History of Oregon wine production
Encyclopedia
The history of Oregon wine production stretches back to before the state was incorporated. Settlers to the Oregon Territory
planted grapes as early as the 1840s, however the production of wine
has only been a significant industry in Oregon
since the 1960s. Oregon wine
s first achieved significant critical notice in the late 1970s; in 2005, the industry sold 1.6 million cases of Oregon vintages with a retail value of USD $184.7 million. In 2010, there were 419 wineries and 20,500 acres of Vinifera planted.
Grapes were first planted in the Oregon Territory
in 1847 by Henderson Luelling, a horticulturist who travelled to the territory on the Oregon Trail
. The first recorded winery, Valley View Vineyard was established in Jacksonville
(in what is now the Rogue Valley AVA) in the 1850s by Peter Britt, several years before the state was founded in 1859. In the first Oregon census in 1860, wine production was listed at 11,800 liters (2,600 gallons), though it is certain that not all of this came from grapes.
In the 1880s, numerous immigrants to Southern Oregon experimented with various varietals, including Zinfandel
, Riesling
, and an unknown variety of Sauvignon. By 1899, Oregon vineyards yielded 2,694 tons of grapes. Five years later, a Forest Grove
winemaker, Ernest Reuter, won a silver medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The vineyard on which the grapes were grown was located on Wine Hill west of Forest Grove.
era, but resumed in 1933. The Oregon wine industry remained small for several decades, and was dominated by fruit wines rather (including wines based on grapes other than Vitas vinifera), by that time the California wine industry
, with its warmer climate, had come to dominate wine production in the United States
. Only two Oregon wineries produced wine using V. vinifera through the middle of the century; both on a rather small scale.
in 1961 (in what is now the Umpqua Valley AVA
), with the first vintage appearing for sale in 1968. Also in the 1960s, several winemakers started planting Pinot noir
grapes in the Willamette Valley, including David Lett
and Charles Coury. In 1966, Lett planted a Vineyard in the hills outside of Dundee
.
By 1970, the state had five bonded wineries, with 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) in production. Many out-of-state winemakers, the bulk of them from California, began migrating to the state, including Dick Erath, Dick and Nancy Ponzi, Susan and Bill Sokol-Blosser, David and Ginny Adelsheim, Pat and Joe Campbell, Jerry and Ann Preston, and Myron Redford. In 1973, Oregon passed its landmark land-use law, which imposed strict separation between agricultural and urban uses of land via such mechanism as the Urban Growth Boundary
and Exclusive Farm Use Zones. This prevented many hillsides, deemed inappropriate for other crops which are easier to grow on flat fields, from being converted to housing. Also in the 1970s, the winemakers of the region began to organize to promote their vintages. In 1977, the first coffee table book about Northwest wines, entitled Winemakers of the Pacific Northwest, was printed; the following year, a joint marketing brochure entitled "Discover Oregon Wines" was published.
But it was events of 1979 that put the Oregon wine industry on the map. Eyrie Vineyards
' 1975 South Block Pinot Noir placed in the top 10 at the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiades
, and was rated the top Pinot Noir
, one of several non-European vintages to outplace French wines in the competition. Not only did the competition establish Oregon as a region capable of producing top-quality wines, it also established that premium winemaking was not the exclusive province of Europe
, France
in particular. French winemaker Robert Drouhin arranged for a rematch, pitting the Eyrie pinot noir against a group of French wines considered to be finer than those in the Wine Olympics. The winner was Joseph Drouhin's Grand cru 1959 Chambolle-Musigny; the Eyrie came in a very close second.
, and two wines from that vintage won gold medals in the 1982 International Wine Competition in London
. Ponzi Vineyards of Beaverton
was favorably covered by the New York Times in 1981. In 1984, noted wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
visited Oregon and was highly impressed with the pinots he encountered. Oregon pinots won further acclaim in the 1985 Burgundy Challenge, wherein wine experts could not distinguish between Oregon and Burgundy pinot noirs in a blind taste test; in the rankings, the Oregon wines were rated ahead of the Burgundy entrants. Also in 1985, the Oregon wine industry received its first mention in Wine Spectator
.
The 1980s also saw continued efforts at marketing the Oregon wine industry. The Oregon Wine Advisory Board was established in 1983, and in 1984 the Willamette Valley and Umpqua Valley AVAs were established. In 1986, the International Pinot Noir Celebration
was started at Linfield College
in McMinnville
, and in 1989, Willamette Valley Vineyards
became the first publicly traded winery in the state.
Greater ties between Oregon and Burgundy were established in the 1980s. Close ties were forged between horticulturalists at Oregon State University
and notable French wine cultivation experts, such as Raymond Bernard at ONIVINS; this relationship gave Oregon vintners access to clones that California growers were not able to acquire. In 1987, the Drouhin family of Burgundy, one of France's highly regarded winemaking families, purchased 100 acre (0.404686 km²) in the North Willamette Vlley in 1987, founding the Domaine Drouhin Oregon winery. In 1988, then-governor Neil Goldschmidt
made an official visit to Burgundy.
root louse was discovered in Oregon. This necessated the use of Phylloxera-resistant rootstocks, many vineyards took this as an opportunity to select different varieties of grapes more suited to their particular location. The Rogue Valley AVA was established; three years later, the Oregon Wine Marketing Coalition was founded. In 1995, the Oregon Legislature enacted several new laws which were beneficial to winemakers. Direct in-state wine shipments from wineries to customers were legalized, allowing Oregon winemakers to partially bypass wine wholesalers. In-store wine tasting was also legalized, as were certain off-site special events hosted by wineries. Oregon State University
established a professorship in fermentation science. In 1998, the wine industry contributed USD $120 million to the Oregon economy. A further legal change occurred in 1999, when legislation (HB 3429) was passed allowing multiple winery licensees on a single premise. This led to new winemaking arrangements, such as the Carlton Winemakers Studio.
In 2000, the number of winemakers in Oregon had increased to 135 wineries and 500 growers, with 10500 acres (42.5 km²) vineyard planted. The 21st century has seen an emphasis on "green" wine production in Oregon. Low Input Viticulture and Enology, Inc., an Oregon non-profit, certifies wineries for meeting certain environmental standards; over 60 vineyards are now so certified. In 2002, Oregon became a leader in green winemaking with the Sokol-Blossor barrel room and the Carlton Winemakers Studio being LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2006, the Stoller Vineyards winery was also LEED-certified.
The Applegate Valley AVA
was established in 2001; in 2003 the Oregon Wine Advisory Board (under the state Department of Agriculture
) was replaced with the Oregon Wine Board
, a semi-independent state agency; that year the number of wineries reached 220, with 13400 acres (54.2 km²) under cultivation. the next year, the Columbia Gorge AVA became established, as a winemaking industry rose in the Hood River valley (and in valleys across the Columbia in Washington State) AVAs were also established in McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, and in the Dundee area. By 2005, there were 314 wineries and 519 vineyards in operation in Oregon.
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
planted grapes as early as the 1840s, however the production of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
has only been a significant industry in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
since the 1960s. Oregon wine
Oregon wine
The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the...
s first achieved significant critical notice in the late 1970s; in 2005, the industry sold 1.6 million cases of Oregon vintages with a retail value of USD $184.7 million. In 2010, there were 419 wineries and 20,500 acres of Vinifera planted.
From settlement to Prohibition
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
in 1847 by Henderson Luelling, a horticulturist who travelled to the territory on the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
. The first recorded winery, Valley View Vineyard was established in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes Jacksonville Historic District which was designated a U.S....
(in what is now the Rogue Valley AVA) in the 1850s by Peter Britt, several years before the state was founded in 1859. In the first Oregon census in 1860, wine production was listed at 11,800 liters (2,600 gallons), though it is certain that not all of this came from grapes.
In the 1880s, numerous immigrants to Southern Oregon experimented with various varietals, including Zinfandel
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Puglia , where it was introduced in the 18th century...
, Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
, and an unknown variety of Sauvignon. By 1899, Oregon vineyards yielded 2,694 tons of grapes. Five years later, a Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
winemaker, Ernest Reuter, won a silver medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The vineyard on which the grapes were grown was located on Wine Hill west of Forest Grove.
Middle twentieth century
Wine production in Oregon, like elsewhere in the United States, shut down during the ProhibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
era, but resumed in 1933. The Oregon wine industry remained small for several decades, and was dominated by fruit wines rather (including wines based on grapes other than Vitas vinifera), by that time the California wine industry
California wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
, with its warmer climate, had come to dominate wine production in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Only two Oregon wineries produced wine using V. vinifera through the middle of the century; both on a rather small scale.
Rebirth of an industry: The 1960s and 1970s
The Oregon wine industry started to rebuild in the 1960s. Hillcrest Vineyard, established by UC Davis graduate Richard Sommer, opened near RoseburgRoseburg, Oregon
Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the county seat of Douglas County. The population was 21,181 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in 1961 (in what is now the Umpqua Valley AVA
Umpqua Valley AVA
Part of the larger Southern Oregon AVA the Umpqua Valley American Viticultural Area is located entirely within Douglas County, Oregon. The official boundaries of the AVA are detailed in the United States of America Title 27 Chapter I Part 9 section 89. Grapes grown here include Pinot Noir, Pinot...
), with the first vintage appearing for sale in 1968. Also in the 1960s, several winemakers started planting Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
grapes in the Willamette Valley, including David Lett
David Lett
David Lett was the founder and winemaker for The Eyrie Vineyards in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was a pioneer in the Oregon wine industry.Lett grew up in Utah and studied dentistry in California...
and Charles Coury. In 1966, Lett planted a Vineyard in the hills outside of Dundee
Dundee, Oregon
Dundee is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,598 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 3,040 residents.-History:...
.
Urban growth boundary
An urban growth boundary, or UGB, is a regional boundary, set in an attempt to control urban sprawl by mandating that the area inside the boundary be used for higher density urban development and the area outside be used for lower density development.An urban growth boundary circumscribes an...
and Exclusive Farm Use Zones. This prevented many hillsides, deemed inappropriate for other crops which are easier to grow on flat fields, from being converted to housing. Also in the 1970s, the winemakers of the region began to organize to promote their vintages. In 1977, the first coffee table book about Northwest wines, entitled Winemakers of the Pacific Northwest, was printed; the following year, a joint marketing brochure entitled "Discover Oregon Wines" was published.
But it was events of 1979 that put the Oregon wine industry on the map. Eyrie Vineyards
Eyrie Vineyards
The Eyrie Vineyards is an American winery in Oregon that consists of in several different vineyards in the Willamette Valley. The vineyards and winery were established by owner and winemaker David Lett, who produced the first Pinot gris in the United States...
' 1975 South Block Pinot Noir placed in the top 10 at the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiades
Wine Olympics
A Wine Olympics was organized by the French food and wine magazine GaultMillau in 1979; a total of 330 wines from 33 countries were evaluated by 62 experts from ten nationalities. The 1976 Trefethen Vineyards Chardonnay from the Napa Valley won the Chardonnay tasting and was judged best in the...
, and was rated the top Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, one of several non-European vintages to outplace French wines in the competition. Not only did the competition establish Oregon as a region capable of producing top-quality wines, it also established that premium winemaking was not the exclusive province of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in particular. French winemaker Robert Drouhin arranged for a rematch, pitting the Eyrie pinot noir against a group of French wines considered to be finer than those in the Wine Olympics. The winner was Joseph Drouhin's Grand cru 1959 Chambolle-Musigny; the Eyrie came in a very close second.
Global recognition: The 1980s
Oregon winemakers continued to win awards in the 1980s. In 1980, there thirty-four bonded Oregon wineries, and 115 growers with 1100 acres (4.5 km²) planted. The 1980 vintage was greatly affected by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a stratovolcano located in Washington state, in the United States, was a major volcanic eruption. The eruption was the only significant one to occur in the contiguous 48 U.S. states since the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak in California...
, and two wines from that vintage won gold medals in the 1982 International Wine Competition in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Ponzi Vineyards of Beaverton
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
was favorably covered by the New York Times in 1981. In 1984, noted wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
visited Oregon and was highly impressed with the pinots he encountered. Oregon pinots won further acclaim in the 1985 Burgundy Challenge, wherein wine experts could not distinguish between Oregon and Burgundy pinot noirs in a blind taste test; in the rankings, the Oregon wines were rated ahead of the Burgundy entrants. Also in 1985, the Oregon wine industry received its first mention in Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
.
The 1980s also saw continued efforts at marketing the Oregon wine industry. The Oregon Wine Advisory Board was established in 1983, and in 1984 the Willamette Valley and Umpqua Valley AVAs were established. In 1986, the International Pinot Noir Celebration
International Pinot Noir Celebration
The International Pinot Noir Celebration , founded in 1987, is an Oregon wine event held annually at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. The event features Pinot noirs from around the globe including Burgundy and the Willamette Valley. The IPNC is not-for-profit and aims to promote...
was started at Linfield College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
in McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
, and in 1989, Willamette Valley Vineyards
Willamette Valley Vineyards
Willamette Valley Vineyards is a winery located in Turner, Oregon. Named after Oregon's Willamette Valley, the winery is the leading producer of Pinot Noir in Oregon, and also produces Dijon clone Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. The first planting was the Estate Vineyard, which was purchased in 1983 by...
became the first publicly traded winery in the state.
Greater ties between Oregon and Burgundy were established in the 1980s. Close ties were forged between horticulturalists at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
and notable French wine cultivation experts, such as Raymond Bernard at ONIVINS; this relationship gave Oregon vintners access to clones that California growers were not able to acquire. In 1987, the Drouhin family of Burgundy, one of France's highly regarded winemaking families, purchased 100 acre (0.404686 km²) in the North Willamette Vlley in 1987, founding the Domaine Drouhin Oregon winery. In 1988, then-governor Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
made an official visit to Burgundy.
Modern Oregon wine industry: 1990s and beyond
By 1990, there were 70 bonded Oregon wineries and 320 growers, with 5682 acres (23 km²) vineyard planted. The Oregon wine industry received a stern challenge from nature, when the PhylloxeraPhylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
root louse was discovered in Oregon. This necessated the use of Phylloxera-resistant rootstocks, many vineyards took this as an opportunity to select different varieties of grapes more suited to their particular location. The Rogue Valley AVA was established; three years later, the Oregon Wine Marketing Coalition was founded. In 1995, the Oregon Legislature enacted several new laws which were beneficial to winemakers. Direct in-state wine shipments from wineries to customers were legalized, allowing Oregon winemakers to partially bypass wine wholesalers. In-store wine tasting was also legalized, as were certain off-site special events hosted by wineries. Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
established a professorship in fermentation science. In 1998, the wine industry contributed USD $120 million to the Oregon economy. A further legal change occurred in 1999, when legislation (HB 3429) was passed allowing multiple winery licensees on a single premise. This led to new winemaking arrangements, such as the Carlton Winemakers Studio.
In 2000, the number of winemakers in Oregon had increased to 135 wineries and 500 growers, with 10500 acres (42.5 km²) vineyard planted. The 21st century has seen an emphasis on "green" wine production in Oregon. Low Input Viticulture and Enology, Inc., an Oregon non-profit, certifies wineries for meeting certain environmental standards; over 60 vineyards are now so certified. In 2002, Oregon became a leader in green winemaking with the Sokol-Blossor barrel room and the Carlton Winemakers Studio being LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2006, the Stoller Vineyards winery was also LEED-certified.
The Applegate Valley AVA
Applegate Valley AVA
The Applegate Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in southern Oregon. It is entirely contained within the Rogue Valley AVA, which is itself included within the larger Southern Oregon AVA. The region is named for the Applegate River, which flows through the town of Applegate and...
was established in 2001; in 2003 the Oregon Wine Advisory Board (under the state Department of Agriculture
Oregon Department of Agriculture
The Oregon Department of Agriculture is the agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for promoting and regulating food production and safety. It is headed by the Director of Agriculture, appointed by the Governor of Oregon subject to senate confirmation, advised by a board...
) was replaced with the Oregon Wine Board
Oregon Wine Board
The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon that promotes development of the wine industry within the state, and coordinates both domestic and export marketing efforts for the industry...
, a semi-independent state agency; that year the number of wineries reached 220, with 13400 acres (54.2 km²) under cultivation. the next year, the Columbia Gorge AVA became established, as a winemaking industry rose in the Hood River valley (and in valleys across the Columbia in Washington State) AVAs were also established in McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, and in the Dundee area. By 2005, there were 314 wineries and 519 vineyards in operation in Oregon.