In 2004 we started an experimental trial of varieties and rootstocks for our site.  Six years of data allowed us to select the varieties that would consistently ripen and produce the best quality wine. Red wine grapes were grown. We tried Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. They could not be relied upon to make consistently good wine on our site. Pinot Noir and Lemberger were well suited to the location. The white wine grapes all did well. We did not choose to grow Chardonnay (yet) because it was so widely available. The Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and Pinot Gris thrived. In 2010 after years of land preparation we planted the 13.5-acre site. 14,000 vines were planted in 8-foot rows spaced every 5 feet.

Current Grape Varieties

Riesling

To the wine connoisseur, Riesling is a noble wine. The ideal conditions provide just enough warmth to ripen, and enough coolness to retain the unique varietal aromas and flavors. The wine expresses fruit tones with mineral notes. Vinification is in stainless steel. The natural acidity makes a food-friendly, age-worthy wine. We produce a dry and a semi-dry style of this fine German wine. Three clones are planted 110, 90, and 198.

Grüner Veltliner

This is an Austrian grape known as a flavorful fruity wine. Our style is to produce a light pleasant easy-drinking wine. In very good years it can be a complex wine with peppery notes. You won’t find this variety on many of the shelves at the liquor store. But you will find it on the wine lists of the finest restaurants. And once you try it you will likely find it in your wine cellar.

Pinot Gris (Grigio)

It is the lighter-skinned relative of Pinot Noir. It grows well in cooler regions of France, Italy, and Oregon. It is an earlier ripening variety. It can retain a hint of color but it is a white wine. It is a great accompaniment to seafood. Its flavor is light and crisp with good body. The wine has ripe fruit and floral notes on the nose.

Lemberger (Blaufrankish)

Grown on a sunny south slope this grape ripens to produce a fruity red wine with a hint of spiciness. It matures well with oak and has enough acidity to age. This is the large berry cluster red grape seen at the entrance of the vineyard.

Pinot Noir

This challenging grape can produce wines of exceptional quality. The yields are kept low to maximize flavor. Oak barrels are used for aging. This variety is known to have a different flavor depending on where it is grown. Our style more closely resembles the European example. We blend three different clones, Pom 4, 115, and 777. Pinot noir is also used in sparkling wine and dry rosé.

Saperavi

In Eastern Europe, this grape is the primary grape in the Republic of Georgia. It is a very red grape that has the unusual finding of red anthocyanin pigment in the pulp of the grape, not just the skin. It is often used in blending but can stand alone as a varietal. It is high in acid and very cold tolerant. It occupies the northwest corner of the vineyard.