Welcome to the Willamette Blog

It's taken us a while to get online, but we made it! I hope you find this section of our website fun and informational. I've got a great staff here at Willamette Valley Vineyards, with a lot of stories to share, and we will all be contributing to this blog from the road and the vineyard. We all look forward to hearing your comments and fielding your questions about growing and making great Oregon Pinot Noir.

Today, Forrest is leading the blending of the '05 Pinot Noir with Don at his side and rest of us contributing our "two bits". All the barrels of Pinot Noir are kept separate by block and clone so the best blend can be assembled from them. We are very pleased with what's in the barrel. Last year, we experienced rain during bloom, which lowered the crop levels, but we had a nice long summer and the ripe grapes where picked before the first rains hit in October. However, due to three years of low crops we are currently in a Pinot Noir shortage.

Thankfully this year, we have a fabulous fruit set. We were concerned with the rains in early June, but bloom occurred without any incidence. We'll be thinning the crop by removing shoots (canopy management) throughout the next few weeks and we expect to drop fruit (called green harvesting) at all sites later in the year to cause the vine to focus on ripening fewer clusters - intensifying flavors. The vines look gorgeous and healthy. A few months ago, Forrest laid down organic compost in the Estate Vineyard. It came from pumice (pressed skins and seeds) that he's been composting for about ten years. This rich humus will add beneficial microbes and improve soil structure; both crucial for healthy, flavorful grapes. We practice organic farming on our Estate site (we are in our third year) and all of our sites are certified sustainable - LIVE and Salmon Safe.

We've got a few new releases that you should try if you haven't. Our 2004 Vintage Pinot Noir just won a gold medal at the Taster's Guild International Wine Competition. Last night I opened a bottle and enjoyed it with bison burgers from the grill. What a great way to relax on a summer evening. Forrest, Don, Barbara, Aaron and Daniel (Forrest's son) are doing a great job in our cellar. Also, if you haven't tried the '05 Pinot Gris you might consider getting it while it lasts. It received 91points from Wine & Spirits, plus many other gold medals, and is great wine for the summer. It's definitely a staff favorite.

There is always plenty going on around here, so check back regularly.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,



Jim Bernau
Founder/President