Celebrating 40 Years!

Forty years ago, Denis Burger and Elaine McCall laid the foundation for what would become Yamhill Valley Vineyards. Spurred on by the Oregon wine pioneers of the 60s and 70s, they set out to find their own patch of land to learn winemaking from the ground up. A classified ad in the local paper pointed them in the direction of McMinnville, with the promise of ‘Land for Sale: Good for Grapes’.

Thanks to the collaborative nature of the Oregon wine industry, Denis was able to purchase Pinot noir from a neighbor in the same viticultural region, Hyland Estates. He then made our first wine at Sokol Blosser Winery with assistance from their winemaker, Bob McRitchie. It was that first 1983 Pinot Noir that Denis took to the Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference where he met Stephen Cary, who the following year included it in the 1985 Burgundy Challenge. There it outcompeted the French burgundies in a blind tasting and took home top honors. Stephen later joined Yamhill Valley and spent 24 years as head winemaker.

Today, Yamhill Valley Vineyards produces 100% estate grown wines from our 150-acre estate. Pinot Noir lies at the heart of our winemaking, with Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Rosé rounding out the production. Within our site, a variety of clones, trellis styles, slopes, soils, and vine ages provide a rich and complex range of grape flavors for our head winemaker, Ariel Eberle, to vinify. From the beginning, we have been dedicated to the pursuit of the distinctive Yamhill Valley character provided by this unique property. Our goal is to offer the full expression of its charm, elegance, and intensity in the wine in your glass.

Building on the foundation of hard work, determination, and intrepid spirit, the second generation has now taken on the reins. Denis and Elaine’s daughter, Jenny Burger, is President and General Manager, while son, Greg Burger, is Vice President and National Sales Representative.

Join us in honoring our past, celebrating the future, and commemorating this milestone with festivities throughout the year:

Winemaker Dinner at Steamboat Inn – April 29th

Winemaker Dinner at Rosmarino - June 9th

Founder’s Fest – June 10th

Pre-IPNC Winemaker Dinner – July 27th

Vineyard Hike and Lunch - September

Harvest Party - October

Out with a Bang: Extended Tirage Bubbles Release – December