The Wines of Oregon
Summary
TLDROregon, the third-largest producer of fine wine in the U.S., is known for its Pinot Noir, accounting for 60% of its wine production. Despite being a small percentage of the national output, Oregon's wine industry has grown dramatically, with over 730 wineries and diverse climates allowing for a variety of grapes. The Willamette Valley, with its cool climate, is the heart of Oregon's wine country, but regions like the Columbia Gorge and Umpqua Valley are gaining recognition. The state's agricultural history and collaborative spirit among winemakers have contributed to its rise in quality and reputation.
Takeaways
- 🍷 Oregon is the third largest producer of fine wine in the U.S., contributing only 1% to total production.
- 🌍 The state has diverse climates, comparable in size and variety to half of France.
- 🍇 Pinot Noir accounts for approximately 60% of Oregon's wine production, especially in the Willamette Valley.
- 🌱 The modern Oregon wine industry began in the 1960s with pioneers who emphasized collaboration and quality.
- 🏞️ Oregon's wine regions vary from cool to moderate climates, influenced by the coastal range and Cascade Mountains.
- 🌧️ Despite its rainy reputation, Oregon has dry months ideal for grape growing, particularly from July to September.
- 🌄 The Columbia Gorge is a growing wine region that spans the Oregon-Washington border, known for its unique climate and geology.
- 🍷 The Umpqua Valley, located south of the Willamette, showcases a range of grape varieties, including Tempranillo.
- 🌿 The Rogue Valley is Oregon's southernmost wine region, known for its diverse microclimates and grape varieties.
- 🔮 The future of Oregon wine looks promising, with increasing recognition of its diverse regions and varieties beyond Pinot Noir.
Q & A
What is Oregon's rank in wine production in the United States?
-Oregon is the third largest producer of fine wine in the United States.
What percentage of total U.S. wine production does Oregon account for?
-Oregon accounts for only one percent of total U.S. wine production.
What type of wine is Oregon known for?
-Oregon is known for Pinot Noir, which represents roughly 60 percent of its wine production.
How has the perception of Oregon wine changed over the last 30 years?
-The perception of Oregon wine has changed radically, with people getting excited to hear the word 'Oregon' when discussing Pinot Noir.
What was the agricultural focus of Oregon before the modern era of commercial winemaking?
-Before the modern era of commercial winemaking, Oregon's agricultural focus was mainly on apples.
Who are considered the modern pioneers of Oregon's wine industry?
-The modern pioneers of Oregon's wine industry are the early winemakers like Dick Ponzi, David Lett, and David Adelsheim who started the industry in the 1960s.
Why did the early winemakers in Oregon need to collaborate?
-The early winemakers in Oregon needed to collaborate because there were limited services and resources available in the area for winemaking.
How has the number of wineries in Oregon changed over the past 30 years?
-The number of wineries in Oregon has grown from 49 to over 730 in the past 30 years.
What are the different climate zones for wine regions in Oregon?
-Oregon's wine regions range from cool to moderate climates, influenced by the coastal range and the Cascade Mountains.
What is special about the climate for grape growing during the summer months in Oregon?
-During the summer months of July, August, and September, Oregon experiences a dry climate which is perfect for grape growing.
How does the Columbia Gorge wine region differ from the Willamette Valley?
-The Columbia Gorge wine region, while small in size, experiences dramatic shifts in climate and geology as you head east, allowing for a variety of grape varietals to be grown.
What is unique about the soils in the Umpqua Valley?
-The Umpqua Valley is defined by mountain ranges and has a mix of cool climate grapes like Pinot Noir in the north and warmer climate grapes like Syrah, Malbec, and Grenache in the south.
What challenges does climate change pose to the Willamette Valley's focus on cool climate grapes?
-Climate change could pose a challenge to the Willamette Valley's focus on cool climate grapes by increasing variance in weather, requiring producers to adapt their practices to maintain the distinct flavor profiles.
Outlines
🍇 Oregon's Wine Renaissance
The state of Oregon, despite being the third largest producer of fine wine in the U.S., only accounts for a small percentage of the country's total wine production. However, its wine industry has seen dramatic developments, making it a global icon for quality wine. Oregon's vast size, comparable to half of France, offers varied climates suitable for different grape varieties, with Pinot Noir being the dominant grape, especially in the Willamette Valley. The perception of Oregon wine has changed significantly over the past 30 years, with Pinot Noir from the region gaining national and international recognition. The modern era of commercial winemaking in Oregon is relatively young, with a history of agriculture that predates prohibition, initially focusing on apples. The pioneers of Oregon's wine industry emerged in the 1960s, with little experience but a strong collaborative spirit, which was essential due to the lack of services and information in the area. Their focus was on quality from the start, and they chose Pinot Noir as their flagship variety, drawing inspiration from Burgundy and the need for community collaboration.
🌍 Oregon's Diverse Wine Regions
Oregon's wine regions are diverse, ranging from cool to moderate climates, influenced by the coastal range and the Cascade Mountains. The Willamette Valley is the premier cool climate area, known for Pinot Noir, but other regions like the Elkton AVA and Red Hills AVA also thrive. Moving to warmer climates, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley, and Applegate Valley are becoming known for Rhone varietals and other warm-climate grapes. The Columbia Gorge, a new but thriving wine region, spans the border of Washington and Oregon, with a dramatic shift in climate and geology as you move east. The Rox District of Milton-Freewater, contained within Oregon, offers riverbed soils similar to those of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, making it ideal for Rhone-inspired wines. The Umpqua Valley, surrounded by mountain ranges, varies from cool and wet in the north to dry and warm in the south, with grapes like Tempranillo finding success. The Rogue and Applegate Valleys are just beginning to gain fame, with a wide range of grape varieties, while the Willamette Valley continues to focus on Pinot Noir.
🌱 The Future of Oregon Wine
Pinot Noir accounts for over 70% of the grapes grown in the Willamette Valley, but other varieties like Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay are also key to the region. Chardonnay, in particular, is gaining recognition as Oregon Chardonnay makes its mark on the national market. Climate change poses a challenge to the cool climate grapes of the Willamette Valley, requiring producers to adapt their practices, such as picking earlier in warmer vintages. The future of Oregon wine is expected to continue to be dominated by Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, but there is potential for increased recognition of other regions and varieties. The diversity of Oregon's regions, both to the east and south, will complement the strength of Pinot Noir and contribute to an exciting future for the state's wine industry.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Willamette Valley
💡Pinot Noir
💡American Viticultural Areas (AVA)
💡Collaborative winemaking
💡Climate diversity
💡Columbia Gorge
💡Pioneers of Oregon wine
💡Geology
💡Tempranillo
💡Climate change
Highlights
Oregon is the third largest producer of fine wine in the United States.
Oregon accounts for only one percent of total U.S. wine production.
Developments over the last generation have been dramatic for Oregon's wine industry.
Oregon is a global icon for quality wine.
Pinot Noir represents roughly 60 percent of Oregon wine production.
Oregon's diverse climates, geography, and geology allow for various grape varieties to succeed.
The perception of Oregon wine has changed radically in the past 30 years.
Pinot Noir from Oregon excites people across the United States.
Oregon's modern era of commercial winemaking is only a few decades old.
The Willamette Valley has led Oregon's wine industry for over a century.
Oregon winemakers initially focused on Pinot Noir with a near singular focus.
The number of wineries in Oregon has grown from 49 to over 730 in 30 years.
Oregon's climate is conducive to grape growing, with a dry season in the summer months.
The Columbia Gorge is a new but thriving wine region spanning the border of Washington and Oregon.
The Umpqua Valley has seen particular success with the Tempranillo grape.
The Rogue and Applegate Valleys are beginning to find fame with a wide range of grape varieties.
The Willamette Valley is defined by its focus on Pinot Noir.
Sub-regions within the Willamette Valley have distinct characteristics that influence wine profiles.
Oregon wine has established itself with world-class Pinot Noir, but other regions offer diverse varieties.
Climate change could pose a challenge to Oregon's focus on cool climate grapes.
The future of Oregon wine looks promising with potential for growth both nationally and internationally.
Transcripts
[Music]
the state of oregon
is the third largest producer of fine
wine in the united states
but accounts for only one percent of
total u.s wine production
while this might sound small
developments over the last generation
have been dramatic
and today oregon is a global icon for
quality wine
oregon is actually a huge place i mean
it's
as big as half of france and it's got
climates as varied as half of france
pinot noir represents roughly 60 percent
of oregon wine
and dominates plantings in the
willamette valley but throughout the
state
other grapes are finding success within
diverse climates geography and geology
so it's hard to explain that there's a
very different southern oregon
and a very different eastern oregon
where different grapes can be grown
the perception of oregon wine has
changed radically in the 30 years that
i've been here
nowadays you can go pretty much anywhere
in the united states and talk about
pinot noir and people get excited to
hear the word oregon
oregon will continue to develop as a
wine region the willamette valley within
it
has such a lead that it influences the
entire state
for over a century oregon has been home
to a thriving agricultural economy
while wine growing predates prohibition
the modern era of commercial wine making
is only a few decades old
in terms of agricultural endeavors in
this region they began right at the turn
of the century mainly with apples
and a lot of folks were encouraged to
come west
to settle farms and in the area there's
all kinds of agriculture in the state of
oregon along with christmas trees which
is one of the larger agricultural crops
here
and then grapes have come along and
they're slowly but surely growing up the
the chain
as far as the the largest number of
acres planted the modern pioneers of the
willamette valley emerged in the 1960s
with little winemaking or business
experience
the earliest wine makers to come to
oregon we call the pioneers and they
came and they're the dick ponzis the
david latz david adelsine
they came and started the organ wine
industry and they came at the time where
you really had to be very collaborative
we wanted to make quality wine right
from the beginning
but back then this combination of
wanting to do it right making credible
wine
and not realizing what they were setting
out to do
would be hard if they had tons of money
and they didn't even have tons of money
nobody had even owned a business in this
group of 10 families that started the
wine industry in the willamette valley
they had to work together because there
weren't a lot of services in the area
there weren't a lot of
places to go to find out information to
buy yeast or to buy barrels
you really needed to work together to
make it work oregon wine makers settled
in on pinot noir with a near singular
focus
while they drew inspiration from
burgundy the small community's driving
influence was their need to collaborate
and learn from one another
now that the willamette valley is firmly
established top quality winemaking has
begun to expand throughout oregon when i
first started in oregon there were 49
wineries and now there's over 730
wineries in the state of oregon that's
over a 30-year
period of time wine regions range from
cool to moderate in climate and are
broadly influenced by the coastal range
and the cascade mountains
so the cool climate areas in oregon are
primarily the willamette valley number
one
the northern part of the umpqua which is
called the elkton ava
and then also the red hills ava the rest
of them are primarily intermediate warm
and so that is going to be primarily uh
southern oregon the rogue valley the
applegate valley
and the umpqua contrary to its
rain-soaked stereotype
oregon's skies aren't universally gray
almost all of the vineyards that we have
in oregon are what we call xeric
moisture regime so you have a
fairly wet climate for most of the year
but then in the months of july
august and september it doesn't rain
it's dry and that's perfect for growing
grapes
you can have areas with a lot of rain
very little rain
there's areas that are are kind of
covered in rock others that have very
little rock
and that allows the the wine makers and
the vineyard growers to grow a
tremendous
breadth of varietals while the story of
oregon wine begins with pinot noir and
the willamette valley the growing
success of its other regions is a vital
element in a developing story
east of the willamette is the columbia
gorge a new but thriving wine region
that spans the border of washington and
oregon
the columbia gorge avia supersedes the
state line which is the river columbia
river
although small in size the climate and
geology of the columbia gorge shift
dramatically as you head east
so as we go up in the gorge we have
columbia river basalts but we also have
deposits coming off of
older volcanics in the hood river valley
uh and some of the
the red soils that we have here are very
uh similar to the red soils that we have
in the columbia river
basalts in the willamette valley we have
legitimate
cooler climate high elevation vineyard
sites that are
located to the western edge of the ava
as you transition just five or six miles
east
we come into a more burgundy influenced
area where a lot of pinot and chardonnay
is grown
and then you just move five miles
further east
and you're growing rhone varietals
recognition of the columbia gorge will
likely grow
today the region is dominated by small
producers and due to the nature of the
landscape
this is likely to continue east of the
gorge the rox district of milton free
water has been defined as an ava within
walla walla
but is contained entirely within the
oregon state border
the region's riverbed soils recall the
galley of chateauneuf de pape
and noteworthy producers have found a
promising home for roan inspired wines
immediately south of the willamette is
the umpqua valley defined by the
mountain ranges that's surrounded on
three sides
the umpqua valley is somewhere between
30 and 70 miles from the pacific ocean
nestled between the cascade mountains
the kalamath mountains and the oregon
coastal range
the northern part of the valley which
has very little horographic barrier
is by far the wettest and coolest
because of the marine
influence as you come south the barrier
becomes higher along the coastal range
and so the prevailing pacific westerlies
don't penetrate
and therefore we have a drier and a much
warmer climate
the northern umpqua valley's distinct
climates have been instantiated into
individual
avas in the red hills of douglas county
ava
and the elkton ava cool climate grapes
like pinot noir thrive
in the southern part of the valley syrah
malbec and grenache are commonly seen
although one unexpected grape has had
particular success
we had selected to grow tempranillo and
came to the umpqua valley specifically
to grow it here because of the wonderful
climate
now we have over 70 to 80 vineyards that
are
producing tempranillo because we got the
perfect climate
home to oregon's first official winery
in 1873
the rogue valley is the southernmost
wine region in oregon
extending to the california border the
applegate valley further defines the
center of the rogue valley ava
i think that the the beauty of both
valleys taken in totality is the
diversity of microclimate
applegate valley is uh west of ashland
west of uh medford oregon um it's in the
very southern part of the state where
we're standing right now is literally
nine miles from the california border
extreme weather can pose a threat to
wine growers but the climate is
generally mitigated by surrounding
mountains
pinot noir and cool climate grapes grow
in the valley's microclimates to the
west
while the temperatures trend warmer on
the eastern side of the valley
it seems to me that the the rhone
varietals the syrahs the vignese
uh rusan marsan are really starting to
uh
populate throughout throughout the
applegate valley the rogue and applegate
valleys are just beginning to find fame
with a wide range of grape varieties but
the well-established willamette valley
has always hung its hat on a single
grape
the willamette valley is defined
physically
by the area under about a thousand feet
where grapes can be grown and ripened
and where the water flows into the
willamette river
and out to the columbia into the ocean
we started off planting pinot noir back
in the 60s
and it was is pretty much decided that
the north willamette valley was the best
place to grow pinot noir
we also ended up realizing that if we
focused on one grape variety
that by all doing the same thing that we
could end up
getting to the to this quality issue
that was so important
producers reference an overarching
willamette style but there are also
tangible differences within sub-regions
of the valley
and a lot of us started talking about
how distinct the different areas that
pinot noir was being grown within the
willamette valley and so there was some
work done and it was back in the early
2000s
where we started designating different
avas to really reflect the pinot noir
that was grown in those areas
the mcminnville and iola amity avas are
known for basalt soils and the influence
of the van duzer corridor
mcminnville has mixed soil series you
can have the salt soils but you also
have some sedimentary soils
eola amity is also a basalt soil ava and
the bandus recorder allows the cool
ocean airs to blow in at night so you'll
see the temperature could be quite warm
during the day but it plummets very
rapidly at night
and what this does is allow the fruit to
like ripen during the day
but really slow down at night so the phs
tend to be a lot lower
the acidity a little bit brighter and
the fruit and the skins tend to be a
little bit
darker so we get much darker profiled
fruit than you would say from the dundee
hills ava
in the center of the valley the dundee
hills is known for jewelry clay a
volcanic soil that's often associated
with aromatic
red fruited wines so the dundee hills
ava is a
one of my favorite ava's and it does
make wines a very sweet
textured i almost say perfumed feel to
the wines
in the northwest the horseshoe-shaped
yam hill carlton
is defined by uplifted marine sediments
and its wines are generally richer in
texture and dark fruits
in the northeast the shahala mountain is
a hodgepodge of complex soils
a fact that has encouraged producers to
further define the area
shahala mountain is actually right
behind us here it was subdivided to a
smaller eva that is
all predominantly sedimentary soils and
that became the ribbon ridge aba
more recently producers in the shahala
mountain have singled out sections of
the ava characterized by silty
laurelwood soils
while pinot noir accounts for more than
70 percent of the grapes grown in the
willamette
pinot gris pinot blanc riesling and
increasingly chardonnay are key to the
region so chardonnay has a long history
in oregon
it was planted alongside pinot noir
we're finding that more and more now
chardonnay's being planted in the
appropriate place with the appropriate
clone and it's becoming very exciting to
see oregon chardonnay taking the
national market by storm
with the uncertainties of climate change
greater variance in weather could pose a
challenge to willamette valley's focus
on cool climate grapes
we will need to work ever harder to
ensure that the wine
continues to taste like the willamette
valley meaning picking
earlier as we have warmer vintages and
getting a better handle on how to make
great wine in the cooler and later
vintages that inevitably
get mixed in looking into the future the
willamette valley and pinot noir will
continue to dominate oregon wine
although we can expect to see increasing
recognition of oregon's other regions
and diverse varieties
pinot noir has such a head start in the
willamette valley at this point
i mean 73 of this one grape variety
means that
for the next generation two generations
maybe beyond that
the willamette valley will be so known
for its pinot
that nobody will stop doing that
i think you're going to see a lot of
more professional knowledge about oregon
expanding further and further maybe not
just nationally but internationally so i
think there's great potential for growth
in oregon
oregon wine has established itself with
world-class pinot noir from the
willamette valley
but the diversity of oregon's other
regions both to the east and to the
south
will complement this strength and make
for a very exciting future
[Music]
you
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