Finalizing 2011 Numbers

by Karl Klooster

For the fourth straight year, we set out in late December to present a preliminary picture of the Oregon winegrape harvest for the News-Register and the January edition of the Oregon Wine Press.

This one-of-a-kind production assessment conducted by total production and by brand, has received gratifyingly positive feedback from readers. So we intend to continue it.

Limiting the list to the 20 largest wineries by each measure makes the project much more manageable. Besides, the top 20 wineries, by themselves, account for approximately 55 percent of the state’s total production.

But once we get down to the level of 25,000 to 30,000 cases, vintage variables and other factors can cause fluctuations that may earn a given winery or brand a place on our lists one year and not the next.

Gathering information so soon after harvest and so close to the OWP’s monthly printing deadline creates the potential for errors and omissions, of course. And the lateness of picking added to that this year.

As a result, some corrections had to be made to the original calculations and rankings.

See the updated charts below.

Top Oregon Wineries by Total Production for 2011
(Processed at the winery’s primary facility)

WINERY • LOCATION • MANAGER • ESTIMATED CASES

1. King Estate Winery • Eugene • Ed King III • 250,000
2. 12th & Maple Wine Company • Dundee • Corus Estates • 152,300*
3. Wine by Joe/Dobbes Fam. Estate • Dundee • Joe Dobbes • 133,900*
4. Erath Winery • Dundee • Ste. Michelle Estates • 122,100
5. Duck Pond Cellars • Dundee • Lisa Jenkins • 116,400 
6. NW Wine Company  • Dundee • Laurent Montalieu • 113,200*
7. A to Z Wineworks/REX HILL • Newberg • Bill Hatcher • 101,200
8. Willamette Valley Vineyards • Turner • Jim Bernau • 86,500
9. Eola Hills Wine Cellars • Rickreall • Tom Huggins • 63,600*
10. Firesteed Wines • Rickreall • Howard Rossbach • 52,000
11. Ponzi Vineyards • Beaverton • Ponzi Family • 51,000
12. Foris Vineyards Winery • Cave Junction • Ted Gerber  • 48,000*
13. Adelsheim Vineyard • Newberg • David Adelsheim • 47,000
14. Argyle Winery • Dundee • Rollin Soles • 46,800
15. Elk Cove Vineyards • Gaston • Adam Campbell • 43,800
t16. Bridgeview Vineyards • Cave Junction • René Eichmann • 40,000
t16. Union Wine Company • Sherwood • Ryan Harms • 40,000
18. Owen Roe Winery • St. Paul • David O’Reilly • 35,300
19. Sokol Blosser • Dayton • Alex Sokol Blosser • 29,400
20. Pallet Wine Company • Medford • Linda Donovan • 27,200 
*2) 12th & Maple: 100% for clients; 3) Wine by Joe: 70% for clients; 6) NW Wine Company: 30% for clients; 9) Eola Hills: 45% for clients; 12) Foris: 27% for clients. 

Top Oregon Wineries by Brand 2011
(Includes all sources of fruit)

WINERY • LOCATION • MANAGER • ESTIMATED CASES
1. King Estate Winery • Eugene • Ed King III • 250,000
2. Erath Winery • Dundee • Ste. Michelle Estates • 122,100
3. Duck Pond Cellars • Dundee • Lisa Jenkins • 116,400
4. A to Z Wineworks/REX HILL • Newberg • Bill Hatcher • 91,200
5. Willamette Valley Vineyards • Turner • Jim Bernau • 86,500
6. Sokol Blosser • Dayton • Alex Sokol Blosser • 79,400*
7. NW Wine Company • Dundee • Laurent Montalieu • 79,200*
8. Firesteed Wines • Rickreall • Howard Rossbach • 52,000
9. Ponzi Vineyards • Beaverton • Ponzi Family • 51,000
10. Adelsheim Vineyard • Newberg • David Adelsheim • 47,000
11. Argyle Winery • Dundee • Rollin Soles • 46,800
12. Elk Cove Vineyards • Gaston • Adam Campbell • 43,800
13. Wine by Joe/Dobbes Fam. Estate • Dundee • Joe Dobbes • 40,100
14. Bridgeview Vineyards • Cave Junction • René Eichmann • 40,000
15. Owen Roe Winery • St. Paul • David O’Reilly • 35,300
16. Eola Hills Wine Cellars • Rickreall • Tom Huggins • 35,000 
17. Foris Winery & Vineyards • Cave Junction • Ted Gerber • 34,900
18. Union Wine Company • Sherwood • Ryan Harms • 30,000
19. Domaine Serene • Dayton • Ken Evenstad • 25,900
t20. Montinore Estate • Forest Grove • Rudy Marchesi • 25,000
t20. WillaKenzie Estate • Yamhill • Bernard Lacroute • 25,000
*6) Sokol Blosser: 50,000 cases from contracted sources; 7) NW Wine Company: affiliated controlled brands.