Back to 2008 Daily Schedule (Itinerary)
>>> UNITED STATES / CANADA - CANADA
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BLUE MOUNTAIN VINEYARD AND CELLARS
Blue Mountain is located in the Okanagan Valley and is surrounded by natural parkland and a Big Horn sheep preserve. Blue Mountain is an estate dedicated to producing complex wines, consistent in style and quality from year to year. Located at the warmer south end of the valley with an 80-acre vineyard, the property supplied grapes to other wineries for 21 years before the Mavety family founded the winery in 1991. In addition to Pinot Noir, the 12,000-case yearly production consists of Gamay Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and a méthode traditionnel sparkling wine, all from estate grapes.
Website: BlueMountainWinery.com Email:bluemountain@bluemountainwinery.com |
>>> UNITED STATES / CANADA - OREGON
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ADELSHEIM VINEYARDS
Founded by David Adelsheim and Ginny Adelsheim in 1971, the winery began with a 15-acre site on the southern slopes of the Chehalem Mountains. After 30 vintages, Adelsheim Vineyard is now a largely estate-grown winery with its 200 acres of vines and its case production of 42,000. Chad Vargas brings incredible focus on sustainability and management of soil nutrition, drought stress, and crop size in his role as Vineyard Manager. Winemaker Dave Paige applies great passion for balance to the craft of creating their fruit-driven, richly-textured wines. Adelsheim Vineyard produces several tiers of Pinot Noir wines, an intriguing line of white wines including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Tocai Friulano and Auxerrois, a Rosé, and a dessert Pinot Noir; Deglacé.
Website: Adelsheim.com Email:info@adelsheim.com |
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AMALIE ROBERT ESTATE
Amalie Robert Estate was founded by Dena Drews and Ernie Pink in 1999. Dena and Ernie left the corporate world behind, and began a journey to grow Pinot noir in the last best place on earth. They found a beautiful cherry orchard, and the opportunity to follow their dreams. Today, Amalie Robert Estate is a 60-acre property with 30 acres of sustainably farmed vines and a state of the art, gravity flow Pinot Noir winery. The estate is stitched into the sedimentary foothills outside of Dallas, Oregon. In second careers, Dena and Ernie's guiding principle is stewardship. They are the vineyard managers and winemakers; students of the vineyard, where class, it seems, is always in session. Their efforts in the field are rewarded with Pinot Noir wines that are true to the soil and true to the vintage. What's the story behind the name? Amalie Robert is a combination of Dena's middle name "Amalie" (pronounced AIM-a-lee) and Ernie's, "Robert."
Website: AmalieRobert.com Email:amalierobert@amalierobert.com |
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ANDREW RICH WINES
After growing up in New England in a family that sold furniture, followed by a brief stint as a magazine editor, Andrew Rich turned to winemaking in 1988. He was first a "cellar rat" at Bonny Doon Vineyard, eventually working his way up to the position of Assistant Winemaker. 1988 also marked his first trip to Oregon, where his destiny was sealed. Andrew Rich Wines was founded in 1995 and has been producing a broad and eclectic array of wines ever since. With the glorious 2002 vintage, Andrew Rich Wines settled into the Carlton Winemakers Studio, where it is increasingly focusing on Washington State Rhône varietals and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Production is just under 5,000 cases.
Website: AndrewRichWines.com Email:info@andrewrichwines.com |
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BELLE VALLÉE CELLARS
Belle Vallée Cellars is located in downtown Corvallis, which is considered to be the heart of the Willamette Valley. Our Pinot Noir wines are Willamette Valley appellation, including our Pinot Noir Port. The philosophy of winemaking at Belle Vallée Cellars is defined by the art of the blend. Some wineries focus on single vineyards and showcase what that vineyard has to offer. At Belle Vallée Cellars, the style is different. They seek to blend to a level of quality that consumers can rely on, year in and year out. Contracting with more than a dozen different vineyards throughout Oregon allows Belle Vallée Cellars to select from some of the top sites throughout the Willamette Valley, and blend the fruit together to create complex, layered wines with depth and character beyond the reach of any single vineyard.
Website: BelleVallee.com Email:info@bellevallee.com |
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BETHEL HEIGHTS VINEYARD
Bethel Heights is a family owned and operated estate winery in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley. Established in 1977 by two families, Bethel Heights has expanded in recent years to include second-generation leadership and ownership. The winery now produces around 13,000 cases each year, most of which comes from the 70-acre estate vineyard, with its backbone of 30-year-old, own-rooted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines. Several different Pinot Noir wines are produced each year, including the age-worthy "Estate," various block-designated and vineyard-designated special bottlings in small lots, and the barrel selected, blended "Casteel Reserve."
Website: BethelHeights.com Email:info@bethelheights.com |
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BOEDECKER CELLARS
When Stewart Boedecker and Athena Pappas started Boedecker Cellars in 2003, they decided to stay hands on with every aspect of the winery, becoming winemakers, cellar rats, sales 'execs', and event hosts. Their philosophy revolves around staying true to themselves and focusing all their energy on creating great Pinot Noir wines that reflect the true character of Oregon's vineyards. Fanatical attention to detail, minimal intervention, harvesting acre by acre, fermenting in small lots, and giving attention to each barrel during elevage and blending lead to wines with a distinct sense of place and time. The two signature Pinot Noir bottlings from Boedecker Cellars reflect the differences in winemaker palates while remaining distinctly 'Oregon'. They showcase the masculine and the feminine; Stewart's love of classically styled Pinot Noir wines and Athen's nod to a more New World style; wines expressive of the vintners, the vineyards, and the vintage.
Website: BoedeckerCellars.com Email:athena@boedeckercellars.com |
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BROADLEY VINEYARDS
Family owned, Broadley Vineyards was established in 1982 in the hills west of the town of Monroe. This northeast-sloped vineyard is 33 acres on Hazelair soil, a deep, well-drained rocky clay, which ensures that the vines struggle to produce a small crop. The original plantings in 1982 were Pommard and Wadenswil. Broadley Vineyard's signature winemaking style is its use of a high percentage of whole cluster fermentation. They are committed to sourcing fruit from some of the best vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley.
Website: BroadleyVineyards.com Email:broadley@peak.org |
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BROOKS WINES
Celebrating their 10th Anniversary this year, Brooks is a reflection of the visionary Portland native, Jimi Brooks. His reverence for the land and vines inspired him to become a practitioner of organic and biodynamic farming. The great respect for vineyard individuality and mastery of blending, allowed his wines to achieve the greatest depth, flavors and balance. While Jimi is no longer with us, his dynamic spirit lives on through his wines, family, and friends. With the outpouring of generosity and friendship by the Oregon wine community, Brooks Wines continues, as a serious producer of Old World style Riesling wines and New World style Pinot Noir wines. Jimi's son Pascal, who was the ultimate source of his passion for life, is now the sole owner of the winery (at age 11, the youngest winery owner in the world), and sister Janie Brooks Heuck has volunteered to lead it and friend, Chris Williams, took on the full-time position of winemaker in 2006.
Website: BrooksWine.com Email:info@brookswine.com |
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CARDWELL HILL CELLARS
Cardwell Hill Cellars, a family owned gravity flow winery, is located in a cool microclimate of the western Willamette Valley. Our vineyards are meticulously maintained in accordance with the sustainable practices of L.I.V.E. and Salmon Safe. Our Estate Bottled wines are crafted from Wadenswil, Pommard, Dijon 115, and Dijon 777 clones.
Website: CardwellHillWine.com Email:chapel@cardwellhillwine.com |
copyright Andrea Johnson Photography |
CHEHALEM
Chehalem (Chuh-hay-lum) is an American Indian word meaning "gentle land" or "valley of flowers." The winery, owned by Harry Peterson-Nedry and Bill and Cathy Stoller, is dedicated to creating Pinot Noir that permits site and climate to be reflected in complex, structured, and intensely fruited wines. Chehalem's three distinct Estate Vineyards, Ridgecrest, Stoller, and Corral Creek allow them to do just that. These vineyards represent different soils, elevations, and aspects, which contribute to unique single-vineyard wines.
Website: ChehalemWines.com Email:info@chehalemwines.com |
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COELHO WINERY OF AMITY
Dave and Deolina Coelho have been in the farming industry for over 30 years. Both are descended from a farming background; you could say it's in their blood. Their 30-acre vineyard was planted in 2001 with Pommard and Dijon clones. Since then, they've added Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Coelho Pinot Noir is made only with estate grapes grown in Woodburn soil. The gentle elevation of 280 feet allows for even temperature with cool afternoon ocean breezes. Combined with a non-vigorous rootstock, this intensifies the fruity flavor of the berries. Their winemaking techniques focus on balance of flavor and body. Coelho production consists mostly of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. They also produce Pinot Noir Rosé, Petit Sirah, Chardonnay, Maréchal Foch, Maréchal Foch Dessert wine, Portuguese Varietal Red Table Wine, and Portuguese Varietal Dessert Wine. Two thousand cases were produced in 2006.
Website: CoelhoWinery.com Email:coelhowinery@onlinemac.com |
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DOMAINE DROUHIN OREGON
Founded in 1988, Domaine Drouhin Oregon produces stunning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines that are noted internationally for their pure expression of fruit, superior balance, silky texture, and classical elegance. The 225-acre estate is home to 100 acres of high-density vineyards, planted atop Oregon's Dundee Hills. The wines are hand crafted by fourth generation winemaker Véronique Drouhin, using traditional Burgundian techniques in Domaine Drouhin Oregon's four-level gravity flow winery. It is Véronique's mission to handle the fruit gently, allowing the wines to reveal the true character of the vineyard and the vintage. The result is wines of lovely balance.
Website: DomaineDrouhin.com Email:info@domainedrouhin.com |
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DOMAINE SERENE
A passion and commitment to produce the world's best Pinot Noir led Ken and Grace to Oregon in 1989. They founded Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills located in the North Willamette Valley, where Oregon Pinot Noir began and where its heart remains. With three vineyard estates totaling 312 acres and planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Domaine Serene's environmentally friendly farming practices and extremely low crop yields produce consistently concentrated, award winning wines. The most famous wine critic in the World, Robert Parker, rated Domaine Serene as one of only two outstanding producers of Pinot Noir in Oregon, and the 17th Annual Wine & Spirit's Restaurant Poll named Domaine Serene Pinot Noir wines as the Most Popular Oregon Pinot Noir in the country. In the now legendary "Domaine Serene vs. Domaine de la Romanée Conti blind tasting, Domaine Serene bested the most sought after Pinot Noir wines in France, while renowned wine writer, Anthony Dias Blue, declared Domaine Serene the "Château Lafite of Oregon".
Website: DomaineSerene.com Email:info@domaineserene.com |
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ELK COVE VINEYARDS
Founded in 1974 by Pat and Joe Campbell, Elk Cove Vineyards is one of Oregon's oldest and most respected wine producers. The estate vineyard was planted in a protected valley where the namesake Roosevelt elk migrate each spring. Elk Cove Vineyards proudly remains a family-owned and operated winery. Winemaker Adam Godlee Campbell produces his wines from outstanding vineyards in the Northern Willamette Valley. They employ gravity flow and gentle handling to protect the inherent qualities of the estate-grown fruit. Their focus is on the Pinot "trilogy": Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. Elk Cove Vineyards has produced single vineyard Pinot Noir wines since 1979. Yields are kept to less than two tons per acre for the special reserve bottlings.
Website: ElkCove.com Email:info@elkcove.com |
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LEMELSON VINEYARDS
Eric Lemelson planted two acres of Pinot Noir as a hobby on a hillside farm near Newberg in 1995. He enjoyed viticulture so much that within two years he planted 17 additional acres near Carlton and began to design a winery. Today, Lemelson Vineyards owns and manages 135 acres at six sites in three AVA's (Yamhill Carlton, Dundee Hills, and Chehalem Mountains) in Yamhill County, taking advantage of terrior diversity from multiple soil types and elevations ranging from 250 to 1000 feet. All vineyards have been farmed organically from the beginning, and have been certified organic since 2004. The gravity-flow winery reflects both a strong commitment to sustainability, grounded in Eric Lemelson's background as an environmental lawyer, and a "no-compromises" approach to wine quality. Winemaker Anthony King crafts Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris using wild yeasts, long patient elevage, and gentle processing. Their goal is to produce distinctive wines that speak clearly of their origins.
Website: LemelsonVineyards.com Email:info@lemelsonvineyards.com |
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MAYSARA WINERY
Maysara Estate Winery and the Momtazi Vineyards are located in the western foothills of the McMinnville AVA. The 540-acre estate is Oregon's largest Biodynamically certified vineyard. As one of the pioneers in Oregon's Biodynamic ® viticulture, Maysara has been able to bring balance to the vineyard and produce a level of Pinot fruit revered and sought after by many Oregon and California winemakers. Since the winery's first release in 2001, Maysara Winery has been able to achieve elegant, balanced, and seamless wines yielding a true "sense of place" whilst producing Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Rosé, and four distinct Pinot Noir wines. Winemaker, Tahmiene Momtazi's dedication to low impact, natural winemaking coupled with her father's dedication to preserving the integrity of the land, avails Maysara to release the true poetry of Pinot and its terroir.
Website: Maysara.com Email:wine@maysara.com |
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PANTHER CREEK CELLARS
Panther Creek Cellars, located in McMinnville, Oregon, has been producing ultra-premium Pinot Noir since 1986. Their wines are made from grapes grown at some of Oregon's finest vineyards. The goal in making Panther Creek wine is simple; for each wine to express the personality of its vintage and the character of its vineyard as clearly as possible. Panther Creek Cellars believes that this expressiveness is the essence of great Oregon Pinot Noir.
Website: PantherCreekCellars.com Email:info@panthercreekcellars.com |
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PATRICIA GREEN CELLARS
Patricia Green Cellars is located in the Ribbon Ridge appellation of Yamhill County on the 52-acre estate purchased in 2000 by Patty Green and Jim Anderson. In addition to their Estate Vineyard's production, fruit is sourced from some of the outstanding older vineyards in the Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills appellations. The focus over the years has increasingly tilted toward producing distinct and provocative single vineyard and individual block bottlings of Pinot Noir to display the beauty and uniqueness of the terrior of these sites. This had led to the bottling of as many as 20 separate Pinot Noir wines in any given vintage. This obsessive, Seinfeldian-like focus on the excruciating minutia and intricacies of growing and making Pinot Noir has created a winery with all sorts of interesting and fun dysfunctions that are, surprisingly enough, apparently appealing to lovers of Pinot Noir. While seemingly chaotic from the outside, the view from within reveals a finely formed process capable of this diverse range of distinct, nuanced, complex, and wholly individual Pinot Noir wines. Throw in some extremely good, though rare and largely unknown, Sauvignon Blanc into the mix and you have an eclectic and thoroughly Oregon winery.
Website: PatriciaGreenCellars.com Email:winery@patriciagreencellars.com |
Eye of the Lady Photography |
PATTON VALLEY VINEYARD
Located in the northern reaches of Oregon's Willamette Valley, Patton Valley Vineyard was founded in 1995 by Monte Pitt and Dave Chen. All of Patton Valley's efforts are focused on expressing the character of their site in the handcrafted estate-grown Pinot Noir wines they produce. Set on a hillside overlooking the Patton Valley outside of Gaston, Oregon, the vineyard comprises 24 acres of densely planted vines. Farmed using only sustainable vineyard practices, yields are kept at or below two tons per acre to ensure proper ripening and fruit complexity. At Patton Valley the winemaking philosophy is decidedly low-impact, with the foremost tenet being to handle the wine as little as possible. New wines from 100 percent estate-grown fruit go directly into barrel following primary fermentation without settling, are aged on their lees, and are usually racked only once just prior to hand bottling. Current production of Pinot Noir is approximately 2000 cases annually.
Website: PattonValley.com Email:info@pattonvalley.com |
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PONZI VINEYARDS
For nearly four decades, Ponzi Vineyards has set the standard for New World Pinot Noir. Today it thrives under second generation ownership maintaining its unwavering commitment to producing top quality cool climate varietals and practicing responsible stewardship of the land. One of America's first women to be formally educated in Burgundy, Winemaker Luisa Ponzi, carefully blends her passion with true expertise, crafting wines of complexity and depth. Her brother-sister management team, Michel and Maria, oversee the operation and the family's 120 acres of L.I.V.E. certified vineyards, all located within the Chehalem Mountain AVA. Ponzi wines are represented nationally by Wilson Daniels Ltd.
Website: PonziWines.com Email:info@ponziwines.com |
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R. STUART & CO.
R. Stuart & Co. was founded in January 2002 when they took over an old granary in downtown McMinnville in the neighborhood affectionately known as the "Pinot Quarter." The team includes winemaker Rob Stuart, his wife Maria who manages public relations and collaborates with Trish Rogers on sales and marketing, as well as resident "champagne-ophile" Frank Blair. Sourcing fruit from their favorite vineyards around the state including Temperance Hill, Melrose, Courting Hill and Weber R. Stuart & Co. makes the wines they love: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and their beloved sparkling wine, Rose d'Or. The R. Stuart & Co. wines are made in the classic Rob Stuart style; true to the fruit each vineyard offers, graceful honest and warm. They call their blended Pinot"Autograph," as they consider it the quintessential Rob Stuart Pinot Noir. The everyday Pinot wines are bottled with the Big Fire label, a whimsical reflection of their passion for new adventure and of course, for wine.
Website: RStuartandCo.com Email:winery@rstuartandco.com |
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RAPTOR RIDGE
Founded in 1995 by winemaker Scott Shull, Raptor Ridge winery gets its name from the many families of raptors - Red-tailed hawks, Kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and Owls - that share the winery's 27-acre estate. The vineyard is named "Tuscowallame" the indigenous word for "place where the owls dwell." Raptor Ridge produces about 6500 cases of wine per vintage year. Approximately nine different cuvees comprise this case quantity, including Pinot Gris, several distinct vineyard designates, and consistent blends of Reserve and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Owners Scott and Annie Shull regularly taste through and segregate every barrel into these select cuvees. Uncompromised quality is the focus, not quantity. In addition to the Raptor Ridge brand, Scott is the consulting winemaker to four other Oregon wine brands. Annie manages business development, and both are very active throughout the Oregon wine industry. Occasionally the Shulls see each other at home.
Website: Raptoridge.com Email:info@raptoridge.com |
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SCOTT PAUL WINES
Scott Paul Wines is dedicated exclusively to the artisanal production of Oregon Pinot Noir of uncompromised quality. They believe that Pinot Noir, at its peak of expression, is the ultimate wine of elegance and finesse, and all of their efforts in the vineyards and winery are directed at capturing the intoxicating aromas, the silky textures, and the complex array of flavors that can only come from true cool-climate Pinot Noir. Low yields (averaging less than 1.7 tons per acre) and sustainable viticulture is their mantra in the vineyard. All wild yeast fermentations, no inoculations, no enzymes, no additives, and biodynamic practices provide Scott Paul Wines focus in the cellar. New oak is kept to no more than 20 percent.
Website: ScottPaul.com Email:kellykarr@scottpaul.com |
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SOKOL BLOSSER WINERY
In 1971, Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser planted grapes on just five acres in the Dundee Hills. As one of the pioneering wineries of the region, Sokol Blosser has played a key role in developing and shaping the now prominent Oregon wine industry, leading the way with research in vineyard cover crops, crop load, canopy management, and sustainable vineyard and winery practices. Their barrel cellar set precedent as the first winery building in the country to attain the U.S. Green Building Council's prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The winery is family-owned and operated with second-generation siblings, Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser, taking the helm. Drawing from a now 75-acre certified organic estate vineyard, winemaker Russ Rosner works to create wines of world-class quality, produced in a sustainable manner, which reflect the distinctive flavors of the grapes, soil, and climate, as well as the winery's values and sense of place.
Website: SokolBlosser.com Email:info@sokolblosser.com |
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SOLENA CELLARS
After years in the Oregon wine industry, Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu came together to create an exciting family operated winery, Soléna Cellars. Soléna, the combination of the words 'sun' and 'moon' in French, is the name they gave to their daughter. Soléna Cellars first opened their doors in Carlton, Oregon in May of 2002. Their national debut began with the 2003 vintage of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from their estate vineyard, Domaine Danielle Laurent, and select vineyard sites in Oregon. All of the vineyards from which they source, including the estate and the historic 100 acre Hyland Vineyard, are cropped to low yields and produce high-quality fruit. Vineyard management techniques explore all aspects of viticulture, including Biodynamics, in order to create wines true to their origins.
Website: SolenaCellars.com Email:info@solenacellars.com |
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STOLLER
Stoller Vineyards is an exceptional 373-acre parcel on the southern slope of Oregon's Dundee Hills. A turkey farm in the Stoller family since the 1940s., the property was planted in 1995 with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Since then, the vineyard has grown to 170 acres, the majority of which is Pinot Noir. In addition to the small production, premium wines produced under their own label, Stoller Vineyards has provided fruit to a number of notable Willamette Valley wineries including Adelsheim Vineyards, Argyle Winery, Chehalem, and Domaine Drouhin Oregon. Stoller is Oregon's first and only LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified winery and welcomes visitors by appointment.
Website: StollerVineyards.com Email:info@stollervineyards.com |
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VAN DUZER VINEYARDS
Nestled in the foothills of the coast range, Van Duzer is among the first to benefit from cool evening breezes. The temperate ocean breezes are carried to the Willamette Valley through the Van Duzer Corridor. The vineyards are planted with a selection of clones that are perfectly suited for the location. Pinot Noir vines dominate the vineyard with seven clonal varieties, ensuring optimal maturity in addition to the range of flavors and textures offered by the different clones each vintage. From the beginning, Van Duzer wines have been praised for their balance and subtlety. The grapes mature slowly over a sustained growing season, gaining character and nuance while preserving the crisp, balanced character that pairs well with food.
Website: VanDuzer.com Email:info@vanduzer.com |
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WESTREY WINE CO.
Founded in 1993, Westrey represents the collaborative winemaking of Amy Wesselman and David Autrey. Westrey employs traditional techniques such as small, indigenous-yeast fermentation, hand punch-downs and a very limited use of new oak. A philosophy of minimal intervention dictates few rackings and no fining or filtration. Techniques are adapted to individual lots, so that each wine communicates its vineyard of origin. Reserve and single-vineyard bottlings emphasize Westrey's commitment to Pinot Noir. Amy and David farm twelve acres of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay, planted between 1977 and 2001, on their 50-acre parcel of land in the Red Hills of Dundee. They named the new vineyard "Oracle" out of reverence for the importance of "consulting the land first" when making decisions in the winery.
Website: Westrey.com Email:info@westrey.com |
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WILLAMETTE VALLEY VINEYARDS
Led by winegrower Jim Bernau, Willamette Valley Vineyards was founded in 1983 by thousands of Oregon wine enthusiasts united by a dream to create a world-class winery with wines expressive of the unique character of the Willamette Valley appellation. Wine Enthusiast magazine has named Willamette Valley Vineyards as one of "America's Great Pinot Noir Producers". Tualatin Estate Vineyard was purchased from pioneering winemaker Bill Fuller in 1997, which included some of the oldest Pinot Noir vines (planted 1973) in Oregon. The people of Willamette Valley Vineyards are deeply committed to being good stewards of the land, using natural means to promote soil nutrition and vine health.
Website: WillametteValleyVineyards.com Email:info@wvv.com |
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WITNESS TREE VINEYARD
Witness Tree believes that only by tending their own vines can they produce the finest wines, using only grapes grown in their 51 acres of vineyard. Located nine miles northwest of Salem, nestled in the Eola Hills, the site benefits from a southeastern exposure, which allows the vineyard to warm early in the morning sun and stay warm all day. The vineyard is farmed using sustainable agricultural practices and is certified by both the L.I.V.E. and Salmon Safe organizations. Witness Tree Vineyard mainly produces premium quality Pinot Noir but also grows limited quantities of Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, and Dolcetto. The winery is owned by Dennis and Carolyn Devine. Steven Westby, in his 14th year at Witness Tree, is winemaker and vineyard manager.
Website: WitnessTreeVineyard.com Email:info@witnesstreevineyard.com |
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YAMHILL VALLEY VINEYARDS
Yamhill Valley Vineyards was established in 1983 on a 150-acre estate in the foothills of Oregon's Coast Range Mountains. The family owned winery is the oldest in the recently recognized McMinnville AVA. Yamhill Valley Vineyards makes Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. From the beginning they have been stubbornly dedicated to the atypical characteristics of the AVA, and more specifically, of their clay-rich site. The goal is to capture the perfect expression of robust intensity and charm that their unique terroir produces. All wines are Estate grown.
Website: Yamhill.com Email:info@yamhill.com |
>>> UNITED STATES / CANADA - CALIFORNIA
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ADDAMO ESTATE VINEYARDS
The Addamo Estate is located in the Santa Maria Valley appellation of Santa Barbara County. This vineyard benefits from the Pacific Ocean's influence, located, as it is, only 10 miles east of the ocean. With Pinot Noir as the flagship varietal, 75 percent of the vineyard (30 acres) is planted with four different Dijon clones. The grapes are balanced at the soil-level, and hand-harvested yielding less than one and a half tons per acre. French oak barrels are used for aging. Every aspect of the winemaking process has been painstakingly scrutinized to achieve the highest quality production standards and to create dynamic, compelling and, hopefully, delicious wines of character.
Website: AddamoVineyards.com Email:sao.muse@gmail.com |
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AU BON CLIMAT
Upon graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara in pre-law, Jim Clendenen visited Burgundy and Champagne, convincing him to attempt a career in wine instead of law. After three harvests in both Australia and Burgundy, Jim started his own winery in 1982. Au Bon Climat, which means "a well-exposed vineyard", has grown to over 30,000 cases and has an international reputation for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc. In 1989 and again in 1990, Au Bon Climat was on Robert Parker's short list of "Best Wineries in the World". Food & Wine magazine named Jim "Winemaker of the Year" in 2001 and one of the world's "50 Most Influential Winemakers" in 2004. Also in 2004, Wein Gourmet, Germany's leading wine magazine, named Jim "Winemaker of the World" and in 2007, Jim was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America."
Website: AuBonClimat.com Email:info@aubonclimat.com |
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BUENA VISTA CARNEROS
Founded in 1857, Buena Vista Carneros is California's first premium winery. In the 1960s, Buena Vista Carneros helped pioneer the Carneros wine region, an open stretch of windswept terrain north of the San Pablo Bay. With more than 1000 acres of property, 800 of which are devoted to vines, Buena Vista Carneros is the appellation's largest land owner. The estate includes 500 acres of hillside vineyards surrounding the winery and 300 acres of rolling hills and steep, rocky sites to the west of the winery. To take advantage of the complex geology and topological diversity of the land, the estate is broken into more than 167 separate vineyard blocks. The winery has made significant capital investments in winemaking and viticulture, such as 63 new open top fermenters and the careful replanting of its 800 acres to selected rootstock and clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah, which has positioned it as a leading quality wine producer from the Carneros region.
Website: BuenaVistaCarneros.com Email:tastingroom@buenavistacarneros.com |
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COBB FAMILY WINES
Cobb Wines was established in 2001 to produce exceptional and classic Pinot noir wines reflecting the climate and soils of their coastal Sonoma County vineyards in Northern California. David Cobb, owner and farmer of Coastlands Vineyard, oversees the vineyards producing Cobb Wines grapes. Ross Cobb, Cobb Wines winemaker, received his degree in Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture from the University of California at Santa Cruz and has been making wine for 16 years. He began his career as a wine chemist at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, where he also established a soil laboratory and winery research team. After working with Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Winery, he accepted a job at Williams-Selyem Winery in the Russian River Valley of California as the enologist and viticulturist with Burt Williams, and later with their new winemaker, Bob Cabral. In 2000 Ross joined Flowers Vineyard and Winery in Cazadero, California, where he is also Winemaker.
Website: CobbWines.com Email:getinfo@cobbwines.com |
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ETUDE
The underlying philosophy at Etude Wines is that winemaking begins in the vineyard, long before the grapes are harvested. Winemaker Jon Priest believes that superior grape growing diminishes the need for intervention by the winemaker and results in a wine that is grown, not made. Etude specializes in Carneros Pinot Noir and sources all of its Pinot grapes from the Etude Estate Vineyards, which are tucked away in the far northwest corner of the esteemed Carneros Appellation. Though modeled on the best from Burgundy, the Etude wines speak clearly of their contemporary California origins, combining rich, ripe fruit with an elegant structure and opulent mouth feel. Jon Priest joined Etude as winemaker in the spring of 2005, excited to continue the tradition of crafting world-class Etude wines.
Website: EtudeWines.com Email:etudeinfo@etudewines.com |
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HIRSCH WINERY
Perched on a ridge overlooking the Pacific at Fort Ross, Sonoma County, Hirsch Vineyards is the birth ground of great Pinot Noir on the Sonoma coast, planting their first vineyard in 1980. David Hirsch founded the vineyard on the extreme Sonoma Coast to grow fruit and has been making site-specific wine since 2002. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from Hirsch Winery's 70 acres, give the passionate drinker an experience of the clash of opposites meeting in Nature and Life: the edge of the continent washed by the sea; the eviternal grinding of the North American and Pacific plates along the San Andreas Fault; the wet winters and dry summers caused by the ocean and desert climates; the dripping rainforest and parched pastures; the contact and intermingling of cultures: Native American, Mexican, Russian, European. In the grapes and wines of Hirsch Vineyards and Winery, you find a natural balance and consistency in the harmonious resolution of these opposites.
Website: HirschVineyards.com Email:info@hirschvineyards.com |
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LAETITIA VINEYARD & WINERY
Laetitia's vineyard site was created 22 million years ago when a series of volcanoes known as the Morros formed and the continental and pacific plates collided mixing the volcanic rhyolite, uplifting the seabed. It wasn't until 1982 that Maison Deutz planted the vineyard for its similarities of soil to that of Epernay, France and saw the great potential of the site. Today, Laetitia is a family owned 620-acre estate vineyard that is rich in tradition while being committed to challenging the notion of quality and constantly improving it. Planted to a series of hillsides with a variety of row directions, 60 different Pinot Noir blocks, 10 Pinot Noir clones, and 7 soil types, Laetitia produces site specific wines and is committed to exploring the potential of what Laetitia Vineyard can do. Laetitia winemaker, Eric Hickey's "vineyard-centric" style of winemaking is to shepherd the vineyard's voice into the barrel, rather than impose his own personal style into the wines themselves. Laetitia is open-minded and somewhat experimental when it comes to Pinot Noir.
Website: LaetitiaWine.com Email:elly@laetitiawine.com |
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LITTORAI WINES
Littorai Wines was founded in 1993 by Heidi and Ted Lemon. Littorai produces vineyard designated Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from the true north coast of California. The word Littorai, a plural noun formed from the Latin word litor-, which means the coasts, reminds us that wine arises from the weave of place (vineyard), time (vintage), and man. Ted Lemon began his career by studying Enology at the Universite de Bourgogne. He apprenticed at several famous estates in Burgundy: Domaines Dujac, De Villaine, Roumier, Parent and Bruno Clair. He was the first American ever hired as a winemaker and vineyard manager of a Burgundian estate, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault. Littorai's philosophy of winegrowing is inspired by Ted's years in France and is based upon the concept of terroir. All of the sites in the Littorai vineyard portfolio have been carefully selected by Ted. Many of these are steep hillsides where yields and ripening conditions are marginal. The Lemons are life-long, family winemakers, passionately committed to their craft. Littorai seeks to create wines of elegance, length, and finesse; wines which gain in complexity as they age.
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MERRY EDWARDS WINERY
In 1997, Merry established Merry Edwards Wines to make Pinot Noir from the finest vineyards in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast regions. In 2007, she and her husband, Ken Coopersmith, completed their new winery on the site of Coopersmith Vineyard. In addition to this property, their estate vineyards now include Meredith Estate, Cresta d'Oro, and Georganne. They continue to partner with several dedicated local growers to supplement this estate production. In addition to two regional blends and six vineyard designated Pinot Noir wines, production now includes a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc. Her handcrafted wines are available only direct from the winery and in fine restaurants throughout the United States.
Website: MerryEdwards.com Email:order@merryedwards.com |
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ROAR WINES
ROAR Wines is a small, family-owned producer of single vineyard and appellation Pinot Noir and Syrah from the Rosella's, Garys', and Pisoni Vineyards of Santa Lucia Highlands. Founded by Gary & Rosella Franscioni in 2001, ROAR marks the unprecedented collaboration between one of the region's preeminent wine growers, Gary Franscioni (Rosella's Vineyard and Garys' Vineyard) and one of the region's most successful winemakers, Adam Lee (Siduri and Novy Family Wines). Devotees of the region and the varietals will discover through ROAR's blend of vineyard provenance and winemaking pedigree the quintessential Pinot Noir and Syrah of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The integrity of the region and the quality of viticulture are the hallmark of ROAR Wines in every bottle, in every vintage. At less than 3,000 cases annually, ROAR Wines are highly allocated to mailing list customers and fine restaurants and wine shops in select US markets.
Website: RoarWines.com Email:gary@roarwines.com |
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SIDURI WINES
Siduri Wines is named for the Babylonian Goddess of wine. At their gravity-flow Sonoma County winery, winemakers and owners Dianna and Adam Lee produce single-vineyard Pinot Noir wines from cool climate locations in the Willamette Valley and throughout coastal California. Low yields, hands-on vineyard management and non-interventionist winemaking techniques allow Siduri to bottle distinctive wines reflecting the terroir of each site. Siduri produces about 7000 cases split between 27 different wines. Siduri Wines has received consistent praise from wine writers including Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator.
Website: Siduri.com Email:pinot@siduri.com |
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ROBERT SINSKEY VINEYARDS
Rob Sinskey is an atypical vintner. He is a native Californian and a wine guy who did not attend wine school. Instead, Rob received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Parsons School of Design in New York City, where agriculture was conducted in apartment closets. Over the past twenty years he has grown his 100 percent organic and biodynamic certified winegrowing operation to over 200 acres of premium vineyards in the Carneros and Stags Leap districts of Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Rob Sinskey believes the goals of making luxuriously elegant wines and farming with earth friendly methods are not mutually exclusive. Rather, he has found that caring for the land and conscientious business practices have helped define the well-crafted wines of Robert Sinskey Vineyards. After 20 years, his philosophy that "Wine is not an athletic event," still holds true to this day. The goal has always been to make "pure wines of character that pair well with cuisine."
Website: RobertSinskey.com Email:rsv@robertsinskey.com |
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WHETSTONE WINE CELLARS
Winemaker and owner Jamey Whetstone worked at Turley Wine Cellars in the summer of 1998 when he semi-jokingly told a friend "I'd do just about anything for a shot at winemaking ". Over the following six and a half years Jamey would plant 30 acres of hillside vineyard, become fluent in Spanish, help manage over 200 organically farmed acres of grapes, become assistant winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars, start his own label, and begin consulting full time. Turley provided for Jamey a venue to do all those things with a continuing education in hands-on farming and meticulous, cutting-edge winemaking. To further enhance his small winery experience, he went to work in Burgundy for Domaine Dujac during a short stint in the summer of 2001. Today, Jamey is consulting vigneron for Jocelyn-Lonen, Ristow, Temple, and Grace Cup in addition to being chief officer at Whetstone as well as partial investor and co-founder of Manifesto! Wines. His vineyards for both Whetstone and Manifesto! are all farmed sustainably.
Website: WhetstoneWineCellars.com Email:jamey@whetstonewinecellars.com |