Pacific North West

I chose the Pacific Northwest for our inaugural Wine Club offering for many reasons. There’s something about the slight seasonal shift of September; the cooler, cloudier, more precipitous days, the ritual of a cold beer by the river replaced by the festive warmth of a glass of wine. But not heavy wine; we’re not there just yet. The mere hint of autumn begs for Burgundian varietals, their silky textures and earthy tones enveloped in the flavors of summer’s last exhale. 

Perhaps it’s also because the Pacific Northwest was the first wine region I ever visited, way back in 2006. I was just one year into my wine career. I knew no one and practically nothing, but I was fascinated and couldn’t wait to experience wine country for the first time.

It was early September. Expecting to be shrouded in dreary drizzle, I was surprised at how sunny Seattle was the day I landed. Admittedly, I spent most of that day drinking beer in a sports bar, watching Roger Federer crush Andy Roddick’s hopes and dreams like a ton of Pinot Noir at the US Open Men’s Final. Bright and early the next morning, I set off in the rental car, crossed the Cascades, and landed in Walla Walla. The rest is a wine-soaked wonderland of magical memories. 

Finally, I felt called to feature the Pacific Northwest for our first Wine Club because of their unparalleled sustainability efforts, at a time when the wine industry, and our Earth, need it more than ever. Caring for the land so deeply extends far beyond caring for the Earth; it means growing healthy, high quality wine grapes, and building sustainable futures for farmers and their families. This is something I stand behind wholeheartedly, as I sip some fucking delicious Oregon Pinot. 

Oregon is a national leader in Biodynamic farming, holding just over 50% of all Demeter-certified acreage in the United States. It should be noted that certification is expensive, especially for small wineries or those just starting out. Certified or not however, the mindset and practices found throughout PacNW wine country are borderline suicidal.

Here’s an overview of the major sustainability programs in the PacNW:

• LIVE-Certified: A non-profit organization that independently certifies vineyards and wineries across the Pacific Northwest using standards accredited by the International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC). It focuses on both viticultural and winemaking practices, covering areas like soil health, water conservation, energy efficiency, and fair labor.

• Salmon-Safe: This certification specifically focuses on practices that protect water quality and the habitats of Pacific salmon. It evaluates vineyards on their management of runoff, erosion, and chemical use, and often works in conjunction with other programs like LIVE.

• USDA Certified Organic: A federal program that prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and fungicides.

• Demeter Certified Biodynamic: A holistic approach to farming based on the principles of Rudolf Steiner. It follows organic standards while adding practices intended to integrate the farm as a self-sustaining ecosystem. 

• SIP-Certified: A third-party verified certification encompassing social responsibility, water and pest management, energy efficiency, habitat conservation, and sustainable business practices.

Ovum Winery - Overview

“Drinking an Ovum wine should be like listening to AM Radio, in Stereo”

Winery Snapshot:

• SIP Certified®

• Female winemaker

• Minimal intervention winemaking

Established in 2011 by Ksenija and John House, Ovum was founded with the intention of producing Oregon wines that are honest reflections of time and place. They are committed to producing low intervention wines that are pure, unadulterated expressions of vintage and vineyard. Their focus is on the fruit, and believe that their job as vintners is to merely shepherd the wines from vineyard to glass. They accomplish this by seeking out farmers that share these beliefs, and then getting out of the way so that their hard work can be tasted and appreciated. Primarily focusing on the white grape varieties that shine throughout Oregon’s microclimates, they also produce a small amount of red wine whenever the right conditions present themselves.

Ovum’s purist philosophy means that each wine is produced in the same manner: 

Native yeast fermentation, no extractions nor additions, save for the minimal amount of SO2 necessary to protect the wine’s integrity after bottling. Fermentation takes place in concrete eggs, neutral Acacia, French, and Austrian oak casks, followed by extended lees contact for textural layeredness. 

Their belief is that the experience of each individual wine should be a unique expression of the land, the intricacies of the growing season, and the hands that tend the vines throughout their journey from grape to glass. 

“Our hope is that through our attention to detail and honest technique, we can produce old fashioned wines in the New World.” 

- Ksenija and John House

In the Vineyard:

• 46% Riesling, 28% Gewürztraminer, 18% Early Muscat, 6% Pinot Blanc, 1% Pinot Gris, 1% others

• The grapes are sourced from 10 vineyards located throughout Oregon’s varied microclimates in partnership with key sustainable farmers, including some of the state’s oldest Riesling vines. 

In the Winery

Each parcel is treated differently on the crush pad, all with the intention of preserving the unique expression of site and variety, and its contribution to the final blend: 

• Riesling receives gentle, whole cluster pressing to obtain pure, free-run juice

• Gewürztraminer is crushed and left in contact with the skins for a few hours to extract additional aroma and flavor

• Early Muscat is crushed and soaked on the skins for a few days

• The juice is co-fermented with native yeasts, allowing all of the elements to coalesce into the resulting wine, Big Salt. 

Press

Skurnik Wines: “The resulting wines are textured and concentrated, driven by minerality, and framed by unwavering acidity. Ovum’s work is amongst the most compelling white winemaking we have encountered in our search throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

Forbes: “Big Salt, a co-fermented white wine from Oregon, has been somewhat of a wine industry insider sipper for years. But now, it’s on the brink of exploding.”

91 pts James Suckling: "This proprietary blend gives aromas of preserved lemon, white peaches, sea spray and grapefruit. The palate is vibrant and focused, with a mid-weighted mouthfeel and a textural, slightly phenolic finish. Drink now.”

Illahe Vineyards - Overview

“We are farmers at heart and we enjoy being close to nature through our grapes, watching the seasons change the landscape around us and each vintage change the wines in the bottle.”

Winery Snapshot:

• Willamette Valley (Estate located inside the Mt. Pisgah, Polk County AVA)

• Certified Sustainable

• LIVE-certified

• Deep Roots Coalition Member (dry-farmed)

• Appx. 10,000 case annual production

Illahe Vineyards was founded in 1983 by pioneers Lowell and Pauline Ford, and is family-owned and operated to this day. Lowell and Pauline have a long history of stewardship and grape growing. Lowell’s great-grandparents immigrated from Russia via Canada and grew wine grapes on their farm near Dallas, Oregon in the 1890s. Pauline’s father finished his family’s westward migration and bought a farm in Salem in 1943, and she has lived on that farm her entire life. Lowell began his career as a winegrower on that very farm – planting of an acre of Müller-Thurgau in 1983.

Today, Illahe Vineyards is run by fourth-generation winemaker and vineyard manager Brad Ford and his wife Bethany who oversees sales, stomps grapes, makes lunches for the crew, and raises their two adorable kids, Beckett and Miette. Colorado native Nathan Litke, a former whitewater rafting guide and ski bum with a passion for Oregon Pinot Noir has recently come on board as co-winemaker. Their commitment to the land remains unchanged. They make wine as naturally as possible from soil to bottle, working small parcels by hand, utilizing time-honored techniques without electricity or modern mechanization. Brad has even crafted his own kiln to begin experimenting with making wines in amphorae.

I was first introduced to these intrinsically, ethereally alive wines during my time as wine bar manager at Potager, Denver’s first farm-to-table restaurant. Illahe’s philosophy and winemaking style matched effortlessly with our local concept and seasonal menu, and I am thrilled to bring a taste of what they do to our inaugural Wine Club.

In the Vineyard: 

• 100% Viognier (pronounced ‘vee-OWN-yay’)

• Fruit is sourced from their own Glenn Creek Vineyard near West Salem, Oregon, and from Goschie Farms in Silverton, Oregon

In the Winery: The bunches are de-stemmed, crushed, and soaked on the skins overnight followed by a gentle pressing; the juice is then transferred to stainless steel tanks and fermented at cool temperatures to preserve aromatic intensity. Malolactic conversion is repressed to retain a crisp palate, and the wine is bottled early to enjoy Viognier in its youthful vivacity.  

Cases Produced: 1,830

Roots Wine Co. - Overview

“Soil Yourself”

Winery Snapshot:

• Estate Vineyards located in Yamhill-Carlton AVA

• Family-owned and operated since 2002 by the Chris & Hilary Berg family

• Organic & Biodynamic farming practices, with all sourced vineyards adhering to biodynamic, organic, or sustainable practices.

• Native yeast ferments, vegan fining agents

• 5,000 annual case production

Since 2002, Roots winemaker/owner Chris Berg has been crafting terroir-driven wines expressive of the soil, climate and geography, using native fermentation in the winery and sustainable methods in the vineyard. The result? Wines of finesse, complexity, and authenticity. 

Chris didn't always know he wanted to make wine, however. Upon obtaining his Bachelor’s in English from the University of Kansas, he contemplated the direction in which to take his career. Meanwhile, his parents Chuck and Dian Berg had purchased a manufacturing company and relocated from Illinois to Tualatin, Oregon. Chris soon followed to lend a hand, although he had an ulterior motive: to establish a vineyard.

In 1999, the Berg family planted seven acres of mostly Pinot Noir on their 20-acre property near Yamhill in the Yamhill-Carlton District of the Willamette Valley. Chuck and Dian built a small house on the vineyard, while Chris lived in Portland with his wife, Hilary. A year later, Chris and Dian shuttered the manufacturing business and retired to sunny Wickenburg, Arizona to be near Dian's parents. This presented Chris and Hilary with the opportunity to embrace life as vignerons, and the rest… is in the barrels!

In 2002, Chris and Hilary picked their first harvest of a whopping three tons of Pinot Noir, which were made into 72 cases of wine. Today, Roots produces approximately 5,000 cases annually. Wines include the flagship Estate Pinot Noir as well as several single vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs and world-class whites from classic French varieties, sourced mostly from neighboring vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.

In the Vineyard: 

• 100% Pinot Noir

• Sourced from 14 family-owned vineyards across the North Willamette Valley, with approximately 40% coming from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.

In the Winery: 

• Native yeast fermentation

• Unfined (Vegan)

• Aged for 11 months in 20% new French oak and 80% neutral barrels, imparting structure, complexity, and longevity without overpowering Pinot’s delicate texture

Cases Produced: 2,000

Division Winemaking Company - Overview

“Wine needs to have intrigue, tell a story.”

Winery Snapshot:

• An urban winery concept based in Portland, Oregon

• Founded in 2010 by Kate Norris and Thomas Monroe

• Vineyards working with Division are largely organic, biodynamic, or LIVE-Certified.

• Annual case production: 8,000
  

Kate and Thomas are focused on creating intentional, authentic wines that emanate land and vintage. They work with organic, regenerative, and Biodynamic vineyards throughout the Pacific Northwest, but primarily concentrated in the Willamette Valley

With a strong ethos of responsible farming and respectful winemaking inspired by French winemaking traditions, the company produces an average of 25 unique bottlings annually across multiple labels including Division, Division-Villages, Nightshade, and Gamine. Their wines emphasize approachable, balanced profiles with a special focus on Gamay Noir and Chenin Blanc. 

In the Vineyard: 

• 100% Gamay

• Like Pinot Noir, Gamay buds and ripens early, making it well suited to the Willamette Valley’s moderate climate.

    

• Fruit is sourced from throughout the Willamette Valley, primarily from the iron-rich, volcanic soils found in the Eola-Amity Hills.

Winemaking: 

• Native/spontaneous yeast fermentations

• Partial whole cluster and semi-carbonic maceration blended with traditional, de-stemmed, crushed fruit fermentation, capturing every hallmark characteristic of Gamay: spice, fruit, tension, and structure

• Aged in neutral barrels and concrete tanks for 8 months 

• Unfined, unfiltered

• Minimal SO2 added at bottling

Case Production: 380

Press

Vinous - 90 points