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KNUDSEN

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

UNDEE, Ore. - The legacies of Cal and Julia Lee Knudsen continue to D thrive in the historic they left behind in ’s Dundee Hills. At this point, most tourists know of Knudsen Vineyard, one of Oregon’s most important plantings, merely as those they drive past on the gravel road to the Erath Winery tasting room. C. Calvert Knudsen, who died in 2009, laid the foundation for two of the Pacific Northwest’s most important — Erath and then Argyle. Now, Knudsen’s four children are committed to making the vine- yard its own successful brand. The rich story, Knudsen Vineyards managing partners David Knudsen, Page Knudsen combined with the quality of the Cowles (back row), Colin Knudsen (front, left) and Cal Knudsen. and fruit, led to naming Knudsen Vineyards as Wine Press Northwest’s 2016 Oregon Photo courtesy of Knudsen Vineyards Winery to Wa tch. “We all care deeply about our land and the 1987 — soon after Te xas winemaker Rollin designated sparkling by Argyle, in- family’s pioneering heritage in the Oregon Soles and Australian vintner Brian Croser cluding the Julia Lee’s Block Blanc de Blancs. wine industry, and our return to winemaking landed in Oregon to make , Combined, the two bubblies account for is natural,” said Page Knudsen Cowles, who and . nearly 2,000 cases with “Knudsen Vineyard” spearheads the effort with her three brothers. “Producing sparkling wine was a big dream on the label. “We can make great wines from Knudsen of my father,” Knudsen Cowles said. “They “Those have helped our brand before we Vineyard fruit, work together and honor our had him at ‘Hello.’ We pivoted all of our even had a wine in the new millennium,” parents.” production to Argyle.” Knudsen Cowles said. When their father, a We yerhaeuser exec- Research led by Oregon industry leader Knudsen Cowles, 60, and her brothers are utive from Seattle, established the vineyard David Adelsheim prompted perhaps an even spread throughout the country. Colin, 59, is with a 30-acre block in 1972, Knudsen Vine- more important project at Knudsen, the an investment banker in . At yard was by far the largest in the Willamette transition of its Chardonnay to - 56, David is the youngest and lives in Te xas. Valley. Three years later, he grew it to 60 resistant Chardonnay clones from the Dijon He’s also president of Ostrom’s Mushroom acres, making it the largest in the state. These region of starting in 1990. Farm in Olympia, Wa sh. Cal Jr., the oldest at days, its upper portions inspired the backdrop “There isn’t all that much Chardonnay 62, resides in Wo odinville. They make a for the Oregon Wine Country license plate. planted in the , and Rollin point of meeting in Dundee to discuss the Soon after planting, Knudsen (pronounced told me we have the oldest Dijon-clone Char- business of the winery, and they’ve been Kuh-NUDE-sen) joined forces with wine- donnay planted in the New World — not just fortunate to have Soles make their first wines maker Dick Erath to form Knudsen-Erath North America,” Knudsen Cowles said. and then have his longtime protégé — Nate Winery. Their partnership ended amicably in That work inspired a pair of vineyard- Klostermann — take over the Knudsen Vine-

30 Wine Press Northwest •Spring2016 WINEPRESSNW.COM winery to watch AWARDS

yards production. Vineyard stands at 130 acres, and Kloster- maker dinner at the St. Paul Curling Club — The children have grown the brand respon- mann crushed 450 tons of fruit from those the largest in the country at 1,200 members. sibly and with impeccable timing, starting vines in 2015 - the equivalent of 30,000 cases “It’s been lovely to watch my husband get with 100 cases of Pinot Noir from the stellar of wine. bitten by the bug,” she said. “Now he’s com- 2012 , which sold out in six weeks. “We’re still a small producer, and we love ing out with me for events such as the In- They added 100 cases of Chardonnay and building the mailing list and getting to know ternational Pinot Noir Celebration and Sa- doubled production of Pinot Noir the follow- our customers,” said Knudsen Cowles, who lud.” ing year. serves as managing partner. “At the same The winery project also has helped keep In 2014, however, the brand began to enter time, we need to expand the pie to offer more Cal and Julie Lee’s children connected. the bloodstream of Oregon Pinot Noir and distribution and participate in more events.” “We feel responsible in a happy way, not a Chardonnay consumers. Klostermann crafted Erath sold his brand to Ste. Michelle Wine burdensome way,” Knudsen Cowles said. “It’s nearly 600 cases of Pinot Noir and half that Estates in 2006, and that Erath tasting room been seven years since my father died, and of Chardonnay. Last year, combined produc- — in the middle of Knudsen Vineyard — sits time does heal. He was ill for a very short tion eclipsed 1,000 cases. on Knudsen property. Ste. Michelle’s lease period, and we had some lovely time with This fall, they plan for 800 cases of Pinot expires in 2018. him at the vineyard toward the end. Noir and 325 cases of Chardonnay. It’s not “While we do intend to create a tasting “And our mother died unexpectedly, but much of a sacrifice for Argyle to pull off room at some point, it is very early on in our peacefully, at the vineyard cabin 25 years ago,” more for the second generation. Knudsen planning,” she said. she continued. “So it remains a lovely place So far, Knudsen Cowles, a Seattle native where our family has lived and where we have ··· and Yale grad who earned her MBA at Har- died and where we come from.” Knudsen Vineyards vard, is leading the sales and promotion of ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of 16550 NE Knudsen Lane the family juice. She’s opening up markets, Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at Dundee, OR, 97115 including her adopted home state of Minne- www.greatnorthwestwine.com. tastings by arrangement, 503-580-1596 sota. One of her favorite events was a recent knudsenvineyards.com pouring for 60 friends during a formal wine-

Located in the heart of the renowned Dundee Hills AVA, our vineyard is one of the oldest in Oregon and remains Knudsen family owned. Our acclaimedPinot Noir and Chardonnay wines highlight the distinctive and exceptional quality fruit from Knudsen Vineyard.

We are truly honored andappreciate being recognized as the 2016 Northwest Oregon Winery to Watch. knudsenvineyards.com

WINEPRESSNW.COM Spring 2016 •Wine Press Northwest 31