V2 Uncorked
April 1, 2023
Thank you for subscribing to our Violet Vines newsletter and we look forward to sharing what’s happening in Oregon and with our wines.
Each month, we’ll share what’s happening in our vineyards, in the winery, and in our tasting room as well as information regarding upcoming events in the area.
We’re also very excited to announce the launch of our new website. Every other week, we’ll post to our blog and cover popular topics as well as recommendations for the next time you visit the Willamette Valley. Our first five blogs cover recommendations regarding McMinnville and Eola-Amity Hills AVA wineries, an overview of our estate vineyard terroir, an answer to the question “What is an Ultra Violet”, and even an overview of how we’ve been expanding our vineyards.
Again, thank you for subscribing, and thanks for experiencing Oregon wines with us.
In the Vineyard
It’s April and we’re on the cusp of bud break, which is hard to believe given we had a few snowflakes this week. Regardless, vine pruning is complete and it’s one of our favorite times of year as the vineyard wakes up after its five-month slumber.
But this year is more exciting than ever because we’re expecting our first harvest from the expanded vineyard that we planted on the estate property in 2020. We can’t wait to harvest Chardonnay (clones 76 and 95) as well as more Pinot noir (Wadenswil and Clones 115 and 828) in October.
Also on the vineyard, we’re excited to announce we expanded the estate vineyard by 11 acres over the winter. We planted Syrah, Cab Franc, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Albariño, and a little more Pinot noir (Pommard). Next month, we finish the transformation of our Set-in-Stone Vineyard in the Rocks District of the Milton-Freewater AVA by planting five acres of Syrah and Grenache (with Mourvèdre coming in 2024).
In the Winery
We’re about a month or so away from opening our new winery in McMinnville! At the same time, our 2022 wines – all in barrel and tank – are already showing incredible promise!
We bottled our 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir in February and many of our wine club members received it last month. Like 2021, this Eola-Amity Hills Rosé is absolutely fantastic.
In the Tasting Room
We’re excited to announce that our tasting room is set to open May 20th, 2023. We have been busy renovating and updating this space which is located at 203 West Main Street in the heart of quaint Carlton, Oregon. We will be welcoming guests Wednesday through Sunday and will have extended hours on Friday and Saturday evenings. You can make a reservation via our new website.
We’ve also completed the construction of our estate vineyard tasting room in Sheridan which is open by appointment seasonally (starting in May). Nestled between the Pinot noir “Elk’s Envy” Clone 115 vineyard block and our new Albariño block (the “Good Block”), our visitors will experience current releases with amazing views of the Willamette Valley. As always, our wine club members are welcome for a complimentary visit. Email tasting@violetvines.com to book the two-hour experience at the estate vineyard.
In the Press
2023 marked the first time we’ve submitted our wines in competitions and for review.
At First Taste Oregon in January, our 2021 Ultra Violet Pinot Noir won Gold (best Pinot noir at the event), our 2021 Andrew Block Single Clone 115 Pinot Noir won Bronze and our 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir won Silver in the specialty wine category.
We also entered four wines in the SavorNW wine competition. Our 2021 Estate Pinot Noir earned a 92-point rating and a gold medal, the 2021 Ultra Violet and 2021 Andrew Block Pinot Noir won Gold and a 91-point rating and our 2022 Rose of Pinot Noir won Silver.
Our 2021 Ultra Violet Pinot Noir was chosen by the Oregon Wine Press as one of the 12 Pinot Noir cellar select winners for 2023. Look for the advertisement along with the review in the April issue of the Oregon Wine Press Magazine!
And lastly, we submitted three 2021 Pinot noirs to James Suckling for review, with results announced two weeks ago – once again, the 2021 Estate Pinot Noir earned an Outstanding 91 points, and the 2021 Ultra Violet and 2021 Andrew Block earned 90 points each.
Kudos to our world-class team of Tim Wilson (winemaker) and Phillippe Pessereau (and vineyard team) from Atlas Vineyard Management!
The Wine Club
We have an amazing wine club with amazing experiences and access to limited release wines! Curate your own experience with several different club types. Club shipments arrive three times a year (Fall, Winter and Spring). Check out the details online and customization options by clicking the link below.
