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Winemaker Nate Wall and assistant winemaker Cary Willeford passing out Champagne to celebrate the arrival of the first grapes of vintage 2019.
Early morning harvest of Malbec destined to become part of Cuvée Pyrénées.
We build our new biodynamic compost during harvest as pomace from the press is added to each pile. We produce over 300 tons a year from a blend of organic manure from our next-door neighbor, Noble Dairy, combined with our own biodynamically farmed pomace and hay.
Winemaker Nate Wall stacks freshly bottled Troon Vineyard Piquette! It will finish fermentation in the bottle and be released this coming spring. New bubbles for spring!
Our Piquette is a mélange of varieties, made from the pomace of our white and rosé wines, which included marsanne, roussanne, viognier, tinta roriz and primitivo. The pomace is soaked overnight in water, then pressed and fermented in stainless steel. It is bottled when there is just enough sugar left to ferment in the bottle and naturally create a unique sparkling wine. Here harvest intern Jessica and assistant winemaker Cary fill new bottles of Piquette!
Piquette is all about fun. A low alcohol, effervescent summer quaff. After a few months in the bottle, it will be ready for release.
Vineyard manager Jason Cole and crew harvesting zinfandel as dawn breaks over the Siskiyou mountains.
Another first at Troon Vineyard this harvest was the production of a Pét Nat or pétillant naturel . Another Pét Nat may not be news, but one made from 100% Tannat in Southern Oregon certainly is something new. Here winemaker Nate Wall hand fills bottles of Pét tanNat.
Using this ancient method for producing sparkling wine, our Pét tanNat will ferment in the bottle and then will be released next spring.
In the predawn light, Troon crew member Alberto puts picking bins in place.
Yet another first at Troon Vineyard this vintage was the addition of three new amphorae, which will be used to make orange wines. Here individual vermentino grapes are hand-sorted into an amphora.
An amphora is filled with whole-berry vermentino. The wine will ferment and age on the skins for about eight months.
Picking begins at first light as the sun breaks over the Siskiyou Mountains on a cold, cloudy October morning.
A ripe bunch of tannat about to be picked.
I am a biodynamic regenerative organic winegrower based in Oregon’s Applegate Valley