Willamette Valley Vineyards
Encyclopedia
Willamette Valley Vineyards is a winery
located in Turner, Oregon
. Named after Oregon's Willamette Valley
, the winery is the leading producer of Pinot Noir
in Oregon, and also produces Dijon clone Chardonnay
and Pinot Gris
. The first planting was the Estate Vineyard, which was purchased in 1983 by Founder/Winegrower Jim Bernau. In 1989 many wine enthusiasts joined Jim Bernau when the winery went public. In 1997 the winery purchased Tualatin Estates, one of the oldest vineyards in Oregon, and increased their plantings of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and other cool-climate varietal
s. Both the Estate Site and Tualatin Estate site are certified sustainable (LIVE) and Salmon safe. The winery picks all its fruit by hand and ferments its Pinot Noir through small bin fermentation.
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
located in Turner, Oregon
Turner, Oregon
Turner is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,199 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Named after Oregon's Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
, the winery is the leading producer of Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
in Oregon, and also produces Dijon clone Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
. The first planting was the Estate Vineyard, which was purchased in 1983 by Founder/Winegrower Jim Bernau. In 1989 many wine enthusiasts joined Jim Bernau when the winery went public. In 1997 the winery purchased Tualatin Estates, one of the oldest vineyards in Oregon, and increased their plantings of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and other cool-climate varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
s. Both the Estate Site and Tualatin Estate site are certified sustainable (LIVE) and Salmon safe. The winery picks all its fruit by hand and ferments its Pinot Noir through small bin fermentation.