Willamette Valley Vineyards: It Takes a Village
Driving into the Willamette Valley actually looks a lot like a postcard; rolling hills, a river winding through, sheep and cows grazing fields, vines bursting with fruit, especially on a sunny summer day. And that’s the picture Jim Bernau, founder of Willamette Valley Vineyards had in his head, back in 1983 when he purchased the land that now houses the winery. “When we started, this hill was planted entirely with plum trees” he says, guiding our attention to the gentle south facing slope, which now has become their infamous South Block vineyard. “My neighbors thought I was completely crazy, pulling up plum trees and planting grapevines.” And when they saw him personally rolling out a thousand feet of hose, they probably thought him even crazier. “I could not afford an irrigation system, so there I was pulling hoses up one row of vines and then back down another until the vines got what they needed. That’s how we got our vineyards started!”
Bernau planted pinot noir (the Pommard and Wadenswil clones), chardonnay (the Dijon and Espiquette clones) and pinot gris. The ancient volcanic, iron-rich red clay soil is ideal for pinot noir, and very similar to the soil found in the Grand Cru Pinot Noir vineyards of Romanée-St.-Vivant in Burgundy. Those were the grapes other Oregon wineries were having success with and Bernau was no dummy. He saw the similarities between Oregon and Burgundy too. But unlike others who started wineries in the Willamette Valley before him, Bernau was the first native Oregonian to do so.
He was also the first to create a co-op winery. Being somewhat of a lone ranger, Bernau did not have investors or capital, the usual pre-requisite for starting a winery. But what he lacked in his pockets, he made up for in creativity and perseverance. He turned the winery into a cooperative of around 4500 wine investors, all who had a passion and bug for the wine industry, and who also became instant shareholders in the winery itself. It meant an instant workforce of helpers, all relishing the opportunity to partake in a dream. It was a unique way to build a winery and it worked. Willamette Valley Vineyards was just picked as a “2011 Winery of the Year” by Wine & Spirits Magazine, an amazing honor and they are also the largest producer of Willamette Valley “appellated” wine; which means wine labeled as from the Willamette Valley (not just the Oregon AVA).
We love their commitment to the environment and sustainability. Mr. Bernau launched an employee bio-fuel program where he offers 50 gallons of bio-diesel for employees to use in their cars each month. And their environmental consciousness does not stop there. The vineyards at Willamette Valley Vineyards have been certified sustainable through LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe. That means that they take preventative measures for water run off into salmon streams and have done so since 1997. But the real story has been the serious wines this land produces. The Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris has been a staple on the McCormick & Schmick’s corporate wine program. And it’s not surprising. The wine is a real treat; think bright acidic pear and green apple with a creamy, luscious finish.
Of course it’s the Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir that generally garners the most attention. The wine itself is very reminiscent of Burgundy with notes of rich raspberries, red cherries and a wisp of cocoa, vanilla and toast. The wine has amazing balance, rich, round tannins and a beautifully balanced acidity; a true stunner. It recently received 90 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine. The Estate Pinot Noir is from that first block of pinot that Bernau planted back in 1983, after digging up the plum trees. These plantings were actually certified organic back in 2007. The wine itself is an elegant pinot noir with layered aromas and flavors of cherry, black pepper, plum and dark chocolate.
If you happen to be in the Willamette Valley AVA, visit this 2011 "Winery of the Year", and tell them Mark sent you.
