News

Why Oregon Winemakers Are Trading Their Pinot Noir for Chardonnay

By Robb Report June 2024

"The saying “If it grows together, it goes together” is generally considered to have a culinary connotation, but it can also be applied to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two Burgundy natives that thrive side by side in multiple wine regions around the world. Robb Report has covered the rise of both varieties in Oregon’s Willamette Valley over the past several years, and it seems that although Pinot Noir was the star and Chardonnay held a supporting role, the white varietal is coming into its own in the Beaver State and may soon eclipse the popularity of its darker-hued relative. As consumers’ thirst for Chardonnay continues unabated and producers view it through a new lens, the varietal has found itself on the fast track to success in Oregon, with many vintners and growers planting or grafting prized blocks once reserved for Pinot Noir to Chardonnay."

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Bryn Mawr Vineyards Announces New Chef Partnership and Summer Events

By Wine Industry Advisor May 2024

"Bryn Mawr Vineyards announces a new partnership with Chef Jonathan Jones, head chef of Salem’s Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails, including a small plate menu to accompany wine tastings and a new Friday night dinner series offering a seasonal, reservation-only five-course meal paired with Bryn Mawr wines."

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Oregon Annual Report: A Payback Vintage and Pinots That Stop Time

By JamesSuckling.com April 2024

"Oregon winemakers in recent years have been troubled by natural events in the vineyards, like 2020’s wildfire smoke, 2021’s heat spikes and 2022’s sobering spring frost. Not to mention droopy economic news in the tasting rooms and retail shops, where sales and winery visitors decreased in 2023. No wonder they were happy to share some terrific new wines, mostly 2021s and 2022s, with our tasting team last month in the Willamette Valley.

Associate Editor Andrii Stetsiuk, Tasting Manager Kevin Davy, Publisher John Williams and I braved snow, sleet and mud to taste and rate 843 wines – 505 pinot noirs, 175 chardonnays and an eclectic mix of other wines from sparkling to pinot gris, gamay noir and syrah."

 

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Forget carpools, these Oregon wineries share sheep

By The Drinks Business April 2024

The Drinks Business wrote about our unique "Sheep Share" that we shared with our beloved neighbors on Bethel Heights Road: Bethel Heights and Bjornson Vineyard. We loved partnering with Naked Grazing to implement a sheep grazing system instead of having to do any weeding or mowing. Having livestock in the vineyard off-season has so many benefits! Read the article to find out about the Sheep Share, or ask us about it next time you visit!

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Market Worries Percolate to the Vineyard

By Wine Business Monthly April 2024

Our winemaker Rachel was interviewed for this piece about the rising cost of vineyard maintenance, including worries such as labor and climate change. Rachel discussed our measures in the vineyard to create healthier soils which will lead to better wine quality. Operational costs are sometimes higher because of our focus on regenerative practices, but we know that's more important than cutting costs.

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Oregon's New Release Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Reviewed in Vinous

By Vinous January 2023

The Vinous Oregon report came out and we earned three scores in the 90s for our Willamette Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and our Estate Pinot Noir.

The Oregon reviewer Eric Guido called our Pinot Noir "impossible to ignore", and we love what he wrote about the Chardonnay: "It begins with a pleasant inner sweetness, giving way to tart green apple and lime-tinged mineral tones. This finishes with a spicy tension and saline tinge, completely resetting the palate for another sweet and salty sip."

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11th Annual Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition Results

By Great Northwest Wine December 2023

"The Bryn Mawr Vineyards nonvintage Brut Rosé by Rachel Rose in the Eola-Amity Hills rose to the top of the sparkling wine category."

Best Sparkling Wine / Gold Medal
Bryn Mawr Vineyards NV Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley — 93 points

Silver Medals:
Bryn Mawr Vineyards 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $30.00
Bryn Mawr Vineyards 2018 Tempranillo, Eola-Amity Hills Willamette Valley

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What does climate change mean for fine white wine?

By The Drinks Business November 2023

"Rachel Rose, winemaker at Bryn Mawr Vineyards in Salem, Oregon, says she has been slowly transitioning her production to include more whites, both to reflect her personal preferences, but also because of what she sees happening in the market.

“We used to be about 40 percent white, 60 percent red, but we are moving toward 50-50,” Rose says. “Whites bring me great joy, so that is part of the reason I’m focusing more on whites. But there is a growing interest in both lower alcohol wines and crisper flavors. I feel like we are meeting people where they’re at. They are also eating locally grown, fresh foods with more spice than in the past, and whites just taste better with the food styles that are trending.”

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Remy Drabkin: McMinnville, Oregon Mayor and Winemaker

By Passport Magazine November 2023

"Last year, Drabkin organized the first ever Oregon Queer Wine Fest, beginning what she and her fellow queer vintners feel is part of a larger movement.

David Lauer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Bryn Mawr Vineyards in nearby Salem, Oregon, was among the participants in the inaugural Queer Wine Fest. “I absolutely loved being a part of it,” he says. “My family’s operation is quite a bit larger in scale than the majority of producers represented, and my queerness is more of an accoutrement to our operation than a central force as it is for many of my peers in attendance. That said, it’s so important to remind folks that queerness exists in every different aspect and generation of the wine industry, so I was honored to participate. I was provided the chance to meet and connect with so many people with whom I will continue to support and work with. It’s absolutely necessary to create spaces for fearless celebration and collaboration. Remy has provided us with that opportunity.” “Queer Wine Fest isn’t just a party,” she explains. “It’s a way to build intentional networks between LGBTQ+ wine professionals and to invite the broader community of wine drinkers to join us in making wine more accessible and representative of the diverse folks who make it.”

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20 Of The Coolest And Most Delicious Wines For Your Thanksgiving Dinner

By Forbes November 2023

"Bryn Mawr Vineyards Tempranillo, Oregon, 2019: A very cool wine from a pinot noir focused appellation. This is one of the few, if only, Willamette Valley wineries that grows Tempranillo as well as Dolcetto at their estate. This one shows off with ripe black cherry notes, a hint of spice and a marvelously silky palate – thanks to a year of bottle aging before release. It’s only 12% alcohol so go ahead and give the aunties another glass or two."

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