Character and Conscience
At Soter Vineyards we farm our wine. These wines are a reflection of the intention to convey place as an essential character in everything we make. The combination of respectful farming and craftsmanship as well as our ancient soils and temperate climate result in wines that are layered, nuanced and seductively captivating while remaining modest in alcohol and tannin, a happy consequence of the interaction of both the hand and the land.

Our estate Pinot Noirs are sourced entirely from the Mineral Springs Ranch Vineyard, located east of the town of Carlton. Fruit for our North Valley wines are procured from some of the state’s best vineyards in the Northern Willamette Valley. For Planet Oregon, we cast a wider net with the intent to make wines truly representative of Oregon utilizing fruit primarily from the Willamette Valley but also from Southern Oregon. All of our wines are made with fruit that comes exclusively from certified sustainable vineyards.

Our winery is partially housed in a refurbished barn, originally built in 1943. In the hillside next to the barn we dug two caves and lined them in cement for our barrel rooms, creating a space that is naturally cool year-round. Additionally, most days modified skylights illuminate the space. This, along with the temperature controlling elements, makes the building not only a perfect environment to raise world-class wines but also an essential factors in helping us to conserve energy and limit carbon expenditure, part of our goal to become a more sustainable business.

The Wines in Detail
For our estate wines, harvest decisions are based primarily on taste. Throughout the year Tony Soter and Estate Winemaker, Chris Fladwood, work together in close collaboration with ranch Manager, Nadine Basile, to better understand Mineral Springs Vineyard’s unique intricacies to ensure that picking happens at the optimal time. The grapes are loaded into fruit bins and are brought down the hill on a tractor to be gently poured into a destemming machine. With the help of some dry ice, the grapes then begin a 3-4 day cold soak. A short, warm fermentation ensues and the wines are then left in the vats an additional 7-10 days for an "extended maceration" to soften and harmonize their tannins. Next, the wine is gently transferred into traditional, 60-gallon French oak barrels where it undergoes full malolactic fermentation. Our barrel regimen typically utilizes around 33% new oak with the remainder in 2-3 year old neutral barrels. After spending around 12-15 months in cask and another 6 months in bottle the wine is released. Total annual production of our estate Pinot Noirs is approximately 3,000 cases when all plantings are in full production.

Our regionally focused, small lot, North Valley wines are handled with care using traditional, time-honored and artesian methods. Winemakers James Cahill and Tony Soter employ new French oak with restraint so that the pure, terrior driven characteristics of our wines shine brightly. Typically only 5-15% of the oak utilized is new with the remainder being 2-3 year old barrels. For North Valley, oak is used as nurturing vessels rather than an overt flavor enhancer as it is the nuance and character of each contributing vineyard that provides the charm and generous nature of the finished wines.
The same sensibilities, philosophies and attention go into each of the wines we make. The constant challenge that each vintage presents inspires us to honor the essence of place no matter the conditions of the season. The style, character and quality of our wines remain a constant, while each vintage offers up entertaining variations, leaving a snapshot in our memories of the unique seasons year after year.

Best Practices, Great Wine
Along with our uncompromising commitment to quality at Soter Vineyards, we feel that it is our ardent reverence for the environment at Mineral Springs Ranch that distinguishes us. Not only is our environmental commitment a philosophical statement of our core values, but we are also convinced that responsible farming practices inevitably produce wines of the absolute highest quality attainable. At the helm of our sustainability initiatives, Michelle Soter has long been firm in her commitment and belief in nurturing the land in order to increase its health for the pleasure and productivity of all those who might enjoy it today as well as for future generations.

Abundant Biodiversity
All of the vineyards from which we access fruit are farmed in accordance with the L.I.V.E. certified sustainable standards. In addition, we are in the process of converting entirely to organic viticultural and whole-property agricultural practices with the end goal becoming certified biodynamic in the years ahead. In addition, as part of our constant effort to be mindful stewards of the land and responsible residents of the planet, we actively participate in The Carbon Reduction Challenge, which brings committed Oregon wineries together with the aim of significantly diminishing greenhouse emissions through the measuring and progressive reduction of their carbon footprint. 

In accordance with our personal beliefs, we hold ourselves to high sustainability standards and strive to live in harmony with the natural systems around us. One way in which we accomplish this is by maintaining 200 acres of natural diversity alongside our 32 acres of vineyard at Mineral Springs Ranch. That diversity includes grassland, forests, pastures, gardens, orchards, ponds, oaks and wildlife. It is our philosophy that the more diverse an ecological farming system is, the healthier each component becomes.

Healthy Systems, Happy People
The biodiversity of the ranch provides the vineyard with a natural balance of organisms, a fundamental advantage when focusing on sustainable farming. The dedication to sustainability at Soter Vineyards indeed starts at the vineyard but is also evident in our packaging, our commitment to solar energy, through building designs and in our ongoing goal of sustaining a happy and healthy staff.
Every decision we make at Soter Vineyards is a conscious one that takes into account what is best for the health of the property and the people who live and work on it. For us, sustainability is part everything we do and those principles play out in our actions and are reflected in the wines we are honored to make and from this place we are privileged to call home.

Soter Vineyard’s Mineral Springs Ranch is southwest of Portland, Oregon on the eastern edge of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, a sub-appellation of Oregon’s renowned Willamette Valley. The 240-acre property in planted to 32 acres of grape vines that include 30 acres of Pinot Noir and two acres of Chardonnay from which we make our Brut Rosé, Mineral Springs Ranch Pinot Noir and Mineral Springs (White Label) Pinot Noir.

The site where Mineral Springs Ranch flourishes is called Savannah Ridge; given its name from the centuries old Oak trees that cluster intermittently across its spine helping to increase the natural biodiversity of the property as well as the beauty of this special place. Mineral Springs Vineyard is thought of by many to be one of the new world’s benchmark sites for growing great Pinot Noir but is also home to hundreds of sheep, chickens, quail and other animals, fruit orchards, a vegetable farm, grassland, forest, great people and our tasting room we all lovingly refer to as “the lodge”. The convergence of all of these things makes the ranch a hive of creative activity.

All That We Are
Our vineyards are perched on a hill surrounded by hundreds of acres of lush grassland, forests, riparian corridors, and majestic oaks. The vineyards are just a small part of the magic of this place. Though the property boasts 30 pristine acres of Pinot Noir and two acres of Chardonnay it is also home to hundreds of sheep and chickens, quail, donkeys, alpacas, a llama, dogs, fruit orchards, abundant gardens, grassland, forest and people; all of which come together to make Mineral Springs Ranch a unique and indescribably special place, alive with energy and creativity.

Past, Present, Future
Native Oregonians Tony and Michelle Soter purchased the property in 2001 and began the process of converting what had once been a dairy farm with rolling green hills and antique barns into one of the most spectacular vineyards and farms in Oregon. Since then they have made it their mission to grow world-class wines every vintage, allowing the distinct character of each vintage and the vineyard, to express itself while focusing on quality and consistency. With the combined experience, knowledge and passion of our winemaking team Tony Soter, James Cahill and Chris Fladwood, we continue to strive to not only produce and share outstanding wines vintage after vintage, but also to continue our pursuit towards more sustainable practices both as an agricultural business and as members of our community.

With an eye on the future and the generations that will follow, we at Soter Vineyards continue the tradition of making beautiful, handcrafted wines which resonate with a sense of place and are marked with unmistakable identity that can only be from Mineral Springs Ranch

Ranch Manager, Nadine Basile, has brought her knowledge, experience and passion to the ranch. Together, with the vision of Michelle and Tony Soter, they have begun the process of bringing Mineral Springs Ranch into its greatest potential. Already plentiful in ecological diversity and rich in seasonal reaping we are just at the birthplace of all the ranch has to offer.

On The Horizon
For those who have visited us at Mineral Springs Ranch, you may have walked our employee garden where we grow fruits and veggies for winery events as well as for our staff to enjoy. You may have seen our hundreds of sheep grazing the hillsides helping to protect and enhance the land, as well as mow our lawn and provide us with fiber.

With all of this, as well as winegrowing of course, we still have plenty in development as well. On the North side of the property, our chickens and quail are busy supplying us with fresh eggs and meat and our alpacas watch over the property as well provide us with even more fiber. We have planted additional fruit trees as well as raspberries to go along with our existing orchards and cane berries. Soon, we will be working with local ranchers to bring cows to the property to help us increase the fertility of our pastures and vineyards and we are looking forward to raising our own Mineral Springs lamb in the future as well.

We are inspired by the abundance within the Willamette Valley and in so continue to maintain a diverse natural habitat integrating wild areas with pastures and fruit orchards established by prior generations. We do this in hopes that future generations will continue to honor the history and heritage of the land and continue the noble tradition of mindful stewardship of the land.