The Vineyard at LaVelle Vineyards

Vineyard Location

The estate vineyard is currently sixteen acres, which sits on a southwestern slope approximately 700 feet above sea level near the small town of Elmira. The most prominent topographical features are Demming Ridge at the top of the vineyard and Hannavan Creek, which one crosses at the entrance to the property. It is also interesting to note that LaVelle Vineyard's small estate is on the western side of the last ridge in the coastal range near the southern end of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Standing at the top of the vineyard, one can see the eastern slope of the same hill descend to Fern Ridge Lake and the floor of the Willamette Valley. Beyond lie the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and on a clear day one can see the peaks of the Three Sisters Mountains.

Plantings

When the estate vineyard was originally planted in the early 1970's, not a lot was known about growing vinifera grapes in Oregon. Plantings included pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, riesling, muller thurgau, and chenin blanc. Our growing conditions have since been verified to favor pinot noir production, and Oregon has staked a claim to Pinot Gris as a white wine alternative to Chardonnay. Our particular site has also demonstrated a consistent ability to produce exceptional riesling.

With these factors driving our decision-making, in 1998 we grafted approximately six acres of the original plantings to more attractive varietals. This is a procedure whereby a different varietal is grafted to the existing rootstock. Results vary, but we were fortunate and had a "take" of over 90%. Today the estate vineyard is devoted entirely to pinot noir, pinot gris, and riesling.

Plant Spacing & Trellising

Originally, the entire vineyard was laid out on a standard, single wire trellising system. This means that each year during dormant pruning two canes are selected to act as the subsequent year's "fruiting" canes, and they are attached to a single wire which runs down the row approximately two feet above ground. The fruit grows along this wire, while the canopy grows up from these two canes.

Rows in our vineyard are spaced twelve feet apart, and plants are spaced at six foot intervals in the rows. By today's standards this is very inefficient plant spacing. To compensate (without going to the expense of replanting), winemaker Gary Carpenter has introduced a trellis system called the Geneva Double Curtain.

As the name suggests, this is a two-wire trellis. The wires are placed higher than a single wire system (about five feet above the ground), and the canopy (or curtain) grows down instead of up. Each wire extends two feet into the space between the rows. If you stand at the end of a row and look down the row, the trellis forms a "T" shape. This effectively reduces the row spacing from twelve feet to eight feet. But most importantly, we now have twice the canopy and much less sunlight falling on the ground. If we like the results we achieve with the six acres currently deployed with this GDC, additional acreage will be converted in the future.

Pinot Noir Clones

Over the last thirty years Oregon's vineyard growers have experimented with many clones of pinot noir. Two standards have emerged, Pommard and Wadenswil, which were originally developed at the research stations in Pommard, France (in the Burgundy wine region) and Wadenswil, Switzerland. These two clones constitute the bulk of our pinot noir plantings.

In recent years, experimentation with several Dijon (French) clones has produced some interesting results. We have planted about 1 1/2 acres in Dijon clone 115, which produces smaller bunches, with more intense flavors, and has an earlier ripening habit. While we do not plan additional graftings, we believe the characteristics of this clone will work well when blended with our other pinot noir.

Purchased Grapes

We produce an estate bottled Riesling and Sparkling Wine. For the remainder of our wines the estate vineyard satisfies only about 25% of our total requirements. After working with a number of different vineyards over the last ten years, we have settled on a couple of producers whose viticultural practices meet our expectations. Our principal supplier is Walnut Ridge Vineyard, located about 15 miles north of the winery, from whom we purchase Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, and Pinot Gris. Our Merlot was made from grapes grown by Sundance Vineyards located in Eastern Washington's Columbia Valley.

Conclusion

It may sound trite, but at LaVelle Vineyards our goal is quality and value. Whether your purchase is a $14.00 bottle of Riesling or a $30.00 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, we want you to feel that you received good value for the dollar. And that process begins in the vineyard, our own estate vineyard and the vineyards of our grape suppliers. No aspect of the business is more important to us, and none is given more attention.