Oregon Flashcards
Name the AVAs of Oregon
Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountain, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, Laurelwood District, Lower Long Tom, McMinnville, Mount Pisgah Polk County Oregon, Ribbon Ridge, Tualatin Hills, Van Duzer Corridor, Yamhill-Carlton District
Which is the largest winery in Oregon?
King Estates
The modern story of the Willamette Valley begins?
in the mid-1960s with a cast of two: David Lett and Charles Coury.
In 1965 Lett brought Pinot Noir to the Willamette Valley, establishing the original Eyrie Vineyard on a south-facing slope in the Dundee Hills in 1966
Which wine moved Robert Drouhin in Oregon?
A 1975 Eyrie “South Block” Pinot Noir that entered competitions in Paris in 1979 and Beaune in 1980, finishing in third and second place, respectively. The second tasting, in which Eyrie competed amidst a blind flight of Burgundy grands crus assembled by Robert Drouhin, brought the Beaune négociant closer to purchasing Oregon property.
Oregon’s latitude?
45th parallel aligning with Burgundy
Oregon’s soil types?
In the Willamette Valley, there are four major soil types derived from four different underlying geologies. Three of them—uplifted marine sediments, volcanic soils, and loess—are reasonably nutrient-poor and important for quality wine production. Notably, there is no limestone or marl in the Willamette Valley.
Missoula Flood Deposits
Define uplifted marine sediment soils and how do they affect wine style
Uplifted Marine Sediments: More common on the western side of the valley, these nutrient-poor soils are derived from sandstone and shale that once composed the ocean floor—the entirety of western Oregon was under the sea until the rise of the Coast Range and Cascades about 15 million years ago. Layered marine sediments thus form the oldest bedrock in the Willamette Valley. The Willakenzie series in the northern Willamette Valley and the Bellpine series in the south are examples of soils derived from uplifted marine sediment. They tend to be sandier and thinner than the volcanic soils. Pinot Noir wines produced on marine sedimentary soils are typically noted as darker in color and fruit profile.
Define volcanic soils and how do they affect wine style
Volcanic Soils: As the Cascades rose upward some 15-17 million years ago, lava flows poured westward from the chain’s highly active volcanoes, covering the still-submerged valley floor in basalt. Today’s reddish volcanic soils are depleted and weathered, formed atop this underlying basalt parent rock. The Jory series, named for Jory Hill in Salem, is the best-known volcanic soil type in the Willamette Valley (and the state’s “official” soil, thanks to Scott Burns). The Nekia series, a shallower volcanic soil, is also common in the area. The volcanic soils in the Willamette Valley tend to contain more clay and therefore have a higher water-holding capacity than other soil series in the region. Tasters often ascribe a lighter color and a red fruit profile to Pinot Noir wines produced on volcanic soils here.
Which Pinot Noir clones were first used in Oregon?
The valley’s oldest Pinot Noir vineyards were planted by UC Davis grads with the Wädenswil (UCD 1A and 2A) and Pommard (UCD 4 and UCD 5) clones of Pinot Noir
Dijon clones are used after the 80s
Which is the most densely planted AVA in Oregon?
Dundee Hills
Describe the style of Pinot Noir from Dundee Hills
Pinot Noir in the Dundee Hills has the potential to produce the Willamette Valley’s most delicate and perfumed wines
Name some top producers from Dundee Hills
Eyrie Vineyards
Sokol Blosser
Domaine Drouhin
Archery Summit
Domaine Serene
Bergstrom
Arterberry Maresh
Name some prime sites in Dundee Hills
Famed sites include Maresh Vineyard, Abbey Ridge, and the Thomas Vineyard
Dundee Hills soils?
Volcanic, basalt and jory
Yamhill-Carlton District’s soils?
uplifted marine sedimentary
Name some top producers and sites
Elk Cove
Ken Wright
Penner-Ash
Bergstrom
Nicolas Jay
Resonance
Gran Moraine
Soter Vineyards
Shea Vineyard is the AVA’s most important site.
Define Yamhill Carlton’s style of wines
80% Pinot Noir
The wines of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA have an abundance of spice and floral qualities that are layered onto dark fruit flavors. Yamhill-Carlton Pinot noir is redolent of blackberries, raspberries, cloves, tobacco, and coffee
The highest point in the Willamette Valley is in?
Chehalem Mountains AVA
The Ribbon Ridge and Laurelwood District AVAs are located within the?
Chehalem Mountains AVA
Which is the smallest AVA?
Ribbon Ridge
Chehalem Mountain’s soils?
the northern flanks and hillsides in the range are covered with wind-deposited Laurelwood soils, and experience the coolest average temperatures of any winegrowing hillsides on the western side of the valley. Soils on the southern and western slopes are more typically derived from volcanic or marine sedimentary layers, and grapes tend to ripen earlier.
Ribbon Ridge’s soils?
Soils on Ribbon Ridge are predominantly Willakenzie series, and rainfall is slightly lower
Which is the westernmost AVA?
McMinnville
Define McMinnville’s style of wines?
It sits squarely in the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor where cool, constant Pacific winds blow from the west through a gap from the Coastal Hills producing denser, more tannic Pinot Noir wines, loaded with darker fruit flavors and pigment
McMinville’s soils?
marine sedimentary and volcanic layers
Eola-Amity Hills style of Pinot Noir?
rugged tannic structure, deeper color, and more pronounced acidity than in areas further north
Eola Amity Hills soils?
eastern hillsides are typically planted on basaltic soils—Nekia series soils are most common—while the western hillsides contain more marine sediment
Name some top producers from Eola Amity Hills
Lengua Franca
Evening Land
Cristom
Antica Terra
Domaine Serene
Bethel Heights
One of the coldest and windiest areas in the Willamette is?
Van Duzer Corridor
Van Duzer Corridor’s soils?
sedimentary
Which is the second most planted grape in Oregon?
Pinot Gris followed by Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Blanc
Name the AVAs of Souther Oregon
Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley, Umpqua Valley, Red Hill Douglas County Oregon, Elkton Oregon, Applegate Valley
Tempranillo shows promise in?
Souther Oregon where it represents 5% of its total acreage
Which is Oregon’s most southern region?
Rogue Valley and also the warmest
Snake River Valley is located in?
Idaho
Varietal wines from Oregon—excluding those produced from white and red Bordeaux varieties, major Rhône grapes, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Tannat, and Tempranillo—must contain a minimum of?
90%
labeling by region: a wine labeled by an AVA within Oregon must contain a minimum 95%
