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| View of the Oregon Wine-Country-Side |
“Eccentric? Perhaps. Uncompromising?
Definitely. Oregon? Absolutely.”
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| Oregon Region |
Oregon is the
third largest grape growing region in the United States. The wine industry has quickly become an
integral part of the economy in the state with 2010 boasting a $2.7 billion
contribution to the economy and nearly 14,000 jobs. In 2011, over 40,000 tons of
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| Wine Regions of Oregon |
grapes were
harvested and over 2 million cases of wine sold from the state. It offers a unique perspective on
sustainability and “lower yields in favor of quality” mentality.
The state is
divided into six regions including: Columbia Gorge, Columbia Valley, Southern
Oregon, Snake River Valley, Walla Walla Valley, and Willamette Valley. This report will focus on Willamette Valley
region of Oregon. I chose to report on this
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| Subregions of Willamette Valley |
region because I have tried quite a few
Oregon Pinot Noirs that I absolutely loved and this region in particular is
known for its Pinot Noir. Within this specific region, the are six sub appellations. They are: Chehalem Mountains, Eola-Amity Hills, Dundee Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton.
Grapes have been
grown in Oregon since the state was formed.
In 1933, soon after the repeal of the 18th Amendment, early
Oregon entrepreneurs received bonded winery status. The winery they began, Honeywood Winery, is
the oldest continuously operating in the state and holds bonded winery number
26. The last fifty years of growing and
wine making have made Oregon a top producer of quality wine throughout the
world. Willamette Valley, in
particular, was first authorized in 1984 and throughout 2005 and 2006, the
applications for the six sub regions was approved.
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| Willamette Valley Vineyard |
Oregon as a region, has a varying climate
which offers the opportunity to grow many different types of grapes throughout
the state. Ninety six percent of Oregon
growing acreage is primarily focused on twelve different types of grapes. They include: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris,
Chardonnay, Riesling, Cab Sav, Syrah, Merlot, Viognier, Gewürztrainer,
Tempranillo, Pinot Blanc, and Cab Franc.
The Williamette Valley region in particular, is known for it’s Pinot
Noirs and also produces outstanding
Pinot Gris and Riesling wines.
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| Willamette Valley Winery |
Oregon
as a whole, prides itself in its sustainability initiative in wine growing and
winery practices. When a wine is
produced with certain practices, it can be given the Oregon Certified
Sustainable Wine label. This commitment
to responsible agriculture and winemaking processes highlights the region’s
unique take on the industry.
The
Willamette region has a fairly mild climate.
There are pockets of cooler air from the boarding mountain range that
make this region excellent for Pinot Noir.
Since the soil is considered pretty infertile and because of the
cooler climate, volume is not necessarily an option. This lends itself to the Oregon
philosophy of quality over quantity. Because
I love Pinot Noir so much and this region is famous for its pinots, I’ll focus
on the style profile of this type of wine.
Generally speaking, the pinots from this region have very high acidity
and pair well with food. There are also
lots of fruity flavors such as cheery and red berry but the flavors really do
vary. They have a moderate to high
alcohol content (13%+).
The
main feature of this region (and really Oregon as a whole) that contributes to
the reputation of superior wine quality is the commitment to “hand-tended
vines” and “hand crafted wine.” Every
detail of the process is focused on lower yield for exceptional quality. Some of the practices include stripping
excess fruit from the vine so what remains will ripen better, substandard fruit
is discarded after inspection, and native yeast is used during fermentation to
preserve the character of the terroir. (I’m not positive if these practices and
this mindset aren't used in other regions too, but in particular Oregon prides
itself on always considering quality as the highest indicator).
XOXOVINO,
LJ
references:
http://oregonwine.org/
http://www.oregonwinecountry.org/
http://traveloregon.com/cities-regions/willamette-valley/
