Oregon Flashcards
Year David Lett of Eyrie Vineyard planted Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley
1965
- Pioneering the varietal style for which the valley would become internationally known
The vintage of David Lett’s “South Block Reserve” Pinot Noir that achieved outstanding results in French competition and brought vindication to the efforts of the early trailblazers of Oregon
1975
Year Burgundy négociant Maison Joseph Drouhin purchased property in Dundee Hills
1987
AVA with Jory soils
“red hills” of Dundee Hills AVA
Willamette Valley
Sub AVAs
- Tualatin Hills 2020
- Laurelwood District 2020
- Chehalem Mountains 2006
- Yamhill-Carlton District 2004
- Ribbon Ridge 2005
- Dundee Hills 2004
- McMinnville 2005
- Eola-Amity Hills 2006
- Van Duzer Corridor 2019
- Mt. Pisgah Polk County Oregon 2022
- Lower Long Tom 2021
Jory soils
Jory
- Well-drained soil of volcanic origin
- “red hills” of Dundee Hills AVA
Willakenzie soils
Willakenzie
- Marine sedimentary
- Willamette Valley’s westernmost slopes, ex. Ribbon Ridge AVA
Jory soils vs Willakenzie soils
- Jory - more elegant (Dundee)
- Willakenzie - denser, darker fruit (Ribbon Ridge)
Name of the gap in the Coastal Mountains that separates Willamette Valley from the ocean
Van Duzer Corridor
Style of Pinot Noir from McMinnville and Eola-Amity
more tannic
Coolest AVA within Willamette
Chehalem Mountains
Warmest and driest growing region in southern Oregon, west of the Cascades
Applegate Valley AVA
3 AVAs shared between Washington and Oregon
- Columbia Gorge
- Columbia Valley
- Walla Walla Valley
The Rocks of Milton-Freewater AVA sits entirely within what larger AVA?
Walla Walla Valley
Varietal wines from Oregon must contain a min 90% of the stated variety rather than the standard 75%. What grapes are the exception?
- White and red Bordeaux varieties
- Major Rhône grapes
- Zinfandel
- Sangiovese
- Tannat
- Tempranillo
basically, only Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris will contain 90% of the varietal
Oregon AVA
min % of grapes fom labeled appellation
95%
90% Willamette Valley
* vs. 85% mandated by federal law
Oregon
Most densely planted and most historic AVA
Dundee Hills AVA
- Site of the original Eyrie Vineyard
Dundee Hills AVA
Producers
- Archery Summit
- Domaine Drouhin
- Domaine Serene
- Sokol Blosser
AVA of Archery Summit, Domaine Drouhin, Domaine Serene, Sokol Blosser
Dundee Hills AVA
Willamette Valley
AVA with the highest point
Chehalem Mountains AVA
- Summit of Bald Peak, 1,633 ft
Chehalem’s 1st vineyard
- Dick Erath
- Planted in 1968
Willamette Valley
Smallest AVA
Ribbon Ridge AVA
Ribbon Ridge AVA
2 producers
- Beaux Frères
- Brick House
McMinnville AVA
Major geographic influence
Van Duzer Corridor - cool coastal Pacific winds blow through the gap
- Reduces berry size and crop load, produces thicker skins, creates general stress for the vine and grower
- Often East-facing slopes in shelter from west winds
- Constant gusts reduce fungal issues
- Denser, more tannic PN, darker fruit flavors and pigment
Eola
Orign of name
Aeolus, Greek god of winds
- AVA sits directly East of Van Duzer Corridor w/ similar tannic structure and dark fruit Pinot Noir as McMinnville AVA
AVA of …
Evening Land’s ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’
Domaine Serene’s low-elevation ‘Jerusalem Hill’
Roserock, site purchased in late 2013 by Domaine Drouhin
Eola-Amity Hill’s eastern edge
- On basaltic soils (“Nekia”)
What’s the collective name for the alluvial soils of the Willamette Valley?
Willamette Silt - found over older volcanic and sedimentary bedrock
What are the sub-AVAs of the Willamette Valley?
Yamhill-Carlton - 2005 Dundee Hills - 2005 McMinnville - 2005 Ribbon Ridge - 2005 Eola-Amity Hills - 2006 Chehalem Mountains - 2006 Van Duzer Corridor - 2019 Laurelwood District - 2020 Tualatin Hills - 2020 Lower Long Tom - 2021 Mt Pisgah Polk County - 2022
What are the sub-AVAs of Southern Oregon AVA?
Red Hills Douglas County Umpqua Valley Elkton Oregon Rogue Valley Applegate Valley
What AVA does Oregon share with Idaho?
Snake River Valley
What are the exceptions to Oregon’s varietal law?
BDX varietals Rhone varietals Zinfandel Sangiovese Tempranillo Tannat
What is Oregon’s largest producer?
King Estates
Where and when was the first Pinot Noir planted in Oregon, and by whom?
1961, in Umpqua Valley by Richard Sommer, at his winery Hillcrest.
When and where was the first Pinot Noir planted in the Willamette Valley, and by whom?
1965
David Lett (Eyrie); experimental vineyard near Corvallis in 1965, replanted in Dundee Hills in 1966.
Charles Coury in Chehalem Mountains (vines are part of the David Hill Winery today)
Other Willamette Valley Pioneers (of the Modern Era)
Erath (Chehalem Mountains, 1969) Ponzi (Chehalem Mountains, 1970) Amity Vineyards (Eola-Amity Hills, 1974) Elk Cove (Chehalam Mountains, 1974) Sokol Blosser (Dundee Hills, 1977) Bethel Heights (Eola-Amity Hills, 1977)
Compare and contrast the climates of the Willamette Valley and Burgundy
Both run roughly along the 45th parallel, are Region 1 and have similar average growing season temperatures.
However, the Côte d’Or’s season is compressed and shorter, with higher mid-season temperatures and lower temps in the spring and fall (to illustrate, budbreak is 1 week earlier and veraison and harvest 5 days later in the Willamette than Burgundy, on average).
Willamette is wetter (avg. 40 inches of rain annually), but most falls during the winter months, and the growing season is drier than Burgundy’s, resulting in less risk of rot and hail.
Willamette Valley: pest problems
Birds
Rust mites, nematodes, phylloxera
Gophers, voles, and other diggers
What does LIVE stand for? When was it founded, and when did it begin awarding certifications?
Low Input Viticulture and Enology
Promotes an overall reduction in the number of raw materials required in the vineyard and winery.
Founded in 1997 by Ted Casteel (Bethel Heights) and Carmo Vasconcelos (OSU).
Certifications began in Oregon in 1999 and Washington in 2006.
What is the average altitude of Willamette Valley vineyards?
275ft - 900ft; due to higher rainfall, the key is to find more nutrient poor soils at higher elevation.
What are the four major soil types of the Willamette Valley?
Uplifted Marine Sediments
Volcanic Soils
Loess
Missoula Flood Deposits
Describe Willamette’s uplifted marine sediments
Nutrient poor, derived from sandstone and shale. Oldest bedrock in the valley.
Willakenzie (northerly) and Bellpine (southerly) are examples.
Describe Willamette’s volcanic soils
Created by volcanic activity in the Cascades 15-17 million years ago; depleted and weathered basalt.
Contain more clay, and therefore retain more water, than the other soils in the valley.
Jory is the most well-known example, and Oregon’s “official” soil.
Describe Willamette’s loess
Windblown sediments, often intermixed with basalt-derived soils and marine sediments.
Older than Washington’s loess - predate the last ice age (2.6 million years old).
Laurelwood, Cornelius, and Cascade are examples.
Describe Willamette’s Missoula Flood deposits
Flood-borne sediments, low-lying and deep, very fertile. Youngest in the valley.
Comprise approx 10% of the valley’s vineyards; best purposed for other agriculture.
Woodburn is the primary series.
What two major soils do not appear in the Willamette?
Limestone and Marl
Is chapitalization legal in Oregon?
Yes
Name two Oregon producers who promote whole cluster
Cristom
White Rose
What is the most densely planted region in Oregon?
Dundee Hills
Name four major Dundee Hills vineyards
Eyrie
Maresh
Abbey Ridge
Thomas
Where is Shea Vineyard?
Yamhill-Carlton