Oregon Wine

The Pacific Northwest corner of the USA is home to Oregon State and a thriving wine industry. Oregon’s wine history is relatively young, premium varieties were only planted here in the 1960s. The bulk of these first plantings were Pinot Noir, as pioneers knew the regions cool climate and long growing season had the potential to produce some of the best examples of this fussy grape variety. Success came quickly when in 1979 an Oregon Pinot Noir was entered in a blind tasting alongside some of the best burgundies France had to offer. Although it did not win, second place caused quite a stir and a flurry of new plantings.

Grape growing and winemaking have followed many of Burgundy’s traditions. Wineries are mostly small family run affairs with the extended family, neighbors and the wider community pitching in at harvest time. Most vineyards are planted between the Coast Range and the Cascades. Here the Pacific Ocean and the different altitudes create a variety of sub climates but overall, the climate is cool. They all have in common a moderate long summer and wet autumn. It is slightly dryer further south closer to the California State border. Soils are primarily granite based with volcanic and clay. Vintages can vary quite considerably, but as growers have come to grips with this changing climate by adapting viticulture techniques and selecting clones that can handle the conditions, quality has become more consistent.

Pinot Noir is number one here, making up more than half of the total plantings. The wines produced from this variety, in this part of the world show their best with time. Silky tannins and elegant complex flavors display many characters over the different sub regions. Other cool climate varieties planted in lesser amounts include Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Warmer dryer microclimates within the various pockets of the region have also resulted in the production of good examples of Merlot, Zinfandel and even Cabernet Sauvignon.