Vineyards in Central Oregon: Growing the vision

            It’s been over a decade since a vineyard along the Crooked River across from Smith Rock State Park became a pioneer for growing wine grapes in Central Oregon.

            That early beginning has been a stimulus for other vineyards, from small hobbyists to those aiming for commercial quantity production. And they are proving that even with the region’s abbreviated growing season and frost risk any time of year, quality grapes can be produced with proper care and attention to details.

            In 2018 there are seven recognized vineyards with 26.5 acres already producing grapes and anaother 12.5 acres planted within the past year, according to information from the Central Oregon Winegrowers Association.

            That early Central Oregon estate vineyard, Monkey Face, began in 2006-2007 as four acres and seven grape varietals at the 1,700 acre Ranch at the Canyons residential estate homes and working ranch.

             The vision of the ranch’s founding developers was to establish an amenity that would reflect the ambiance and design of Tuscany or Napa in a setting facing the spectacular rock formations of Smith Rock.

Grape cluster at Monkey Face-namesake rock in distance

            What distinguishes the regional vineyards from those in well-known wine regions such as California’s Napa, Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Washington’s Yakima and Walla Walla areas is the focus on planting cold hardy varietals. Weather-sturdy hybrids have long been planted in cold weather areas of the Northeast, Canada and the upper Midwest.

            Rather than more well-known vinifera varietals, such as Cabernet, Syrah, Chardonnay, the Central Oregon growers are mostly focused on French-American hybrids, varietals that were grafted onto France’s vinifera root stock after a deadly aphid-caused phylloxera outbreak in the mid-1850s. The hybrids are generally credited with rescuing vinifera vineyards from  what came to be known as the Great French Wine Blight.

            A  few Central Oregon growers have experimented with planting vinifera varietals but dramatic cold snaps have resulted in substantial vine loss.

Ranch at the Canyons-a vineyard pioneer

            The region’s arid climate and higher elevation, ranging from 2,700-3,450 feet, not only limit growing degree days, a standard agricultural measurement, but also heighten risk of a damaging frost especially in early spring at bud break time or late summer and fall with fruit on the vine.

            The three-county area of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson has a typical 80-day growing season with approximately 1,825 growing degree days, according to Kerry Damon, president of the Central Oregon Winegrowers Association (COWA). However, certain areas may have a “microclimate,” often only a few acres, with proximity to heat producing rock areas, such as Smith Rock, or other protective factors that can extend growing days.

            By comparison the Walla Walla and Yakima viticultural areas of Washington have more than 3,000 growing degree days and as many as six months for fruit to develop, Damon says.

            Currently under cultiviation in Central Oregon are the red varietals Marquette, Frontenac, Marechal Foch, Leon Millot and St. Croix, with Marquette comprising the largest planted acreage.

LaCrescent from Monkey Face, FHC label

            White varietals include LaCrescent, Vignole, Frontenac Gris, La Crosse, Brianna and Seyval Blanc. La Crescent and Frontenac Gris account for most acreate of whites planted.

            Among the recognized vineyards in production, Cindy and Roger Grossmann’s Faith, Hope & Charity in the Lower Bridge area of Deschutes County is the first combination vineyard and winery permitted on land zoned for excusive farm use, or EFU. The exception  is allowed under an Oregon state law that requires a minimum of 15 planted acres. 

            Just north of the county line in Jefferson County, Doug Maragas has established his winery and vineyard on EFU land with a conditional use permit, a different approach than at FHC.

            Under their permit, the Grossmanns can hold events such as weddings on the property but must sell only the wine produced either from their estate grapes or sourced elsewhere and bottled with the FHC label. A minimum percentage of the business’ income must come from wine sales.

            In 2017 FHC realized its estate bottling from vines planted in 2011, after earlier bottling LaCrescent sourced from Monkey Face at Ranch at the Canyons and Syrah from Zerba Cellars in Milton-Freewater, part of the Walla Walla AVA, or American Viticultural Area.

            Joining FHC, vineyards now in production are Maragas, Monkey Face, Deschutes River Vineyard, Rippling Waters and Johnson Creek. Others in the planting or maturing stage include Deschutes River Vineyard, Grapeyard, Rippling Waters, Iverson and Cascade Canyon.

            Among challenges other than climate, Damon of the winegrowers association says voracious birds are high on the list, although rockchucks have also occasionally posed a problem to vines. Growers can mitigate frost hazards by overhead stream roter irrigation systems that protect the fruit. For the avian invaders, netting and/or recorded sound systems with predator calls can be effective.

            Processing fruit from vine to bottle for larger producers such as FHC involves contracting with a custom crush facility and winemaker, in FHC's situation Pallet in Medford with winemaker Linda Donovan nurturing grapes in the barrel. Smaller growers have rented crush equpment for limited quanity bottlings, which allows production of 250 gallons per person without facing federal regulations.

            At various presentations to promote the local vineyard movement, Damon often raises a question that faced early growers:

            “Can you grow wine grapes in Central Oregon? Can you nurture them to maturity?, and Can you make good wine from them?”

            “The answer,” he quickly responds, “is yes, yes and yes!”

The Fall vineyard harvest in Central Oregon-on the way to wine

            The sun rose over the rust-colored, jagged spires of Smith Rock State Park on a day in what had been an unusually warm Fall.

            A diverse collection of mostly volunteers with work gloves and pruning shears were snipping ripe grape clusters and carrying them in buckets to a bin pulled by a small tractor.

            And on this October day Kerry Damon, the man generally considered the godfather of Central Oregon viticulture,  was breathing more easily. It would be the final harvest of the section of Frontenac grapes. It is one of several varietals he has nurtured over seven years to establish Monkey Face Vineyard as the cornerstone of a nascent wine industry in this high desert environment.

Picking the Frontenac vines

            For the past few days Damon had sampled grape clusters to determine the “brix,” or sugar content, that would be most ideal to complete the final harvest day. He had shared the information with the winemaker at Pallet, a custom crush facility about 180 miles away in Medford. And together they had decided the optimal day to pick.

            This had been a good grape year for Monkey Face. An unusually early and warm growing season had extended well into Fall, with only a couple of evenings where the grapes had to be protected from frost by an overhead misting system.

            Birds were more of a challenge. And Damon had been busy checking the netting that would provide some barrier from the avian intruders.

            Also retarding some of the growth had been leaf hoppers, a gnat like insect, that can sap nutrients from the leaves. The brix readings for sugar and PH for acid were slightly less than usual, but cooler and potentially rainy weather was forecast.

            “Timing is everything,” observed Damon. And it was time to pick the last section of the vineyard.

            All-in-all Damon expects the all of Monkey Face’s production to reach 8.5 tons, about a half ton more than the 2013 crop. 

Damon and Robert Dunkelburger discuss the harvest

 Blending hybrids with vinifera grapes

            The vineyard name derives from the  Monkey Face rock formation, an imposing 350-foot semian-like pillar that is a legend among accompished technical climbers for its variety of difficult routes. The climbing rock rises from its base in Smith Rock State Park, just across the Crooked River from the vineyard.          

Initially planned as an amenity for the gated Ranch at the Canyons luxury home community, the influence of Monkey Face Vineyard has reached beyond the residential “working ranch”   to become the nexus of a growing regional industry.

            Until 2014, the Monkey Face grapes had been mostly purchased by  commercial winemakers, who would often blend it’s cold-hardy French-American hybrid varietals with more well-known vinifera grapes, such as cabernet, syrah or chardonnay.

            In the immediately past few years, Monkey Face owners-- the Ranch at the Canyons homeowners association--had sold most of its harvest to another winery-vineyard operation, Faith Hope & Charity, the latter still a year or two away from maturity of its 15-acre vineyard.

            The result was an award-winning, 100% Monkey Face white varietal, La Crescent, bottled with the Faith Hope & Charity label.  Now Damon is following the same path as FHC by having Pallet in Medford turn Monkey Face grapes into wine bottled with its own label relecting the Ranch at the Canyons location.

            Among the other hybrids grown at Monkey Face are Marechal Foch, Frontenac, Frontenac Gris and Vignole, most of these familiar in colder regions of the upper Mid-west and Finger Lakes region of New York than in warmer climes of California, Oregon and Washington--the nation’s leading vinifera growing states. 

The answer is "Yes, Yes and Yes!"

            The importance of tolerance to frigid weather in Central Oregon was dramatically illustrated in the winter of 2013-2014. Then a protracted cold snap of sub-zero temperatures essentially wiped out the new vinifera vines of Maragas vineyard and winery, a Monkey Face neighbor a few miles to the north.

            From Damon’s perspective, Monkey Face and a few other growers have answered the questions--Can you grow wine grapes in Central Oregon? Can you nurture them to maturity? and Can you make good wine from them?.

The answer, he repeats often, is “Yes, yes and yes!”

            Cindy and Roger Grossmann at Faith Hope & Charity have bought into Damon’s positive attitude for the potential of a Central Oregon viticulture industry.

Lunch after the harvest

            Their 312-acre farm property is home to the first winery permitted on exclusive farm use zoned property in Deschutes County by virtue of planting a minimum of 15 acres as required by Oregon law.

In 2015 the Grossmanns plan to harvest their first “estate wine” grapes, a crop with many of the same cold-hardy varietals already established at Monkey Face Vineyard.

Meanwhile, FHC hosts weddings and regular music, food and wine events in its scenic setting with views of the Three Sisters Peaks, and only a couple of miles to the Deschutes River.

In order to comply with wine sales requirements of the country land use permit, FHC for now offers wine bottled with its label and sourced elsewhere in the Columbia River AVA appellation bordering Oregon and Washington.

The Grossmanns and Damon have been leaders in the Winegrowers Association of Central Oregon, which also has members that include Scott Ratcliff's successful Volcano winery in Bend and labels by OJ Merrill, Naked Winery and Maragas. None of these have high-production vineyards in Central Oregon although Volcano and Maragas have blended some of their wines with Monkey Face varietals.

Other smaller vineyards are also in various stages of development, including Double Eagle by the Dunne family along the Deschutes River just a few miles between Monkey Face and Faith Hope & Charity.

(See Vineyards and Wineries for previous posts)