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Around The Vineyard

Specifying an “Oregon style” of Chardonnay is
even more difficult because the wine also reflects
the winemaker’s choices. Chardonnay has long been
known as “the winemaker’s canvas” because it is a
grape easily manipulated in terms of flavor and aro-
mas. “Oregon is developing its own style,” Fullerton
said. “I don’t like to compare Oregon Chardonnays
with White Burgundy, but generally, we’re trend-
ing toward the leaner, acid-driven styles of French
Chardonnay. As our style evolves, I see more simi-
larities than differences.”

A testament to Oregon’s enthusiasm for
Chardonnay is the increasing popularity of the
annual Oregon Chardonnay Festival. Founded in
2012 as the Oregon Chardonnay Symposium, the
celebration has evolved from an industry-focused
technical panel and tasting to an education seminar
for consumers and professionals and one of the
region’s largest varietal-specific tastings. “If you’re
interested in Oregon Chardonnay, you want to go
to this event,” Fullerton said. “It’s very educational
and impressive to see how many good Chardonnays
Oregon is producing.”

For Fullerton, delving into the nuances of
VINEYARD MULCHERS Burgundian wines is a labor of love, so it’s no won-
der that he and his winery are adapting and pro-
Custom Built • Built To Last moting the latest trends in Chardonnay. His father,
Eric, owner and proprietor of Fullerton Wines,
Whatcom Manufacturing’s Mulch Spreaders are specifically engi-
neered for fast, easy & precise mulch application in your vineyard. gifted him with a trip to Champagne, the Loire and
Burgundy for his 18th birthday, and this is where
Our Spreaders are available in multiple sizes with numerous
options and features to accommodate all of your application needs. he got the wine bug. “I was totally fascinated by
wine all throughout college until I began working at
wineries – Penner-Ash Cellars and Bergström Wines.
These are the wines that speak to me.”

As a winemaker, Fullerton oversees an 8,000-
case production of Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay and
some Pinot Gris. Their signature Pinot Noirs and
Chardonnays include Three Otters (named after the
Fullerton Family Crest, which features three little
otter heads) and Five Faces (an acronym for the
five members of the Fullerton family), as well as an
extensive portfolio of single-vineyard wines. Many
have received 90-plus ratings from Wine Enthusiast,

Phone: 360-354-3094 Wine Spectator and Robert Parker. Viticultural prac-
info@whatcommfg.com tices include organic, biodynamic and sustainable
Website: www.whatcommfg.com farming. Fullerton Winery offers three opportuni-

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