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52-510: As one of the pioneering wineries of Oregon , Sokol Blosser Winery has played a key role in developing and shaping the now prominent Oregon wine industry. The first Pinot Noir vines were planted on a 5-acre plot on a former prune orchard in 1971, and the first vintage was produced in 1977. In 1978, they built the first tasting room in Oregon, designed by noted Oregon architect John Storrs . In 2006, founder Susan Sokol Blosser wrote At Home in

104-615: A Forest Grove winemaker, Ernest Reuter, won a silver medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair The vineyard on which the grapes were grown was located on David Hill west of Forest Grove . Wine production in Oregon, like elsewhere in the United States, shut down during the Prohibition era , but resumed in 1933. The Oregon wine industry remained small for several decades, and was dominated by fruit wines (including wines based on grapes other than Vitis vinifera ). By that time

156-472: A Sustainability Report annually (available on its website). The Winery's 89 acres of estate vineyards are all USDA certified organic and comprise 14 southeast- and southwest-facing parcels spread over the slopes of the hills. Each of the parcels is named for memorable things that happened on them, such as Goosepen (where we once had a flock of geese) to Peach Tree (which was a former peach orchard) to Concert (where we had an amphitheater where we held concerts in

208-835: A leader in green winemaking with the Sokol-Blossor barrel room and the Carlton Winemakers Studio being LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council . In 2006, the Stoller Vineyards winery was also LEED-certified. The Applegate Valley AVA was established in 2000; Yamhill-Carlton District AVA in 2004; Southern Oregon AVA in 2004; Columbia Gorge AVA in 2004; Dundee Hills AVA in 2005; McMinnville AVA in 2005; Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA in 2005; Ribbon Ridge AVA in 2005; Eola-Amita Hills AVA in 2006; Chehalem Mountains AVA in 2006; Snake River Valley AVA in 2007; in 2003

260-543: A stern challenge from nature, when the Phylloxera root louse was discovered in Oregon. This necessitated the use of Phylloxera -resistant rootstocks, many vineyards took this as an opportunity to select different varieties of grapes more suited to their particular location. The Rogue Valley AVA was established; three years later, the Oregon Wine Marketing Coalition was founded. In 1995,

312-647: A vineyard in the hills outside of Dundee ( Eyrie Vineyards ). By 1970, the state had five bonded wineries, with 35 acres (140,000 m ) in production. Many out-of-state winemakers, the bulk of them from California, began migrating to the state, including Dick Erath and C. Calvert Knudsen of Knudsen Erath Winery, Dick and Nancy Ponzi , Susan and Bill Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser Winery , David and Ginny Adelsheim, Pat and Joe Campbell, Jerry and Ann Preston, and Myron Redford. In 1973, Oregon passed its landmark land-use law, which imposed strict separation between agricultural and urban uses of land via such mechanisms as

364-606: Is more exposed to the cool westerly winds from the ocean and therefore the grapes ripen later than in the Dundee Hills. This vineyard on Jory soils is planted entirely to Pinot Noir, although the Winery intends to plant Chardonnay in 2022. The grapes from the vineyard are used principally for the Rosé of Pinot Noir and sparkling wines. In 2021 the Winery purchased the 65-acre Kalita Vineyard (only 23 acres are plantable). The vineyard

416-563: Is now the Umpqua Valley AVA ), with the first vintage appearing for sale in 1964. Among the first varieties planted by Sommer in 1961 was the first Pinot noir in Oregon that was also the first commercially available Oregon Pinot noir with the 1967 vintage. Also in the 1960s, several winemakers started planting Pinot noir grapes in the Willamette Valley , including David Lett and Charles Coury. In 1966, Lett planted

468-523: Is the predominant grape planted and includes the Wadenswil , Pommard, Pinot Droit and the Dijon clones 777, 677, and 115. In addition, there are smaller plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, White Riesling and Müller-Thurgau. The vineyards were originally planted on their own roots because there was thought to be no phylloxera in Oregon. But, by the 1990s it became evident that phylloxera was slowly invading

520-537: The California wine industry , with its warmer climate, had come to dominate wine production in the United States . Only two Oregon wineries produced wine using V. vinifera through the middle of the century, both on a rather small scale. The Oregon wine industry started to rebuild in the 1960s. Hillcrest Vineyard , established by UC Davis graduate Richard Sommer , opened near Roseburg in 1961 (in what

572-633: The Oregon State Land Board , which oversees management of state-owned lands, and was appointed by the Governor to chair the Oregon Sustainability Board . As Secretary of State, Bradbury was a Superdelegate for Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention . Following the passage of Measure 60 in 1998, Oregon moved to conduct all its elections by mail . As Secretary of State, Bradbury implemented

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624-615: The Oregon State Senate in 1984, where he was elected by his colleagues to serve in the leadership posts of Senate majority leader in 1986, and senate president in 1993. During Bradbury's time as president of the Senate, Jeff Golden , now Senator from District 3, served as his chief of staff. As a legislator, Bill focused on environmental protection and economic development. He worked to pass legislation to establish Small Business Development Centers at community colleges around

676-903: The Oregon Territory in 1847 by Henderson Luelling , a horticulturist who traveled to the territory on the Oregon Trail . The first recorded winery, Valley View Vineyard, was established in Jacksonville (in what is now the Rogue Valley AVA ) in the 1850s by Peter Britt, several years before the state was founded in 1859. The earliest large vineyards in the Willamette Valley was probably cultivated by French immigrant Jean Mathiot in Butteville where he settled in 1853. He planted grapes in 1858 and according to

728-637: The University of Chicago Laboratory High School in 1967. He attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio where he studied communications, and moved to Oregon in 1969 where he worked as a news reporter, director, and producer in Bandon, Eugene , and Portland . Bradbury was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives from Curry and southern Coos County in 1980. He was elected to

780-541: The Urban Growth Boundary and Exclusive Farm Use Zones. This prevented many hillsides, deemed inappropriate for other crops which are easier to grow on flat fields, from being converted to housing. Also in the 1970s, the winemakers of the region began to organize to promote their vintages. In 1977, the first coffee table book about Northwest wines, entitled Winemakers of the Pacific Northwest ,

832-466: The 1990s) to La Joya (named after the home town in Mexico of Luis Hernandez, our vineyard foreman since 1989). The soils are Jory clay loam in the vineyards lying between approximately 500 and 800 feet elevation, which varies in depth from approximately 1 to 6 feet, and Willakenzie silty clay loam, which varies from about 6 to 10 feet depth and lies between about 200 and 500 feet in elevation. Pinot Noir

884-666: The American Institute of Architects - Northwest and Pacific Region 2013 Design Award and has been written about in numerous architectural publications. Adjacent vineyard land was purchased in the following years, bringing the estate total to 89 acres. They also lease land in the Eola Hills and in 2021 bought a 65-acre parcel in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA called Kalita Vineyard. When the Blossers started

936-715: The Burgundy entrants. Also in 1985, the Oregon wine industry received its first mention in Wine Spectator . The 1980s also saw continued efforts at marketing the Oregon wine industry. The Oregon Wine Advisory Board was established in 1983, and in 1984 the Willamette Valley AVA , Umpqua Valley AVA , Columbia Valley AVA , and Walla Walla Valley AVAs were established. In 1986, the International Pinot Noir Celebration

988-623: The Democratic nomination for Governor of Oregon in 2010, but lost in the primary to former governor John Kitzhaber . Bradbury had been endorsed by former Democratic National Committee Chairman and Presidential candidate Howard Dean ; former Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts ; former Vice President Al Gore ; the Oregon Education Association ; the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon (AFT-OR); and

1040-629: The Drouhin family of Burgundy, one of France's highly regarded winemaking families, purchased 100 acres (40 ha) in the North Willamette Valley, founding the Domaine Drouhin Oregon winery. In 1988, then-governor Neil Goldschmidt made an official visit to Burgundy. By 1990, there were 70 bonded Oregon wineries and 320 growers, with 5,682 acres (2,299 ha) vineyard planted. The Oregon wine industry received

1092-467: The Dundee and Eola-Amity Hills. The overall degree days on this site are similar to the Dundee Hills. The vineyard will be converted to organic farming beginning in 2022. The construction of the main winery building began in 1976 and the first crush was in 1977. A warehouse was added in 1979. In 2002 the Winery constructed an adjacent underground barrel cellar that was the first winery building to receive

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1144-549: The Eyrie came in a very close second. Oregon winemakers continued to win awards in the 1980s. In 1980, there thirty-four bonded Oregon wineries, and 115 growers with 1,100 acres (450 ha) planted. The 1980 vintage was greatly affected by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens , and two wines from that vintage won gold medals in the 1982 International Wine Competition in London . Ponzi Vineyards (then of Beaverton , now Sherwood )

1196-482: The Oregon Legislature enacted several new laws which were beneficial to winemakers. Direct in-state wine shipments from wineries to customers were legalized, allowing Oregon winemakers to partially bypass wine wholesalers. In-store wine tasting was also legalized, as were certain off-site special events hosted by wineries. Oregon State University established a professorship in fermentation science. In 1998,

1248-693: The Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA). Bradbury was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1981. Bradbury lived in Salem and Bandon, Oregon , with his wife Katy Eymann, whom he married in 1986. She is the daughter of Richard O. Eymann , who served as speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives in the 1970s. Bradbury had two daughters, Abby and Zoë, from a previous marriage. Bradbury died while on an around-the-world cruise with his wife, on April 14, 2023. He

1300-624: The Oregon Statesman Journal had the largest vineyard in the State in 1859. In the first Oregon census in 1860, wine production was listed at 11,800 liters (2,600 gallons), though it is certain that not all of this came from grapes. In the 1880s, numerous immigrants to Southern Oregon experimented with various varietals, including Zinfandel , Riesling , and an unknown variety of Sauvignon. By 1899, Oregon vineyards yielded 2,694 tons of grapes. Five years later,

1352-752: The Oregon Wine Advisory Board (under the state Department of Agriculture ) was replaced with the Oregon Wine Board , a semi-independent state agency. The Oregon Wine History Project began in 2010 at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon , under the auspices of the Linfield Center for the Northwest. The project maintains an extensive Oregon wine history archive. In 2012, Oregon Public Broadcasting aired

1404-592: The Pacific Rivers Council to publicize products produced without using pesticides and causing runoff that would harm salmon. Sokol Blosser's underground barrel cellar became the first US winery to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification for an industrial building. At the north end of a main Pinot noir vineyard block is a 24 kW photovoltaic solar panel array , which

1456-803: The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification as a green building. A storage and shipping fulfillment warehouse was constructed in 2022. The winery processes approximately 1000 tons per year from its own vineyards and grapes purchased from other growers. The winemaking philosophy emphasizes minimum intervention. The Pinot Noirs destined for single-vineyard designations are gently destemmed and whole-berry fermented in open-top 2.5 ton fermenters using wild yeasts. These Pinot Noirs are barrel-aged in French oak for 14–16 months before bottling. We work with selected barrel makers in France to design barrels best able to bring out

1508-791: The University of California at Davis in winemaking. Meanwhile, Alison completed college, got an MBA and worked for several startups. Then, she too felt the lure of the winery and came to work in sales and marketing in 2004. After a year of slowly taking over operations, Susan completed the transition from her 25-year management of the company to Alex and Alison as co-presidents in 2008. In 2013 Alex took over as winemaker from Russ Rosner, who retired after 15 years as winemaker. Alex transferred winemaking duties in 2023 to Robin Howell when he took over as President and Alison retired from her Co-President position. Bill and Susan continue active involvement in

1560-555: The Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life , a memoir published by University of California Press about the experience of founding the winery. An expanded and revised edition was published in 2017 as The Vineyard Years: A Memoir with Recipes by West Margin Press. The winery opened a new tasting room in 2013, designed by architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture . The Tasting Room received

1612-551: The competition establish Oregon as a region capable of producing top-quality wines, it also established that premium winemaking was not the exclusive province of Europe , France in particular. French winemaker Robert Drouhin arranged for a rematch, pitting the Eyrie Pinot noir against a group of French wines considered to be finer than those in the Wine Olympics. The winner was Joseph Drouhin 's 1959 Chambolle-Musigny;

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1664-580: The documentary Oregon Wine: Grapes of Place about the history of wine in Oregon produced in partnership with the Oregon Historical Society . Funding was provided by James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation, Robert D. & Marcia H. Randall Fund for Lifelong Learning, Oregon Cultural Trust and Roundhouse Foundation. By 2015, Oregon had 702 wineries and 1052 vineyards with 28,034 acres (11,345 ha) planted. Bill Bradbury Bill Bradbury (May 29, 1949 – April 14, 2023)

1716-484: The resignation of Phil Keisling , Governor John Kitzhaber appointed Bradbury to be Oregon Secretary of State in November 1999. He was elected to the office in 2000, and re-elected in 2004, serving for nine years. As the state's second-highest-ranking constitutional officer, he was auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and manager of the state's official legislative and executive records. He also chaired

1768-544: The state was incorporated. Settlers to the Oregon Territory planted grapes as early as the 1840s, however the production of wine has only been a significant industry in Oregon since the 1960s. Oregon wines first achieved significant critical notice in the late 1970s; in 2005, the industry sold 1.6 million cases of Oregon vintages with a retail value of US$ 184.7 million. In 2015, there were 702 wineries and 28,034 acres of vitis vinifera planted. Grapes were first planted in

1820-650: The state, to develop the Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program (STEP), to develop a relief plan to assist displaced timber workers, and prevent offshore oil drilling off the Oregon Coast . Bradbury left the Oregon Legislature in 1995 and founded and became the executive director of For the Sake of the Salmon, a regional non-profit organization which sought to restore salmon stocks and watershed restoration. MSNBC called Bradbury an " environmental activist ". Following

1872-545: The system, the first of its kind in the nation, which has increased voter participation in Oregon and decreased vote fraud. He also increased the transparency of financial transactions in our elections by having the Secretary of State's website host ORESTAR, an electronic reporting system for campaign contributions and spending. Bradbury also took the lead in coordinating state agencies to create an online business registry in Oregon to reduce paperwork and filing fees. Bradbury

1924-526: The third child of William and Lorraine Bradbury. He grew up in Chicago, where his father was an associate professor of sociology at the University of Chicago . In September 1958, Bill's mother and father were killed in an automobile accident in Montana . Bill and his sister Kathy were injured, but survived, and moved to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania , to be raised by their aunt and uncle. Bradbury graduated from

1976-942: The unique characteristics of each Pinot Noir block. The Winery sells approximately 65,000 cases per year in 50 states and 16 countries. In addition to premium wines sold under the Sokol Blosser label, the winery also produces a line of wines under the Evolution label. Sokol Blosser wines: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, White Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Noir Rosé and three sparkling wines (Bluebird Cuvée, Blanc de Blanc, and Rosé of Pinot Noir). Evolution wines: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Lucky No. 9 White (a blend of 9 grapes), Big Time Red, and Riesling. 45°15′04″N 123°02′58″W  /  45.25121°N 123.0495°W  / 45.25121; -123.0495 History of Oregon wine The history of Oregon wine production stretches back to before

2028-506: The vineyards and they were slowly replanted on rootstocks, using cuttings from the original vines. Depending on the vintage, the Winery produces single-vineyard wines from selected barrels in some blocks, including Goosepen, Old Vineyard, Big Tree, Peach Tree, Twelve Row, Blackberry, Watershed and Orchard. The Winery leases and farms organically a 20+ acre vineyard called Blossom Ridge in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA . This site

2080-473: The vineyards and winery, they had no idea if any of their three children (Nik, Alex, Alison) would be interested in taking over. Alex was the first one to show an interest and studied viticulture in college and worked as a vineyard foreman for another producer. Then, after a stint as a wine salesman, he came full-time to the winery in 1998 to help manage the vineyards and lead sales. While working, he got his MBA at Portland State University and certification from

2132-632: The wine industry contributed US$ 120 million to the Oregon economy. A further legal change occurred in 1999, when legislation (HB 3429) was passed allowing multiple winery licensees on a single premise. This led to new winemaking arrangements, such as the Carlton Winemakers Studio and the SE Wine Collective. The 21st century has seen an emphasis on "green" wine production in Oregon. LIVE, an Oregon non-profit, certifies wineries for meeting certain environmental standards; over 320 vineyards and 41 wineries are now so certified. In 2002, Oregon became

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2184-482: The winery and vineyards, and to enable them to work during the summers and harvest. They have created an internship program for those who graduate from college, if they want further involvement in the winery. Sokol Blosser Winery has been Certified Organic by the Oregon Department of Agriculture since 2005. In 1996, Sokol Blosser's vineyards were the first to be certified Salmon-Safe, a program launched by

2236-413: The winery, serving on the board of directors and helping out during crush and public events. Nik has also been very involved in the board of directors and major decision making over the years. He also led the creation of an aperitif wine which debuted in 2023. Nik, Alex and Alison have created a plan to familiarize the third generation (Alexander, Jacob, Avery, Nikolas, Anna, Dario, Luca and Isabelle) with

2288-528: The “BEST (Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) Practices for Sustainability—Small Company” award. In 2008, Sokol Blosser Winery was recognized by Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury with a prestigious Oregon Sustainability Award, honoring the winery as an organization that had taken dramatic and comprehensive steps to incorporate sustainability into operations. TreeHugger awarded Sokol Blosser Winery with their Best Green Winery award in their inaugural Best of Green Awards in 2009. The Winery

2340-442: Was about 12 years old and is planted almost entirely to Pinot Noir, with an additional 3 acres of Pinot Meunier in 2024. The soils are Goodin , which is a silty clay loam derived from marine deposits ranging up to about 5 feet deep. The vineyards lie between about 500 and 700 feet elevation with a southerly exposure. This is the first vineyard with non-volcanic soils owned by the Winery and will produce wines distinctly different from

2392-598: Was an American politician who served as a member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly and as the 23rd Oregon secretary of state from 1999 to 2009. Bradbury was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Oregon gubernatorial election . In 2010, he was appointed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski . Bradbury was born in Chicago, Illinois , in 1949,

2444-851: Was certified in 2015 as a Certified B Corporation, testifying to its commitment to people, planet and profit. B Corporation awarded the Winery for the third time its Best in the World Environment award in 2021. Sokol Blosser Winery is a participant in the Carbon Reduction Challenge , an initiative begun by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski in 2009 as the Carbon Neutral Challenge, with the goal of inspiring businesses to measure and progressively reduce greenhouse gases. The Winery has been ranked multiple times as one of Oregon Business magazine's Top 100 Best Green Companies to Work For. The Winery publishes

2496-521: Was favorably covered by the New York Times in 1981. In 1984, noted wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. visited Oregon and was highly impressed with the Pinots he encountered. Oregon Pinots won further acclaim in the 1985 Burgundy Challenge, wherein wine experts could not distinguish between Oregon and Burgundy Pinot noirs in a blind taste test; in the rankings, the Oregon wines were rated ahead of

2548-501: Was installed in 2006 and provides approximately 25% of the Winery's energy needs. In 2007, Sunset magazine honored both founder Susan Sokol Blosser and Sokol Blosser Winery with their prestigious "Green Winery of the Year" award. Also in 2007, Sokol Blosser Winery was recognized by the City of Portland, Oregon ’s Office of Sustainable Development for its commitment to green practices with

2600-516: Was printed; the following year, a joint marketing brochure entitled "Discover Oregon Wines" was published. But it was events of 1979 that put the Oregon wine industry on the map. Eyrie Vineyards' 1975 South Block Pinot noir placed in the top 10 at the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiades , and was rated the top Pinot noir, one of several non-European vintages to outplace French wines in the competition. Not only did

2652-499: Was started at Linfield College in McMinnville , and in 1989, Willamette Valley Vineyards became the first publicly traded winery in the state. Greater ties between Oregon and Burgundy were established in the 1980s. Close ties were forged between horticulturalists at Oregon State University and notable French wine cultivation experts, such as Raymond Bernard at ONIVINS ; this relationship gave Oregon vintners access to clones that California growers were not able to acquire. In 1987,

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2704-402: Was the Democratic challenger to incumbent Senator Gordon H. Smith in the 2002 United States Senate election in Oregon , but was defeated by over 18 points. He only carried one county in the state, Multnomah County , home to Portland . After leaving office, Bradbury traveled the state, giving over 200 presentations on climate change and its effects on Oregon. Bradbury was a candidate for

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