USA - Oregon Flashcards
Where does Oregon sit in national production? What’s the comparative climate
4th largest wine producing state.
More marginal climate than WA or CA, a factor that may be seen as more beneficial with climate change.
When did Oregon wine start to be established?
Wine had been made with varying success for a century before, often from fruit other than grapes, the first modern vineyard was planted with V. Vinifera vines in 1961 near Roseburg, S of the majority of todays vineyards.
These plantings brought the state to the attention of others, primarily David Lett who, in 1966 planted 5 ha of Pinot Noir in the Dundee Hills, now an AVA in the Willamette Valley.
Many planters who followed had learnt their trade in Cali but were searching for more appropriate sites to make Burgundian style wines.
What event led to Burgundian winemakers buying land in Oregon?
In 1979 the potential became realised when, in the Wine Olympics blind tasting organised by Gault-Millau, Lett’s 1975 Eyrie Vineyard Pinot Noir was awarded 10th place amongst other PNs from across the world.
Burgundy winemaker Robert Drouhin (Dom. Drouhin) organised a re-match, where the same wine came second to Drouhin 1959 Chambolle-Musigny.
The impressive showing led to Drouhin purchasing land in Oregon and establishing Domaine Drouhin Oregon, in the Willamette Valley and continues to be run by the family.
A number of other Burg winemakers have since followed.
What is the size and structure of Oregon?
Complex geology and topography of vineyard areas (13,750 ha) have led to the creating of 15 distinctive AVAs wholly within the state, and 4 across borders.
What is the breakdown of wine business in Oregon?
Unlike Cali and Washington, it’s dominated by small, family owned domaines, many of which on 5th generation still farming their ancestors land.
Recent expansion of wineries has been remarkable, increasing over 5x in the last 20 years.
What is the general location and climate of vineyard areas?
Situated in the W part of the state, inland from the Pacific.
Coastal ranges provide some, but not total, protection from the Pacific.
Cool to moderate, partly due to latitude (42-46 N, equivalent to France’s Med coast up to Macon) and the influence of cooling ocean current and breezes.
Long daylight hours in summer and autumn aid ripening.
What are the soil types and average rainfall?
Free-draining marine sedimentary, volcanic and loess soils are found in most of the growing areas.
Many areas experience high levels of annual rainfall, but mostly falling in winter with little in summer.
Eg, Willamette Valley 1000 mm per annum, but approx 200 mm from April - Sept
What is Oregons position on sustainability?
Wind and dry summers reduce disease pressure, and enable sustainable growing practices. Oregon emphasises sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticulture and production; 47% certified sustainable, and 52% of all Demeter Biodynamic vineyards in the US are in this state.
Other voluntary programmes include Oregon Tilth (Organic certifier), Salmon-Safe, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) Certified Sustainable and Deep Roots Coalition.
What are the top varieties?
PN by far, at 57%, PGris is second most, but plantings are decreasing in favour of Chardonnay.
Other common varieties are Syrah, Cab Sauv, Merlot and Riesling
What is the stance on clonal selection, and what is popular for PN?
Important. Especially for PN and Chard.
Traditional PN clones in Orgeon were Wadenswil and Pommard.
The introduction of Dijon clones in the 1980s permitted increased clonal diversity, better enabling P to choose clones that suited the climate and soil of their vineyard site and the style of wine they wanted to make.
Wadenswil, Pommard and Dijon clones are all used.
Some P use a selection, while some make from one entire clone.
Which clones are popular for Chard?
Original clone selections from Cali such as Wente and clone 108 proved difficult to ripen in the cooler climate.
The introduction of earlier ripening Dijon clones also led to increased clonal diversity and the ability to better match clone to site and style.
On the back of recent warm vintages, Dijon clones are ripening a little too early in some sites, and some P are returning to California heritage selections.
What is typical PN winemaking? Profile and significant P?
Techniques vary.
In general, use of whole bunches has increased over the last few years.
Some winemakers choose to use ambient yeast and are experimenting with alternative fermentation and storage vessels, including amphorae.
Majority are matured in oak, though proportion of new is decreasing.
Wines generally have medium (+) acidity, medium to (+) tannins, and often high alcohol.
Red cherry and raspberry to Black cherry and plum.
Good to outstanding and premium with some super premium.
Bergström Wines and Evening Land.
What is typical Pinot Gris winemaking? Profile?
Made both in dry and off dry styles, with a current trend towards drier wines.
Ranges from whole bunch pressing and cool fermentation in steel to create a fruity style, to use of skin contact, old barrels and lees to increase complexity and texture.
Wines tend to be medium to full-bodied, with medium to (+) acidity and have peach, pear and melon, sometimes honey or nuts.
Good to very good and mid.
What is typical winemaking of Chard? Profile?
Tends to have medium (+) acidity and body, with flavours of lemon and peach.
Chardonnay is often made with whole bunch pressing followed by fermentation and maturation in oak, generally a high proportion of old.
Full MLC and lees are common, enhancing texture. Lees are usually left without stirring to encourage low levels of reductive sulfur compounds to develop, giving smoky, struck match aromas.
Good to v good and mid to premium.
What is the breakdown of AVAs?
19 in total. In the NW, Willamette Valley AVA has 7 sub-AVAs and contains 68% of the states total vineyards.
Southern Oregon AVA has 5 sub-AVAs and contains 25% of total vineyards.
3 AVAs Cross the Oregon-WA border; Columbia Gorge, Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley (with 1 sub).
The Snake River AVA crosses Oregon and Idaho.
What’s in introduction to WV AVA?
Located S of Portland and spans over 1.3m ha (9,900 ha under vine), making it Oregons largest AVA.
The diverse geographical features have led to the creation of 7 AVAs within the larger Willamette Valley AVA, and almost 600 wineries.
Proximity to Orgeons main cities gives easy access to tourists.
Where does WV AVA lie? What natural factors affect climate in different AVAs?
The W part of Oregon, only 80km from the Pacific.
Bordered on the W by the Coast Range mountains, which provide some protection, but nevertheless various parts of Willamette are affected by winds.
The valley as a whole is one of the coolest and wettest parts of Oregon, but benefits from warm, dry summers with long hours of sunshine.
Diurnal range is high during the growing season. Air rises from warmer interior of Central Oregon and causes cool coastal air to be pulled inland; especially strong earlier in the day in the AVAs Van Duzer Corridor, Eola-Amity Hills and, to a lesser extent, McMinnville.
A lack of humidity in the air in the growing season means temps can rise and fall quickly.
What is the situation of water availability?
Summer months are dry, but P do not use irrigation.
Legislation prevents all but the longest established P from using water from rivers, and in order to provide water for irrigation, P would need to build ponds on their property to collect water in winter months.
Many growers only have small holdings, and irrigation would be expensive to install and maintain; where rainfall and water retentive soils allow, P will dry farm.
What soils are found? How does this influence viticulture?
Diverse. Fertile loam soils are found on the valley floor (up to 60 m altitude) left by floods in the Columbia Gorge that occurred several thousands of years ago.
These soils are most planted to PGris and, where PN is grown, vigour must be controlled by, eg, large vine training systems such as Scott Henry.
At higher altitudes, a mix of marine sedimentary soils (sandstone), volcanic basalt and loess soils are found, generally lower in fertility.
Here, smaller cordon-trained or replacement-cane pruned vines with VSP are more common.
Which sub AVAs are found in WV AVA? What are plantings?
Dundee Hills, Chehalem Mountains, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton District, Van Duzer Corridor, Eola-Amity Hills and McMinnville.
In all, and WV, PN dominates (60-80% of plantings), with Chard and PGris also usually planted.
What is the most well known WV AVA? What’s the general topography and climate?
Dundee Hills AVA, also where the states first PN was planted.
Made up of volcanic hills running N to S with lateral ridges that run E to W.
Vineyards start 60 m above the valley floor up to 325 m: higher than the rest of WV, helping to retain acidity.
Temps are warmer than other AVAs because its buffered to the W by the Coastal Range and to the N by the Chehalem Mountains, sheltering it from cold, wet conditions, enabling full ripeness.
What are the soil types in Dundee Hills AVA?
Has the highest proportion of iron-rich clay formed from volcanic basalt. The clay retains water in the dry summer months, avoids the vines shutting down, and ensures full ripeness.
Where are the Chehalem Mountains AVA located? Climate, soil and businesses?
Defined by a Ridge in N WV. 32km in length, 8km in width, stretching SE to NW.
It includes several discrete spurs, mountains and ridges.
Vineyards are planted between 60m and 305m, with the highest point of the Ridge at almost 500m serving as a windbreak.
The range of altitudes, aspects and soil types (loess, volcanic basalt and sedimentary creates a diversity of vineyard sites, and this is also seen in the wines.
Has the most plantings of any sub-AVA and a large number of wineries, including the earliest, are planted in the area.
Where is Ribbon Ridge AVA located? Topography, climate?
A small AVA in the WV, being an island like Ridge that rises to around 200 m from the Chehalem Valley floor in the W of the Chehalem Valley AVA.
Vineyards are relatively low in elevation and protected from the wind by surrounding ranges creating a constantly warm dry growing area.
Sedimentary soil is relatively deep but low in nutrients, helping control vigour. It also has moderate water holding capacity, much needed as irrigation water is not readily available.
All these factors lead to concentrated, ripe grapes.
