Vineyard and Winery / Grape to Glass
Location! Location! Location!
The Red Hills of Dundee have emerged as the true heart of Oregon wine country and the epicenter of high quality Pinot Noir. We started with 18 acres in 1971 and now own 80 acres of the best vineyard land. Why are these gentle hills at Sokol Blosser so perfect? The elements come together in just the right way: elevation, slope, sun exposure, soil and climate.
Farming Sustainably
We farm organically and sustainably, without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Even though we are growing only one crop, we have tried to create a small ecosystem by encouraging biodiversity through the use of compost, beneficial insects, wildflowers and birds. We trim the leaf-canopy in order to discourage disease. The result is that our vineyards are friendly to the environment, and the grapes they produce are healthful for our customers.
Vine-by-Vine Viticulture
Grapevines must be intensively managed to get perfectly mature fruit with intense, complex flavors. We go through the vineyard doing handwork on each vine over ten different times between pruning in February and harvest in October. This is in addition to tractor work. There are up to 1245 vines per acre and decisions are made on a vine-by-vine basis depending on each vine's health and maturity. Everything is done with the goal of crafting the very best wine possible, mindful that this starts with the quality of the grapes.
Harvest
We take our one chance a year to harvest our grapes and start the winemaking process extremely seriously. As the grapes start to ripen in September we carefully monitor them for flavor and maturity, watch the sky for signs of rain and listen to weather reports hourly. The grapes are harvested by hand and immediately spread across a conveyor belt where we examine each cluster. Any cluster that shows signs of rot or immaturity is immediately discarded. The clusters flow by gravity to their next stage-either de-stemming for the Pinot Noir, or directly into the press as whole clusters for the Pinot Gris and other white grapes. The pomace (stems and grape skins) created by de-stemming and pressing is composted for future use in the vineyard.
Fermentation
The Pinot Noir grapes are de-stemmed directly into fermenters, preserving as many whole berries as possible. Fermentation takes from six to ten days. When fermentation is complete the fermenters are sealed and the grapes undergo a post-fermentation maceration of about 21 days, monitored and tasted daily by the winemaker until the harsh tannins have turned soft and supple. Then the fermenters are drained and the grapes lightly pressed. The Pinot Gris and other white grapes are pressed as whole clusters and then fermented in stainless steel tanks. The tanks are chilled to different levels for different grapes to preserve the delicate floral character; fermentation takes two to six weeks depending on variety.
Barrel Aging
Oak aging is a critical part of Pinot Noir production. The right oak and the proper amount of time in barrel enhances a wine's structure, complexity, flavor and finish. Sokol Blosser's underground barrel aging rooms provide just the right setting for this to happen.
Enjoyment
At Sokol Blosser, we believe a great glass of wine is an important part of a fine meal. Food and wine are two pleasures that make life more enjoyable. Our goal is to make wine of the very highest quality--wine that is delicious to drink, is respectful of the environment, is mindful of your health and that, in sum, adds to the quality of your life.
