Oregon Wines

Scattered along Willamette Valley highways and back roads are signs mapping the way to Oregon's hidden gems. Vineyards and wineries producing Oregon Pinot Noirs, Pinot Gris, Chardonnays, Syrahs and Ports make the Willamette Valley a wine connoisseur's haven and the perfect place for amateur wine enthusiasts to do some exploration.
Hundreds of wineries and vineyards call the Willamette Valley home, taking advantage of its perfect growing conditions and rich soils. A short ten to fifteen minute drive from Western will put you on the doorsteps of tasting rooms ready to share their love and knowledge of wines. Emerson Vineyards, Eola Hills Winery, Van Duzer Vineyards and Cherry Hill Winery are just a few of the properties in the area, each offering something unique for seasoned tasters and a new experience for those just beginning. Explore and enjoy Oregon's wine country.

Emerson Vineyards

The colors of a 1930's fruit box and a photo of their land inspired the self-designed label suffixed to the bottles produced by Emerson Winery in Monmouth, Ore. A small, family-owned, Pinot Noir estate, Emerson Vineyards produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Riesling and Chardonnay wines.
Listening to owner Tom Johns explain the wine-making process and differences between this one grape and another in his dual-purpose tasting and wine-making room, one might think Johns was born an expert wine-maker. However, the operation at Emerson Vineyards is a fairly new establishment in the Oregon wine community.
"It's his passion, it's my money," said owner Tom Johns, explaining the partnership he and his son, Elliott Johns, keep in Emerson Vineyards, created in 2002. Tom spent most of his life in the medical industry, but now tends to the business and marketing department of the vineyard. Elliott, on the other hand, spends his time among the vines. Elliot learned the science of wine-making during his time in Oregon State University's Fermentation Science program, but he learned how to grow grapes while working at Elk Cove Vineyards in Gaston, Ore. and Chard Farm Winery in New Zealand.
Emerson Vineyards produces both estate wines--all grapes are grown on the property--and non-estate wines--some of the grapes are brought in from other properties.
"We are not grape-growers, we are wine-makers," said Tom, explaining why Emerson chooses to bring in outside grapes. "Grape-growers want to sell as many grapes off their property as possible. We want to limit ours so we take care of our land and distinguish ourselves by being a higher quality wine."
The growing, fermentation, barreling, bottling and shipping of Emerson wines takes place in a former machine shop behind the Johns' home on Airlie Road off of Highway 99 going towards Corvallis. Traditional tastings and barrel tastings also happen in this same facility. Emerson Vineyards is comprised of 127 acres of land. Twenty-four acres are currently planted with vines, 20 of which are dedicated to growing Pinot Noir.
For first-time or beginning tasters, the art of wine tasting seems to be a foreign experience. Tom explained that most wine drinkers have a hard time picking out the specific aromas and flavors listed on the back of a bottle of wine at first, so it is important not to get caught up on those. Surprisingly, the most important aspect of wine tasting is not the tasting at all, but the smell.
"75 to 85 percent is olfactory. If you don't get the right aromas, you won't be able to fully get the flavor. It's best to sniff before you taste," said Tom. When tasting, swirl the wine in the glass and then stick your nose into the glass, take a deep breath in and then drink.
"Once you slurp (the wine), it will give you all sorts of different textures on your tongue. Eventually you will get to a point where you can say, 'Ok, I have smelled this before ... it's gooseberry'."
Tom also urges beginners to remember that, "with Pinot, if you taste 100 types, you will get 100 different flavors. It all depends on the soil, the barrel, the weather."
Emerson Vineyards' tasting room is open weekends, May through Christmas, from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment. A $5 tasting fee applies, but is waived with the purchase of a bottle of wine.

Cherry Hill Winery

Cherry trees were the former inhabitants of the property that Mike and Jan Sweeney purchased in 1997 and transformed into Cherry Hill Winery. Now the land has 88 acres dedicated to growing the Pinot Noir grape that produces 7,000 cases of estate-grown Pinot Noir each year. In addition to the three Pinot Noirs bottled, Cherry Hill also makes a Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Dry Rosé.

"Try the different wines even if you say you only like white, or you only like red. You should expose yourself to everything," is the advice assistant Cherry Hill winemaker and vineyard manager Ken Cook would give to people just starting out in wine tasting. "Start with lighter white wines and move towards more rich red wines."

Cook also suggests it is beneficial to move away from the standard rule of thumb, "pair red with red (meats) and white with white (meats)," when deciding what wine to serve with which food.

"Pinot Gris has a lot of acidity, not a lot of sugars. In this case it is best to pair like with like or like with different. (Pinot Gris) could be served with acidic fruit to complement the acidity in the wine or pair the acid with its opposite like cheese or fatty foods," explained Cook.

Some wines, however, go well with almost any food. Cherry Hill's Vanda Dry Rosé is one of those wines. It is recommended for pairing with various salads and spicy or barbeque dishes alike.

"It goes really well with a lot of food; it's a very flexible wine. It is great chilled on the patio during the summer," said Cook.

Poverty Road, the road leading to the winery's tasting room, is the namesake to the Poverty Road Pinot Grigio produced by Cherry Hill with the help of fruits from other vineyards in the area. The winery's web site describes Poverty Road as a "light, white starter wine, training wheels, a quencher of thirst for those traveling our long road and a rocking chair wine, all in one package." For a traditional, rich and flavorful Pinot Noir wine, try the Cherry Hill Pinot Noir, the Papillion Pinot Noir, or the Sweeney Pinot Noir.

Like other vineyards in the area, Cherry Hill completes all aspects of the wine making process on their property nestled in the Eola-Amity Hills. Cherry Hill Winery does all of the pruning, thinning and leaf pulling of its 80,000 vines by hand, a rarity in the days of increasing automation. When visiting Cherry Hill's tasting room, visitors can peek into the winery's fermentation and tasting rooms or lounge on the front patio over-looking the rolling hills covered in vines.

Visit Cherry Hill during the summer, urged Cook, "The ambiance and the energy...there is a little hum when people are having fun and the sun is out. Wine tasting is great."

Van Duzer  Winery

Taking its name from the Van Duzer corridor, which brings a cool Pacific breeze perfect for cooling the fruit during the hot summer, Van Duzer Vineyards is a 140-acre vineyard that produces 100 percent estate-grown wines.

Previously a Chardonnay vineyard, the property was replanted and renovated in 1998 with Pinot Noir grapes. Priding themselves on being responsible stewards of the land, Van Duzer carries a "Certified Sustainable" title given by an Oregon organization called Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE), which develops and evaluates vineyards and wineries against a set of rigorous environmental standards.

"All this means," explained tasting room attendant Danielle Blanchette, "is that we are natural. We are not organic, but we use only natural materials found on the farm to grow the grapes." Van Duzer is also Salmon Safe and uses no genetically modified organisms on their property.

Van Duzer's label dons the mythical beauty Zephyr, goddess of the west wind, among grapes and a gentle wind. According to Greek mythology, she is the most gentle of all cool winds that blow toward land. Van Duzer chose her for their label because of the representation of a cool wind, from the Van Duzer corridor that blows over the property which she embodies. One of Van Duzer's dessert wines is also called the Zephrya.

Four block wines, from grapes grown on a specific part of the property, are produced at Van Duzer, as well as a Rosé, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Port. Newly introduced is the Vintner's Cuveé Pinot Noir which was made strictly for sale to restaurants. The Cuvee can be tasted and purchased by the general public at the Van Duzer tasting room.

Eola Hills Winery

Eola Hills: Go for the wine tasting. Stay because it is going to take awhile to get through the extensive and diverse wine list.

Located five minutes from Western's campus, Eola Hills is one of the top five largest wine producers in Oregon and provides wine tasters with 20-25 different wines daily in their tasting room.

"We don't have one specialty. We want everyone who comes to find something they like," said Maggie Domaschofsky, Eola Hills' tasting room attendant. For this reason, Eola Hills welcomes amateur wine tasters to their tasting room to experience several types of wines without having to travel to several vineyards.

"For people just starting out, they should come to a bigger winery and test out a lot of different things. We can give them a feel for everything and then they can branch out and go to smaller vineyards to find what they know they like," suggested Domaschofsky.
Eola Hills is also what is called a working winery, meaning as long as the winery is open, the public is welcome to wander the property. Monday through Thursday are the winery's production days, and Eola Hills encourages the public to come witness the operations, such as the bottling of the wine.

The price point at Eola Hills is very favorable to new wine tasters who may be nervous about spending a large amount on a bottle of wine.

"We have competitive pricing with most of our bottles being $10 to $13. Our pinots top out at $50 per bottle, and that's our highest end. It is very easy to go to a grocery store and pick up one of our bottles for $10," said Domaschofsky.

Unlike some tasting rooms, Eola Hills is open seven days a week, year-round from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Except for a few of their higher end bottles, there is no fee to taste at Eola Hills.
  
 

 
 
Scattered along Willamette Valley highways and back roads are signs mapping the way to Oregon's hidden gems. Vineyards and wineries producing Oregon Pinot Noirs, Pinot Gris, Chardonnays, Syrahs and Ports make the Willamette Valley a wine connoisseur's haven and the perfect place for amateur wine enthusiasts to do some exploration.
Hundreds of wineries and vineyards call the Willamette Valley home, taking advantage of its perfect growing conditions and rich soils. A short ten to fifteen minute drive from Western will put you on the doorsteps of tasting rooms ready to share their love and knowledge of wines. Emerson Vineyards, Eola Hills Winery, Van Duzer Vineyards and Cherry Hill Winery are just a few of the properties in the area, each offering something unique for seasoned tasters and a new experience for those just beginning. Explore and enjoy Oregon's wine country.

Emerson
Vineyards

The colors of a 1930's fruit box and a photo of their land inspired the self-designed label suffixed to the bottles produced by Emerson Winery in Monmouth, Ore. A small, family-owned, Pinot Noir estate, Emerson Vineyards produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Riesling and Chardonnay wines.
Listening to owner Tom Johns explain the wine-making process and differences between this one grape and another in his dual-purpose tasting and wine-making room, one might think Johns was born an expert wine-maker. However, the operation at Emerson Vineyards is a fairly new establishment in the Oregon wine community.
"It's his passion, it's my money," said owner Tom Johns, explaining the partnership he and his son, Elliott Johns, keep in Emerson Vineyards, created in 2002. Tom spent most of his life in the medical industry, but now tends to the business and marketing department of the vineyard. Elliott, on the other hand, spends his time among the vines. Elliot learned the science of wine-making during his time in Oregon State University's Fermentation Science program, but he learned how to grow grapes while working at Elk Cove Vineyards in Gaston, Ore. and Chard Farm Winery in New Zealand.
Emerson Vineyards produces both estate wines--all grapes are grown on the property--and non-estate wines--some of the grapes are brought in from other properties.
"We are not grape-growers, we are wine-makers," said Tom, explaining why Emerson chooses to bring in outside grapes. "Grape-growers want to sell as many grapes off their property as possible. We want to limit ours so we take care of our land and distinguish ourselves by being a higher quality wine."
The growing, fermentation, barreling, bottling and shipping of Emerson wines takes place in a former machine shop behind the Johns' home on Airlie Road off of Highway 99 going towards Corvallis. Traditional tastings and barrel tastings also happen in this same facility. Emerson Vineyards is comprised of 127 acres of land. Twenty-four acres are currently planted with vines, 20 of which are dedicated to growing Pinot Noir.
For first-time or beginning tasters, the art of wine tasting seems to be a foreign experience. Tom explained that most wine drinkers have a hard time picking out the specific aromas and flavors listed on the back of a bottle of wine at first, so it is important not to get caught up on those. Surprisingly, the most important aspect of wine tasting is not the tasting at all, but the smell.
"75 to 85 percent is olfactory. If you don't get the right aromas, you won't be able to fully get the flavor. It's best to sniff before you taste," said Tom. When tasting, swirl the wine in the glass and then stick your nose into the glass, take a deep breath in and then drink.
"Once you slurp (the wine), it will give you all sorts of different textures on your tongue. Eventually you will get to a point where you can say, 'Ok, I have smelled this before ... it's gooseberry'."
Tom also urges beginners to remember that, "with Pinot, if you taste 100 types, you will get 100 different flavors. It all depends on the soil, the barrel, the weather."
Emerson Vineyards' tasting room is open weekends, May through Christmas, from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment. A $5 tasting fee applies, but is waived with the purchase of a bottle of wine.

Cherry
Hill
Winery

Cherry trees were the former inhabitants of the property that Mike and Jan Sweeney purchased in 1997 and transformed into Cherry Hill Winery. Now the land has 88 acres dedicated to growing the Pinot Noir grape that produces 7,000 cases of estate-grown Pinot Noir each year. In addition to the three Pinot Noirs bottled, Cherry Hill also makes a Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Dry Rosé.
"Try the different wines even if you say you only like white, or you only like red. You should expose yourself to everything," is the advice assistant Cherry Hill winemaker and vineyard manager Ken Cook would give to people just starting out in wine tasting. "Start with lighter white wines and move towards more rich red wines."
Cook also suggests it is beneficial to move away from the standard rule of thumb, "pair red with red (meats) and white with white (meats)," when deciding what wine to serve with which food.
"Pinot Gris has a lot of acidity, not a lot of sugars. In this case it is best to pair like with like or like with different. (Pinot Gris) could be served with acidic fruit to complement the acidity in the wine or pair the acid with its opposite like cheese or fatty foods," explained Cook.
Some wines, however, go well with almost any food. Cherry Hill's Vanda Dry Rosé is one of those wines. It is recommended for pairing with various salads and spicy or barbeque dishes alike.
"It goes really well with a lot of food; it's a very flexible wine. It is great chilled on the patio during the summer," said Cook.
Poverty Road, the road leading to the winery's tasting room, is the namesake to the Poverty Road Pinot Grigio produced by Cherry Hill with the help of fruits from other vineyards in the area. The winery's web site describes Poverty Road as a "light, white starter wine, training wheels, a quencher of thirst for those traveling our long road and a rocking chair wine, all in one package." For a traditional, rich and flavorful Pinot Noir wine, try the Cherry Hill Pinot Noir, the Papillion Pinot Noir, or the Sweeney Pinot Noir.
Like other vineyards in the area, Cherry Hill completes all aspects of the wine making process on their property nestled in the Eola-Amity Hills. Cherry Hill Winery does all of the pruning, thinning and leaf pulling of its 80,000 vines by hand, a rarity in the days of increasing automation. When visiting Cherry Hill's tasting room, visitors can peek into the winery's fermentation and tasting rooms or lounge on the front patio over-looking the rolling hills covered in vines.
Visit Cherry Hill during the summer, urged Cook, "The ambiance and the energy...there is a little hum when people are having fun and the sun is out. Wine tasting is great."

Van Duzer
Winery

Taking its name from the Van Duzer corridor, which brings a cool Pacific breeze perfect for cooling the fruit during the hot summer, Van Duzer Vineyards is a 140-acre vineyard that produces 100 percent estate-grown wines.
Previously a Chardonnay vineyard, the property was replanted and renovated in 1998 with Pinot Noir grapes. Priding themselves on being responsible stewards of the land, Van Duzer carries a "Certified Sustainable" title given by an Oregon organization called Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE), which develops and evaluates vineyards and wineries against a set of rigorous environmental standards.
"All this means," explained tasting room attendant Danielle Blanchette, "is that we are natural. We are not organic, but we use only natural materials found on the farm to grow the grapes." Van Duzer is also Salmon Safe and uses no genetically modified organisms on their property.
Van Duzer's label dons the mythical beauty Zephyr, goddess of the west wind, among grapes and a gentle wind. According to Greek mythology, she is the most gentle of all cool winds that blow toward land. Van Duzer chose her for their label because of the representation of a cool wind, from the Van Duzer corridor that blows over the property which she embodies. One of Van Duzer's dessert wines is also called the Zephrya.
Four block wines, from grapes grown on a specific part of the property, are produced at Van Duzer, as well as a Rosé, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Port. Newly introduced is the Vintner's Cuveé Pinot Noir which was made strictly for sale to restaurants. The Cuvee can be tasted and purchased by the general public at the Van Duzer tasting room.

Eola Hills Winery

Eola Hills: Go for the wine tasting. Stay because it is going to take awhile to get through the extensive and diverse wine list.
Located five minutes from Western's campus, Eola Hills is one of the top five largest wine producers in Oregon and provides wine tasters with 20-25 different wines daily in their tasting room.
"We don't have one specialty. We want everyone who comes to find something they like," said Maggie Domaschofsky, Eola Hills' tasting room attendant. For this reason, Eola Hills welcomes amateur wine tasters to their tasting room to experience several types of wines without having to travel to several vineyards.
"For people just starting out, they should come to a bigger winery and test out a lot of different things. We can give them a feel for everything and then they can branch out and go to smaller vineyards to find what they know they like," suggested Domaschofsky.
Eola Hills is also what is called a working winery, meaning as long as the winery is open, the public is welcome to wander the property. Monday through Thursday are the winery's production days, and Eola Hills encourages the public to come witness the operations, such as the bottling of the wine.
The price point at Eola Hills is very favorable to new wine tasters who may be nervous about spending a large amount on a bottle of wine.
"We have competitive pricing with most of our bottles being $10 to $13. Our pinots top out at $50 per bottle, and that's our highest end. It is very easy to go to a grocery store and pick up one of our bottles for $10," said Domaschofsky.
Unlike some tasting rooms, Eola Hills is open seven days a week, year-round from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Except for a few of their higher end bottles, there is no fee to taste at Eola Hills.