Oregon Pinot Blanc

Pinot blanc (also known as pinot bianco), like Pinot gris, is a genetic mutation of Pinot noir that originated in Burgundy. It has been cultivated throughout Northern Europe for centuries, especially in the Alto Adige region of Italy as well as Alsace and Burgundy, where it thrives under the same vineyard conditions as Pinot noir. The decision to plant Pinot blanc at Bethel Heights in 1992 was inspired by years of success with Pinot noir on our site.

Pinot blanc was first planted in Oregon in 1967, but there are still fewer than 100 acres in production here, and only about a dozen Oregon wineries producing Pinot blanc wine.

The Pinot blanc grown in Oregon is the true Pinot blanc, imported directly from Alsace and evaluated at Oregon State University in the 1970s. It is distinctly different from the variety "Melon" which was mistaken for Pinot blanc in California vineyards until the 1980s.

Vintage 2001

2001 followed the typical pattern for a good Oregon vintage, very similar to 2000. Bloom in mid-June under sunny skies set a large crop that had to be thinned aggressively. Sunny dry weather persisted through the summer. A shot of rain in early September kept the vines healthy through a long slow ripening period. Harvest took place in early October with no rain. In spite of repeated crop thinning this was our largest vintage since 1987.

Contact us:
Winemaker: Terry Casteel
Vineyard Manager: Ted Casteel
Sales/Marketing: Pat Dudley

Date picked: October 13, 2001
Grapes at harvest: Brix : 23.0, pH: 3.3, TA: 6.5 gr./liter
Finished wine: Alcohol 13.9 %, pH: 3.35, TA: 6.0 gr/Liter
500 Cases produced, bottled March 2002
Suggested Retail $12

Winemaker notes: For Pinot blanc our winemaking choices are made to emphasize the fruit character of this rather delicate grape. The wine is fermented cold, exclusively in stainlesss steel. It is bottled in the spring following the vintage. This wine has delicate pear and melon flavors with a hint of honey, balanced by good acidity and a mineral edge.

Food recommendations: This Pinot blanc is a perfect choice to accompany mild fish like trout or sole, and subtler seafoods like scallops, which would be overpowerd by heavier white wines. For dessert, the fresh fruit flavors of this wine give an impression of sweetness that makes it a good match for something like fresh peach ice cream with almond cookies.