Welcome to the Willamette Valley, where the quality of sparkling wine is high and aspirations are even higher. This renaissance, however, didn’t happen overnight.
The late Fred Arterberry, Jr. made the Willamette Valley’s first traditional method sparkling wine for his eponymous label in 1979. It was a whopping 70 cases of 100% Chardonnay that sold for $18 a bottle. Early on, only a handful of producers followed in Arterberry’s footsteps.
In 1987, Arterberry offered a possible explanation to a local reporter. “Making sparkling wine is a real pain. It’s a lot of work,” Artberry said. “It’s the hardest wine to make properly. You have to be a devotee or kind of a fanatic, I guess.”
Today, however, more people are making sparkling wine in the Willamette Valley than ever, undeterred by hard work and pain. These producers run the gamut from old hands like Argyle, Soter and ROCO, to young guns like Corollary, Arabilis and CHO.
A Hub for Production
Many of the Willamette Valley’s newest producers got by with a little help from a friend named Andrew.
Andrew Davis is the founder of Radiant Sparkling Company in McMinnville, Oregon’s first company dedicated to providing winemakers with the specialized equipment and services needed to make traditional method sparkling wine. Davis accelerated the Willamette Valley’s sparkling surge by giving many eager winemakers access to the expensive equipment they couldn’t afford.
When Davis left Argyle Winery to open Radiant in 2013, he estimated Oregon’s annual sparkling wine case production was approximately 31,000 cases, with Argyle responsible for almost all of that production. But there’s been an impressive swell of production in recent years. Data collected for the Oregon Wine Board by the University of Oregon’s Institute for Policy Research and Engagement reported that sparkling wine made up 3 to 5% of all case sales in 2022. That places Oregon sparkling wine sales between 171,000 and 285,000 cases that year, with the vast majority made in the Willamette Valley.
Those numbers, however, include bubble-filled wines made using various methods, from traditional to pétillant naturel.
To get a sense for the traditional method’s role in that growth, Davis says he had five clients when Radiant opened in 2013. Today, Radiant has 40 start-to-finish clients and produces approximately 45,000 cases annually. Argyle Winery in Dundee made 50,000 cases of traditional method wines in 2023, a hefty increase from 2013.
Prime Conditions
The key to the Willamette Valley’s sparkling success is growing high-quality grapes in the proper climate. As Kevin Johnson of Dion Vineyard puts it, “Where else in the world can you find so many world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sites that are available to make sparkling? Most other wine regions are either too hot or too expensive—or both.”
It helps to have volcanic and marine sedimentary soils that Jeanne Feldkamp of Corollary Wines credits for producing a wide range of flavor profiles. "Our geography also provides stunning hillside sites with just the right balance of sun exposure and marine influence,” says Feldkamp. “And our cool nights help the fruit retain its zingy acidity without sacrificing ripeness.”
Lois and David Cho at CHO Wines are particularly excited about making sparkling wines with fruit grown at the tippy top of those hillsides. Lois Cho credits the vineyards, at 1,000 feet above sea level, with giving them slower ripening fruit and higher acidity.
But it’s more than just growing the right grapes in the right place, according to Davis—it’s also about intention. “Growers here understand delicacy and nuance, finesse and elegance because that’s what the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays they make are like,” Davis says. “Those are also the main stylistic requirements for making high-quality sparkling wines.”
Sparklers for the Next Generation
The Willamette Valley’s take on sparkling wines appeals to a younger generation of wine drinkers.
Lois Cho reports that her tasting room guests tend to be millennials, and they are responding enthusiastically to sparkling wines, whites, rosés and even chillable reds. Noting that she and her husband have teamed up with Corollary and Arabilis Wines to make a traditional method sparkling wine currently in tirage, Cho says, “I think that signals a shift in what our generation wants to drink.”
There would be no repeat sales without quality wines. Otherwise, we wouldn't have witnessed such a massive increase in case sales over the past decade. "The quality is there,” says Davis. “It's very comparable to excellent grower Champagne and priced accordingly.”
“Priced accordingly” means top Willamette Valley producers can easily sell their traditional method sparkling wines for $75 and up, with several topping the $100 mark.
Davis also thinks the quality of traditional method wines in the Willamette Valley will improve as winemakers gain experience. He even suggested that one day, the Willamette Valley will be the analog to Champagne, as its Pinot Noir is to Burgundy and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is to Bordeaux.
It's no wonder corks are popping around the Willamette Valley faster than popcorn in Iowa.
Roco 2013 RMS Brut Delayed Disgorgement 10-Year Sparkling (Willamette Valley)
This is easily one of the best sparkling wines I had in 2023. After resting for 10 years on its lees before disgorgement, the wine has developed rich aromas of yellow apples, ripe Oregon white truffles and melted Gruyère cheese. This is a full-bodied wine where poached pear and toasted hazelnut flavors rule the rich palate. Editor’s Choice. 98 Points — Michael Alberty
$110 Roco Winery
Domaine Serene 2015 Vintage Brut Sparkling (Dundee Hills)
After 80 months of tirage, this traditional method blend of 82% Chardonnay and 18% Pinot Noir is eager to please. The wine’s combination of Golden Delicious apple and browned butter aromas are almost butterscotch-like. Its creamy texture and elegant bubbles accompany flavors of lemon butter on brioche, saline and toasted filberts. Délicieuse! Editor’s Choice. 96 Points — M.A.
$110 Domaine Serene
Adelsheim 2017 Brut Rosé Sparkling (Chehalem Mountains)
A strawberry tart with a graham cracker crust gets the aroma party started, followed by a bit of lemon zest. The flavors are a touch tangier, with cranberries and rose hip tea holding court. Toast your happiest moments with this méthode traditionelle blend of 53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay. Disgorged on March 15, 2022. Editor’s Choice. 96 Points — M.A.
$75 Adelsheim
Lytle-Barnett 2017 Brut Sparkling (Eola-Amity Hills)
Peaches are joined by the aromas of white trillium flowers and apricot preserves spread across a warm buttermilk scone. A nice, frothy mousse and crisp acidity lift flavors of lemon, lime, salty Kalamata olives and fresh-grated ginger. Bottles of this 70-30 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are aged for a minimum of three years on their sides. Elegance personified. Editor’s Choice. 95 Points — M.A.
$75 Lytle-Barnett
Cho 2018 Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Pinot Noir (Laurelwood District)
Quality high elevation Laurel Vineyard fruit is the first step for this remarkable traditional method wine. Bright raspberry and orange zest aromas are punctuated by a touch of sage butter. Then zooming acidity ushers in flavors of tart cherries, tangerine, rosemary and lemon curd on brioche. Editor’s Choice. 95 Points — M.A.
$95 Vinoshipper
Corollary 2019 X-Omni Blanc des Blancs Sparkling Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills)
Durant 2019 Brut Sparkling (Dundee Hills)
Dion 2019 Marie Grace Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay (Laurelwood District)
This traditional method treat is my favorite Marie since Curie. The wine’s aromas of lemon gelato, toasted filberts, brioche and white chocolate are amazing. The gear shifts on the palate, with tangier grapefruit and tangerine flavors and the saltiness of a warm pretzel. Disgorged on March 29, 2023. Editor’s Choice. 93 Points — M.A.
$60 Dion Vineyards
Bryn Mawr Vineyards NV Rose Sparkling (Willamette Valley)
Pale peach in color. The aromas bring notes of raspberry and rose petal. Tart, broad-feeling raspberry and citrus flavors follow. There’s a pleasing acidic lift on the finish. 88 Points — Sean P. Sullivan
$35 Bryn MawrMore Willamette Valley Coverage
- The best Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs to drink right now.
- How the eruption of Mount St. Helen prepared winemakers for future wildfires.
- These are the must-visit Willamette Valley wineries, according to insiders.
- Willamette Valley AVA turns 40: These are the spots moving the wine region forward.
- Willamette Valley-based viticulturist Mimi Casteel on her “no-till” farming approach to combat climate change.
- America’s Burgundy? Oregon’s value Pinot shows the way.
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Published: August 9, 2024
