Vineyard Focus: Patricia Green Cellars' Estate Vineyard
by Jean Yates
Patricia Green Cellars, the winery, is the culmination of many years of work by Patty and business partner Jim Anderson. Founded in 2000, Patty, Jim, and investors purchased the former Autumn Wind Winery and renamed it Patricia Green Cellars. Existing buildings continue to be used for the winery, and the vineyard has been extensively reconstructed.
Development of the Estate Vineyard into the award winning site it is today has taken tremendous amounts of work and continues today, with constant changes and improvements. Patty has divided the vineyard into blocks and develops individualized horticultural plans for each area. The Estate, Reserve, Oregon, and Sign of the Times Pinot noirs, the Sauvignon Blanc, and the Chardonnays of Patricia Green Cellars are all made from the Estate Vineyards' fruit.
History of the Estate Vineyard
In 1986, Patricia Green began working at Hillcrest Vineyards in Southern Oregon at the request of a friend. With an innate sense of how things work and a mechanical aptitude, Green performed a number of jobs at the winery. When the 1987 harvest came in, she made wine and in 1988, became the official winemaker.
She left Hillcrest in 1989 and took work in the construction industry. However, she continued to keep one foot in the wine industry, working the harvest for Adelsheim in 1990-91. For the following two years, Green made wine for La Garza Winery in Southern Oregon.
Torii Mor hired Green in 1993, where she worked for the next seven years. It was during this time that Green developed a loyal staff that stayed with her after she left Torii Mor. The parting was not easy.
Green was uncertain what she would do next. She didn't think it would be in the wine industry.
"I was ready to change my life," Green recalled. "I was burned out, fed up and tired with the wine business. I don't think people understand how hard this work can be."
Although Green was ready to leave the wine industry, it was not ready to let her go. She left Torii Mor in 2000 without knowing where the future would lead her. It was deja vue with Green - following instincts when the path before her was as clear as a desert sand storm.
In the past, Green always landed on her feet, happy to pursue another adventure in her life. This time, however, grape growers and winemakers urge her to stay in the industry and produce wine.
Vineyard owners told Green they wanted to sell their fruit to her. She explained she had nothing - no winery, no equipment, no staff. But Green promised to consider their offers if something fell into her lap.
"A short time later, I walked into Panther Creek Cellars and there were a number of (Willamette Valley) winemakers doing a tasting," Green recalled. "As I walked over to their table, they all applauded me.
"It was the spurring on from people in the wine industry that kept me here," she added. "I am very thankful to those people in the Oregon wine industry."
Winemaker Ken Wright said he doesn't believe Green would have left the industry.
"Her internal compass would have brought her back," Wright said. "She so obviously loves what she is doing and she wears that enjoyment. She loves it right down to her soul."
On March 1, 2000, about two weeks after she left the wine industry, Jim Anderson, who worked at Torii Mor with Green, and left at the same time, received a call from Tom and Wendy Kreutner, owners of Autumn Wind Vineyards. The couple offered to sell their winery. Green and Anderson had a friend who wanted to be a silent partner in an Oregon winery so all parties began discussions.
"By July 21, we closed the deal and looked forward to harvest," Green said. "It was pretty fateful alright."
Developing the Estate Vineyard
The 52 acres of the Patricia Green Cellars Estate property were first planted to grapes in 1984, and many advances have been made in the understanding of the requirements of the Pinot noir vine in Oregon since then. Patricia Green brought many new viticultural practices to the Estate Vineyard, while making wine primarily from other vineyards she had been managing for the 2000 and 2001 vintages. By 2002, the Estate Vineyard was producing much improved fruit, and formed a pivotal part of the Patricia green Cellars wine lineup for the vintage.
26 acres of Estate Vineyard are planted in 13 blocks, each with its own characteristics.
The two "Etzel" Blocks are named for Beaux Freres' owner and winemaker, Mike Etzel, and ajoin the Beaux Freres Estate Vineyard. The blocks have improved so much in quality of fruit produced that Patty plans a 2003 "Etzel Block Pinot noir made from the east and west Etzel blocks.
The Halejulah Block is named for "Halelujah, the Pinot gris has all been replanted to pinot noir. It was quite a job.
"Grapes of Wrath" Block has been regrafted to Pommard Pinot noir and is a tough block to manage.
Confluence Block is so named because it sits at the confluence of the Beaux Freres, Whistling Ridge, and Patricia Green vineyards.
The Winery Block is used to make the Patricia Green Cellars "Oregon" Pinot noir. It sits right next to the winery building.
The vines of the Estate Vineyard are planted to a 5 x 8 spacing with some 5 x 6. The trellis used to be Geneva Double Curtain but has been changes to a single wire vertical trellis. In 2001, the East and West Etzel, and Grapes of Wrath blocks were regrafted to Pommard clone Pinot noir. Throughout the Estate Vineyard, Pinot noir clones 115, Pommard, Wadenswil, and 114 are planted, with Pommard making up 70% of the vines.
