2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris is a white-wine grape originally from the vineyards of Burgundy. It is now found in wine regions all over the world. For wines in the pale, light style popularized in late 20th-Century Italy, the variety is typically referred to by the Italian name Pinot Grigio.

Willamette Valley, in western Oregon, is one of the United States’ most important non-Californian AVAs. From the city of Portland, it stretches southwards for 120 miles (190km) down the eponymous river valley, covering some 3.3 million acres (1.2 million ha) of land. Pinot Noir is by far the most popular and top-performing variety here. The best Oregon Pinot Noirs are regularly compared to their significantly more expensive counterparts from Burgundy.

Willamette Valley Vineyards is an Oregon-based wine producer, known for its varietal Pinot Noir wines and other cool-climate grape varieties. The estate was founded in 1983 by Jim Bernau. To help fund new vineyards and winery ventures, Bernau conducted the first crowd-funding campaign in the US in 1988, selling shares of the business to the community. Willamette Valley Vineyards now has more than 7000 shareholders.The estate vineyard has 21 hectares (53 acres) of vines in volcanic, iron-rich soils. It is located south of Salem and planted primarily to Pinot Noir, with a portion planted to Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.