Arriving at Ribbon Ridge's Domaine Divio winery on late summer afternoon was our first introduction of one the most decorated American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. It is an AVA with many of its wines with 90+ scores. In 2017, 88% (or 29 of 33) of the Ribbon Ridge wines were rated 90+, 89% of which were Pinot Noir. In 2018, Ribbon Ridge continued to net the highest scores of all AVAs as rated by the Wine Advocate, with 87% of those wines submitted receiving 90+ scores (33 of 38). My first introduction to the AVA was Domaine Divio, an award winning winery.
Domaine Divio, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Oregon © Spaswinefood
While it was a hot summer afternoon it was so welcoming to be introduced to Domaine Divio wine outside in the shade.
Welcome to the Ribbon Ridge
After arriving in Newberg and checking into our hotel, we departed on a driving tour of the Ribbon Ridge AVA to see first hand the geography, and to get an overview of this wine area. We did two quick stops along the away. Domaine Divio was our first stop.
Domaine Divio Estate Vineyard © Spaswinefood
While at Domaine Divio we met winemaker Bruno Corneaux. Domaine Divio's philosophy is to make wines with minimal intervention. Perhaps it is not surprising that there is a strong Burgundian influence on their wines, given Corneaux, proprietor and winemaker is a 4th generation Burgundy producer. For sure this is reflected in their philosophy of wine making posted on the winery's website, which is stated below:
The combined spirit of Oregon innovation and French tradition has driven the Domaine Divio dream from the outset. Our philosophy is rooted in making minimal intervention wines that showcase the terroir of the Willamette Valley while respecting the land through sustainable and biodynamic farming techniques.
Oregon wine by essence; Burgundian by style.
While working on his Master’s Degree in Enology & Viticulture Bruno met his Domaine Divio partner André Weil. In 2012 André and Bruno searched for the best spot in the Willamette Valley to create a wine estate. By 2014 they had established the Clos Gallia Estate on Ribbon Ridge.
During our winery visit we were treated to a tasting of Domaine Divio, Passetoutgrain 2020.
Domaine Divio in the Glass © Spaswinefood
Domaine Divio, Passetoutgrain, Willamette Valley 2020
Domaine Divio, Passetoutgrain, Willamette Valley 2020 © Spaswinefood
This was my first time tasting this wine in the US. Most probably know of Passetoutgrains, as a Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains, an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for this wine from Burgundy, France. Most Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains, which is sometimes written unhyphenated as Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, is a red wine although rosé wine may also be produced there. While other Burgundy wines are primarily produced from a single grape variety, Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains is essentially a cuvée of Gamay and Pinot Noir.
After a welcomed tasting at Domaine Divio, we continued on our way to the Allison Inn for dinner, stopping at Utopia Estate Vineyard for a brief tour.
Next, is was onto a Winemaker Dinner at the Allison Inn. Dinner included a 3-course meal co-hosted by Taste Newberg and The Allison Inn & Spa, an Oregon Wine Country Resort, with wines donated by the Ribbon Ridge AVA. The wine pairings were Chardonnay, Pinot Noir for the first two courses, and Riesling with dessert. Let's take a peek at the Domaine Divio wines.
More on Domaine Divio Wines
Domaine Divio, Clos Gallia Estate Chardonnay 2018 © Spaswinefood
Domaine Divio, Clos Gallia Estate Pinot Noir 2018
Domaine Divio, Clos Gallia Estate Pinot Noir 2018 © Spaswinefood
These Domaine Divio wines were amongst the two wineries (Domaine Divio and Utopia) showcased during dinner. What a fabulous introduction it was to wines from the Ribbon Ridge AVA!
Ribbon Ridge American Viticultural Area
Domaine Divio is located in the Ribbon Ridge American Viticultural Area (AVA), a sub-AVA within the Willamette Valley. Established July 1, 2005 Oregon's smallest AVA, with only 500 planted acres, has become one of the most prestigious wine growing regions in the world. Ribbon Ridge, 3.5-mile long by 1.75-mile wide ridge that extends from the Chehalem Mountains. The ridge rises from the Chehalem Valley floor, giving it an island-like appearance. Here the growing conditions allow longer, cooler growing seasons, making it ideal for delicate varietals like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Ribbon Ridge’s island-like characteristics and its proximity of surrounding landmasses, help shield and protect the viticultural area from many of the extremes, which affect the other agricultural microclimates in the northern Willamette Valley.
Next day, we would continue to explore other wineries in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Our first stop was at RR Wines, a winery with five decades of experience in the wine industry. It is home to the first vines planted on Ribbon Ridge. Their estate-grown Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner and Gamay Noir is reflective of the Ribbon Ridge’s reputation as one of the worlds truly special wine regions. We also visited Trisaetum Estate Vineyard and Winery, Utopia Estate Vineyard, then head up to Eminent Domaine at top of Ribbon Ridge with amazing vistas overlooking the ridge; and finally traveled a short distance down the hill to Styring Estate Vineyard and Winery to top off our day.
Put Ribbon Ridge's Domaine Divio in your glass. When in Oregon I would highly recommend a visit to Domaine Dovio. I invite you to join me in my travels in Oregon and elsewhere in the sharing of these adventures at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon and at Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook.
