Oak Knoll Winery
 | This article needs to be updated. (January 2022) |
| Oak Knoll Winery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States |
| Appellation | Willamette Valley AVA |
| Other labels | Eruption Frambrosia Twilight Blush |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Key people | Greg Lint, former president Jeff Herinckx, wine maker Kim Kolb, director of operations |
| Varietals | Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Niagara, Riesling |
| Distribution | national |
| Tasting | Open to public |
| Website | www.oakknollwinery.com |
Oak Knoll Winery is a privately held winery located in the Tualatin Valley near Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Established in 1970, it is the oldest winery in Washington County,[1] and produces Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Chardonnay. The winery also known for producing Frambosia, a red raspberry wine.[2]
Oak Knoll does not have its own vineyards, instead purchasing grapes from area Willamette Valley grape producers.[3]
History
[edit]The winery was established in 1970 by Marjorie and Ron Vuylsteke south of Hillsboro on what was formerly a dairy farm.[4][5] The couple first started making wine in their garage, after they had a bumper crop of blackberries.[4] At the time, Ron was an electrical engineer.[4] As they became more successful in making wine, they started their business with financial backing from a silent partner.[4]
It was the first winery in Washington County.[1][3] In its early years, the winery used repurposed Coca-Cola drums for storing the wine during the fermentation process.[5] The first batch consisted of 4,000 gallons of blackberry fruit wine. The winery's first Pinot noir was produced in 1973.[3] Chardonnay and Riesling were introduced in 1975 and Pinot gris was first produced in 1990.[3]
Oak Knoll was the first winery in Washington County to open a tasting room.[5] By 1986, the winery was the second-largest by volume sold in Oregon,[6] but slipped to third by 1988.[7] The Washington Post named the winery's Pinot noir some of the best Pinot noir from the United States in 1986.[8] Oak Knoll produced other fruit wines, such as loganberry, and in 1998, its Oak Knoll raspberry "Frambrosia" was named one of the world's best dessert wines in USA Today.[9][10] In 2005, the Vuylstekes sold part of the winery to their sons Tom and John.[11] In 2006, the winery was the largest in Washington County with 30,000 cases produced each year.[12]
Business
[edit]
Oak Knoll uses grapes from within the Willamette Valley AVA to produce its wines. The winery is a family-run enterprise with Greg Lint serving as president until his death in September 2022.[13] As of 2007, it had annual revenues of $7.5 million, selling varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Niagara, and Pinot gris under its own label as well as under the Twilight Blush, Eruption, and Frambrosia labels.[13] The winery is the official wine sponsor of the Portland Rose Festival.[14][15]
Accolades
[edit]- Oak Knoll's wine has been served at the White House[16]
- 1989 Oregon State Fair: Two gold medals and four bronze medals[17]
- 1990 Pacific Northwest Wine & Food Festival: Silver medal for its 1988 Chardonnay[18]
- 1991 San Diego National Wine Competition: Gold medal for its 1988 Pinot noir[19]
- 1998 Oregon State Fair: One silver and two bronze medals[20]
- 2001 Oak Knoll Winery ranked 10th among the Top 25 Oregon wineries by volume[21]
- 2003 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition: Ninth place for its 2001 Pinot Gris[22]
- 2006 The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition: Two bronze medals[23]
- 2007 Pacific Rim Wine Competition: White wine category, winner for its sweet Niagara grape wine[24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Savage, Maggie; Wootton, Sharon (September 26, 2010). "World of wonder awaits west of Portland". The Olympian. p. C3. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hinkle, Richard Paul (December 2007). "Not forbidden fruit: Cherry, berry, even rhubarb wines are money-makers across the country". Wines & Vines. Vol. 88, no. 12. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Gale OneFile.
- ^ a b c d Our story. Oak Knoll Winery, accessed October 20, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Ulrich, Roberta (February 7, 1973). "Winemaking Family Affair For Hillsboro Clan". Corvallis Gazette-Times. p. 9. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c McNichol, Bethanye. "A Berry Good Start to Wine. The Oregonian, December 14, 2000.
- ^ Christ, Janet. "Oregon Growers Expect Bumper Crop of Wine Grapes. The Oregonian, September 17, 1987.
- ^ Biggest Wineries. The Oregonian, October 2, 1988.
- ^ Conaway, James. "The Global Reach of Pinot noir". The Washington Post, September 7, 1986.
- ^ Sloan, Eugene and Donna L. Williams. "Taste Tickles: Olallieberry, Garlic, Mead". USA TODAY, August 31, 1990.
- ^ Witherell, Layne V. "Oregon Winery Uses Cool Climate to Its Advantage". Richmond Times Dispatch, July 15, 1998.
- ^ Leeper, Kate. "Business Briefs: Hillsboro". The Oregonian, April 21, 2006.
- ^ Mandel, Michelle. "Sweet Sip of Cuccess"[sic]. The Oregonian, May 4, 2006.
- ^ a b Oak Knoll Winery. Portland Business Journal, accessed October 20, 2007.
- ^ "Portland Rose Festival Sponsors". Portland Rose Festival. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ "Oak Knoll sponsors 2009 Rose Festival". The Hillsboro Argus. May 5, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
- ^ Sherrill, Bob. Time's Right for Sampling Washington County. The Oregonian, July 18, 2002.
- ^ Foodday: Veritas, Wasson Bros. Take Top Honors: Nine Gold Medals Awarded During State Fair Wine Judging. The Oregonian, August 15, 1989.
- ^ Stockley, Tom. Small wineries win top awards. The Seattle Times. August 13, 1990.
- ^ Stockley, Tom. Northwest wines fare well during California judging. The Seattle Times, May 15, 1991.
- ^ Duff, Dan. Wine Notes: Amity, King Estate wines take top prizes. The Oregonian, September 1, 1998.
- ^ "Top 25 Oregon wineries. (Top 25 book)". Business Journal–Portland. December 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Gale OneFile.
- ^ Schultz, John W. Ultimate Oyster Wine Version 2003. Archived 2007-09-17 at the Wayback Machine WineSquire.com, accessed October 20, 2007.
- ^ 2006 Awards. Archived 2007-02-05 at the Wayback Machine The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, accessed October 20, 2007.
- ^ Lipson, Larry. Bottles that’ll put you in the red. The Daily News of Los Angeles, May 15, 2007.
External links
[edit]- Oregon Wine Explorer: Oak Knoll Winery Archived October 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Wine Release
