The Portland Bottle Shop team kicked off Oregon Wine Month with a field trip to the Willamette Valley.
We began our day visiting Soter Vineyards, a bottle shop favorite and staple to our shelves. Soter is a farm, vineyard, and tasting room at Mineral Springs Ranch in Carlton, Oregon. Covering 240 acres, it is a Biodynamic establishment located in the heart of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
Soter Vineyards was founded by Tony and Michelle Soter in 1997, although their wine experience dates much further back. Tony built a name for himself in California and has received many awards for his wine-making skills. Michelle brought her marketing background to the business, but her passion for environmentalism and biodynamics set Soter apart from the vineyards and wineries in the Willamette Valley.
In 2013, they converted their 240-acre property into the certified biodynamic farm for growing world-class wines that we know and love today.
What exactly is biodynamic farming?
The goal of biodynamic farming is to cultivate nutrient-rich soil through the use of compost, crop rotations, and grazing practices. This system takes a holistic approach and prioritizes biodiversity, the integration of plants and animals, and soil health. Another important aspect of biodynamic farming is the absence of synthetic, systemic herbicides and pesticides. Instead, the farm is treated as a whole, living organism.
We were given a tour of the farm grounds at Soter to observe how biodynamics is involved in the wine production process. It's amazing how everything works together. Down to using cover crops between the vines to rotating animal grazing locations. Every decision is made with the health of the soil in mind.
One of the more interesting things that Soter does is their use of a falconer to deter birds from eating the grapes off the vines. As harvest nears, the grapes provide a sweetness that attracts the birds. So the falconer brings their trained falcon to come out and scare the birds away from the vines. Unfortunately, there was no falconer there the day we visited but something that would be such an experience to see.
You can really tell that Soter has a hands-on approach to the quality and taste of their wines, along with the delicious food they produce at the tasting room. We were treated to a delicious rustic ham and cheese buckwheat crepe with a colorful beet and parsnip salad.
Soter not only produces exceptional wines, but they have also made it a habit of giving back to the community. In 2008 Michelle Soter had an idea to create a wine label that would donate a portion of the proceeds. The Planet Oregon label was born!
A portion of the profits are donated to the Oregon Environmental Council. Their work ensures Oregonians live healthier lives because our air, water and land are cleaner; our food is sustainably produced; and the products, energy and transportation we rely on are safer for our environment.
The Soter team greeted us upon arrival with a glass of their Planet Oregon Rose. These wines are made so you can drink them now, complete with a screw cap, ahem, easy drinking. The Rose focuses on the fruit, which is both delicious and juicy. A must-try if you haven't had it before. Trust us, it will quickly become a summer staple!
After lunch, we visited with winemaker Chris Fladwood who led us through the production area for their sparkling wine.
Chris said one of his favorite things about Soter is that they still "do it the old fashion way." They aren't in the business of taking people out of the wine and instead rally around the fact that people get to touch these bottles during production every day.
This is especially true in the production of their sparkling wines. Chris said, "Our sparkling wines are a labor of love." And he means it! After doing the math, Chris realized that, on average, a person touches a still bottle of wine about eight times, whereas a person touches a sparkling bottle of wine on average 51 times. It's impressive how much effort is put into the production, and we're lucky to reap the benefits.
They hand riddle every bottle of sparkling wine on each rack, and every rack holds about 120 bottles of wine or 10 cases. See what we mean by a labor of love? The evident care and meticulousness that goes into production results in a remarkable final product, making it one of our favorite sparkling wines from the Willamette Valley.
We ended our visit by checking out the underground cellar. Storing wine in an underground cellar is advantageous because the natural temperature is ideal for aging the wine. There are 300 barrels of wine in Soter's cellar, and one barrel holds around 60 gallons of wine.
Thanks again to Soter for graciously hosting our team. It's truly impressive to witness the amount of effort put into making wine, and Soter is a prime example of this dedication.
If you haven't been to Soter Vineyards, we highly recommend taking a trip there. However, if you'd like to enjoy their delicious wines without making the journey to Carlton, you can visit the Bottle Shop in Sellwood and purchase a bottle.