Oregon harvest up for third year running

Oregon crushed the most grapes ever in 2007 as the state’s wine industry shows continued growth for the third year running.

New vineyards have come into production as the state’s vintners move to satisfy increasing demand for Oregon wines.

According to figures from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, production of flagship Oregon varieties Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris were both up 15% on 2006.

The Cabernet Sauvignon harvest was up 33%, thanks to expanded plantings in Southern and Eastern Oregon.

Oregon is currently home to approximately 370 wineries and total sales for the state in 2007 rose to US$134m, driven by increased demand for Oregon wines in the US, Canada, Tokyo and London.

‘We’re seeing a reaction to the incredible increase in demand for Oregon wines, which has driven increased plantings,’ said Ted Farthing, executive director of the Oregon Wine Board.

‘Meeting demand has been our number one problem in recent years. Plantings are increasing steadily and responsibly,’ Farthing told decanter.com. ‘We’re aware of the cyclical nature of the industry.’

Planted acreage and production grew in step – by 12% over the last year. This is proof that Oregon continues to remain focused on producing high quality artisinal wine, Farthing said.

Written by Tim Teichgraeber