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Around The Vineyard
Fullerton Wines:
Raising the Bar on Oregon Chardonnay
By:Nan McCreary
W Oregon’s Cascade Mountains and the ness in Oregon,” winemaker Alex Fullerton said,
illamette Valley, located between
“and it’s a good time to be a Chardonnay drinker
Coast Range, shares a defining character-
and Susanne, founded Fullerton Wines in 2012, is
istic with Burgundy, France. Both are cool-climate in the valley.” Fullerton, who, with his parents, Eric
growing regions situated at the 45th parallel north, one of many winemakers championing Chardonnay
and both are meccas for the holy grail of grapes, as the new rising star of the Willamette Valley.
Pinot Noir. Yet, while Burgundy has long excelled at
another grape, Chardonnay, Oregon has been late Chardonnay vines were first planted in the
to the party. Fortunately, this is rapidly changing. Willamette Valley along with Pinot Noir in the mid-
1960s. Much of what was propagated was a single
“This is a good time to be in the Chardonnay busi- clone grown in California, called 108, which didn’t
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