Oregon tasting: Changes afoot but boutique offer still shines

By Hamish Graham

Published: 09 February, 2026

At Farringdon’s stylish Old Session House, the Oregon Wine tasting showcased the Pacific Northwest’s lively offer. Those from the state demonstrated that export would remain a key focus despite the unavoidable geopolitical background noise.

The region’s Burgundian sensibility is heavily skewed towards Pinot Noir, representing 59% of the state’s plantings, compared to just 8% for Chardonnay. Director of international marketing at Oregon Wine, Margaret Bray, explained that the latter’s plantings are on the up, however.

“You are probably going to see Pinot Gris [17% of plantings] and Chardonnay flip-flop in the rankings pretty soon, for a number of reasons. One is economics – you can sell Chardonnay for more. Two, we are realising we can make some really world class Chardonnays, and three, sparkling production is on the rise”, she added.

When discussing this phenomenon with Bray and producers at the event, it was clear that Pinot Gris vines are not being ripped out in great numbers in this pursuit, rather vineyard Chardonnay plantings are being added.

During a masterclass led by wine writer Jamie Goode, it was demonstrated that the region’s scope is far from limited to these three varieties. A 2024 Riesling from the Willamette Valley’s Elk Cove shows high acidity (pH 2.93; TA 8g/l) though, as Goode reflected, “it doesn't taste harsh. I think the acid brings a vitality to the wine. Texturally, it's really interesting”. Elk Cove has recently been added to the Enotria portfolio.

A 2019 Gewurztraminer from Columbia Gorge’s Phelps Creek, tasted alongside the Riesling, showcased that the aromatic potential of the region is not limited to one variety.

Returning to Chardonnay, GC Wines’ Vivid Vineyards Chardonnay 2024 highlighted why plantings are on the up. A small producer (this wine limited to only 100 cases per year) from the well-known Eola-Amity Hills, its wine was liked at the tasting.

Goode posited: “The oak is present, but it is quite well integrated. It’s quite a stern wine in some ways and potentially age worthy.”

Vivid Vineyards is aged in oak barrels for 16 months with grapes drawn from the AVA’s volcanic soils.

The wine is reasonably priced compared to some of the state’s Chardonnays, with owner and winemaker at GC Wines, John Grochau believing in the importance of “getting wine in front of people” and “making wine more democratic”, as he explained to me later. This pricing decision was strongly influenced by Grochau’s experience working in restaurant hospitality.

The winemaker also had a Pinot Noir and Pinot Gamay blend on show, Convivial. Made in the Burgundian ‘passetoutgrain’ style (which translates to ‘throw it all in’), the fresh, bright Beaujolais-esque wine is aged for five-an-a-half months in 50% cement and 50% neutral oak. The two varieties are co-fermented. Grochau added that Gamay is easier to cultivate as the vines shoot straight up as they grow. At present GC Wines is without UK distribution.

Pinot Noir was of course tasted too, a highlight being Dundee Hills producer Sokol Blosser’s 2022 Pinot Noir. Retailing for approximately £35-40 and imported by Les Caves, the Pinot Noir is produced from the area’s volcanic soils using organic, no-till regenerative farming. The state’s diverse soil types allow for a diversity of Pinot Noirs too.

Goode explained: “Volcanic soils produces wines with more bright red fruit, while the sedimentary soils often tend to be a bit darker and richer.”

This rings true for the Sokol Blosser expression too, a delightful wine produced from a vineyard first established in 1971.

Negotiating challenges

Though the region’s positivity shone at the tasting, the US state is unable to silo itself from a number of contemporary challenges.

Like most wine regions climate change is an ever-present difficulty. Grochau explained how Pinot Noir 25 to 30 years ago was at risk of being under-ripe, now the challenge is preventing over-ripeness. Vineyards in the state used to top out at 700ft above sea level, with a number now climbing to 1200ft.

Bray explained that trade war-induced difficulties have hampered exports from Oregon. Some producers have lost up to 15% of sale, in part due to this loss of export. The loss of Canadian buyers (the state’s top export market) has made maintaining relationships with other export markets like the UK all the more important. Though the region only exports around 5-6% of its wine, Bray detailed that it “is another leg on the stool” in terms of wineries’ business approach.

Bray added that wine tourism in the state has also taken a hit recently too. Seventy-five percent of the region’s wineries produce 5,000 or less cases, with many relying on cellar door sales. Though these difficulties remain, the boutique, exciting offer of the region and the state’s bevy of enthusiastic producers, means that Oregon should be able to weather the storm.

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