Wines A-Z:
O is for Oregon

   Parallel Lives - The winemakers of Oregon live parallel lives with the vintners of France. Specifically, the 47th Parallel.

   Both eastern Washington and Oregon's Willamette Valley straddle the 47th Parallel, as do France's northern Medoc and Burgundy regions. As a result, they share the same kind of long summer days and temperatures that seldom reach 100 degrees. Both factors help assure a growing season that's long enough for winegrapes to attain full maturity.

   And as we know, fully ripened grapes are ideal for making rich, full-flavored, complex wines.

A Taste Of History

   As in most parts of the United States, vineyards virtually disappeared from Oregon's landscape during Prohibition.

   And so it remained until the 1960s, when Riesling was planted in Southern Oregon, and Pinot Noir was planted in the Willamette Valley, south of Portland.

   A handful of visionaries, with dreams of emulating the gorgeous wines of Burgundy, formed the backbone of Oregon's wine renaissance. To this day, there are no "giant" wineries in Oregon, like those found both in California to the south and Washington to the north. Winemaking in Oregon remains a craft, rather than an exercise in mass production.

Nearly Unprecedented Growth

   Only in California has vineyard planting and winery building outpaced the wine boom in Oregon.

   From zero wineries in 1960, the number has swelled to more than 130 in Oregon today.

   Most of those 130 would be considered "micro-wineries" or "boutique" wineries, crafting elixirs in such minute quantities that they're sold only on-site, and only during selected "open house" weekends.

   Any surplus typically is allocated to wine-friendly restaurants, whose owners are passionate enough about wine to have personally visited the source.

   A smaller group of estates makes enough wine to supply Oregon's supermarkets and fine wine shops.

   And only a select few have case production sufficient to ship outside Oregon's borders. When ACWC is fortunate enough to feature an Oregon wine, it's usually because we went there to get it.

   Sad -- unless you live in Oregon -- but true: A vast majority of Oregon's wine production stays inside Oregon.

Where Pinot Noir Is King

   Nearly non-existent is the Oregon winery that does not make Pinot Noir.

   Many consider Pinot to be the most "sensual" wine in the world, and Oregon is known for producing velvety renditions. While Pinot Noir is grown in a number of California wine regions, Oregon is the only major area -- outside of Burgundy -- that specializes in it.

   Among the Oregon wineries that make memorable bottlings of Pinot Noir are St. Innocent, Panther Creek, Domaine Drouhin, Rex Hill and Argyle.

Oregon's "Other" Pinot

   While Chardonnay is Oregon's most widely-planted white winegrape -- a nod to consumer demand and commercial reality -- the true star among the white varietals is Pinot Gris.

   This ancestral cousin of Pinot Noir is among the most food-friendly of all wines, with a "fresh" quality that's irresistible.

   Other varietals that fare particularly well in Oregon are Pinot Blanc -- another genetic variant of Pinot Noir -- and Riesling.

   You'll also find the occasional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot bottling, typically from wineries situated in microclimates favorable to these varietals, with winemakers who are passionate Bordeaux fans.