USA: Oregon Flashcards
(22 cards)
Oregon: Climate
- CLIMATE:
- inland from the Pacific Ocean, most vineyards are in the West
- Coast Range provides some protection
- Cool to moderate climate with 42-46 degress N (similar to Macon)
- Cold ocean curretns
- Long dayligh hours in the summer and autumn aid in ripening
Oregon: Soils
- Free-draining marine sediment, volcano and loess
- High annual rainfall -
- Willamette Valley 1,000mm on avg with 200mm falling from April to September
Oregon: Vineyard Management
- Wind and dry summers reduce disease pressure
- Organic and sustainable practices at 47% ( 50% of all US Demeter are found in the state )
- Also Oregon Tilth , Salmon -Safe, LIVE
- and Deep Roots Coalition
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Oregon: Grape Varieties
- Pinot Noir -60%
- Pinot Gris
- Chardonnay
4.Syrah - Cab SAuv
5.Merlot
Clonal selection and diversity is important- Pinot Nior clones are Dijon, Wadenswil and Pommard since 1980.
For Chardonnay, original clone selections form Californian proved to be diffiuclt in the cold climate - introduced earlier ripening Dijon clones - changing back with the warmer climate
Oregon: Winemaking
Pinot Noir - whole bunch, ambient yeats and some amphorae
Mostly in oak vessels, more old than new
The wines have Med + Acid , medium tannins, medium to high abv%
Red cherry, raspberry and black cherry and plum
Good to outstanding and prem to super priced
**Pinot Gris ** dry and off dry styles
Whole bunch to cook ferments in SS tanks to create a fruity style
Some experimenting with skin cointact and old oak for texture
The wines are Med-full bodied, Med to Med + acid, pear, peach and melon fruit with honey and nutty notes (older)
**Chardonnay **
Medium + acid and body with. lemon and peach flavours
Whole bunch and fermentation and maturation in oak ( mostly old )
Full malo and lees contact are common
Lees are left unstirred to encourage reductive sulphur compouds - smoky, struck match
Good to very good
Oregon: Willamette Valley AVA
- Largest AVA
- Sub AVA’s with more than 700 wineries - close to Portland and easy access for Tourists
- 80 kms from the Pacific Ocean with the Coast RAnge on the West side -0 most areas are affected by the cold winds of the ocean
- Cool and wet with warm,dry summers and long sunshine hours
- Air rises from the warm interior and causes cool coastal air to be pulled inland - mostly in Van Duzer Corridir, Tualatin Hills, Eola Amity Hills and McMinnville
- Most producers do not irrigate - Legislation prevents producers from using river water and so dams would be needed -best to plant on water retaining soils and use the winters rains to feed the grapes over summer
- Valley Floor - fertile ,loam soil from floods 1,000 years ago , better fro Pinot Gris ( if Pinot Noir must use the Scott Henry to reduce vigour )
- Higher altitude - marin sediment , sandstone and volcanic basalt, loess
- VSP more common
- In all 11 sub AVAS , Pinot Noir is the most planted
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Oregon: Dundee Hills AVA
Willamette AVA
- Most well known in Willamette
- series of Volcanic hills running north to southwith lateral ridges east and west
- High altitudes result in fresh acidity and lengthen the growing season
- Buffered from the cold by the Coast range and north by the Chehalem Mnts
- High portion of red iron rich clay soils which helps to retain water in dry summers
Oregon: Chehalem Mountains AVA
Willamette AVA
- -defined by a ridge in North Willamette Valley
- Several mountains and ridges
60-300m and the highest at 500m serving as a windbreak - Most plantings of any sub AVA
Oregon: Laurelwood District AVA
Willamette AVA
Single soil - Laurelwood windblown Loess
Highest altitude at 500m
Low feritily, windblown soils
Oregon: Ribbon Ridge AVA
Willamette AVA
small isalnd like ridge that rises to 200m above the Chehalem Valley
Vines are quite low in elevation and protected from the wines
Warm growing area
Sediment soil is deep but low in nutriennts
Moderate water holding capacity = concentrated ripe grapes
Oregon: Yamhill- Carlton District AVA
Willamette AVA
- south facing bowl with horseshoe shaped eroded hills made of ancient sediment soil
- Foothills of the Coast Range which forms a rain shadow
- S facing slopes are 60-300m
- Free draining soils
- Pinot Noir are riper, fuller bodied and have lower acidity
Oregon: Van Duzer Corridor AVA
Willamette AVA
- SW of the Willamette Valley
- A break in the Coast ranges funnels in cold Pacific Air
- Wind has several effects :
- disrupt fruit set and lead to lower yields
- Cause vineleaf stomata to shit and slow ripeiong
- Slow the ripening process , retain acid and slow sugar accumulation while flavours ripen and develop
- Reduces disease pressure
- Soils are marin sediment, free draining loam and silt - shallow
Oregon: Eola Amity Hills AVA
Willamette AVA
- ridge of north to south hills of shallow rocky volcanic basalt over sediment soil
- hillside vineyard slopes 75-250m influenced by cool ocean wines
- Range of aspects and altitudes
Oregon: McMinnville AVA
Willamette Valley AVA
- influenced by the Yamhill-Carlton to the north and the Van duzer to the south
- Cool winds and warm heat from the north
- Soils are thin, rocky, volcaninc topsoils with low fertility
- Some sites are protected in. a rain shadow from the Coast Range
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Oregon: Tualatin Hills AVA
Willamette AVA
- NW corner of the Willamette Valley
- defined by the watershed of the Tualatin River
- Ocean is only 39km away
- Oldest own rooted vines in the state
- Soils are Laurelwood windblown Loess with Basalt at the valley floor =late ripening grapes
Oregon: Southern Oregon
- 3,700ha
- Warmer than Willamette but with greater diuranl range
- Cooling influenced from the mountains - cool air descending
- River valleys - channel cool breezes
- Annual rainfall occurs in the winter
- Soils are marine sediment , volcaninc soils with clay to retain water , and alluvial soils
- Irrigation is essential here - many groweres were ranchers so are permitted to use the river water to irrigate
- Rhone varietes are dry grown and better able to ripen
- Pinot Noir is the most planted -40%
- Pinot Gris , Syrah and Cabernet
Oregon: Umpqua Valley AVA
S Oregon
- N part of the South
- Sits at the junction of the Coast and the Cascade Ranges
- Umpqua River creates a range of vineyards with different altitudes, soils and aspects
- 50-400m
- Cool breezes channeled by the river
- Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminner and Rielsing
- Also warmer areas - Syrah, Merlot and Tempranillo
Oregon: Rogue Valley AVA
- Closest to the Cali border and is the warmest and driest AVA
- Altitude 250-950m can bring cooling inlfuences from the Klamath Mnts and Casacde Range
- Cool breezes drawn in from the Applegate River Valley
- Mostly black grapes Syrah, Merlot , Cab SAuv, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir
Oregon: Multi state Appellations
Washington - Columbia Gorge , Columbia Valley and Walla Walla AVA
Idaho - Snake River Vallety AVA
Oregon : Walla Walla Valley AVA
- most lies in Washinton
- Arid continental climate
- Hot dry summers good for Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah - 40% black grapes
- District of Milton -Freewater Sub AVA lies on Distinct basalt stones =extra ripeness
Oregon: Columbia Gorge / Valley AVA
along the Columbia River which borders Oregon and Washington
Western part is cooler and wetter - Burgundian and Alsatian
Eastern is warmer and drier - Rhone and Iberian
Cooling from sites up to 600m and winds funneled by the gorge
VALLEY - mostly in Washington
Oregon: Wine Business
- 100% of grapes must be grown in Oregon and 95% must be from the stated AVA
- Wine from multi state can use either law
- Varietals must be 90%
- Estate-bottled must be 100% of the winery and fully finihsed at the estate
- 4th largest producer by volume
- 75% are small family owned
- 1/4 is direct to consumer and cleear doors
- Canada and US
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