McCall

 

In its early days, a handful of visionaries migrated to Oregon to make wine in the Burgundian style on a bohemian budget. Today, Oregon produces more than 1.2 million cases of wine annually, with wine sales producing $200 million in revenue. Planted acreage has more than doubled in the last 10 years, and the tourism it attracts multiplies the impact of the wine trade throughout Oregon's economy.

In the nation and around the world, Oregon wine has come to represent the superb quality of all of Oregon agriculture. The reason is the area's climate. Cool wet springs charge the soils with water. Warm summer days ripen the fruit and cool nights protect the delicate flavors and crisp acidity. A (usually) reliable Indian Summer creates optimal picking conditions for wine grapes.


Pinot noir and other varietals thrive because of our climate. But the wine industry thrives because of Oregon's innovative land use laws.

Our state's controlled approach to sprawl has left us with a "bank account" of valuable farmland. Only 40 years ago, the idea that grapes could grow in otherwise marginal farm sites was revolutionary. Now it has become the status quo. Multi-million dollar wineries are springing up around the state, and we take it for granted that Pinot noir and other wine grapes are a natural feature of Oregon's economy.

However, one of Oregon's most acclaimed grape growing sites, the Red Hills of Dundee, was once slated for use as suburban development. Senate Bill 100 in 1973 changed that, giving all citizens the opportunity to help form decisions about how land would be used in their area.

The farm-based economy of Yamhill County placed a premium on the economic benefits of farmland. The result was that the wine industry was allowed to develop and flourish.

Oregon wine is a success story in Oregon agriculture, but it is by no means the only one. The nursery industry is a significant and growing sector (20% of all farm sales in Oregon). And anyone who has tasted an Oregon strawberry knows that we grow the most flavorful fresh fruit in the world.

With America becoming more aware of the provenance and quality of the food we eat, all Oregon agriculture has the potential to follow the double-digit growth of the wine industry. Whether it will be able to do so will depend on how we spend our "bank account" of farmland.

Jason Lett is a second-generation Oregon winegrower, managing vineyards and winemaking for Bishop Creek Cellars and Urban Wine Works.

February 2006 news article about Oregon's surging wine industry