Why Oregon’s Sparkling Winemakers Have Created America’s Champagne

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“Oregon is increasingly recognized as the ‘Champagne of America,’” says Levi Seed, director of hospitality, head sommelier, and chef de cuisine at the Joel Palmer House Restaurant in Dayton, Oregon. “While there are distinct differences in soil and climate, compared to France, the quality of Oregon sparkling wine has evolved significantly since Rollin Soles founded Argyle in the 1980s.” Serving bottles from Domaine Willamette, Gran Moraine, Maison Jussiaume, and Roco RMS—where Soles is now head winemaker—Seed says despite rapid expansion in the sparkling sector “most modern producers are operating decades ahead of the original standards.” 

With all the excitement we’ve seen for several years around Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it was only a matter of time before the state’s sparkling wine started gaining notoriety, too. Those varieties are the main ingredients in Champagne, so it makes perfect sense that Beaver State winemakers would add additional yeast to bottles to turn their still wine into delectable bubbles. With a history reaching back almost 40 years, production of Oregon sparkling has since grown so large that it has its own trade organization, Method Oregon, which boasts 55 member wineries.

“The Willamette Valley’s cooler climate creates ideal conditions for producing high-quality traditional method sparkling wines,” says Terry Culton, director of winemaking and vineyards at Domaine Willamette, which produces sparkling wine from its estate vineyards across Willamette Valley. “The cooler weather allows for an extended growing season and a slower ripening curve needed to pick fruit at the optimal maturity level.” Culton says the valley’s diverse soil types add complexity and character to the grapes, which offers a wide range of vineyard expressions: “The advantage of sourcing from multiple vineyard sites gives us the flexibility to respond to seasonal conditions and harvest during the peak weather window,” which is key to maintaining the acidity necessary to make world-class sparkling. Domaine Willamette’s quality is surely attributable to Culton’s attention to intricate details such as balanced pH and moderate sugar levels, creating the ideal foundation for sparkling wine.

While Domaine Willamette only makes sparkling, nearby Rex Hill is better known for its still Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which it has been producing for more than 40 years. Introducing its sparkling in 2015, today Rex Hill executive winemaker Michael Davies has his hand in four different bottlings: a brut-style Grand Cuvée, a rosé, Blanc de Blancs, and Blanc de Noirs. He works with four vineyards in three Willamette Valley AVAs, each of which brings a different character to the finished wine. He ferments his base wines in a combination of both neutral French oak barrels and stainless-steel drums to highlight the fruit expression. “We have also gravitated toward longer en tirage aging to build complexity and richness in bottle,” he says.

Leah Adint, head winemaker at Erath Winery, also attributes Oregon’s cool climate with offering the ideal location in the States to produce high quality sparkling wines, as it promotes vibrant acidity. The fruit for her La Lumière Magique is sourced from a single vineyard in Eola-Amity Hills, which is well known for crisp, mineral-driven Chardonnay as well as high acid retention in both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. “For these reasons, it’s the perfect place to source sparkling fruit,” Adint says. “This fruit is intentionally farmed for sparkling wine; we keep a higher yield to slow down fruit ripening and encourage a bigger canopy to protect against sunburn.” She also regards the collaborative spirit of winemakers here as one of the state’s greatest assets in its quest to produce the best possible bottles. “We work together to find the right vineyards, the right techniques, and the right blend of varieties, she says.“Our tide of intention and quality is raising all ships.”

That spirit is evident in Method Oregon, which is dedicated to advancing Oregon’s reputation as a world-class sparkling-wine region and telling the story of Oregon’s fast-growing traditional method movement. For consumers, its most important feature may be the Method Oregon mark, an emblem certifying that the wine is 100 percent grown and produced in Oregon, made using traditional method (secondary fermentation in bottle), and aged at least 24 months en tirage. “It’s a visual shorthand for one of the world’s most rigorous base standards for traditional method sparkling production,” says founding board member Jeanne Feldkamp, who is also the cofounder and co-winemaker of Corollary Wines, widely considered one of the state’s best sparkling-wine houses. In addition to connecting wineries with consumers, media, and trade professionals, fostering collaboration among Oregon sparkling producers is also an important part of the organization’s mission. “By regularly gathering for technical tastings and winemaking discussions, we all learn from each other and work together to keep raising the bar on quality for the entire region,” says Feldkamp. 

Alexandra Lanoue, wine director at Canlis in Seattle, thinks Feldkamp and her husband and Corollary business partner Dan Diephouse “are pushing the industry forward in an inspiring way.” She serves Corollary 2021 Cuvée One Brut, which she admires for its “length, freshness, and tension it provides on the palate.” She names Dungeness crab cake, oysters, fried chicken, and caviar as her favorite pairings for this sparkler, showing its incredible versatility. At Jory at the Allison Inn & Spa in the Willamette Valley, lead sommelier Tim Holst is also a fan pairing Oregon bubbles—namely, Soter Brut Reserve NV—with Oregon Royal Sturgeon caviar. Holst also believes with a combination of experienced winemakers pushing the industry to new heights and new producers helping define the region’s future, Oregon sparkling wine is entering an exciting chapter. “The depth of knowledge, research, and talent being invested suggests Oregon is poised to become one of the world’s premier sparkling wine regions,” he says. In our opinion, it already has.

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