It’s possible that mead (honey wine) and beer are older alcoholic beverages than wine. Honey was available in forests. Ancient civilizations cultivated grain, from which beer is made, long before grapes were cultivated.
Around 1900 farmers near Ashland in Southern Oregon were selling and shipping Flame Tokay grapes to markets in California before the much larger Tokay industry developed at Lodi, California.
In the early 1970’s, Dr. Hoya Yang, a research scientist at Oregon State University, studied the possibility of converting whey, a watery bi-product of cheese making, into wine. Oregon produces large amounts of cheese and whey was readily available. Dr. Yang expected to see the wine on the market in 1977.
 

A brief History of Early
Oregon Wine

Growing grapes in Oregon goes back to the early 1800’s, and probably earlier. Some 1820’s historical records document grape growing at Fort Vancouver on the Washington side of the Columbia River.  The Fort was established by the Hudson Bay Company. 

A brief history of early oregon wines

It has been said that George Simpson, head of the Hudson Bay Company, put grape and apple seeds in his pocket while attending a party in London, England. He apparently forgot about them but months later, while visiting Fort Vancouver, he gave the seeds to John McLoughlin, then manager of Fort Vancouver, who planted them. Sure enough they grew, and thus helped contribute to the early Oregon wine industry. No one is quite sure though why Simpson would want to put seeds in his pocket while attending a London party!

As men left the Fort and the Hudson Bay Company some decided to settle in the Northern Willamette Valley.  Over time these individuals planted cutting of fruit trees and grape vines brought with them from Fort Vancouver.  There is no telling the quality or how much wine was produced from these vines.  Most likely the grapes were table grape varieties.

Over the next 100 years or so a number of early pioneers established vineyards throughout western Oregon.  The following is a short and by no means comprehensive history.

  • Some historical records document that in 1835 a still was operated by two individuals, Lawrence Carmichael and Ewing Young, who made brandy from distilled wine.

  • Henderson Luelling was one of the early settlers who traveled the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon. He brought grape cuttings all the way from Iowa to the Willamette Valley and started a nursery. He shared (maybe sold) cuttings and nursery stock to others who wanted to grow grapes, and perhaps make wine.

  • In the 1850’s Peter Britt (of the popular music festival in Southern Oregon) planted wine grapes at his property named Valley View Vineyard located in the Applegate Valley.  His former vineyard was restored in the early 1970’s by the popular Valley View Winery which continues to operate today.

  • In 1876 the widely known Jesse Applegate was said to have planted a vineyard of at least 12,000 vines at a location in Douglas County in the Umpqua Valley.  Applegate was reported to have stated that he spent years of hard labor in trying to establish the vineyard but never got any return from it.  (Editor’s note:  Not much has changed since Applegate’s time as I am sure many Oregon vineyard owners today are still waiting for their returns!).

  • In the late 1800’s a man named Thomas Smith settled north of Roseburg and planted various varieties of grapes.  He was known to conduct agricultural experiments.  He perhaps is better known for his pioneering efforts at operating river ferries.

  • In the 1880’s John F Broetje moved from Illinois and settled in “Little America” now known as Milwaukie, Oregon. He brought Concord grape vines with him and made wine for his family and friends.  After Prohibition in the 1930’s his son established The Redwoods Winery which operated until the 1960’s.

  • In 1883 Frederick Reuter, a German immigrant, planted about 40 acres of vinifera vines (wine grapevines) at his 140 acre homestead north of Forest Grove.  His Klevner wines (similar to Pinot Blanc) were well regarded and attracted many customers to his Reuters Hill Winery.  Prohibition ended his successful operation.

  • Also in the 1880’s John and Edward Von Pessl, brothers from Germany, established a vineyard near Roseburg and another possibly in Southern Oregon.  They also were said to operate a distillery in the Roseburg area.

  • In 1888 Adam Doerner, from Germany, settled in Douglas County and initially planted about a one acre vineyard.  He had brought Riesling, Zinfandel and other cuttings from California.  He reportedly never drank water, just wine.  He established the Doerner Winery which operated until the 1960’s.  The Doerner family still farms his original vineyard.

  • In the 1930’s Louis Herboldt, a European immigrant, grew over 65 varieties of grapes on his vineyard.  He reportedly said “As good wines can be made in Oregon as any place in the world”.

  • From the repeal of Prohibition in the 1930’s until the early 1960’s the majority of wine produced in Oregon was made from fruit grown in the Willamette Valley.

  • Today’s modern Oregon wine industry can be traced to the early 1960’s in Douglas County when Richard Sommer started Hillcrest Winery (bonded #44) near Roseburg.  Sommer was a University of California at Davis graduate.  He initially planted Riesling and other varieties and conducted much research which helped many others in the early days establish Oregon’s wine industry.  Hillcrest Winery still operates today with a new owner.

  • Charles Coury was another early Oregon wine pioneer who in 1965 purchased the former Reuters Hill old winery property north of Forest Grove and established the Coury Winery, Vineyard and Nursery.  He conducted many research projects and is credited with developing the “Coury” Pinot Noir clone.  This property is now home to the David Hill Winery.

  • David Lett is known as “Poppa Pinot”, and is credited with planting the first Pinot Noir vineyard in1965 and established the Eyrie Winery (bonded in 1970 and named after a soaring red-tailed hawk) which still operates today.  It was Eyrie’s 1975 South Block Reserve Pinot Noir that brought great attention to Oregon wines by scoring in the top ten of the 1979 “French Gault Millau Guide” sponsored wine tasting in France.  

Starting in the 1970’s many other pioneering spirits helped develop and establish the industry as we know it today.


* Photo Taken by Richard Sorensen

 

Fun Facts

In the 1850’s Peter Britt (of the popular music festival in Southern Oregon) planted wine grapes at his property named Valley View Vineyard located in the Applegate Valley.  His former vineyard was restored in the early 1970’s by the popular Valley View Winery which continues to operate today.

HR

In the 1880’s John F Broetje moved from Illinois and settled in “Little America” now known as Milwaukie, Oregon. He brought Concord grape vines with him and made wine for his family and friends.  After Prohibition in the 1930’s his son established The Redwoods Winery which operated until the 1960’s.