The Yamhill and Willamette valleys have become the heart of Pinot Noir in Oregon. Here at Youngberg Hill is no exception.  We have recently grafted some Chardonnay grapes, but that is a new development.  Our main wine has been Pinot, which is the traditional grape for our valley, since we bought Youngberg Hill in 2003.

There are some very good reasons why Oregon winegrowers have concentrated so heavily upon the Pinot grape. Here are a few:

1. Pinot Noir is a very finicky grape that loves the temperate weather and fresh ocean breezes provided by our valley.

2. Oregon wine country is a lot like Pinot Noir’s native Burgundy. This means the grape does great in the area. To give you some perspective, in California wine country, Pinot Noir is only 8% of the state’s wine grapes.  Here in Oregon, Pinot Noir is 55% of the our state’s wine grapes.

3. Pinot pairs with many local foods like chanterelle mushrooms  as well as many foods in general, so it makes our inner foodie jump for joy. Oregon is all about its food, wine, and beer.  We experiment and Pinot matches along with many, many of those experiments. And, if our food experiments fail – we still have it to drink as consolation.

4. Finally, as we all know – Pinot is delicious. We love how our Pinot showcases the terroir and has distinctive tastes, depending on where we planted. With our Burgundy-like land, we can pull off amazing Pinot Noir that is unlike any other created on earth. It is distinct to our land. This is something of which we are fiercely proud.

Oregon winemakers are, by nature, risk takers. We love picking the finickiest of wines, planting it in one of the most beautiful valleys on earth, and producing fabulous wine.

What is your favorite food to pair with Pinot Noir? Let us know!