What harvest season is really like in the Willamette Valley — when it happens, what to expect, and how to visit wineries during the busiest, most alive time of year.
Willamette Valley Harvest Season: A Visitor’s Guide Read More »
The Willamette Valley’s youngest appellation — shallow Bellpine soils, marine air through a Coast Range gap, and structured southern-valley Pinot.
Lower Long Tom AVA: Bellpine Soils in the Southern Valley Read More »
The Willamette Valley’s northern frontier — the largest concentration of Laurelwood soil in Oregon, and some of the state’s oldest vines.
Tualatin Hills AVA: Laurelwood Soils on the Valley’s Northern Edge Read More »
The Willamette Valley began as an oceanic lava plateau that slammed into North America 50 million years ago. How Siletzia’s accreted sea floor, the Coast Range, the Columbia River basalts, and the Ice-Age Missoula Floods built Oregon wine country — and its three great soils.
The Ocean Beneath the Vineyard: How Geology Built Oregon’s Willamette Valley Read More »
Inside Oregon’s McMinnville AVA: Nestucca bedrock, Van Duzer winds, and the structured Coast Range Pinot Noir they produce — plus how to visit.
The McMinnville AVA: Volcanic Soils and Coast Range Pinot Read More »
The valley’s most jaw-dropping views are a by-product of great viticulture. Where to find them — the high-ground AVAs — and why the pioneers planted up the hills.
The Best Vineyard Views in the Willamette Valley: A Guide to the High Ground Read More »
A low gap in the Coast Range lets cool Pacific air pour into the valley every summer afternoon — one of the quiet reasons Willamette Valley Pinot keeps its bright acidity.
The Van Duzer Winds: How a Gap in the Coast Range Shapes Willamette Valley Wine Read More »
Why does the same grape taste so different from one place to the next? The answer is a single French word — terroir — and it’s the key that unlocks the entire wine world. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts Terroir is one of wine’s most important ideas —
The Meaning of Terroir: Exploring the Complexity of Wine Read More »
Winemakers obsess over dirt — limestone, gravel, slate, volcanic basalt. But how does what’s under the ground actually reach the glass? The answer is subtler, and more interesting, than “you taste the rocks.” KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts Soil is one of the pillars of terroir, and growers
Why Does Soil Matter So Much to Fine Wine? Read More »
Plenty of places make good wine. What makes the Willamette Valley singular is a rare alignment of latitude, climate, and three very different soils — the exact recipe Pinot Noir demands.
Why Is the Willamette Valley Unique? Read More »