This is Oregon wine country at it's best--a glorious Pinot Noir paired with an equally glorious view.
The wine is from Brandborg Vineyard & Winery in Elkton, a tiny AVA in the far northwest of the Umpqua Valley in southern Oregon. There are just seven labels in the Elkton AVA (American Viticultural Area), which was established in 2013, and Brandborg is one of only two producing wineries there.
This view is from the deck of the Brandborg home on the estate vineyard outside the town of Elkton. The chilly cloudy day shows why this area is so hospitable to cool weather grapes. Climate-wise, it's comparable to Alsace or Burgundy, said winemaker Terry Brandborg, who is the current president of the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association.
After a vineyard tour, Brandborg (above) poured his 2014 Ferris Wheel Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir. The light color is deceptive. The wine is loaded with character, because Brandborg really knows what to do with grapes.
He's self-taught and hands-on, starting as a home winemaker in the San Francisco Bay area, where he worked as a longshoreman. In those days, he recalled, "I had my hippy friends over for a grape stomp in the driveway."
After he was licensed to sell commercially, in 1986, his wine was picked up by a high-profile distributor impressed by a Graves style Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend. At that time, Brandborg wine was showing up in restaurants such as Chez Panisse.
The early days of hawking sample bottles around San Francisco are long past. Now there's a handsome tasting room and winery on the main street of Elkton, which Brandborg designed (above).
Here's a look at the tasting room, where you can taste the wine, buy local products, and hear occasional music performances. Brandborg and wife Sue both cook for an annual five-course nouveau release dinner in the winery.
The Brandborgs settled in Elkton after a two-year search for property in California and Oregon. They bought 145 acres at Elkton, complete with a three-bedroom house, "for the same price as 20 acres with no improvements in the Anderson Valley," Brandborg said.
Just five acres of the estate vineyard, which is located at a cool 1,000 feet, are now planted. Twenty-five more acres have been cleared, and 20 of those are plantable, Brandborg said.
For the first four years after buying the land in 2002, he and Sue (above) did all the work, bringing production up to 6,000 cases. They have now reached 10,000 cases, made with both estate and purchased fruit. Most of the fruit comes from the Elkton AVA. They also custom make wine for other labels.
Assisting are two full time and one part time employee as well as picking crews and local help for bottling.
Back at the tasting room, Brandborg conducted a tasting, starting with the 2015 Fleur de Lis, a White Pinot Noir made "for the fun of it," the label says.
Then in came lunch, prepared by Sue Brandborg. To go with the wines, she came up with an asparagus quiche with a touch of goat cheese, homemade cucumber and onion pickles and a salad of local lettuce, grapefruit, pepitas and chives, mint and oregano that grow alongside the winery building.
With this, we tasted a completely dry Pinot Gris--"our oyster wine," Terry Brandborg said. (It's in the photo with Sue Brandborg).
Next up was the lightly sweet 2013 Riesling--the 2012 Riesling was the first wine bottled after Elkton became an AVA.
Then came a standout, the 2014 Gewürztraminer, a rich full wine at 14.2 % alcohol, made with grapes from two Elkton vineyards. "It's the single best bottle you can buy for Thanksgiving, because it works with everything on the plate," Brandborg said
The final wine was the 2014 Pinot Noir from the Hundredth Valley Vineyard, the most western of the Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua, which is a nickname for the Umpqua Valley.
Wines such as Brandborg's may tempt more to try their luck in Elkton. For now, this is a rural area, hilly, green, and quiet. The town of Elkton has only 170 inhabitants and few attractions for tourists. In other words, it's still unspoiled. The nearest large city is Portland, a three-hour drive away, which is too far for all but the most determined weekend wine tasters.
Brandborg Vineyard & Winery, 345 First St., Elkton, OR 97436. (541) 584-2870.
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