While Chardonnay was established among the very first vines of the Willamette Valley in the 1960s, it has spent most of the region’s history relegated to underachiever status. With Pinot Noir as the Willamette Valley’s signature grape, Chardonnay was long regarded as a side project. But recently winemakers throughout the valley have turned their attention to the white burgundy grape, working together to better understand its distinctiveness in their region. Changes in the overall consumer climate have helped smooth the path.
As consumer interest has shifted towards lighter wines...
