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The winery known today as LaVelle Vineyards actually began as Forgeron Vineyard, and is the oldest winery in Oregon's Southern Willamette Valley. The previous owners, Lee and Linda Smith, were pioneers in the Oregon wine industry, planting the bulk of the estate vineyard in 1972. A downturn in the premium wine market in the early 1990's resulted in the closing of Forgeron Vineyard in 1992. The property was purchased by Doug and Susan LaVelle in April, 1994.

West of Eugene, Oregon, in the South Willamette Valley, La Velle Vineyards makes reasonably priced, pleasing wines. All the La Velle wines we have ever tried are easy drinking, soft and accessible with good fruit flavors and never an off note.

LaVelle Vineyards is a quiet, secluded retreat tucked into the lush, rolling hills just 15 miles west of Eugene. The property includes a 16-acre vineyard, a state-of-the-art winery facility, and terraced gardens and lawns.. The winery produces Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Riesling, and Sparkling Wine.

The estate vineyard is sixteen acres, which sits on a southwestern slope approximately 300 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 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 Wilderness Area.

LaVelle 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. Theirgrowing 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. Their particular site has also demonstrated a consistent ability to produce exceptional riesling.

With these factors driving theirdecision-making, in 1998 they 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 they 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.

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 their pinot noir plantings.

In recent years, experimentation with several Dijon (French) clones has produced some interesting results. They 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.

The Winemaking Staff

The winery staff is headed by winemaker Gary Carpenter. Gary has over twenty years of winemaking experience in Oregon, and was most recently winemaker for Secret House Winery in nearby Veneta. Having owned his own vineyard from 1980 until 1996, winning the Governor's Award in 1996, he is well-versed in vineyard management practices. Gary is responsible for the estate vineyard, and also handles grower relations for all contract fruit purchases. He has been with LaVelle Vineyards since June, 1996.

Cellarmaster Andy Gribskov is a 2000 graduate of Oregon State University's enology program. He joined LaVelle Vineyards for the 2000 harvest, after a year at Tyee Wine Cellars.

Assistant Cellarmaster Mike Petersen is a home winemaker who's passion for winemaking has brought him into the commercial wine business a little later in life. He has worked every harvest since 1996, and has been part of the tasting room staff since the winery tasting room first opened its doors in that same year.

La Velle Vineyards

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Oregon Wine

This is the best guide, bar none, to Oregon's wines. Insightful articles, interesting reviews, in depth interviews- you'll find them all here. Worth every penny if you're interested in Oregon wine.

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