Place
Soter Vineyards makes its home at Mineral Springs Ranch in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of Oregon's Willamette Valley.  Thirty-six acres of Pinot Noir and four acres of Chardonnay are Biodynamically farmed here, resulting in wines of the highest quality and caliber.  Mineral Springs Vineyard wines are imbued with an indelible exoticism and varietal purity.

Wine Growing
The biodiversity of the property provides Mineral Springs Vineyard with natural predators and healthy microorganisms. This gives our production team the ability to focus on Biodynamic farming, which allows the property to thrive in a nourished and natural way. In addition, Mineral Springs is dry farmed and benefits from both cutting edge and antique systems to keep in balance with nature. This is demonstrated through the planting of heirloom clonal selections and the use of sheep and goats to help manage mowing and weed control in contrast to the solar radiation studies which we did in order to determine precise row orientation before planting.

Heritage
The 2005 vintage represented the inaugural release from this vineyard had a distinctively exotic personality. At its core it featured notes of blackberries, black cherries, white pepper and floral notes that recall freesias and roses. Subsequent bottlings have consistently expressed this exotic flare with a heart of pure, supple fruit and lovely acid balance.

Visit our online store to purchase Soter Vineyards wines or to explore individual wines.

Favored Sites
The Willamette Valley is Oregon’s most recognized appellation for cool climate varietal wines, and it is in the Northern part of this region where the finest vineyards are found - an epicenter we refer to as the North Valley - which includes all of the defined sub-appellations (the Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton, etc.).  It is from within this region of rolling hillsides and diverse soils that veteran winegrowers James Cahill and Tony Soter, along with North Valley partner, Michelle Soter, source certified sustainable vineyards of real “Cru” quality for these personality-driven wines.  Meticulous, hands-on attention to farming practices throughout the growing season from flowering through harvest, and minimal handling in the winery, assures a resulting level of quality normally associated exclusively with estate grown wines - in fact, we think of each vineyard site we work with as if it were a “satellite estate property”, as a statement of our genuine commitment to making the best wines we can.

Artisan Blends
North Valley wines are crafted from a diverse set of clones, soil types and microclimates, representing the various sub-appellations of our region. Our winemaking practices are time-honored, small-lot methods, using new French oak with restraint, so that the pure, regional characteristics of our wines shine brightly. These wines are what we refer to in-house as our "Regional Rock Stars"!

Rich Diversity
As a quick example of the complexity to be enjoyed by blending Pinot Noir from different vineyards within the Northern Willamette Valley, let’s briefly highlight a contrasting example from two sub-appellations side by side. In the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, for instance, the soils are entirely ancient marine sediments layered over fractured sandstone and siltstone; the oldest soils in the entire Willamette Valley. These nutrient deficient, porous soils produce wines that display considerable boldness, showcasing black and red fruits, with noteworthy spice, mineral, earth and savory flavors. By comparison, wines derived from the volcanic Jory-based soils of the Dundee Hills AVA, where we also have great vineyards to work with, tend to be a bit softer in weight and body, still fleshy, with brighter, lifted red fruit character, and a pretty core of fruit suggesting sweetness. They are generally open knit, aromatic, and very charming.

Visit our online store to purchase North Valley wines or to explore individual wines.

Pinot Noir Without Pretense
“Planet Oregon is not really a place but a state. Named after a state, Planet Oregon is really more a state of mind. You know like a worldview, frame of mind, attitude, approach, way of thinking, mindset and/or outlook. It’s the way we look at our world, our planet. We want what we do in this world and on this planet to matter. We want our actions to be healthy and not harmful, for ourselves, other people, other creatures, and, of course, the planet. We want our work to be delicious, fun loving, regenerative, worth doing, worth sharing, worth sustaining.” – Tony Soter

Sustainably grown and produced Oregon Pinot Noir that is palatably priced to be enjoyed early and often.  Planet Oregon is crafted to reach a broader audience and embodies the conscious choice we all have to endorse and support truly sustainable practices.  $1 from the proceeds of every bottle sold in Oregon is pledged to the Oregon Environmental Council.

Origins and Essence
Established in 2009, Planet Oregon was founded with a goal to make delicious, environmentally responsible wine at an accessible price. In short, a wine you can enjoy on a Tuesday and feel great about. For Planet Oregon, winemakers James Cahill and Tony Soter make Pinot Noir for the people with respect to the planet. They continually seek to produce and bottle delicious young Pinot Noir that is consistently fresh, silky and suggestive of Oregon summer cherries and berries. Pinot of this quality will never be cheap but the value should be as obvious as the exuberant aromas and flavors.

Fundamental Sustainability
For Planet Oregon wines we insist on sourcing from certified sustainable vineyards and bottle in a certified sustainable winery so that our promise to be responsible and mindful stewards of the land goes beyond words and into practice.  For Planet Oregon we work exclusively with growers that are one or all: Organic, Biodynamic, LIVE or Food Alliance certified -- all of whom meet the Salmon Safe criteria in the process.

What they all share is their subscription to a set of principles; minimizing synthetic off-farm inputs, following natural systems and methods instead of chemical and being responsible for the broader impact of their activities.

Planet Oregon wines are bottled in a certified sustainable winery; one of just 14 wineries in Oregon, and very few in the world, that can also claim to have rigorously documented, reduced, mitigated and offset all carbon accounted for in their onsite production methods. This is all done in accordance with the international standards and the data is posted to The Climate Registry as part of our ongoing commitment.

We believe the time has come for Oregon winegrowing to become a beacon of best practices. Protecting Oregon's environment is a Planet Oregon priority. We pledge $1 for every bottle of Planet Oregon sold in Oregon to the Environmental Council, which safeguards the health of Oregonians by working for clean air, clean water and healthy food from local farmers. Planet Oregon truly is a wine that will satiate your need for flavor while also satisfying your conscience.

Visit our online store to purchase Planet Oregon PInot Noir or to learn more.