In the May/June 2025 issue of The Grapevine Magazine, Michelle Kaufmann, vice president of communications at Stoller Wine Group, reflects on the current status of Willamette Valley wines. “Pinot Noir is our king. Chardonnay is becoming Oregon’s queen. And right behind them as prince or princess is a sparkling wine with these two grapes coming together to make a beautiful marriage.” In recent years, Pinot Meunier has emerged as a third grape used in the production of Willamette Valley sparkling wines along with a handful of producers experimenting with Pinot Blanc grapes.
Oregon’s premium sparkling wines are made in the traditional method, also known as méthode traditionnelle or méthode champenoise. This labor-intensive process is famously used to make sparkling wine in the Champagne region of France. The traditional method coupled with tight regulations regarding the type of grapes that can be utilized, and other strict requirements, differentiates these “sparkling wines” from other varieties of sparkling wines such as Pét-nat (Pétillant Naturel), bubbles and Prosecco.
Argyle Winery in Dundee, Oregon, was established in 1987 as the Dundee Wine Company with Rollin Soles as their first winemaker. According to marketing manager Elizabeth Clark, while there were some limited sparkling wines produced before Argyle entered the market, Oregon’s early wineries took their inspiration from Burgundy and focused on still wines — most notably Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. “Soles believed Argyle could do both and has been proven correct by history, with Argyle being one of the only wineries in the world to have red, white and sparkling wines earn places on Wine Spectator’s annual list of the world’s best wines,” Clark says. Argyle has the distinction of being the first Willamette Valley winery to establish a dedicated sparkling program with every stage of the wines made in-house.
Andrew Davis, the current winemaker at Carlton-based Lyle-Barnett, one of a handful of methode champenoise-only wineries in Oregon, also founded The Radiant Sparkling Wine Company in McMinnville. This company, which was recently acquired by Vinovate Custom Wine Services, provides Willamette Valley small-production sparkling wine producers with both the technical knowledge and specialized equipment required for the efficient production of award-winning world-class sparkling wines.
Initially, Davis calculated he would need between five and 10 clients within the first three years in order to make his business feasible. Fortunately, he had twice this number of wineries within this time span, with Oregon winemakers now doubling the amount of sparkling wine produced in the state.
Each winery Davis pairs with makes the base wine for their particular sparkling wine. Then Davis helps them with developing a unique yeast culture for their secondary fermentation and then getting it bottled and fermented in the bottle at their winery. After however long a particular winery wants to sit on this wine and let that age on lees, Davis goes through the process of riddling, disgorging, labeling and other aspects of preparing this sparkling wine for makers. “I want to be the guy behind the curtain that’s helping to lift this boat of all of these new producers,” he says.
Willamette Valley sparkling producers to watch
Corollary Wines | Amity, Oregon
Sparkling-only producer Corollary Wines is 100% dedicated to exploring the terroir of Oregon’s Willamette Valley and its expression in traditional method sparkling wine. In 2022, owners Jeanne Feldkamp and Dan Diephouse acquired 57 acres of land in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, where they planted an estate vineyard designed for sparkling from the ground up. They also opened a distinctive, design-forward tasting room. Corollary’s 2017 Cuvée One Extended Tirage was a Judges’ Pick at Sip Magazine’s 12th Annual Best of the Northwest Wine Awards.
Domaine Willamette | Dayton, Oregon
Founded in 2022 by Jim and Jan Bernau, Domaine Willamette was created to produce world-class, méthode traditionelle sparkling wines in the heart of Oregon wine country. Located in the Dundee Hills, Bernau Estate Vineyard — home to Domaine Willamette — features 20 acres of biodynamically farmed, Demeter-certified Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Visitors are welcomed with Oregon-inspired hospitality, including elevated wine and food pairings, immersive educational tours, stunning views and beautifully landscaped gardens overlooking the valley.
According to Terry Culton, director of winemaking and vineyards for Willamette Valley Vineyards, because the Willamette Valley is very mild, they can focus on the perfect picks for making their sparkling wines. He notes, “The cooler climate and coastal influence give us more picking options than many AVAs to get the pH and titratable acidity for sparkling and the brix (sugar) at just the level we want.”
Domaine Willamette’s 2021 Méthode Traditionnelle Brut was awarded gold at Sip Magazine’s 13th Annual Best of the Northwest Wine Awards.
Durant Vineyards | Dayton, Oregon
Under the guidance of winemaker Spencer Spetnagel, Durant began its sparkling program with their Brut 2018 and their 2018 Blanc de Blancs. Their 2019 Brut was awarded the Sip Magazine 2023 Best of the Northwest Platinum Award, while their 2021 Brut was a Judges Pick at the 2024 Sip Awards. Guests can sip these wines at Durant’s outdoor tasting pavilion designed with an eye toward the Willamette Valley’s cooler winter months.
Soter Vineyards | Carlton, Oregon
Tony and Michelle Soter founded Soter Vineyards in 1997 with an unwavering commitment to sustainable farming and craftsmanship, as evidenced by their Demeter Biodynamic and Salmon Safe certified vineyard. Their wines—ranging from estate Pinot Noirs to expressive Chardonnays and refined sparkling selections—reflect a strong sense of place and intention. Among their sparkling releases is Planet Oregon, Soter’s second label, which produces a 100% organically farmed Sparkling Rosé. One percent of each purchase goes to the Oregon Environmental Council, and to date, Planet Oregon has contributed more than $130,000 to help safeguard the future of the planet.
Stoller Family Estate | Dayton, Oregon
Guided by the vision of founder the late Bill Stoller, this winery became the first in the world to earn LEED Gold certification and remains a proud family-owned Certified B Corporation that consistently ranks on USA Today’s 10 Best Tasting Rooms list. They began their sparkling journey in 2013 with their Brut Rosé, driven by the belief that the Dundee Hills can produce world-class bubbles alongside the best in the world. For this wine, they select Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from blocks planted in the late-1990s, complemented by Pinot Meunier planted in 2015.
Gradually, Stoller Family Estate expanded their production and deepened their knowledge, growing from just a few hundred cases to several thousand. In 2015, they crafted their first Blanc de Blancs made from the late founder Bill Stoller’s original plantings of Chardonnay in celebration of the 20th anniversary of planting the vineyard. These two wines remain their flagship sparkling cuvées, crafted in limited quantities each year along with a multi-vintage program they began in 2019.
Method Oregon Grand Tasting
Twenty-two Willamette Valley producers will be pouring more than 50 sparkling wines at Method Oregon Grand Tasting held at Domaine Willamette on July 26, 2025. Each bottle featured will have undergone at least 15 months of tirage (aging on the lees after second fermentation) to ensure quality and complexity in the glass.
Along with tasting sparkling wine paired with exquisite local foods, those choosing to purchase a limited all-access pass can also savor a sparkling lunch prepared by the Domaine Willamette culinary team and a panel discussion featuring Rollin Soles, founder of ROCO Winery and founding winemaker of Argyle Winery; Andrew Davis; and Kate Payne Brown, head winemaker at Argyle Winery, along with moderator Julia Coney, award-winning wine writer, speaker and consultant based in both Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas.
In the estimation of Jeanne Feldkamp, co-owner and co-winemaker for Corollary Wines, Method Oregon paves the way for a tremendous opportunity in Oregon wine to elevate a distinctive style of traditional method sparkling wine that people can’t get anywhere else. “Our state’s unique geography delivers freshness, acidity and a distinctively Oregon fruit profile that are ideal for the long aging required by traditional method production.”
Feature Image: Stoller Vineyards Photo Courtesy Mike Haverkate
