Cameron Winery -- sustainably farmed, non-irrigated, Oregon pinot noir and chardonnay

Harvest mercifully ended this week….it could have gone on and on had it not been for that untimely freeze that caused the leaves to fall off the vines, leaving the forlorn grape clusters hanging alone begging to be put out of their misery.  The mouth-searing acidity, low sugars and absurdly long hang times (that is, how long the fruit hangs onto the vines before we deem them sufficiently ripe for plucking) will forever characterize the 2011 vintage.  But, perhaps incredibly, the first bulletins from our cellar, as we press off red fermenters and watch (and smell) barrels of white juice begin to turn into wine, point to a possible stellar vintage.  In mid-October when the entire affair seemed headed for disaster I heard one lone voice insisting that a vintage on the edge often leads to great wines…thank you Doug Tunnel (Brickhouse Vineyards, http://www.brickhousewines.com).

Though I also have to admit that around the same time my partner and incredible grape grower, Bill Wayne (Abbey Ridge Vineyards, see photo) insisted that the previous 2 weeks of rain were not a problem “because the grapes are not ripe enough to rot!” Bill was indeed correct and except for some errant mildew blowing in from an unsprayed apple nursery next door, his fruit turned out gorgeous. To be sure, there is acidity to be adjusted in some cases and there was a lot of under ripe fruit to be culled out during the sorting process but ripe flavors and aromas are unmistakably present in the developing wines.

Due to continuing fermentations in the cellar for the next several weeks, carbon dioxide levels in the winery are dangerously high. Therefore
WE WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.

Our wines will be available for tasting Thanksgiving weekend at the Ponzi Wine Bar in Dundee.

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