White Rose Wines

“Why is there a dragon on the label?” I asked upon entering White Rose Vineyard’s low-ceilinged tasting room. Unfortunately, as soon as I got my question out, the tasting-room pourer needed to respond to an outstretched hand holding an empty wine glass. Never mind, I thought, I would ask him later.

Soon I was part of the crowd holding out my wine glass for a taste. Sure enough, the pinot offered had that classic Dundee Hills terroir: cherry red, light, with flowery notes and a great finish, and devoid of big tannins — that’s the Dundee Hills pinot noir’s profile I have come to know. I looked around for owner/winemaker Greg Sanders to compliment him on this special pinot. Unfortunately, Greg wasn’t in town that day, but had he been there I would have thanked him for this truly enjoyable pinot. I could have also queried him about that intriguing dragon on the label.

With a little bit of research I discovered that White Rose Vineyard’s vines are 20- to 25-year-old Pommard clones from Dijon. Left untended, they might produce four to five tons of grapes per acre. However, through aggressive pruning, White Rose Vineyards produces only 1.25 tons per acre. The result is superconcentrated, intense flavors that other wineries such as Torii Mor, Panther Creek an St. Innocent have known about for years.

Greg makes about 1,500 to 2,000 cases of pinot noir annually, which fulfills his need to produce small-lot wines. He’s not interested in running a 100,000-case production facility. Together with his vineyard and cellar teams, Greg is involved in each step of the winemaking cycle — from bud break to bottling. In essence, he gives birth to each vintage. So it stands to reason that his labels bear the names of his sons Mercotti and Quiotee, and daughter Nekaia.

Outside the big timbered tasting room and winery, visitors can soak in an amazing view of the vineyard with Willamette Valley in the distance. Grab a chair, kick back, relax, and try to remember to ask about the significance of that dragon!