Oregon pinot noir pays off

You could say that Oregon is a pinot noir bridge. The state’s most celebrated and successful wine style could generally be classified as somewhere between the heady, earthy pinot noirs of Burgundy — the grape’s ancestral home in France — and the fruity, jammy pinots of California.

Oregon itself, as a winemaking place, is suspended out there, too, proudly distanced from the more-established locales, independent and self-assured. That identity was not forged overnight. As with many places in the United States, grape-growing and winemaking in Oregon reach to the 19th century. But every state or specific region with a critical mass of wine production has a modern, readjusted date that indicates when things began to get serious, and commercial, and … better.

For Oregon it was the 1960s, when a Californian planted riesling, pinot noir and other varieties in the Umpqua Valley, and then a few years later another Californian planted pinot noir in the Willamette Valley, which would become the state’s largest and most-important region. That second pioneer was the late David Lett, known to this day as the man who kicked off Oregon’s run with pinot noir, earning him the nickname “Papa Pinot.” He had guessed that the long, cool growing season of Oregon would be well-suited to pinot noir, and now, 50 years on, it’s clear that his hunch was on the money.

Not only did his early bottlings fare well against wines from around the world in the so-called Wine Olympics of 1979 and 1980, his success also helped propel the Oregon wine industry to where it is today. Hundreds of producers have followed Lett in setting up shop in Oregon, and a couple of them have come from France, recognizing similarities between the growing conditions in Burgundy and the Beaver State.

The Oregon pinot noir bridge can span Old and New World styles, but as is the case with most bridges, the majority of the span lies somewhere in the middle. Don’t expect bursts of California jam, or waves of French perfume, but also don’t be surprised when at times you notice those things. Instead, you will probably find more subtlety in both directions, along with refreshing acidity. And if you are looking for a classic food pairing, this is the wine you drink with salmon.

Established in 1983, the Willamette Valley (the accent is on the second syllable of Willamette), stretches more than 100 miles from Portland to Eugene. (As long as we are at it, the accent is also on the second syllable of Eugene.) Close to 90 percent of Oregon’s pinot noir comes from the Willamette Valley, and about 10 years ago the region was divided into six subregions: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton District.

To list an Oregon wine region’s name on its label, 95 percent of the wine’s grapes must be from that region. This is a self-imposed stricter standard than elsewhere, as the law in the United States requires only 85 percent. As varietal wines go, to list a single grape name on an American label, the wine must contain 75 percent of the named grape variety. But again, Oregon places a higher burden on itself when it comes to its famed pinot noir: 90 percent. Oregon winemakers are also keenly focused on sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming practices because … it’s Oregon.