History
In the Fall of 2007, after a 5 year search, we made our first visit to a 100-acre property overlooking the small community of Laurelwood. The old farm property had been badly neglected, but had tons of potential. A derelict walnut orchard was perched on a jutting upland in a thermal belt with excellent air drainage; the 500-650’ elevations were right; and there were a variety of warm and cool aspects available for planting. It also had the volcanic soil we had been seeking with perfect drainage and proven water-holding capacity for dry-farming (the beautiful 270 degree view was a nice bonus too.) Several other portions of the property were available for future expansion, including another ridge to the west and some land that slopes gently to the east that used to be planted in strawberries many years ago, but continues to be known by locals as "The Strawberry Field".
We spent a year studying the site, reading the 70-year-old walnut trees for clues about relative fertility and water-availability before clearing the upland in the Summer of 2009. The land was put into grains for a few years to dredge up any remaining walnut roots and finally, in the fall of 2014, we made our first planting of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The next summer was a nail-biter for neophyte growers watching over first-year vines on an non-irrigated site, but we were gratified that our instincts had proven correct: with the added expertise of our vineyard manager, Luke Pedotti, the young vines not only survived, they thrived. We lost less than 1% of our vines that first summer. Whew!
We've done several plantings since then and have a few more in mind. We're fortunate to be partnering with some amazing winemakers. With the addition of several new blocks, and 18 acres planted so far, we look forward to forging new partnerships in the years to come. 33 tons of Ninebark grapes were harvested in 2019.
Location
The vineyard is on the west slope of the Chehalem Mountains AVA, just north of Ribbon Ridge. Nearby vineyards include Colleen Clemons and Patton Valley, though there's not a lot of plantings in this corner of the AVA. It will be exciting to discover the characteristics and flavor profiles associated to the unique conditions of this site.
Elevation
Current plantings range from 530-650 feet.
Soil
The soil across all our vine-suitable areas is Saum, a red-brown volcanic silt loam similar to Jory, but with a bit less water-holding capacity. A few sections of the vineyard contain large basalt boulders.
For more information about the site and the plantings, including block maps, heat hours, clones and soils, checkout out the Ninebark Vineyard page on Everyvine. Also, you can view the current block map here.
Farming Practices
We are LIVE certified and Salmon Safe and have been farming the grapes following LIVE standards from the beginning. Despite having abundant water resources, we chose not to irrigate. We feel that if the vines can get established, they should perform solidly with their deep roots in even the hottest summers...and hopefully have more intense flavors as well. Beginning in 2019, the vineyard will be glyphosate free.
On the Shelf
Grapes from the first harvest in 2017 have gone into a number of wines, including the Four Graces Willamette Valley bottling which received a 93-point rating from Wine Spectator. In addition, Roots Wine Co. produced a vineyard-designate bottling using Ninebark Pommard and 115 clone grapes.
Management
Results Partners has managed the vineyard since 2013, though Fergus, the vineyard dog, runs the place.
In the Fall of 2007, after a 5 year search, we made our first visit to a 100-acre property overlooking the small community of Laurelwood. The old farm property had been badly neglected, but had tons of potential. A derelict walnut orchard was perched on a jutting upland in a thermal belt with excellent air drainage; the 500-650’ elevations were right; and there were a variety of warm and cool aspects available for planting. It also had the volcanic soil we had been seeking with perfect drainage and proven water-holding capacity for dry-farming (the beautiful 270 degree view was a nice bonus too.) Several other portions of the property were available for future expansion, including another ridge to the west and some land that slopes gently to the east that used to be planted in strawberries many years ago, but continues to be known by locals as "The Strawberry Field".
We spent a year studying the site, reading the 70-year-old walnut trees for clues about relative fertility and water-availability before clearing the upland in the Summer of 2009. The land was put into grains for a few years to dredge up any remaining walnut roots and finally, in the fall of 2014, we made our first planting of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The next summer was a nail-biter for neophyte growers watching over first-year vines on an non-irrigated site, but we were gratified that our instincts had proven correct: with the added expertise of our vineyard manager, Luke Pedotti, the young vines not only survived, they thrived. We lost less than 1% of our vines that first summer. Whew!
We've done several plantings since then and have a few more in mind. We're fortunate to be partnering with some amazing winemakers. With the addition of several new blocks, and 18 acres planted so far, we look forward to forging new partnerships in the years to come. 33 tons of Ninebark grapes were harvested in 2019.
Location
The vineyard is on the west slope of the Chehalem Mountains AVA, just north of Ribbon Ridge. Nearby vineyards include Colleen Clemons and Patton Valley, though there's not a lot of plantings in this corner of the AVA. It will be exciting to discover the characteristics and flavor profiles associated to the unique conditions of this site.
Elevation
Current plantings range from 530-650 feet.
Soil
The soil across all our vine-suitable areas is Saum, a red-brown volcanic silt loam similar to Jory, but with a bit less water-holding capacity. A few sections of the vineyard contain large basalt boulders.
For more information about the site and the plantings, including block maps, heat hours, clones and soils, checkout out the Ninebark Vineyard page on Everyvine. Also, you can view the current block map here.
Farming Practices
We are LIVE certified and Salmon Safe and have been farming the grapes following LIVE standards from the beginning. Despite having abundant water resources, we chose not to irrigate. We feel that if the vines can get established, they should perform solidly with their deep roots in even the hottest summers...and hopefully have more intense flavors as well. Beginning in 2019, the vineyard will be glyphosate free.
On the Shelf
Grapes from the first harvest in 2017 have gone into a number of wines, including the Four Graces Willamette Valley bottling which received a 93-point rating from Wine Spectator. In addition, Roots Wine Co. produced a vineyard-designate bottling using Ninebark Pommard and 115 clone grapes.
Management
Results Partners has managed the vineyard since 2013, though Fergus, the vineyard dog, runs the place.
