Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/40615
MANAGEMENT NORTHWEST WATCH Seeking I GARY WERNER Complements Oregon is ready to market more than pinot noir t all sounds very familiar: "Ore- gon was pretty much the first New World region to embrace this variety," said Rollin Soles, founder and winemaker at Argyle Winery in Dundee. "Back in the late '70s and early '80s, our produc- ers hit the road and worked hard to get the marketplace to recognize us for it." Adam Campbell, owner and winemaker at Elk Cove Vineyards in Gaston, added, "There was a lot going for it from the start: We all planted the right clones; the Oregon style focuses on fresh fruit flavors; and the bright natural acid- ity we get makes it great with food. It's been a real success story." Hard numbers back up those comments. According to the Oregon Agricultural Statistics Service (OASS), planted acre- age for the grape has nearly doubled (+188%) during the past decade, and better viticul- ture means harvest tonnage has nearly tripled (+292%). Meanwhile, the average price per ton has held steady even through the economic down- turn, and it wasn't long ago that growers tied sales to purchasing a given amount of another variety. Again, it all sounds very familiar. But nothing you have read here is about pinot noir. The success story recounted above is that of pinot gris. It may not pose a challenge to the supremacy of pinot noir in Oregon, but the recent trajectory of pinot 24 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT SEPT - OCT 2011 gris, as well as renewed efforts by the industry with at least one other white variety, indicates that the region is ready for a broader profile. THE OTHER PINOT "Pinot noir, pinot noir, pinot noir," said Greg Lint, president of Oak Knoll Winery in Hillsboro. "That's all I really hear in the mar- ketplace. But to increase the power of the Oregon wine brand, we need to promote more than one vari- etal." This very idea inspired Lint to host the first Oregon Pinot Gris Symposium in June. The industry- only event assembled about two dozen producers to discuss the past, present and future of the state's No. 2 variety. Winery consul tant Eugenia Oregon pinot gris currently plays second fiddle to pinot noir in the marketplace, but Oak Knoll Winery president Greg Lint is trying to change that. Keegan was one of the speak- ers, and she echoed Lint's call for more promotion. "Across the country, there is no category called Ore- gon pinot gris," she said. "So these wines go onto shelves labeled 'Other Whites, ' and that's an obscure corner of the store where few buyers go." Keegan then attributed this placement, or lack of placement, to producer attitudes. "They walk into Gary Werner is a Seattle-based wine industry journalist and communications consultant, and the former communications director for the Washington Wine Commission. a distributor with their pinot noir because it's what they are most proud of making. Then, at the end of their presentation, they say, 'Oh yeah, we make a pinot gris, too.' It's clear that they don't put much focus on it, but they need a white, and it offers cash flow, and so on. You have to realize that the pro- ducer sets the stage from the very beginning. Consequently, Oregon pinot gris will generate real inter- est only when wineries give it more respect." Her assessment seems surpris- ing, given the remarkable growth of pinot gris in recent years. But several winery principals agree that the variety is anything but pampered by this industry. "How many of us plant gris on 'leftover' land?" asked Robert Brittan, owner and winemaker at Brittan Vineyards in McMinnville. "So how are we going to make great wine, if we're SHORT COURSE Oregon pinot gris has grown rap- idly during recent years, despite little investment in viticulture or marketing compared to pinot noir. Producers attribute success to consistency, relatively little com- petition and sub-$20 retail prices. Oregon chardonnay suffered from early cultivation of inappropriate clones, but improved plant mate- rial has replaced most of the old stock. A devoted group believes Oregon can carve a niche with chardonnay. WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM