Burgundy might be keeping a secret, but Oregon’s Willamette Valley is bringing it out into the open. Aligoté is the “other” white grape of Bourgogne, often found living in Chardonnay’s shadow. It generally boasts vibrant acidity, versatility and range. Worldwide, plantings are estimated between 120,000 and 124,000 acres, with the majority found in Eastern Europe. Bourgogne accounts for around 4,200 acres. And although Aligoté plantings remain comparatively scarce in the Willamette Valley, with local grower reports estimating between 5 to 10 total acres, the grape is gaining traction among local vintners looking for varieties suited to a warming and drying climate.
“We see one more producer each year, it seems, producing an Aligoté,” says Russell Lichtenthal, global sales director for Flâneur Wines, which has been growing and making Aligoté in the Willamette Valley for several years. “We even get calls each vintage from numerous winemakers asking to buy some of our fruit.”
Aligoté is a white grape with origins in the Bourgogne region of France. Similar to Chardonnay, it traces its lineage to Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, and can grow in a variety of soil types. It is also an early-ripening grape and is well-suited to climate change in many regions for its ability to hold acidity.
“Aligoté has the ability to retain natural acidity in warm to hot vintages, better than Chardonnay can,” Lichtenthal says. “Even in the warm vintages from 2023 to 2025, we created high acid, cool climate tasting styles. So as the trend continues toward warmer weather, Aligoté will offer fresh, crisp white wines.”
Aligoté is indeed known for its high acidity as well as vigorous vines, though with widely varying yields. Wines produced from this white grape are generally dry, with floral and herbal notes, and a range of fruit flavors. When fully ripened, they express verve, depth and exceptional balance – and in some cases effervescence.
“To me, Aligoté is a natural choice for sparkling wine because it brings vibrant acidity, tension and structure,” says Erin Percheron, winemaker for Andante Vineyard. “The wines are incredibly versatile, refreshing and exceptionally food-friendly. It’s been exciting to introduce our guests to a side of the variety they may never have encountered before.”
And that’s exactly why more Willamette Valley producers are turning to this “other white” — providing new discoveries for the wine lover.
“As a variety, Aligoté performs well in Oregon for the very same reasons Pinot Noir and Chardonnay do. The warmer days and cooler nights combined with soils and elevation are all key to developing high quality Aligoté,” says Lesli Owens, co-founder/owner of Balsall Creek Vineyards. “People are looking for different wines and different experiences, and Aligoté is often more approachable than perhaps Chardonnay because of its simplicity, while still being a serious wine.”
Amelia Dobbes, director of marketing for Flâneur Wines, says more people are drinking white wines these days, and she believes Aligoté offers an appealing alternative for those looking beyond more familiar varieties. “There is still an ‘anything but Chardonnay’ audience, although Oregon producers are steadily changing perceptions around Chardonnay,” she says. “Aligoté benefits from that broader interest in distinctive, high-quality white wines.”
Percheron agrees, noting that guests at Andante Vineyard are always excited to explore lesser-known varieties, and that Aligoté is one that has the potential to really excel in the Willamette Valley. And it’s not just an instinctual hypothesis — earlier this year the Willamette Valley was home to the first ever celebration in North America dedicated solely to Aligoté.
“We invited 11 other Oregonian growers and producers to pour Aligoté at our ‘Aligoté Affair’ at Balsall Creek, and hired a chef to create a menu around the varietal,” says Emily Yensen, director of marketing and sales for Balsall Creek Vineyards. “We sold out the event to a very happy crowd of attendees.”
Despite its lesser-known status with most wine consumers, Aligoté with its fresh Oregon spin has had no trouble selling in the tasting room. Flâneur Wines, who produced their first in 2021, has seen the bottles sell out faster each year.
Owens has seen the same level of enthusiasm at Balsall Creek Vineyards, noting that in 2024, the wine was their number one seller. She also credits the variety’s versatility — it can be produced in styles ranging from easy and refreshing to more rounded and complex — making it fun to pair with a diverse range of dishes. By many accounts, Aligoté expresses terroir well, although it is also highly touted as a “winemaker’s grape,” meaning it will often reflect the winemaking, with its best expressions also revealing the nuances of its varietal character and place. And for Balsall Creek, that version is a crisp quaffer.
“We make our Aligoté in 100% stainless steel, which allows it to pair with not only seafood, but salad as well,” says Owens. “The complexity and higher acidity pair well with diverse foods including asparagus, oysters and grilled fish.”
Aligoté’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. What started as a handful of curious producers is turning into something closer to a movement, with the Aligoté Affair already slated to return next year and more growers planting each vintage. The interest isn’t confined to the tasting room, either: sommeliers and wine buyers around the country are picking it up too, giving them something new to offer increasingly curious customers. And as the region keeps warming and growers keep leaning into varieties built for the changing climate, Aligoté looks less like a curiosity and more like a sure bet.
Curious? Start here.
2023 Blanc de Blancs | Andante Vineyards | Dallas, Oregon
It’s never a bad idea to start with bubbles, particularly one that’s a cheery, lively, downright delightful expression of Aligoté. This Andante sparkler is soft and delicate, with lingering flavors of orchard fruit and crisp white peach. It’s the perfect picnic wine and would make a delicious accompaniment to any salad — especially one topped with orchard fruits, walnuts and blue cheese. New to Bourgogne’s “other white” grape — or not — this is a pleasantly playful place to start.
2023 Aligoté | Balsall Creek Vineyards | Newberg, Oregon
Balsall Creek’s Aligoté is an unadulterated expression of the variety from the Chehalem Mountains AVA, vinified in stainless steel for a clean, zesty style. It’s layered with florals, orchard and stone fruits, and the grape’s telltale herbaceousness. It’s buoyant in the glass and the mouth and ready for just about any light meal you put on the table. It’s a delicious gateway to Oregon’s newest white wine story.
2024 Pamar Vineyard Aligoté | Björnson Vineyard | Salem, Oregon
This single-varietal Aligoté from the wind-swept Van Duzer Corridor AVA showcases a more tactile mouthfeel after three months in neutral French oak. It’s bursting with freshness and a mouthwatering delivery of crunchy peaches, orange zest and a hint of fresh, aromatic herbs. It’s ready for a late summer evening around a table filled with bounty from the garden and good conversation. (The 2025 is also now available at the winery.)
2024 La Belle Promenade Aligoté | Flâneur Wines | Carlton, Oregon
This 100% neutral oak fermented and 11-month aged Aligoté, also from the Chehalem Mountains AVA, kicks things up a notch with a tightrope balance between tension and texture. It’s rounded, electric, revealing itself seductively and slowly, layer upon sensory layer. The nose, at first delicate and floral, gives way to citrus and stone fruits, while the palate ties it all together with a throughline of minerality. It’s a wine that continues to evolve, making it a keeper on the table now through every seasonal shift.
2023 Estate Aligoté | Abbey Road Farm | Carlton, Oregon
Yamhill-Carlton AVA’s Abbey Road Farm Aligoté is perhaps the most phenolic on this list, a whole-cluster bottling that brings both French and Austrian oak into the mix. Aged sur lie for eight months in 70% neutral French oak barrels with the remainder in a new Austrian puncheon (500-L), this is a more opulent and textured wine, while still showcasing the Willamette Valley’s energetic acidity. A definitively gastronomic wine, this complex expression brings together a kaleidoscope of fruit aromas and flavors, pastry cream, savory herbs, citrus rind and a closing note of salinity, leaving a lasting impression. Cue up a soulful, jazzy playlist and get ready to groove with this dinner-time smash hit.
