The Burgundy Challenge and Our First Wine

Planting  of our vineyards began in 1983. With young starts in the ground, Denis and Elaine decided to purchase fruit to make their first wine in 1983.  Denis had amateur experience of small batch fruit wines (think, blackberry wine in his garage), and needed to learn more in order to make a commercial size amount from our crop. He took classes at UC Davis, and worked the night shift at Sokol Blosser, slogging away (after finishing his regular job at OHSU) at the press with Fred Arterberry. In 1983, we bought 10 tons of Pinot Noir from Hyland Vineyards, a vineyard close to us in what would become the McMinnville AVA.  These grapes were processed at Sokol Blosser by Denis and Fred Arterberry, under the eye of Bob McRitchie, the winemaker. The wine, 700 cases in 10 French oak barrels, was finished at Sokol Blosser, and stored at Rex Hill.

This collaborative approach was unique to Oregon’s young wine region. Every effort was focused on crafting the best wines possible to serve as the best possible representations for the fledgling Oregon wine industry. Without this collaboration and partnership, we would not have the same kick start into the industry. The Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference became the ultimate example of how winemakers could gain everything, and lose nothing, by openly sharing knowledge with one another. 

In 1984, Denis took this newbie 1983 vintage of our first wine, down to the Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference.  This conference was a gathering of Pinot Noir producers who get together with their best, their problems their worst, and in an open and positive way taste their experiments and ask for insight, assistance, suggestions, all to the aim of improving Pinot Noir production. Stephen Cary, who was one of the founders of this conference, and was the owner of Cary Oregon Wines, a distributorship for Oregon, was enthusiastic about our wine, and said that he would carry it.

Stephen Cary had been disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm locally, nationally, and internationally, for Oregon Pinot Noirs. Inspired by other comparative tastings, Stephen suggested an Oregon vs Burgundy tasting to the International Wine Center (IWC) in New York. Despite the IWC president predicting poor results for Oregon, there was strong support for the idea among Oregon producers. The Oregon-Burgundy Challenge took place at the New York Wine Center in September of 1985 with 10 Oregon Pinot Noirs, 7 French Burgundies, and 25 judges.  We were thrilled to have our 1983 Pinot Noir selected for the Oregon representation.  

The judges had two tasks - identify the origin of each wine and select their three favorites. As a group, the twenty-five judges could not correctly identify the place of origin for at least 50% of the wines. In terms of favorites, Oregon placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, tied for 4th, and for 5th. Receiving first place honors was our very own 1983 Yamhill Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir, followed by Sokol Blosser, Adelsheim, Eyrie, and Knudsen-Erath. 

This event helped Oregon wines earn the respect of the French, as well as American consumers, while still maintaining a positive relationship between the two winemaking regions.   As a result, there was a surge of interest and appreciation for Oregon Pinot Noir locally. This enthusiasm transformed the industry, and wines that had been languishing in warehouses were selling like hot cakes. We made sure that we had some left for the Grand Opening of the winery. 

In early 1986, Elaine spent several days with a young baby in an infant seat beside her, tiling and grouting the floor of our soon-to-open Tasting Room.  They made aprons, bought glasses, and a cooler to chill the white wines for opening day in April 1986.  They of course had their star wine, the winner of the Burgundy Challenge to pour and sell for 16.00 a bottle with a one bottle limit.  The publicity of the Burgundy Challenge created an interested crowd which extended out the tasting room and on to the front porch.  Yamhill Valley Vineyards was officially open for business.