If you are planning to visit one of the over 200 wineries scattered throughout the beautiful Willamette Valley, it's hard to know where to start. The Valley region is home to more than two thirds of Oregon's wineries and vineyards.
It's our moderate climate that makes this possible. We have warm summers with cool evenings; an Indian summer often shortened by maritime rains; wet, (did I say wet?) mild winters; and long, often rainy (have I said wet yet?) springs make for an extended growing season allowing the ripening process for wine grapes to be gradual. What ensues is complex fruit flavors and aromatics.
The Willamette valley is best known for their exceptional Pinot Noirs. Because of the similarities in our climate with the the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France, we have often been called the promised land for Pinot Noir in America and the world. But Oregon and the Valley also produce other varieties such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Melon, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Cabernet and Merlot.
On any given weekend, the wine tourist can choose from a variety of tasting tours, and in the summer many of the wineries host special events with live music. Many newlyweds are choosing wineries as the place to exchange vows or hold receptions. And, of course, it's also a fabulous way to spend a lazy day!
One of my favorite places is Stangeland Vineyard and Winery. Owned by the Miller family, this beautiful award winning vineyard is tucked away on a hillside just outside and northwest of Salem. Their handcrafted wines are produced utilizing the best of Old World traditional wine making methods, including aging in French oak barrels, as well as New World innovations.
Owner Larry Miller, an analytical chemist by trade, founded Stangeland in 1978, but the winery really began to take off in 1991. Encouraged, Larry began pouring all his funds from his position with Akzo Nobel into the winery while honing his craft. As in most ventures, the winery started out small, producing only 140 cases. As time progressed, the winery has grown to produce approximately 2700 cases annually.
Retired since 2006, Larry is able to pursue his dream full time. Stangeland wines are now distributed in Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Wisconsin, Oregon and most recently in Florida. They also exported 200 cases of wine to Norway for the first time, where Larry's grandparents originally immigrated from.
In a recent conversation with Larry, he said "It has been a long strange trip but I love what I do. In 2000 and 2001 Stangeland received gold medals for our 1998 and 1999 Pinot Noirs at the Mondial du Pinot Noir in Sierre Switzerland, a judging that contained nearly 800 pinots from 14 or 15 countries. The jury also had as many as 72 tasters from around the world mostly from Europe. After a 6 year dry spell, in 2008 we once again won a gold and silver in Sierre with our 2006 vintage Pinots. This time there were 1076 entries from 22 nations."
I'd say that's pretty darn impressive! I encourage you to drop by their tasting room, visit their website and join the Stangeland Wine Club. You can also view the catalog and order wine directly from the winery. Cheers!
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Mmmmmmmmmm! Wine!