USA: Oregon Flashcards
Who is Oregon’s largest producer?
King Estates
*OR created a 10k acre extension of the Willamette for them, controversially
Umpqua Valley AVAs & Leading Producer
Elkton Oregon AVA
Red Hills Douglas County AVA
*Jory soils
Abacela
Who planted the first Pinot Noir vines in Oregon - when and where?
Richard Sommers
1961, Umpqua Valley at his Hillcrest Winery which is remains Oregon’s oldest winery
Rogue Valley AVA
*Southernmost and warmest OR AVA: heat summation can reach Region 2.. and 3 in some years
*Illinois, Bear Creek, Applegate Valley
Del Rio Vineyard
Most prominent site in the Rogue Valley AVA. 375 acres
Applegate Valley AVA
Within the Rogue Valley (Rogue Valley AVA is the only other AVA here)
What AVA’s overlap the Washington - Oregon state boundary?
Columbia Valley AVA
Walla Walla Valley AVA
Columbia Gorge
What 2 mountains are defining factors for the Columbia Gorge AVA? What range are they in?
*Mountains: Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams - both part of the Cascade Range
*Atavus Vineyard, Celio Vineyard
*Analemma, Hiyu Wine Farm, Phelps Creek
**OREGON /WASHINGTON: OR holds the majority of plantings
Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA
- location
- soil series
- major wineries
Nested in Walla Walla, but entirely in OR. WA cannot be made in OR - vice versa.
*unique boundaries for an AVA: drawn around an alluvial fan - 96% of the area’s soils are uniform
*Freewater Series: cobblestone-rich gravels deposited by Walla Walla River. basalt- volcanic cobblestones from the Blue Mountains
*highest average bottle price in the Pacific NW
*Cayuse, Zerba Cellars, Watermill Winery
Name some bottlings labelled as Walla Walla that come from the Rocks District.
Reynvaan “In the Rocks” Syrah
Dusted Valley “Tall Tales” Syrah
Rotie Cellars “Northern Blend”
Sleight of Hand “Psychedelic Syrah”
Two Vintners “Some Days Are Stones”
Saviati “The Funk”
Nested in Walla Walla, but entirely in OR. WA cannot be made in OR - vice versa.
Southernmost Willamette AVA
Lower Long Tom AVA
Most densely planted Willamette AVA
Dundee Hills
Which of the Willamette Valley AVA’s boasts the most acres planted overall?
Chehalem Mountains with around 2700ha
The Laurelwood District AVA sits within what larger AVA?
Chehalem Mountains AVA
Ponzi and Dion Vineyards championed what recent AVA?
Laurelwood District AVA
What is the name of the Willamette Valley’s tallest peak? What mountain range?
Bald Peak - 1633 ft. Located within the Chehalem Mountains AVA
Who planted the Chehalem Mountains AVA’s first vineyard and when?
Dick Erath, 1968
Ponzi
What 2 AVAs are nested within the Chehalem Mountains AVA?
Ribbon Ridge
Laurelwood District
Yamhill-Carlton AVA wineries
Elk Cove
Ken Wright
Penner-Ash
Shea Vineyard
Soter
Ribbon Ridge AVA soils
Willakenzie Series
[marine sedimentary soils]
Ribbon Ridge AVA wineries
Beaux Frères
Brick House
Dundee Hills AVA wineries
Bergstrom
Cameron
Argyle
Domaine Roy
Roco
Eyrie
Sokol Blosser
Domaine Drouhin
Archery Summit
Domaine Serene
Maresh Vineyard
Abbey Ridge
AVA of Original Eyrie Vineyard?
Dundee Hills AVA
*planted in 1966; south-facing slope
Westernmost AVA of the Willamette Valley?
McMinnville
The Van Duzer Corridor is a gap in what mountain range?
Coast Range
AVA with the largest diurnal shift in the Willamette Valley? Why?
McMinnville AVA
- elevation: 1000M, higher than other AVAs
- proximity to Van Duzer
- marine sediment/volcanic soils have low heat retention
- Coastal Range rain shadow = less cloud cover; warmer days & quickly cooling nights
Jerusalem Hill Vineyard
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Domaine Serene
Pinot Noir
*low-lying = Woodburn Series
Roserock Vineyard
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Roserock by Domaine Drouhin
Mostly Pinot Noir, some Chard
Volcanic soils
Seven Springs Vineyard
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Evening Land, Walter Scott, Failla
*predominantly Pinot Noir with Chardonnay and a bit of Gamay
Temperance Hill Vineyard
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Pinot Noir
Elk Cove, Antica Terra, St. Innocent, Walter Scott
Bethel Heights’ estate vineyard is located in what AVA?
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Pinot Noir
(Casteel family)
Van Duzer Corridor AVA wineries
Johan Vineyards
Firesteed
Van Duzer Vineyards
Lingua Franca and Walter Scott are based within what AVA?
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
2 Willamette Valley sub-AVAs are defined by loess based soils?
Tualatin Hills
Laurelwood District
How would you characterize a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from volcanic soils?
Bright red fruit, earthiness, distinctive spice, elegance
How would you characterize a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from marine sedimentary soils?
Difficult soils yield a powerful wine. Dark color, black fruit, cola, coffee, structure. Tend to be more slow developing and austere.
How would you characterize a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from loess-based soils?
Brighter red fruit, earthiness, white pepper
The Willamette Valley sits in between what 2 mountain ranges?
The Coast Range to the west
The Cascades to the east
What does LIVE stand for? What is it?
Low Input Viticulture and Enology
- a 3rd party sustainability certification program headed up by Ted Casteel and Carmo Vasconcelos (of OR State).
Available to OR and WA wineries. Wineries must be LIVE-certified and 97% of the grapes must come from a LIVE vineyard. Or, can just say it uses LIVE-certified grapes.
What soil types are notably absent from the Willamette Valley?
Limestone, marl
Who planted the first commercial plot of Pinot Gris in the United States? When?
David Lett - planted in 1966
The 1970 Eyrie Pinot Gris was the first time Pinot Gris appeared on a label in the US
What is Oregon’s most planted white grape?
Pinot Gris
*2nd most planted grape overall
Talk about Eyrie’s South Block Reserve.
The 1975 South Block Reserve won competitions pitted against the great Burgundies in 1979 and 1980, bringing attention to the Willamette Valley.
- 2017 sells for $250 on winery site (2023)
- from 10 rows in a unique south facing corner of the original estate vineyard.. a special spot where 6 soil types converge
- not for much longer: the bottling has been off and on, but son Jason insisted David bring it back when he took over in 2005. Phylloxera is this plots’ slow demise
In what AVA is Lingua Franca based? Who did they sell to?
Eola-Amity Hills
Sold to Constellation’s Aspira Division, a segment of the company that focuses on organically-farmed, premium vineyards
1st Eola-Amity Hills vineyard?
Myron Redford, 1970 - established Amity Vineyards in 1974
Willamette Valley climate?
Region 1, ~40in of rain/yr
Cool Mediterranean with oceanic influence
*wetter than Burg and rain timed differently - winter for Willamette and growing season rain for Burg. Willamette has no hail and less rot concern.
A week earlier bud break and a week later harvest. Burgundy sees higher summer temp spikes.
Wallula Gap
the thing the Missoula Floods poured through across Washington
Willamette Valley viticultural threats?
Powdery mildew
Botrytis
Willamette Valley general elevation range for vineyards?
275ft to 900ft - above the flood-deposit valley floor and frost risk
Willakenzie Series
Uplifted Marine Sediment
*nutrient-poor sandstone/shale - once part of the ocean floor
*oldest bedrock in the valley
*tend to be sandier/thinner than the volcanics
*darker colored wines/fruit profile
*Yamhill-Carlton AVA/found in northern valley
Bellpine Series
Uplifted Marine Sediment
Lower Long Tom AVA /found in southern valley
*nutrient-poor sandstone/shale - once part of the ocean floor
*oldest bedrock in the valley
*tend to be sandier/thinner than the volcanics
*darker colored wines/fruit profile
Jory Series
Red volcanic clayey soil atop basalt parent rock
*15-17 million yrs ago when Cascades active volcanoes covered the still-submerged valley floor
*lighter colored wines, red fruit profile
**Nekia series is similar type but shallower
Dundee Hills AVA, Red Hills Douglas County AVA
Woodburn Series
Flood-borne sediments from the Missoula Flood’s journey into the Willamette from the Columbia Gorge/Wallula Gap
*low-lying deep and fertile on the valley floor
*10% of valley’s vines are on these
113, 114, 115, 667, and 777 are examples of?
Pinot Noir; Dijon Clones
Dundee Hills AVA
- soils
- vineyards/producers
Known for more delicate/perfumed styles
*200 - 1067ft
*most densely planted region in OR
*Jory series soils
*OG Eyrie Vyd, Sokol Blosser, Dom. Drouhin, Archery Summit, Dom. Serene
*Vineyards: Maresh Vineyard, Abbey Hill, Thomas Vineyard
Chehalem Mountains AVA
Foothills of the Coast Range
*Erath planted 1st vineyard, 1968
*soils range.. north & hillsides are Laurelwood, southern and western slopes are volcanic and marine
*Erath, Ponzi, Adelsheim
**Laurelwood District and Ribbon Ridge are WITHIN
Ribbon Ridge AVA
Within Chehalem Mountains AVA
*smallest Willamette AVA
*Willakenzie Series
*Brick House, Beaux Freres
McMinnville AVA
Westernmost and right in the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor
*more wind = more tannin, more pigment, denser flavors
*big diurnal shift from the Corridor and a lil rain shadow from the Coast Range
*no defining soil type
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
East of the Van Duzer - though effect isn’t as intense as in McMinnville but the large diurnal shift/cooler climate also feature
*eastern hillsides = basaltic/Nekia series
Jerusalem Hill, Roserock, Seven Springs
*western hillsides = marine sediment
Most important vineyards are in the center… Bethel Heights, Justice Vineyard, Temperance Hill, Argyle’s Spirit Hill
Spirit Hill Vineyard
Argyle
*high elevation in the Eola-Amity Hills
*important for sparkling wine production
Van Duzer Corridor
Eola-Amity to the east, Coast Range to the west
*marine sedimentary soils
*one of the coldest, windiest areas in the Valley
*Firesteed, Van Duzer Winery, Johan
Newest Willamette Valley AVA?
Mount Pisgah Polk County Oregon AVA (2022)
Tualatin Hills AVA
Northernmost Willamette AVA. Est 2020
*Appolloni and David Hill
*Laurelwood Series/loess (windblown sediment)
Laurelwood District AVA
Nested in Chehalem Mountains AVA
Est 2020
*Laurelwood Series soils (windblown sediment)
1st Chardonnay in the Willamette?
Wente clone selection from Spring Mountain Vineyards - 1965 on the ride with David Lett
*most plantings are Dijon clones
3 mountain ranges that form Umpqua and Rogue Valleys?
Coast, Cascades, Klamath
Mountains around the Willamette?
Coast Range separates it from the Pacific - sits west of the Cascades
% rules for OR - state? county? AVA? Vineyard?
- 75% for county
- 95% from AVA and Vineyard
- 100% from OR
Varietal % rules for OR?
90% of stated variety must be in bottle
EXCEPT
a big long list of things like Cab, Syrah, etc is held to the Fed 75% rule.
Seems like the usual blended grapes and a few others…
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Malbec, Marsanne, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Roussanne, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel
Vintage % rules for Oregon wine?
State/County: 85% from said vintage
AVA: 95% from said vintage
