Wineries OverviewDiscover Oregon's Wine Country

It’s always been that way. Oregon’s wine community was founded by free thinkers who stubbornly planted Pinot noir where accepted wisdom said the grape would not grow—because they were convinced they could make their greatest wines only in Oregon. They were right.

Since then, second-generation and new wave Oregon winemakers continue to build on that heritage. They established the toughest wine labeling laws in the nation and imported never-seen-in-the-US grape clones to ensure they could continue to craft the best possible wine quality. They still pioneer new wine grapes for North America, including Tempranillo, Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Lagrein, and Vermentino. And they have established Oregon as a leader in sustainability, setting new standards for organic, biodynamic, and eco-sound vineyard and winery practices.

Above all, they maintain the primacy of quality: lower yields in favor of quality are embraced; excess fruit is stripped from the vine so what remains will ripen better; just-picked grapes are inspected to eliminate substandard fruit; native yeast fermentation helps keep the character of the terroir. Nothing is spared to create quality wines; Oregon’s vines are hand-tended, the wines hand-crafted.

Eccentric? Perhaps. Uncompromising? Definitely. Oregon? Absolutely.

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