5 Wines That Made the Willamette Valley

"The Willamette Valley had vineyards in the 1800s, but Prohibition and market forces kept it from becoming a true winemaking region until the 1960s, when rows of cool-climate grapes like pinot noir and chardonnay began to crawl across the Dundee and Tualatin Hills. A few wineries grew to more than 700 today, making the Willamette Valley a global wine sensation. Along the way, a handful of bottles helped define the valley's distinctive character."

"The Eyrie Vineyards South Block Reserve Pinot Noir 1975 Not long after David Lett founded the Eyrie Vineyards, his 1975 South Block Reserve was one of several non-French pinots to rank highly in a sort of "Wine Olympics" in Paris in 1979. French winemaker Robert Drouhin was so taken aback he called for a rematch of six of his wines against the top six foreign bottles. Lett's came in second, beating all but one of the Drouhin entries. Suddenly, Oregon was on the map."

"Domaine Drouhin Laurène Pinot Noir 1992 Impressed, Drouhin decided Oregon was the future. In the late '80s, his French estate constructed a winery in the Dundee Hills, with Robert's daughter Véronique as its winemaker. It was the first Burgundian estate to produce wine anywhere outside of France. In 1992, the premiere vintage of Domaine Drouhin Laurène-a lush, vibrant pinot noir made with estate-grown grapes-refashioned Oregon wine in premier cru French style."

"Oregon wines didn't tend to fizz until 1987, when Texan winemaker Rollin Soles and Australian wine legend Brian Croser decided the valley's climate and soil were perfect for bubbly and founded Argyle Winery in Dundee. Two decades later, Wine Spectator caught on, and included Argyle's 1997 extended tirage brut in its global list of the world's top 100 wines-a first for an Oregon sparkler, which put the WV in conversation with Champagne."

The Willamette Valley hosted vineyards in the 1800s but Prohibition and market forces halted major wine development until the 1960s, when cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay plantings expanded across the Dundee and Tualatin Hills. More than 700 wineries now operate, making the region a global wine sensation. A handful of notable bottles defined the valley's character. David Lett's 1975 Eyrie South Block Reserve placed highly at a 1979 Paris competition, elevating Oregon's profile. Domaine Drouhin established a Dundee Hills estate and released a 1992 Laurène pinot noir in premier cru Burgundian style. Argyle began sparkling production in 1987; its 1997 brut later joined Wine Spectator's global top 100.

Read at Portland Monthly