Winemaker Talk: Oregon Bubbly, Cooking and Community with Roco’s Jarod Sleet

WINE SPECTATOR – JUNE 18, 2023
As a queer Black man, the assistant winemaker at the Willamette winery treasures his circle of neighbors and the energy of the valley. Read full article.

7 EXPRESSIVE CHARDONNAYS UP T0 92 POINTS

WINE SPECTATOR – AUGUST 22, 2022
Oregon is a haven for Pinot Noirs. It also offers dynamic white wines, particularly Chardonnays, with many wineries embracing a fresh, mouthwatering style. This week's selection spotlights delicious examples from recent tastings. Read full article.

OREGON'S LONG-LIVED PINOT NOIRS

WINE SPECTATOR – MARCH 2021 ISSUE
Oregon is quickly growing as a top winegrowing region. To understand Oregon’s significance in the wine world, consider our Top 100 Wines of 2020. There were an unprecedented seven Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs on the list, surpassing even Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. In senior editor Tim Fish’s recent tasting report on the region, recent releases show value and top scores from both red and white wines. The 2018 vintage in particular is intense and rich, with wines that would benefit from time in the cellar. Read full article.

11 OUTSTANDING OREGON PINOT NOIRS

WINE SPECTATOR – JANUARY 25, 2021
With so many new winemakers and Pinot Noir projects, exciting things are happening in Oregon's Willamette Valley. And the region's veteran vintners are making some of the best reds of their careers. Both old and new faces are highlighted in this week's selection of 2018 Pinot Noirs that earned 90 points or more on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale. Read full article.

10 VIBRANT OREGON PINOT NOIRS AT 90+ POINTS

WINE SPECTATOR – NOVEMBER 23, 2020
Willamette Valley is Oregon's Pinot Noir heartland, producing distinctive styles from the classic Burgundy grape. The best versions offer rich fruit laced with bright acidity and savory accents. This week, we've selected 10 newly released reds that display this lively character, each earning an outstanding rating on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale. Read full article.

THE NEAR-DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF WILLAMETTE VALLEY CHARDONNAY

WINE ENTHUSIAST – JUNE 6, 2023
Never has so much enthusiasm been generated by so few vines as it has in Willamette Valley by Chardonnay grapes. The wines made from those grapes are earning the kind of praise, prices and points that have everyone combing the region for available fruit.  Read full article.

HOW THE AAPI COMMUNITY IS CHANGING THE NARRATIVE OF OREGON'S WINE INDUSTRY

WINE ENTHUSIAST – JUNE 6, 2023
The happening is the latest signal that a major shift is afoot in this corner of the world. Historically, local laws made it difficult for members of the AAPI community to enter the wine industry in Oregon. But the makeup of the state’s wine community is starting to change as AAPI individuals forge new paths and change the narrative of who gets to participate in the wine industry. Read full article.

Willamette Valley AVA Turns 40: The Spots Moving the Wine Region Forward

WINE ENTHUSIAST – JULY 6, 2023
Looking around Willamette Valley’s lush rolling hills framed by evergreens in this saber-toothed patch of Western Oregon, it’s easy to think, “Obviously great wines come from here.” Read full article.

OREGON CHARDONNAY IS EVOLVING: 10 BOTTLES TO TRY

WINE ENTHUSIAST - JANUARY 28, 2022
The renaissance of Oregon Chardonnay—and it is surely a renaissance—can be attributed to the convergence of several factors. All these evolutionary changes have resulted in a growing number of world class Oregon Chardonnays.  Read full article.

BEYOND BURGUNDY & CALIFORNIA: Chardonnay Regions You Should Know

WINE ENTHUSIAST - MARCH 22, 2022

Versatile and popular among drinkers, there’s a reason Chardonnay is the most planted white-wine grape in the world. You can find it in many wine-producing countries, with Burgundy, Napa and Sonoma being among the most sought after. But they’re not the only ones in the Chardonnay game. Here, we take a look at some of the regions that are building up their Chardonnay production to impressive results. Read full article.

THE SECRET TO GETTING YOUR HANDS ON OREGON'S BEST SMALL-PRODUCTION WINES 

WINE ENTHUSIAST - DECEMBER 2, 2021
A lot of exceptional Oregon wines, created in small quantities by family-owned wineries, never make it out of the Northwest. There’s a simple solution, though, if you live in one of the many states with reciprocal interstate shipping laws: You can buy directly from the wineries or become a member of their clubs to get exclusive access. Here are four small producers whose wines you won’t want to miss. Read full article.

'YOU NEVER GIVE EXPECTING TO GET SOMETHING IN RETURN,' SAYS EUGENIA KEEGAN, WINE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

WINE ENTHUSIAST – NOVEMBER 11, 2021
“I joke that I’ve worked my whole career for this job,” says Eugenia Keegan, vice president of Oregon winery operations and business development for Jackson Family Wines (JFW). Read full article.

OFTEN OVERLOOKED, OREGON'S LATINX WINE COMMUNITY THRIVES

WINE ENTHUSIAST – OCTOBER 20, 2020
“Wine is a story, and it begins with the work being done out in the vineyard,” says Elena Rodriguez, president/winemaker at Alumbra Cellars. “When I talk about my winemaking, I start by sharing the story of my vineyard workers, of their dedication and hard work to help me bring in beautiful fruit. Their work is so often overlooked and undervalued. I want to make it known that without them, the wine industry wouldn’t exist.” Read full article.

IN OREGON'S WILLAMETTE VALLEY, ELEGANT PINOT NOIR FOR LESS THAN $40

WINE ENTHUSIAST – SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
Oregon’s Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is widely acknowledged as the next best place after Burgundy, where Pinot has thrived for centuries, to explore its vast potential. First planted there by Eyrie Vineyards founder David Lett in the mid-1960s, the area is now the foundation for the state’s growing reputation. Read full article.

THE BEST OREGON CHARDONNAY: ADVANCING SERENELY

WORLD OF FINE WINE – MARCH, 2023
“They [Willamette Valley Chardonnays] are pure, limpid, and convincing, with autumnal orchard fruits, with fine textures, with serene natural balances, with an effortlessly carried inner amplitude.”  Read full article.

OREGON’S 2019 PINOT NOIRS - A RETURN TO CLASSICISM 

VINOUS - FEBRUARY 10, 2022
The Willamette Valley’s winning streak, which has seldom been interrupted for almost the past two decades, continued through 2019, a year that has produced some epic Pinot Noirs of noteworthy elegance and energy. This is truly a golden age for high-quality Pinot Noirs from across Oregon. Read full article.

OREGON PINOT NOIR: THE WINNING STREAK CONTINUES

VINOUS – AUGUST 4, 2020
Oregon’s unprecedented run of outstanding vintages which began in 2014, has been extended yet again with 2018. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 2011 and 2007 to find years that were truly challenging, and both of those vintages actually produced a large number of outstanding wines. Read full article.

10 OF THE BEST CHARDONNAYS FROM OREGON

VINEPAIR – MARCH, 2023
“...the region’s Chardonnays, which have also been part of the landscape almost since the Willamette Valley first appeared on the wine map in the mid-1960s, deserve more attention.”  Read full article.

BURGUNDY LAID THE GROUNDWORK, NOW OTHER COOL-CLIMATE WINERIES ARE STAKING A CLAIM IN OREGON

VINEPAIR – MAY 15, 2023
Residing on the same latitude as Burgundy, and boasting a similar climate, Oregon — particularly the Willamette Valley — became a draw for Burgundian producers looking to make their mark in the New World. Now, winemakers from across the globe are looking to this pocket of the Pacific Northwest as a place to set down roots. Read full article.

SIX OF THE BEST OREGON WINES THAT AREN'T PINOT NOIR

VINEPAIR – DECEMBER 9, 2020
These days, when we think about wine from Oregon, we immediately blurt out Pinot Noir. It makes sense, of course, as this is one of the U.S.’s meccas for wines made from the grape, and of our more unique expressions of it to boot. But what I think we have learned here at VinePair, with an entire month focusing solely on American wine, is that even though one grape may define a region to the general public, a wine region is much more than a single grape. Read full article.

CHARDONNAY FROM OREGON'S DUNDEE HILLS

DECANTER – JANUARY 7, 2024
“These days Chardonnay is on the rise, with the Willamette Valley producing some of the best examples of the variety in the United States and beyond.”  Read full article.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2021: CHARDONNAY REPORT

DECANTER – SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
“Simply, the 2021 vintage for Chardonnay in the Willamette is a complete package.”  Read full article.

OREGON'S WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2021:  VINTAGE REPORT AND TOP-SCORING WINES

DECANTER – AUGUST 15, 2023
the 2021 growing season in Oregon’s Willamette Valley was warm, and not hot, which may just be the template for a new classic vintage from the region. Slightly lower yields produced concentrated Pinot Noirs with fine tannins and Chardonnays of great freshness sure to become ageworthy collectables. Read full article.

CHARDONNAY DAY: OREGON'S CHARDONNAY - A PRODUCT OF GLOBAL INFLUENCES

DECANTER – MAY 25, 2023
Pinot Noir has been Oregon’s calling card for decades, but in recent years, Chardonnay is proving to be an ideal counterpart to the red grape. Armed with ongoing research regarding clones and terroir, Chardonnay is flourishing. Read full article.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2019: VINTAGE REPORT AND 30 WINES

DECANTER – MARCH 31, 2023
The 2019 vintage in Oregon’s Willamette Valley has produced wines of great complexity and texture, with the cooler vintage marking a return to the region’s signature elegance. Clive Pursehouse speaks to some winemakers and picks out 30 wines to try. Read full article.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY RISING STARS: EIGHT NAMES TO KNOW

DECANTER – OCTOBER 5, 2022
Oregon is a haven for Pinot Noirs. It also offers dynamic white wines, particularly Chardonnays, with many wineries embracing a fresh, mouthwatering style. This week's selection spotlights delicious examples from recent tastings. Read full article.

NBA STAR CJ MCCOLLUM BUYS OREGON VINEYARD PROPERTY

DECANTER - SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
NBA player CJ McCollum has followed up the launch of his own wine label by purchasing more than 100ha in Oregon's Willamette Valley with his wife, where they plan to create an 'exceptional vineyard'. Read full article.

OREGON PINOT NOIR: TOP PRODUCERS TO KNOW AND TRY

DECANTER - SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
With its distinctive soils and innovative planting and winemaking trends, this corner of the Pacific Northwest has found great success with Burgundy's temperamental red grape. Charles Curtis MW shares his top Oregon Pinot Noir producers to know and the best wines to buy. Read the full article.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT NOIR AUCTION 2021 RAISES OVER $700,000

DECANTER - AUGUST 11, 2021
Some 97 registered live and online bidders raised more than $700,000 at Oregon’s sixth annual Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Auction, showcasing the 2019 vintage. Charles Curtis MW reports. Read full article.

IN SEARCH OF GOOD PINOT NOIR, TRUFFLES, AND FRIEND TIME IN OREGON'S WILLAMETTE VALLEY

THE BOSTON GLOBE – APRIL 20, 2023
We were talking about Oregon’s Willamette Valley, home to some of the best pinot noir wines in the country. Read full article.

URBAN WINE TRAILS ARE POPPING UP ACROSS THE U.S., FROM SEATTLE TO BROOKLYN

CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER - MARCH 19, 2021
One of the joys of a visit to Napa or the Willamette Valley is the ability to pop from winery to winery with ease. Now, several American cities can claim their own cosmopolitan versions of wine country, with multiple tasting rooms and working wineries concentrated in downtown areas—many within an easy walk or ride from each other. For the cost of a day’s parking you can sip and stroll your way through wine country without leaving the city. Here's where you can do it. Read the full article.

WORLD-CLASS PINOT NOIR SPECIAL ISSUE

CHICAGO WINE PRESS - APRIL 2022

The expansive number of Pinot Noirs available on store shelves is an indication of our enduring love affair with this often refined, fruit forward and finesse driven grape. There have been few instances or articles written about a grouping of renowned producers from around the world that have been judged on the merits and authenticity of their Pinot Noir. We researched the elite producers and then reached out to those who merited global recognition as World-Class Pinot Noirs. Read full article.

OREGON VINTAGES: 2019 AND 2020

FORBES - AUGUST 22, 2022
Oregon vintage reports from Audrey Frick at jebdunnuck.com. Read full article.

MAY IS OREGON WINE MONTH! 

FORBES - MAY 26, 2022
The state of Oregon is a small and shining jewel in the crown of American wine regions. That’s not only for its physical beauty, but also for its association with France’s Burgundy region, a trend started in 1987 when the renown Drouhin wine family purchased land for vineyards in the Willamette Valley, a region on the same latitude as Burgundy. Read full article.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY WINERIES TAKE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES

FORBES – APRIL 30, 2021
Even as Willamette Valley celebrates 50 years of successful wine making, the community is asking itself some poignant questions. Are the wineries doing all they can to provide and promote diversity and belonging among all people? Are they creating avenues of mentorship, scholarship, employment, partnership, and hospitality for underrepresented communities? Read full article.

STANDOUT RIESLINGS FROM THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY

FORBES – APRIL 29, 2021
Most wine drinkers associate Riesling with Germany, Austria, and the Alsace — and often, with sweetness. These impressions aren’t unfounded: the Riesling grape is native to Germany’s Rhine Valley, and even today, Germany and its neighboring countries lead the world in production of this variety. It’s also true that traditionally, many Rieslings are at the sweeter end of the spectrum. But the aromatic, high-acid Riesling grape is far more versatile than these two generalizations would lead you to believe. Read full article.

DRINKING OREGON ROSÉ WITH THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS' CJ MCCOLLUM 

FORBES – APRIL 14, 2021
After eight seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, shooting guard CJ McCollum has taken up the other Oregon passion of winemaking. Teaming up with one of the state's founding wineries, Adelsheim, he launched his own label, McCollum Heritage 91, in the fall of 2020, with an initial release of a 2018 Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir. Now with his second release available, a 2020 Willamette Valley Rosé, I spoke with McCollum about what motivated him to start his own wine project. Read full article.

CELEBRATE 50 YEARS WITH THESE WILLAMETTE VALLEY WINERIES IN 2021

FORBES – MARCH 24, 2021
The stories are filled with tension and atmosphere. Words like pioneer, taking risks, life savings, and nerve pepper recollections as Oregon’s Willamette Valley looks back over the past 50 years during a season of anniversary celebrations. Read full article.

WINE SPECTATOR'S TOP 100 WINES OF 2020 FEATURES SEVEN OREGON PRODUCERS

FORBES – JANUARY 3, 2021
Wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley have been appearing on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list for the last two decades. In 2020, however, they won seven spots on the list, the most the Oregon wine industry has ever achieved. Read full article.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY WINE MOMS ON WHAT MAKES THEIR REGION SPECIAL 

FORBES – MAY 7, 2021
“The sense of community in the Willamette Valley is like no other,” says Laura Laing, co-winemaker at Hazelfern Cellars. “I hope the future generations in the valley continue to embrace it!” Read full article.

2021 WILLAMETTE VALLEY ROUND-UP

JEB DUNNUCK – SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
“As I stated last year, I am constantly drawn to Oregon Chardonnay and can never seem to keep them stocked in my home, and for lovers of Burgundy, I encourage you to seek these wines out, as they offer incredible value and are deserving of their own attention – not just in the shadow of Burgundy itself.”  Read full article.

LOOKING AHEAD TO A 'BOUNCE BACK' SUMMER IN WINE COUNTRY

NEWBERG GRAPHIC – APRIL 18, 2021
With the pandemic's outlook improving, Willamette Valley wineries anticipate welcoming more guests. Read full article.

OREGON IS MAKING SOME OF THE BEST WINES IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW

THE NEW WINE REVIEW – OCTOBER, 2023
“Oregon might possibly be making even better Chardonnay than it does Pinot Noir, and that’s saying a lot.”  Read full article.

SAVORING OREGON'S WINE COUNTRY, NO DRIVING REQUIRED

NEW YORK TIMES – OCTOBER 29, 2022
In the Willamette Valley, public transportation takes you to McMinnville, where you can walk to one, or all, of its nearly 20 tasting rooms. Read full article.

12 BEST OREGON WINERIES TO PUT ON YOUR MUST-VISIT LIST

READER'S DIGEST – FEBRUARY 14, 2023
There’s a winery for every palate and every mini vacation, and with a glass of wine in your hand, you really can’t go wrong with any of these experiences. Read full article.

FORGET CHAMPAGNE: 11 SUPERB NEW SPARKLING WINES FROM OREGON—YES OREGON—TO TOAST YOUR VALENTINE

ROBB REPORT – FEBRUARY 8, 2021
With home runs in the books for Pinot Noir and (more recently) Chardonnay, Oregon wine producers should long ago have put them together to make top-notch sparkling wine, the exquisite marriage of the two main grapes in Champagne and California bubbly. One would think. But they (mostly) didn’t, until very, very recently. Read full article.

FIVE INSPIRING WOMEN IN THE WORLD OF WINE

TOWN & COUNTRY - MARCH 8, 2021
Women are fearless leaders in the wine industry. Through remarkable innovation and daring, they continue to push boundaries and dazzle the palate. Whether as newcomers or as members of a centuries-old family winemaking heritage, they have one thing in common: determination. Taste the fruits of their efforts in these five delicious wines. Read full article.

Spend an Out-of-This-World Weekend at Oregon’s Offbeat UFO Festival

THRILLIST – MARCH 24, 2023
The second-largest UFO fest in the country touches down in McMinnville this May. Read full article.

SIP WINE AND GET WEIRD IN OREGON'S UFO CAPITAL

THRILLIST – FEBRUARY 7, 2022
Italy meets Roswell in the Pacific Northwest. Read full article.

FALL IN LOVE WITH OREGON'S BOOZY, LAID-BACK WINE COUNTRY

THRILLIST – SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
You don’t need to be a wine snob to have a blast in the Willamette Valley. Read full article.

The best LGBTQ+ friendly small towns in the USA

TIMEOUT – MAY 16, 2023
These American small towns offer rainbow love along with their apple pie. LGBTQ+ folks find celebratory inclusiveness here! Read full article.

10 BEST WINE VACATIONS IN THE U.S. FOR UNFORGETTABLE TASTING EXPERIENCES

TIMEOUT – APRIL 10, 2023
Looking for a place to unwind with a glass of wine? These U.S. wine regions are the places to seek out. Read full article.

WORLD'S GREATEST PLACES 2023

TIME – MARCH 16, 2023
The wine world let out a collective gasp in 2021 when Champagne house Bollinger made its first acquisition outside of France: not some place in Napa or Sonoma, but Ponzi Vineyards, which set the standard for Oregon winemaking back in the 1970s. The Willamette Valley had really, really made it, but for those in the know, the ascendance of the pinot noir powerhouse in Portland’s backyard seemed almost inevitable. Read full article.

CJ MCCOLLUM AND ELISE ESPOSITO’S WEDDING WAS AN INTIMATE AFFAIR IN OREGON WINE COUNTRY

VOGUE – JANUARY 6, 2021
Portland Trailblazers guard CJ McCollum and dentist Elise Esposito were married at our very own Black Walnut Inn in an intimate ceremony in the Willamette Valley in October 2020. Read full article.