The 2015 “Fleur de Lis” White Pinot Noir ($25), from Brandborg Vineyard & Winery, was made with whole-cluster pinot noir grapes whose skin was removed after pressing. The juice, fermented in neutral French oak, has citrus and herbal notes and a dry finish. (Submitted photo)

Among the 18 American Viticultural Areas within Oregon’s boundaries, none is newer than the Elkton Oregon AVA. Previously a part of the Umpqua Valley AVA, Elkton was established in 2013 as having wine-producing qualities distinct from its parent region.

Located 35 miles east of Reedsport and 20 miles west of Interstate 5 south of Cottage Grove, Elkton has a population of only about 200. Until recently, it was known principally as a center for trout and bass fishing on the lower Umpqua River. But its success with grapes has turned heads.

To achieve formal government designation, an AVA must have physical features — including climate, soil and elevation — that clearly describe it as different from any other region. Elkton’s warm, dry summers and cool winters are moderated by ample coastal rains, more than any other Umpqua Valley location. Most of its 52 annual inches fall between November and February, leaving its soil moist and frost-free by the time of bud break in March or April.

Grape-growing in this area was pioneered in 1983 by John Bradley. He planted 25 acres between 140 and 350 feet above sea level with pinor noir, gewürztraminer, riesling and hybrid Baco Noir, and for 17 years sold his entire crop to wineries around Oregon, especially in the Umpqua and Willamette valleys.

Emerging region

The watershed year was 2000. Mike and Vonnie Landt, scientists from St. Louis, Missouri, who had bought two Elkton-area vineyards in 1996, returned to construct their River’s Edge Winery building overlooking the Umpqua River. The Landts became winemakers with that fall’s crush. Although they didn’t move full-time to Oregon until 2005, they inspired Bradley to begin making his own wines.

In short order, these winemakers were joined by Terry and Sue Brandborg, who relocated from the northern California wine country to Elkton in 2002. The Brandborgs established a wine estate at about 1,100 feet altitude in the nearby Coast Range, built a winery and tasting room in the heart of town, and in 2015 were chosen “Oregon Winery of the Year” by Wine Press Northwest.

Today, in addition to Brandborg, River’s Edge and Bradley, the Anindor and Gillirose vineyards produce small batches of wine. Four other vineyards sell their grapes for wine production. In order to claim a specific AVA on its label, at least 85 percent of the grapes used to make a wine must have been grown in that area — and Elkton loves to source locally. “Per capita, it might be the largest collection of wineries in the country,” wrote Eric Degerman of Wine Press Northwest.

Pinot noir and riesling remain the most notable varietals, along with pinot gris, gewürztraminer and Baco Noir, a full-bodied hybrid wine grape popular in Canada and the states of the upper Midwest.

Two wineries

A 2012 riesling collaboration between Terry Brandborg and John Bradley, who died in 2014, was the first wine bottled as Elkton Oregon AVA. Today Brandborg Vineyard & Winery offers dry, off-dry and sweet rieslings, along with an award-winning gewürztraminer, at prices that range from $16 to $20. Pinot gris is also sold for $16 a bottle.

But it’s the pinot noir (priced $22 to $38) that is the star of the Brandborgs’ show.

“It’s the reason we’re here,” Terry Brandborg said.

Of the three I tasted, including Bradley Vineyard and 100th Valley Vineyard varietals, the best was a 2012 pinot from the Ferris Wheel Estate vineyard. Grown at elevation, this light red wine was rich in wild cherry flavor, with notable tannins.

The wine that really surprised me, however, was a “white pinot noir.” To make their 2015 Fleur de Lis, the Brandborgs took whole clusters of their Ferris Wheel Estate pinot noir grapes, pressed them and removed the black skins. The juice was then fermented in neutral French oak barrels. Served chilled, it is like a blanc de noir without the bubbles. The wine has herbal and citrus notes and a dry finish, and is a thoroughly enjoyable selection for the $25 price.

Just up Highway 38 at River’s Edge, Mike and Vonnie Landt have also become known for their excellent pinot noirs. The hillside Black Oak and Elkton estate vineyards that the Landts bought in the 1990s were planted in 1972, making them among the oldest in Oregon.

The 2012 Elkton Vineyard pinot noir ($28) is a robust wine at 15.3 percent alcohol, but it is as balanced as it is intense. River’s Edge also produces select lots of gewürztraminer and pinot gris, in versions both dry and sweet. And because cabernet and merlot don’t do well in this climate, Mike Landt told me, Baco Noir is planted and produced “for those who like reds that are a bit more full-bodied than pinot noir.”

On their web site, the Landts describe their winemaking style as “a low-tech, hands-on approach utilizing small-batch fermentation and exclusively barrel aging.”

— John Gottberg Anderson specializes 
in Northwest wines. His column appears 
in GO! every other week. 
He also writes for our food section.

Information

Anindor Vineyards. 1171 Vintage Drive, Elkton; anindor.com, 541-584-2637. Tasting room open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, Memorial Day through October.

Bradley Vineyards. 1000 Azalea Drive, Elton; bradleyvineyards.com, 541-584-2888. Open Memorial Day to Thanksgiving or by appointment.

Brandborg Vineyard & Winery. 345 First St., Elkton; brandborgwine.com, 541-584-2870. Tasting room open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

Gillirose Vineyard. 15845 Highway 38, Elkton; 541-584-2434. Open by appointment.

River’s Edge Winery. 1395 River Drive, Elkton; riversedgewinery.com, 541-584-2357. Tasting room open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.