On December 1st, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau granted the Willamette Valley official status as an American Viticultural Area, effective January 3rd, 1984.
Anne Amie’s wines at a tasting event being poured by Kim McLeod
Growing Oaks: A WV Organization Promoting Native Oregon Oaks
Growing Oaks is a Willamette University C.A.F.E.S.-funded grant project aimed at increasing the number of native oaks planted and grown in the Valley.
Learn more about their work, including their community outreach and student involvement, here!
Dry Farming in the News
Oregon in Focus: Start your Monday off with some fresh off the press news!
Oregon’s Willamette Valley 2021: Vintage report and top-scoring wines by Clive Pursehouse of Decanter Magazine
Check out the latest reviews for 2021 wines from Oregon! [Requires subscription]
Time Magazine's World's Greatest Places in 2023: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Willamette Valley AVA Turns 40: The Spots Moving the Wine Region Forward by Lanee Lee of the Wine Enthusiast
The Wine Enthusiast spotlights the Willamette Valley as the AVA turns 39, I mean 40. Don't miss the feature on The Eyrie Vineyards.
The Near-Death and Resurrection of Willamette Valley Chardonnay by Michael Alberty of the Wine Enthusiast
Learn about the birth, near-death, and rebirth of Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley. Article includes comments from Erica Landon and Ken Pahlow of Walter Scott Wines
Corn, Dry Farming, and Oregon
Learn about Amy Garrett's and Dr. Lucas Nebert's dry farming research in Oregon. Garrett is the head of the Dry Farming Institute who collaborates frequently with Dr. Nebert, a dryland farming researcher. Both have done extensive research on corn, tomatoes, and other produce, including field studies funded by SARE and research with OSU. Read a profile on their work and listen to their interview by Geoff Norcross of OPB's Think Out Loud here. Don't miss another article by OPB on Dr. Nebert's work studying the dry farming of corn here.
A Love Letter to the Willamette Valley
Time Magazine featured the Willamette Valley as one of its World's Greatest Places in 2023. We all love the Valley, but explore what makes it rank as one of the world's best here. Don't miss other awe-inspiring picks!
This article was featured in a recent blog post by the Dundee Hills AVA Association. Don't have Time (get it?) to read the complete Time Magazine article? Check out their summary here.
Dry Farming in the News
Start your Monday off with some fresh off the press news! Check out these recently published articles discussing the dry farming of winegrapes in Oregon.
Unlocking the Secrets of the Vines by Greg Norton of the Oregon Wine Press
This is a deep dive into Dr. Alexander Levin’s work and history in researching vineyard management techniques, including water and irrigation.
Growing Pains: Winemakers Reflect on a Changing Climate by Laura Ness of the Wine Industry Advisor
Check out quotes from Evan Martin, owner and winemaker of Martin Woods in McMinnville, who reflects on the positives and negatives of dry farmed vines.
Walking The Rows: Résonance Vineyard And The Fool’s Errand Plot by Jill Barth of Forbes Magazine
A focused look at the Résonance Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, one of the Willamette Valley’s oldest dry farmed and own-rooted vineyards.
Compilation of news regarding dry farming & irrigation
Residents of Central Oregon weigh in on a proposed resort in the high desert that would pump 300,000 gallons of water per day from wells, expanding to five million gallons by 2035. Much of the water would, you guessed it, go to irrigate proposed golf courses. The public outcry is causing the company to backtrack… some. This after State Representatives have called for the Oregon Water Resources Department to stop issuing new water rights permits.
For a deep dive on struggles over water rights in Oregon, listen to All Things Considered March 2022 report.
“Pushing the Eco Envelop: Three wineries utilize unique sustainability solutions” by Greg Norton of Oregon Wine Press – This article includes a look at Abbot Claim’s innovative solution to recycling winery wastewater.
Additional articles and publications of interest:
“Grant to help U of A researchers address farming in drying climate” by Eva-Marie Hube of the Arizona Daily Star
“Dry farming could help agriculture in the western US amid climate change” by Katherine Kornei of Science News
“Oregon’s water problems are accumulating; Idaho may have an answer” by Randy Stapilus of Oregon Capital Chronicle
“Kansas Is Showing What a Drier Future Looks Like” by Adam Minter of Bloomberg via the Washington Post
“How do you grow crops with no water?" A rancher on the Gila River is trying an old approach” by Jake Frederico of the Arizona Republic
“As California's Drought Goes On, What Can Farmers Do?” by Kendall Lambert of Civil Eats
“California Falls Short When Helping Farmers Save Water” by Adam Kotin and Kendall Lambert of Civil Eats
Announcing New Members
A hearty welcome to the following new members who joined this quarter:
HillCrest Vineyards: Oregon's oldest estate winery & founded by Richard Sommer. Dyson & Susan DeMara are owners & winemakers
Portland Wine Company / love & squalor: Matt Berson & Angela Reat are owners and winemakers
Scenic Valley Farms: founded in 1970 by Bob and Pam Zielinski, Gabriel Jagle is the winemaker and Brian Zielinski is the vineyard manager
Tekstura: owned by Mike & Natasha Baryla who purchased the Redford-Wetle vineyard, Jared Etzel is the winemaker & Elle Holcomb is the operations manager
