Aurora, Oregon's
Premiere Vineyard Estate
First Plantings
Our first vineyards were planted on 17 acres of the property's rolling hills which had most recently been used as a nursery. Those first plantings included Pinot Noir Clone 115, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and table grapes.
First vintage
Our first estate vintage wines were produced using a custom crush facility.
In-House Production
We completed our on-site winery and began all in-house production of estate wine.
New Varietals planted
We replaced the table grapes with Muscat grapes and replaced the Pinot Gris and much of the Chardonnay vines with Pinot Noir Clone 777.
Doubled vineyard size
We doubled our vineyards, adding new varietals to both increase our capacity and bring new, different wines to our guests. Several of our new grapes are varietals and clones that are uncommon in our region and will allow us to add new flavors and characteristics to our wine.
The Vineyards
Aurora Colony Vineyards’ vines sit in a variety of sun exposures with the original 17 acres of vines facing east/west and the new 2022 vines facing north/south. Our soil was deposited by the glacial flow from the Missoula Floods at the end of the last ice age. The soil is a sandy with very little clay, making for excellent drainage. The original 17 acres of vineyards are dry farmed, meaning we use only nature to water the vines. The 2022 vines will receive additional irrigation for 1-2 years to help them establish and then will also be dry farmed.
While our vineyards are not certified organic, our vineyard manager uses organic practices and only organic compounds and natural methods to control weeds and pests. No chemical pesticides or herbicides are used on our vines or grapes.
The Winery
Our talented winemaker, Robert Rothwell, says the wine is truly made in the vineyard. Working together, Robert and vineyard manager, Carlos Jimenez, take great care to ensure every vine is carefully balanced to create the optimum yield of high-quality grapes. This careful balancing act allows the wine to shine on its own without complex manipulations or unnatural additives.
All our estate’s wine is vegan and gluten-free. No animal products are used during the filtration process and no gluten containing products are used to clarify our wines.
Currently, we produce approximately 2,500-3,000 cases of wine per year including Estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier, White Blends, and Rosés.
OUR VINEYARDS CONSIST OF: