Emerging Strengths
by Paul Gregutt
“Oregon Pinot Noir has enjoyed much success, but the state is not a one-trick pony. Oregon’s diversity of climate and soil has encouraged winemakers to expand their viticultural horizons.
Even the Pinot-centric Willamette Valley offers impressive plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling…
“For decades, Oregon’s sparkling wine industry could be summed up in two words: Argyle Winery. Still by far the largest producer of méthode Champenoise wines in the state, the winery devotes about one-third of its 80,000 case annual production to bubbles.
Argyle releases up to 10 new cuvées each year, including a newly expanded Extended Tirage program, which is laid down up to a decade prior to release. In recent years, others have followed suit, building on the state’s affinity for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to make seriously good sparklers.