Back in early July, I decided to visit Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the epicenter of Pinot Noir for the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been through Oregon’s wine country several times, but an extensive tasting tour was long overdue since my last visit, when I attended Oregon Pinot Camp. That experience really opened my eyes to how effective Willamette Valley vintners were in sharing knowledge with the common goal of making great wines. I visited a total of 22 wineries in 4 days, and I have to say that I was quite impressed with quality across the price spectrum from the difficult and hot 2006 vintage, to the cooler 2007 that were tasted out of barrel.
During the course of my tasting appointments with owners and winemakers, it was hard not to draw comparisons to California Pinot. For Pinot Noir purists, one must raise the question: Which American region comes out on top for overall quality, Willamette Valley or California? This is a loaded question, but I welcome your thoughts and comments. No disrespect to the California Pinot producers that I have supported over the years, but as a community, Willamette Valley Pinot producers are setting a national precedent for Pinot enthusiasts and producers.
The evidence is in the glass!
Why put Willamette Valley Pinot Noir on a pedestal?
• The 45th parallel cuts through the Willamette Valley just north of Salem. The Willamette has more daylight hours during the key periods of late March to late September allowing for extra-long days in the summer months in comparison to the Northern and Central Coast of California. Longer daylight hours, combined with cooler conditions lead to a long period of flavor development by the time of harvest.
• Unique Site Location. The Willamette Valley has a complex series of soils not seen throughout other parts of the West. Oregon was created by the collision of the Pacific Plate with the North American Plate almost 200 million years ago. http://www.oregonwine.org/Explore_Wine_Regions/Willamette_Valley/Willamette_Valley/
• Over twenty years ago, two international tasting events recognized the quality of Oregon Pinot Noir. In Paris, in 1979, Gault-Millau sponsored an Olympiad of wine. Eyrie’s 1975 South Block Reserve, scored in the top ten. In 1985, the N.Y. International Wine Center held a “Burgundy Challenge” to compare the same number of Oregon Pinot Noir to Burgundy. The experts couldn’t distinguish Oregon’s efforts from Burgundy, and the top five scoring wines were from Oregon.
• In 1983, Oregon growers and producers elected to tax themselves at the highest rate in world. These funds have been instrumental to conduct viticultural research and effective marketing programs that continues today.
• French Dijon clones favored for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir production first arrived in the West via Oregon State University, initiating the first studies with these cool climate clones.
• Oregon has lead the way for inviting Pinot Noir producers from around the world to Oregon to candidly share observations, discoveries, philosophies and vineyard practices.
o The Annual Summer Steamboat Conference in Southern Oregon
o International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville, considered the world’s first wine forum.
• Oregon has been in the forefront of the Biodynamic movement.
o Oregon was the first American region to be certified by the International Office of Biological Control (IOBC). Certification endorses LIVE, a non-profit Oregon corporation, with the authority to certify Oregon vineyards.
