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July 2026 Cellar Selects: The Rosé Report
Abacela 2025 Grenache Rosé, Umpqua Valley (panel pick) Slate and red cherry open over rose petal and ripe Hood strawberry on the nose. In the glass, raspberry and cherry lead into lemon zest, with vivacious acidity and an exuberant, fruit-forward mark. $20 Schmidt Family Vineyards Wilderness Rosé, Applegate Valley Gravel dust and pink grapefruit meet lychee and red cherry on the nose. Light and breezy on the tongue, with pink grapefruit, raspberry and a whisper of unripe strawberry. Well-balanced and refreshing. $23 Dominio IV 2025 No. 68 Inverse, Coyote the Trickster, Oregon (80% Viognier, 20% Syrah) Playful and aromatic, with red hots candy, violets and jasmine over a mineral backbone. Tart cherry, raspberry and rhubarb carry through on the flavor, building to a spicy cinnamon finale with a lingering raspberry sorbet richness. $38 Puffin Brand 2025 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Highly aromatic, with graphite, cranberry, grilled lemon and blood orange over
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Field of Dreams
By Luis Romero In Vienna, Gemischter Satz , meaning “mixed planting or set,” is a winemaking style where various grape varieties– growing side by side– are harvested and fermented together. In Alsace, the tradition is called Edelzwicker , edel means noble in German and zwicker is blend– a noble blend of whites. These field blends are shaped not by a winemaker’s blending decisions in the cellar, but by the chemistry of unique varieties interacting within a single fermenter. The ethos of minimal or non-intervention winemaking is part of Oregon’s identity and inspiration for some of the newest and most creative blends. While not all the wines precisely match the definition of a field blend, they do reflect the ingenuity, passion and winemakers’ desire to find new ways to make wines from the land. All allow nature to tell its story. Meet Oregon’s winemakers daring to craft something distinct. In May, I visited nine producers across the
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Small Seeds Become Ancient Trees
By Branden Andersen You’ve almost certainly driven past this tree without realizing it. To most, it looks like a standard shade tree, usually standing alone in the middle of a field or at the edge of a vineyard. Its bark is deeply furrowed, limbs gnarled and canopy– in advanced age– as wide as a farmhouse. If the tree is old enough, it stood when Lewis and Clark explored the Willamette Valley. Its acorns fed the local Kalapuya people long before a single grapevine was intentionally planted in Oregon soil. It is Quercus garryana – the Oregon white oak– and is rapidly disappearing. According to the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District, a mere 10 percent of the oak habitats present in 1850 still remain. And 96 percent of what’s left stand on private land. The Umpqua Watersheds organization puts the loss in starker terms: estimates of remaining oak ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest range from just five to 15 percent of their pre-European
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Declaration of Deliciousness
By Aakanksha Agarwal Fourth of July in wine country rarely resembles a polished fantasy. Yes, there are bottles on ice and grills fired up in the distance. In Oregon, the holiday arrives when vines are surging through long summer days and growers continue to keep one eye on the weather forecast. It is a season of celebration, yes, but also one of vigilance and work. Still, they celebrate. Across the state, winery owners spend the holiday in ways that feel deeply personal and surprisingly unpretentious: neighborhood potlucks where rare library wines sit alongside cans of Rainier beer, community parades, burgers loaded with kimchi slaw, pork tenderloins on the grill, IPAs sweating in coolers and vineyard kids sprinting between the vine rows. Fireworks are increasingly approached with caution. But gathering together, opening something special and making time for family remain nonnegotiable. We asked this simple question: What does Fourth of July actually look like at your house? COMMUNITY
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Palette and Palate
By Greg Norton Is a bottle of wine a work of art? Or is it the product of skill and craftsmanship? Maybe it’s merely a beverage? And what is a work of art, anyway? These questions (and more) are on the menu at the Portland Art Museum’s monthly Maker’s Table series, running through September. Pairs of Oregon winemakers and visual artists come together for evenings of conversation moderated by Julia Dolan, interim chief curator and Minor White senior curator of photography at Portland Art Museum, or PAM. Each Maker’s Table event begins with a walk-around wine tasting, accompanied by the featured artist’s work. A conversation between the winemaker and artist follows, exploring the creative processes behind both disciplines. The evening concludes with an optional three-course meal of selected wine pairings and menus showcasing the artistry of local chefs. Tickets can be purchased without the dinner. A CULTURAL COMMONS The series takes place in the museum&rsquo
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Train of Thought
By Ron Scott At The Stazione (Italian for station), the sound of nearby trains forces its way into the room. Boisterous horn blasts abruptly interrupt casual chit-chat, prompting awkward chuckles from guests. The noise momentarily disrupts the spell cast by sunlight, slow-turning vinyl records and glasses of Gorge-grown wine in The Stazione’s old-world industrial Southeast Portland wine bar. For Graham Markel, founder and winemaker of Buona Notte Wines, the disturbance is so unavoidably foundational to the concept that he baked it into the name. “I’ve been dealing with it for a year and a half now,” explains Markel. “Every time one goes by, it’s a little annoying, but also part of the charm. That’s the reason we call this The Stazione.” The Stazione, which opened in April, is the new urban outlet for Buona Notte, Markel’s Portland-based winery built around Italian varietals and a deep affection for the fruit and terroir of the Colum
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Pinots, Plates and Pillows
By Molly Amber The Dundee Hills glow in golden light long before the first cork pops. Rows of Pinot Noir grapevines drape down the slopes. Lavender gently sways beside garden beds. The kitchen hums with activity as chefs prep dinner. High above the Valley floor, The Grange Estate, The Four Graces and Anthology have transformed a familiar stretch of Oregon wine country into one of the Willamette Valley’s most complete hospitality experiences. Wine travelers have flocked to the area for decades in search of Pinot Noir. Now, many long for something more immersive. A polished tasting room. A design-forward wine country retreat. A communal dinner focused on storytelling, seasonality and Oregon agriculture. Together, the three form a destination that feels both grounded and genuinely ambitious. At the center stands The Four Graces, a winery renowned for its elegant Pinot Noir. Established in 2003 by the Black family and named for their four daughters, the winery helped shape the modern
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Organic Matters
By Gail Oberst Life’s twists and turns often alter one’s career path. Before Dai Crisp, longtime Oregon vineyard manager, began caring for his parents’ four acres of Pinot Noir– a former dude ranch they purchased in the 1970s, he set his sights on theater, studying at Oregon State University and UC Irvine. Then, a love of farming called him back to vineyard work in 1985. On the farm, Crisp began experimenting with organic methods on the wine grapes and other crops. Farming organically was rarer for the time. He took on additional work in the Southern Willamette Valley– planting, hedging, harvesting, and much more. “I did every single job in the vineyard,” he recalled. In 1989, with experience and a good reputation in hand, Crisp was hired by Chancy Croft, founder of Polk County’s Croft Vineyards (with his family). Croft approved his plan to create an organic vineyard. “I’d always questioned the use of herbicides,”
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Sky’s the Limit
By Paula Bandy For years, whenever aphids appeared on my indoor herbs, I reached for a simple homemade remedy: cinnamon and cayenne mixed with water and sprayed by hand across the leaves. It wasn’t sophisticated technology. I was simply a gardener trying to protect a few plants. Today, Oregon agriculture is applying similar ideas– natural products, targeted applications and minimized waste– using technology that provides a glimpse into agriculture’s future. Instead of a hand sprayer, imagine an autonomous aircraft carrying 20 gallons of material. It flies 10 feet above a vineyard canopy, navigating by GPS, adjusting droplet size in real time and returns automatically for a battery change before resuming precisely where it left off. This technology is already operating across thousands of acres in Oregon. “We started drone applications in 2023,” noted Lane Marsh, ag-services technology lead for Pratum Co-op. “Immediately after graduating from Or
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United by Bubbles
By Annelise Kelly Pop quiz: Is Oregon the next great sparkling wine region? Method Oregon says yes. Oregon sparkling wine is having a moment, and its wineries are collaborating under a new organization to celebrate and strengthen the industry. Nonprofit Method Oregon is dedicated to promoting Oregon as a world-class region for traditional method sparkling wine. Launching with 45 founding members, the organization has since grown to 54 as of mid-May. The organization’s mission is to celebrate exceptional wines, sustainable farming practices and the distinct sense of place that defines Oregon sparkling wine. It ensures each bottle bearing the new Method Oregon logo adheres to strict traditional method winemaking standards and farming procedures. Oregon sparkling wine isn’t new, but it’s never been more popular. Winemaker Rollin Soles began making traditional method sparkling wine in 1987, while working at Argyle Winery. He was the first commercial producer in Oregon. Wh
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Work in Progress
By Michele Francisco, OWP editor Patriotism is deeply personal. I’ve recently pondered this sentiment as our nation approaches 250 years since its founding. Over that period, our country has endured difficult times alongside genuine progress. However, the future has never been obvious and certain. It wasn’t long before I realized the similarities to winegrowing. Weather, small and large decisions, along with luck, influence the outcome of each vintage. There’s no redo button when drought, frost, rain or heat strike at the worst time. Forced to adapt, winegrowers craft the most honest wine from what the season delivers. And then they do it all over again the next year. Humility must be ever-present in winemaking. Terroir is the industry’s constant reminder we are never fully in charge. The land does a lot of the deciding. The weather does more. One plants, tends and trusts the land– it has been here long before any of us and will be here long af
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Blanc Check
By Aakanksha Agarwal “White wines play a key role in Oregon, both in its past and future,” notes Jen Cossey, general manager at Brooks Wine. Oregon has long been defined by Pinot Noir, the cool-climate grape whose success shaped not only planting decisions but the region’s global identity. It is a reputation marked by restraint, acidity and a measured approach to ripeness, favoring structure over power. But, as Cossey points out, those conditions were never exclusive to Pinot Noir. “Broadly speaking, our whites are also characterized by high acidity and balanced, developed aromatics.” That consistency extends across the category. Pinot Gris remains one of Oregon’s most widely planted varieties. Chardonnay continues gaining ground. Riesling, long central to Brooks, has developed depth across sites and styles, with the winery producing 14 distinct bottlings annually from estate fruit and historic vineyards. Cossey attributes that consistency to climate
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June 2026 Cellar Selects: Oui Like White
Freed Estate Winery 2024 Viognier, Umpqua Valley (panel pick) Richly aromatic and immediately inviting, with scents of honeysuckle, jasmine and lemongrass layered over beeswax candle and an unexpected note of peanut brittle. Honeydew and cantaloupe take center stage before introducing honeycomb, jasmine tea and orange zest, finishing with a bright flash of starfruit. A classic expression of Viognier’s opulent, fragrant character. $26 Quady North 2024 Chenin Blanc, Four Diamonds Vineyard, Applegate Valley Fresh and mineral on the nose– fresh rain, gravel dust and lemon set an inviting, clean tone, with casaba melon adding a soft, fruity note. Each sip reveals lemon yogurt, white peach and Persian melon, with Meyer lemon and carambola brightening the mid-palate. Nicely balanced, with a pleasing texture and spicy ginger finale. $28 King Estate 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon An attention-grabbing nose of jalapeño, kaffir lime, white flowers and petrichor signals something
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Blanc Check
By Aakanksha Agarwal “White wines play a key role in Oregon, both in its past and future,” notes Jen Cossey, general manager at Brooks Wine. Oregon has long been defined by Pinot Noir, the cool-climate grape whose success shaped not only planting decisions but the region’s global identity. It is a reputation marked by restraint, acidity and a measured approach to ripeness, favoring structure over power. But, as Cossey points out, those conditions were never exclusive to Pinot Noir. “Broadly speaking, our whites are also characterized by high acidity and balanced, developed aromatics.” That consistency extends across the category. Pinot Gris remains one of Oregon’s most widely planted varieties. Chardonnay continues gaining ground. Riesling, long central to Brooks, has developed depth across sites and styles, with the winery producing 14 distinct bottlings annually from estate fruit and historic vineyards. Cossey attributes that consistency to climate
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Busy as a Bee
By Sarah Murdoch Oregon winemakers are sourcing grapes from vineyards prioritizing healthy ecosystems– long before the wine reaches your glass. This month’s Pollinator Week (June 22-28) provides a wonderful opportunity to learn more about bees and the role they play in wine. Grapes are magical little machines whose blooms contain both male and female reproductive parts, making them self-pollinating and reliant on wind and gravity rather than bees. Although bees aren’t necessary for grape production, they’re vital to vineyard ecosystems. Bees pollinate flowers and clover between rows to improve soil health, supporting the overall biodiversity of the vineyard. Their presence signals a balanced, healthy ecosystem. MEET THE BEE GIRL Equally remarkable is the bee itself; melittologist Sarah Red-Laird has devoted most of her life to bees. A self-described wild child who felt calm only when outdoors, splitting her childhood between Ashland and Alaska, she “
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Cyborg Somms
By Luis Romero “Freedom,” Marco reads the word, written in quotation marks, on his chit. Two women are seated at one of the clamshell booths, lit from above and covered in shiny red velvet. “Good evening, ladies,” Marco says, cocking his head and letting his hair fall across his cheekbone. “May I ask what you are celebrating tonight? I see a cake with the word freedom on it, correct?” “Hello, Marco. Marie here. Barbra just got divorced. Forty years was enough torture. Right, Barb? I ordered the cake, because you start a marriage with cake, you should end it the same way.” Marco tilts his head like a confused puppy. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he says out of gut instinct, looking at Barbra. “Nothing to be sorry about,” Marie says, trying to lighten the mood. “She is free!” Marco’s eyes lock on Barbra as she lowers her eyebrows in acknowledgement. “We want to order Champagne. What do you r
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Trunk Show
By Branden Andersen The sky over Concinnitas Farm in Yamhill was blue and bright. While still a brisk February day, the weather was unseasonably dry and warm, with highs in the low 50s. The surrounding hills were bare of snow, and spring felt right around the corner– two months ahead of schedule. Enologist Chad Stock was working with Sterling Vineyard Management operations manager Juan Cruz, pruning vines in a style the Willamette Valley rarely sees: a head-trained vine. “Think of it like a goblet, or an umbrella turned inside out,” Stock explained as he inspected vine positioning to identify the best candidates for pruning. “It’s the start of what will essentially be a grape tree.” Stock, who manages Concinnitas and co-owns Limited Addition Wines with his wife, Master of Wine Bree Stock, was pruning a block of Gamay Noir that morning alongside Cruz. Together they examined each vine, shaping the eight-year-old plants with a vision of what they would
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Lemon Olive Oil Black Cod
Serves 2 Ingredients 2 6-ounce black cod fillets (you can easily substitute your favorite white fish) 1 teaspoon Durant French Citrus Fennel Salt (1/2 teaspoon per fillet) 8 tablespoons Durant Fused Lemon Olive Oil 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh chives 2 teaspoons Durant Fleur de Sel A couple handfuls of pre-washed arugula leaves 1 lemon, juiced Directions Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Wash and split your potatoes lengthwise, toss with 2 teaspoons Fleur de Sel and 2 tablespoons lemon olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet pan and roast in oven for approximately 20-30 minutes until browned and cooked through. As the potatoes roast, season the black cod fillets with 2 teaspoons of Durant French Citrus Salt. Transfer to a baking sheet pan and pour over 4 tablespoons of Durant Lemon Olive Oil (being sure some of the oil is under the fish to prevent it from sticking). Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, along with the potatoes, until cook
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After Hours
By Neil Ferguson When chef Spencer Ivankoe opened Café Rowan in Portland’s Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood in March of 2020, serving brunch was not exactly what he had in mind. But the COVID-19 pandemic turned the restaurant world upside down. “I ripped my business plan in half and went back to the drawing board. I remembered how much people loved brunch when I lived in New York City. I decided to pivot and add some fun here in the Northwest. People could come and go, food traveled well in a box– it worked,” reflects Ivankoe. After setting aside his fine-dining dream, Ivankoe built a loyal following as one of the city’s best brunch destinations. Elevated takes on breakfast sandwiches, burritos and eggs Benedict include foraged mushrooms, Dungeness crab and salmon, in-season, local produce and Tillamook cheese. The menu soon generated long wait times, and when Café Rowan introduced Maine lobster rolls in 2021, a popular trend began. Finding su
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Seized the Day
By Michele Francisco The process of eminent domain allows the government to take private property and convert it to public use. After the city of Portland took Jeff Meader’s southeast property, he turned the loss into an opportunity by purchasing land in the Ribbon Ridge American Viticultural Area, or AVA. Meader followed his passion for farming and planted a vineyard. This year, the cleverly named winery, Eminent Domaine, celebrates 20 years. Meader’s initial investment has grown gradually over the course of two decades. With time, it has yielded a family home atop a winery, a tasting room, second vineyard with a vacation rental, an enclosed pavilion and a newly finished deck for wine guests to enjoy the stunning views. He recently achieved a long-held dream of growing all the grapes for Eminent Domaine. The winery’s general manager, Camille Stabler, notes, “Our annual production decreased to about 2,200 cases with the move to all estate-grown fruit. And while
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Rhône Away From Home
By Annelise Kelly It’s a balmy spring night as I swirl my glass of Grenache while sitting with new friends. On my left is a retired couple who live blocks away, members of the wine club at Oak Flat Vineyards. On my right sits an outdoorsy pair of millennial wine enthusiasts, one of whom takes careful notes about each wine. About 20 of us are comparing six different years of Oak Flat Mourvèdre, all from the same estate vineyard. I’m among the lucky diners signed up for the porchetta dinner, to be delivered with the final wine sample. Wood barrels are stacked three high, and a compact yellow forklift is parked tightly between them. The roll-up garage door is open until sunset, inviting fresh air and a view of one of Southeast Portland’s sleepier corridors. If I’m craving authentic Rhône-style wines, there’s no need to travel 5,900 miles to Avignon. Oak Flat Vineyards, dedicated to Rhône wine, opened its Southeast Portland tasting room in 2
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On the Record
By Paula Bandy There is a moment when someone recalling the past pauses– and you feel the weight of what they are carrying. Not during an expected moment, but while remembering a name, place or decision made long ago. This is where history lives. At Linfield University’s Oregon Wine History Archive, the understanding shapes everything. The archive was built on a simple premise: the story of Oregon wine could not be preserved solely through objects. Most archives choose a lane, collecting books, documents or artifacts. Useful, certainly. Necessary, even. Yet, incomplete. As director Rich Schmidt explains, none of those approaches fully conveyed what needed to be saved. “We thought all of those should be a part of what we’re doing,” he notes. “But none were quite enough.” So, the archive followed a different path. “We’re collecting stories.” THE WORK OF LISTENING The heart of this archive is not what it holds, but how it listens
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Home Field Advantage
By Annelise Kelly It’s a warm summer evening at a Portland ballpark. The crowd is on its feet. The smell of popcorn drifts through the stands. And in your cup holder? A cold can of Oregon sparkling rosé. This isn’t your grandfather’s ballgame– and that’s precisely the point. A new kind of partnership is emerging in Oregon, one pairing the communal joy of live sports with the craft and accessibility of local wine. Two notable collaborations have taken shape in recent seasons. Underwood, the canned wine brand under the Union Wine Co. umbrella, has partnered with both the Portland Bangers FC soccer club and Portland Pickles baseball team. Argyle Winery has joined forces with minor league baseball team Hillsboro Hops, whose newly built stadium features a premium space called the Dugout Lounge by Argyle. These partnerships are more than marketing arrangements– they reflect a mutual belief: wine belongs anywhere people gather to have a good time. A
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Pear Pressure
By Michele Francisco Today, it’s hard to imagine Rogue Valley’s wine industry being vilified. Yet, pear growers, threatened by the region’s nascent wine activity, treated Porter Lombard, Ph.D., like a scoundrel and ran him out of town. Lombard had served as the superintendent and horticultural researcher at the Oregon State University Experiment Station near Jacksonville. Determined to learn if wine grapes could thrive in the area, he planted the area’s first post-Prohibition vineyard in 1967. Before the pear growers ousted Lombard in 1980, he studied various varieties and discovered the Rogue Valley was ideally suited for a range of wine grapes. His success generated interest both locally and in California. Commercial vineyards, established in the decade after Lombard’s experimental plantings, led to the Rogue Valley’s first bonded wineries in 1978. Valley View Vineyards was established by the local Wisnovsky family and Siskiyou Winery was founded b