Oregon is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier Pinot Noir–producing regions.
It’s a fitting moniker for the state that produces 90% of all Pinot Noir in the United States. We’ll give you a full rundown on what makes Oregon Pinot Noir so special, but let’s start with the basics.
Pinot Noir is one of the most popular red wine grape varieties all over the world. It is a difficult grape to grow and has many different clones with varying degrees of quality, so it can be grown successfully in a number of places around the globe. While California and Oregon both have similar climates suitable to cultivation, we believe that Oregon Pinot Noirs are some of the best in the world—and certainly better than California-grown Pinot Noirs don’t @ us!
In addition to Pinot Noir, the state’s 300+ wineries also produce crisp whites from the Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris grapes.
While Oregon is most famous for its Pinot Noir, the state’s 300+ wineries also produce crisp whites from the Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris grapes. Oregon produces many dry white wines—but it also makes some sweet dessert wines.
The first grape vines were planted in Oregon in 1847 by a settler who had grown up in Missouri wine country.
The first grape vines were planted in Oregon in 1847 by a settler named Peter Britt, who had grown up in Missouri wine country. It wasn’t until the 1960s that commercial wineries began to be established, when petitioners from California vineyards flocked to Oregon due to the growing popularity of Pinot Noir.
Peter Britt was born in Switzerland and learned about winemaking while living on his family’s farm there. He moved to America at age 29 and settled in Jacksonville, Oregon, planting grapevines just two years later. The first grapes he planted were Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Silvaner—all varieties that still grow around the world today. Like many early settlers, he and his family made wine for their own consumption, not for commercial sale.
By 1860, there were at least seven commercial wineries in the state, but Prohibition wiped them all out.
It wasn’t until 1847 that Oregon’s first commercial winery, Champoeg, was founded. It didn’t last long, closing during the California Gold Rush in 1853. But before Prohibition would arrive with its death sentence for US winemaking as a whole, at least seven other wineries were established in Oregon.
After Prohibition ended in 1933 (we’ll get to that later), one of these reopened: Hillcrest Vineyard in Roseburg. It was the first post-Prohibition bonded winery to open west of the Rockies and remains an active producer today.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that commercial winemaking began to be revived.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that commercial winemaking began to be revived. The reasons for this can partly be attributed to the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and a change in federal tax laws that made it easier to start wineries. California was thriving, with sales of wine surpassing those of beer and spirits by 1979, but there were also budding wine industries beginning in Washington and Oregon while Virginia’s vineyards had been steadily growing since the 1940s. All three states have since become known for their own distinct varietals.
Despite being known for its reds and whites, vineyards in Oregon are actually planted with more than 90 different grape varieties.
Oregon is known for its reds and whites, but the state is home to over 90 different varieties of grapevines.
Despite being known for its reds and whites, vineyards in Oregon are actually planted with more than 90 different grape varieties.
The state’s climate makes it a wine-growing mecca. Even though the Pacific Northwest has a reputation for being cool, wet, and cloudy, there are significant stretches of warm weather every year when grapes can reach full ripeness and low humidity means they escape mildew damage. Dry summers also create optimum growing conditions and make irrigation unnecessary in many regions.
Most commonly grown grape varieties include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris—all good bets if you’re looking to try something new next time you head to your local wine shop or beer store!
The Willamette Valley is by far the state’s biggest viticultural area, accounting for more than 70% of all wine production in Oregon.
Of the state’s 16 American Viticultural Areas, the Willamette Valley is Oregon’s largest and most important wine region. It is located at the northern end of the valley and covers a 150-mile stretch from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south and about 60 miles inland.
The Willamette Valley AVA accounts for more than 70% of all wine production in Oregon, which has over 500 wineries spread across 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of vineyards. There are over 90 grape varieties grown in this cool climate AVA with Pinot noir being by far its most important product.
While Pinot Noir is definitely king here now, it wasn’t always so
While Pinot Noir is definitely king here now, it wasn’t always so. The grape was planted in the area as early as 1961, when David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards sent his winemaker to Burgundy to learn everything they could about Pinot Noir and its native terroir (the unique geology of the region).
In 1966, the first plantings of Pinot happened at Lett’s vineyard in Willamette Valley, and the wine world has been riveted by Oregon ever since.
Nowadays, it’s more than just pinot that makes Oregon’s wine scene so special: Syrah has taken off with several vintners planting their own versions of this big red variety. And then there are grapes like riesling and gewurztraminer that make for amazing white wines (and dessert wines) when grown in Oregon’s cool climate terroir. There are many other grape varieties grown in Oregon—it is a very diverse wine growing region.