butter with the grated Parmesan. Beat well for a minute or two, until a luscious creamy sauce is formed.

Finally, fold in your cooked radicchio and serve, topped with the reserved raw radicchio for decoration and an extra grating of Parmesan.

BLOOD ORANGE AMARETTO SPARKLER

Let’s drink some bubbles, but make it special. This simple cocktail adds dry curaçao and amaretto to Underwood The Bubbles and it tastes so good. Sparkler in glass optional, but recommended.

BLOOD ORANGE AMARETTO SPARKLER - Underwood The Bubbles

BLOOD ORANGE AMARETTO SPARKLER

1/2 oz amaretto
1/2 oz dry curaçao
Underwood The Bubbles
blood orange slices

Pour amaretto and curaçao into a flute and top with The Bubbles. Garnish with a blood orange slice.

BLOOD ORANGE AMARETTO SPARKLER - Underwood The Bubbles

Recipe and photos by Alyson Brown of @wildfolklore and author of The Flower Infused Cocktail.

WHITE MULLED WINE

This year we wanted to try something a little different for a warm holiday drink. We came up with a new spin on the classic mulled wine, which is typically made with red wine, and created a version using our Underwood Pinot Gris. It still has the same spices and gives you that warm comforting feeling. And, it’s perfect for welcoming Thanksgiving guests, cozying up in a snowy winter cabin, or putting in a to-go mug for your Christmas tree-hunting adventure. Cheers!

Underwood Pinot Gris White Mulled Wine

White Mulled Wine

1 bottle of Underwood Pinot Gris
1 cup cognac
6 figs, sliced and stem removed
2 pears, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
1 lemon, sliced

Combine the wine, cognac, figs, pears, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and lemon in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat for 30 mins and up to 1 hour. Do not boil. Strain to remove solids and serve warm. Serve with a slice of fresh fig, cinnamon stick, and star anise.

Underwood Pinot Gris White Mulled Wine

Recipe and photos by Alyson Brown of @wildfolklore and author of The Flower Infused Cocktail.