Home Industry News Releases Cooper Mountain Vineyards Purchases Olenik Vineyard in the Willamette Valley’s Chehalem Mountains...

Cooper Mountain Vineyards Purchases Olenik Vineyard in the Willamette Valley’s Chehalem Mountains AVA

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Portland, Ore. (November 16, 2018) — Cooper Mountain Vineyards, a Willamette Valley winery founded in 1978, announced its purchase of the 50-acre Olenik Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. First planted to Rex Hill’s Jacob-Hart Vineyard in the early 1990s, John Olenik purchased this 50-acre, eponymous section of the vineyard in 2005.

With both volcanic and sedimentary soils, Olenik Vineyard has a unique soil composition in the north Willamette Valley. This special site is at the confluence of ancient volcanoes and the ocean, which stretched to the Willamette Valley millions of years ago. Subsequent landslides created the distinct patchwork of soils present today. As a result, the eastern half of Olenik Vineyard is composed of volcanic fractured basalt, with pronounced rocks that earned this section the nickname “Anklebreaker Block.”

“It was time to pass the baton on this special place in the Willamette Valley where I have enjoyed growing premium Pinot Noir,” said John Olenik. “I felt that the Gross family was the right fit that I was looking for as my wife and I are preparing to simplify our lives.”

The purchase of Olenik Vineyard, which closed today, brings Cooper Mountain Vineyards’ holdings to a total of five vineyards and 152 planted acres. The winery celebrated its fortieth harvest this vintage.

“It is quite a coup for us to have the opportunity to bring this vineyard into our organic and biodynamic vineyard program,” said Dr. Bob Gross, founder of Cooper Mountain Vineyards.

“As the first biodynamic winery in the Pacific Northwest, it is an honor we get to extend our footprint a bit farther into the Willamette Valley as we move into our next chapter,” added Barbara Gross, second generation and Cooper Mountain Vineyards’ Operations Manager.

Cooper Mountain Vineyards produces three tiers of organic and biodynamic wines. The Five Elements, named for the five elements of a vine, includes the no-sulfite-added Pinot Noir “Life” ($40), Johnson School Pinot Noir ($60), Old Vines Pinot Noir ($60), Chardonnay Old Vines ($25), Gamay Noir ($30), and Tocai Friulano ($22). The Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris ($16), Cooper Mountain Chardonnay ($20) and Cooper Mountain Pinot Noir ($28) comprise the Cooper Mountain Estate collection. Lastly, Cooper Hill, Cooper Mountain’s second label, represents a more affordable, everyday wine, with the Cooper Hill Pinot Noir ($18) and Cooper Hill Pinot Gris ($15).

About Cooper Mountain Vineyards:

Cooper Mountain is a pioneering winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, established on the outskirts of Portland in the late 1970s. The winery began as and remains a family endeavor, with two generations guiding Cooper Mountain’s organic and biodynamic winemaking. With five vineyards spanning more than 150 acres, the winery bottles organic, biodynamic and dry-farmed Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Tocai Friulano, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Gamay Noir. A pioneer then and now, Cooper Mountain produces low-intervention wines, including a no-sulfite-added Pinot Noir. Learn more at coopermountainwine.com

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