Oregon Wine Resource Studio

Your Resource for Oregon Wine Trade Presentations

Tech Sheet

The Full Story

by

Oregon Wine: The Full Story

Cole Danehower—wine writer, James Beard award winner and great friend of Northwest wine—had it right: Great Wine = (Place + Plant) x People. Few places in the world maximize that equation the way Oregon does. It’s not just our perfect location—the languid summer days, breezes sweeping in from the Pacific, primordial soils making vines struggle and develop complex flavors. And it’s not just that we’ve invested in decades of painstaking research about which grapes thrive best in which areas, under what conditions. It’s that our winemakers, despite their successes, have never rested on their laurels. They welcome feedback and collaborate to share advances, but always maintain a fierce independence, determined to make distinct wines that reflect their land, their grapes, what this year has brought. Wine enthusiasts recognize quality when they taste it, and in Oregon that quality comes from hand-tended vines, small-scale production and thoughtful winemakers dedicated to their craft.

The Full Story downloads

Presentation preview

Willamette Valley

by

Willamette Valley

Celebrated, renowned, exquisite. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is synonymous with glorious Pinot noir—not surprising given the optimal conditions in this storied stretch of land for growing the fickle grape. But those conditions weren’t immediately apparent to everyone. It took the knowledge, vision, courage and experimentation of pioneers like David Lett and Charles Coury to put the Willamette Valley on the winegrowing map. And that facile equation—Willamette equals Pinot—can obscure an important point: no grape variety is as reflective of climatic and site differences as Pinot noir, and small distances in the valley can yield wines of distinctively different character, each captivating in its own way. Add to that the fact that roughly 30% of the Valley’s grapes are now other white and red varieties that also thrive in the region, and you just begin to understand how remarkable—and remarkably prolific—this region is.

Established: 1983
Total Area: 3,428,800 acres (1,387,600 ha)
Planted Area: 25,450 acres (10,300 ha)*
Predominant Soils: Marine sedimentary, volcanic, loess
Predominant Varieties: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Riesling

*Updated Feb. 2021

Willamette Valley downloads

Presentation preview

About

The Willamette Valley runs from the Columbia River in Portland south through Salem to the Calapooya Mountains outside Eugene. It is 150 miles (240 km) long and up to 60 miles (97 km) wide making it Oregon’s largest AVA. The Willamette Valley has the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in Oregon and includes six appellations within its borders: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton.

The Willamette Valley is protected by the Coast Range to the west, the Cascades to the east. Its namesake, the Willamette River, runs through its heart. The largest concentration of vineyards are located to the west of this river, on the leeward slopes of the Coast Range, or among the valleys created by the river’s tributaries.

The Willamette Valley floor is a former seabed that has been overlaid with nutrient-rich gravel, silt, rock and boulders brought by the formidable Missoula Floods from Montana and Washington during the Ice Age between 15,000 and 18,000 years ago. Missoula Flood soils are great for growing crops such as grass seed, hazelnuts and berries but are not ideal for grapegrowing. Therefore, most vineyards are planted above 200 feet (60 m) elevation on volcanic, marine sedimentary or wind-blown loess soil, which all contribute to good grapegrowing conditions.

Climate in this region is relatively mild throughout the year, with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. It is one of the coolest winegrowing regions in North America while enjoying extended daylight hours during the growing season. During this longer growing season, the Willamette Valley has warm days and cool nights, a diurnal temperature swing that allows the wine grapes to develop flavor and complexity while retaining their natural acidity. This temperate climate, combined with coastal marine influences, make the gentle growing conditions within the Valley ideal for cool climate grapes, including the Pinot noir for which the region is famous.

Vineyards planted in complex soils, influenced by a cool climate result in wines with pure expressions of terroir. Wines have fully developed fruit flavors that are balanced by bright acidity and freshness.

Region history:

Modern winemaking in the Willamette Valley dates back more than 50 years with the genius of three UC Davis refugees who believed that Oregon was an ideal place to grow cool-climate varieties. Between 1965 and 1968, David Lett, Charles Coury and Dick Erath separately forged their way to the north Willamette Valley despite negative rumblings from their UC Davis cohorts who told them it was impossible to grow wine grapes in Oregon. Lett’s 1965 plantings were the first Pinot noir vines to be rooted in the Willamette Valley. They also planted small amounts of related varieties, including Pinot gris, Chardonnay and Riesling. These intrepid pioneers wholeheartedly believed that Oregon would one day become an important winegrowing region, and other believers were not far behind. Within the next decade, David and Ginny Adelsheim, Ron and Marjorie Vuylsteke, Dick and Nancy Ponzi, Joe and Pat Campbell, Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser and Myron Redford all planted vineyards in the Willamette Valley.

The Willamette Valley’s early pioneers worked in a collaborative spirit, sharing advice, humor and encouragement, as they began writing history by producing superior wines in Oregon. It wasn’t until David Lett entered his 1975 Reserve Pinot noir in the 1979 Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiad and placed in the top 10 in a blind tasting among the finest Burgundies that the world started to take notice of Oregon as a serious winemaking region. The Willamette Valley became an official AVA in 1983, and today it is recognized as one of the premier wine producing regions in the world.

Southern Oregon

by

Southern Oregon

Taste any of the superb wines from the Southern Oregon AVA and you’ll understand why many writers are talking about this region as Oregon’s “next big thing.” Southern Oregon has been garnering attention for its wide range of outstanding wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Tempranillo, Pinot noir, Viognier and more. With 170 microclimates and five AVAs defined by four rivers, Southern Oregon is a region of discovery and experimentation. Among the rolling hills and lush valleys of this rugged region, Southern Oregon winemakers are, quietly and without pretention, putting their focus squarely on quality.

Established: 2004
Total Area: 2,283,600 acres (924,500 ha)
Planted Area: 9,240 acres (3,740 ha)
Predominant Soils: Marine sedimentary, alluvial gravels, volcanic
Predominant Varieties: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, Chardonnay, Tempranillo

*Updated Feb. 2021

Southern Oregon downloads

Presentation preview

About

The Southern Oregon AVA lies in the southwest portion of the state, stretching 125 miles (200 km) south of Eugene to the California border, and 60 miles (95 km) at its widest between the Cascade Mountain Range to the east and the Coast Range to the west. It encompasses the Applegate Valley, Elkton Oregon, Red Hill Douglas County, Rogue Valley and Umpqua Valley appellations. 

The Klamath Mountains, Coast Range and Cascade Mountains all merge in the Southern Oregon AVA, creating a varied, mountainous topography with vineyards typically situated in high mountain valleys at elevations between 1,000 to 2,000 feet (305-610 m). The lofty southern coastal mountains provide a barrier to the west, blocking marine air and casting a rain shadow to the area’s south and east.

Southern Oregon experiences one of the widest growing season diurnal temperature swings in the world, helping to preserves grapes’ acidity and complexity in an otherwise warm climate. Additionally, there are many cool micro-climates within its varied hillsides and valleys that enable Southern Oregon to successfully grow both cool- and warm-climate varieties.

Southern Oregon’s soils are varied; however, the many rivers that meander through Southern Oregon, including the Umpqua, Applegate, Illinois and Rogue, all have contributed to the development of well-draining stream terraces and alluvial deposits.

Wines produced from this region’s grapes are very diverse but offer good structure and balance.

Region History:

Southern Oregon has the oldest history of grapegrowing in the state. It dates back to 1852 with an early settler named Peter Britt, who operated a winery in Jacksonville called Valley View Winery. Post-Prohibition winemaking started in 1961 when vintner Richard Sommer migrated from UC Davis and founded HillCrest Vineyards in the Umpqua Valley, planting Oregon’s first Pinot noir vines. Impressed with the diversity of growing conditions in this area, other winemakers began planting roots in the 1970s, resulting in a patchwork of vineyards growing both cool- and warm-climate varieties. Today, this winegrowing region continues to grow and turn out a great variety of high-quality wines. The appellation became official in 2004.

Columbia Gorge

by

Columbia Gorge

Vertiginous cliffs plunge to the mighty Columbia River below, while on the plateaus above, wind-swept vineyards are planted on complex, ancient soils. The Columbia Gorge AVA, no stranger to superlatives, is defined by the river that cuts through the majestic Cascades—and by the Missoula Floods that scoured the region 15,000 years ago. In this dramatic tableau of geological history, winegrowers cultivate diverse varieties in climates that vary wildly—from the high desertlike east, to the cooler, wetter west. So many different grapes thrive in this region, from Arneis to Zinfandel, that it’s no wonder enthusiasts celebrate it as “a world of wine in 40 miles.”

Established: 2004
Total Area: 186,610 acres (75,520 ha) total, 120,010 acres (48,565 ha) in Oregon
Planted Area: 925 acres (375 ha)
Predominant Soils: Volcanic, lahar, loess, silt, sand
Predominant Varieties: Many different varieties thrive, varies by geography and elevation

Columbia Gorge downloads

Presentation preview

About

Just 60 miles (95 km) east of Portland, the Columbia Gorge AVA lies in the heart of the dramatic river corridor that straddles the Columbia River along the borders of Oregon and Washington.

The climate in the Columbia Gorge AVA is categorized as transitional. The western end of the Columbia Gorge, close to the Cascade Mountains, has a cooler, marine-influenced climate where it rains 36 inches (91 cm) per year. Stretching 40 miles (65 km) eastward, the climate transitions to continental high desert with just 10 inches (25 cm) of annual rainfall. Throughout the Gorge, elevations of vineyard sites range from sea level to 2,000 feet (610 m), which greatly impacts temperatures during the growing season.

The Columbia River Gorge is the only sea-level passage through the Cascade Mountain Range, funneling persistent winds at an average speed of 10-20 miles per hour (16-32 kph) or more, acting as a cooling and drying force to the vineyards.

This extreme variance of climate means the Columbia Gorge AVA can successfully grow a wide range of classical varieties. Wines produced from this region tend to be riper than wines from Oregon’s cooler, western regions with higher acidity and structure than what occurs naturally in the warmer, eastern AVAs.

Region History:

Lewis and Clark first made the Columbia Gorge famous when they passed through on their way to the Pacific Ocean in 1805. Grapegrowing in the Columbia Gorge area dates back to the 1880s when the Jewitt family (who founded the town of White Salmon, WA) planted American vines they had brought with them from Illinois. Other pioneer families followed suit, and today some of their original vines are still alive and have withstood sub-zero temperatures. It wasn’t until the 1970s that post-Prohibition pioneers started experimenting with vineyards on the south-facing slopes of the Underwood Mountain in Washington. Over the next two decades, well-known winemakers started to discover the incredible potential of grapes grown in this region. The Columbia Gorge appellation became official in 2004.

Industry History

by

Industry history

Like veterans of the Oregon Trail who came here with grit, determination and a sense of daring, Oregon’s winemakers are pioneers — bucking trends, setting new ones and working collaboratively to raise the bar. There was Peter Britt, who in 1854 established the Northwest’s first winery. Then came  Richard Sommer in 1961 who started Oregon’s first post-prohibition winery in the Umpqua Valley. David Lett and Charles Coury followed in 1965 and laid the roots of winemaking legend in the Willamette Valley. More recently, there were the Oregon vintners who in 1995 banded together to create eco-certification LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology), one of the most authoritative sustainability accreditations in the wine world. Today, with 18 AVAs, almost 700 wineries, and grape plantings ranging from Albariño to Zinfandel, Oregon winemakers are leading the industry in progressive, sustainable practices while expanding on their already well-established reputation for crafting exceptional wines.

Industry history downloads

Presentation preview

About

Had Oregon’s early wine pioneers listened to the “experts,” Oregon would not have a wine industry today. But that’s what makes Oregonians special. They are part dreamers and part determined trail blazers, unconcerned about what the critics say can’t be done. This has been the history of the Oregon wine industry, characterized by an often-irrational determination to prove the skeptics wrong and do the “impossible.”

In 1961, winemaker Richard Sommer ignored whispers of discouragement from his University of California at Davis cohorts and trudged north to the Umpqua Valley to plant his roots  ̶  more specifically, to plant Riesling and small amounts of other varieties, including Oregon’s first Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Soon after his successful establishment of HillCrest Vineyard near the Southern Oregon town of Roseburg, other winemakers migrated to this warm, dry growing region.

Meanwhile, three other UC Davis refugees also ignored the grumblings of their naysaying colleagues and trekked north to the Willamette Valley. Here they believed they could successfully grow high-quality cool-climate varieties.

Between 1965 and 1968, David Lett, Charles Coury and Dick Erath, along with their families, ventured north and established vineyards in the Willamette Valley. They were the first in the Willamette Valley to plant Pinot noir, and they also planted small amounts of related varieties, including Pinot gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

Belief in terroir

These modern wine pioneers truly believed that Oregon would one day become an important winegrowing region. Other believers were not far behind. Within the next decade, David and Ginny Adelsheim, Ron and Marjorie Vuylsteke, Dick and Nancy Ponzi, Joe and Pat Campbell, and Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser all planted roots in the North Willamette Valley.

These families were hard workers. Each held day jobs—teacher, doctor, salesperson—to support their winemaking endeavors. And they toiled in a collaborative spirit, sharing advice, humor and encouragement as they began writing history by producing superior wines in Oregon. Though it wasn’t until David Lett entered his Pinot noir in the 1979 Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiad and placed in the top 10 in a blind tasting among the finest Burgundies that the world started to take notice of Oregon as a serious winemaking region.

In just 50 years, Oregon has evolved into a world-class winegrowing region with 18 approved AVAs and nearly 700 wineries producing wine from 72 grape varieties. As a wine region, Oregon will continue to grow and evolve, but it will always be a place where small, handcrafted wines dominate, where collaboration and community are ingrained in the culture, and where the growers and winemakers are never far from the tasting room.

Walla Walla Tech Sheet (PDF)

by