Bubbles Along The Willamette: Oregon’s Sparkling Wine Renaissance
by Joseph V Micallef
Over the last several decades Oregon’s Willamette Valley has earned a well-deserved reputation for the quality of its Pinot Noir. A development that has seen explosive growth in the industry and a broad array of winemakers, from California to Burgundy, establish a winery presence in Oregon.
Now a second wine revolution is in the offing. Sparkling wine is about to join Pinot Noir as one of the Willamette Valley’s distinctive and iconic wines.
Sparkling wine in Oregon isn’t new. It was pioneered more than three decades ago by Rollin Soles, then the head winemaker and cofounder of Argyle Winery. Soles readily admits that his interest in making sparkling wine was driven by both opportunity and necessity.