In the spring of 2021, Union Wine Company purchased Crowe Hill Vineyard which is located just outside of Sheridan, Oregon in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA within the famed Willamette Valley. The property has 207 acres with 95 acres of Pinot Noir planted in 2008 and 2009. In 2022 we planted an additional 30 acres of Pinot Noir.
Most of the soils on this property are hazelair, suveer silty, and clay loam. When we acquired the property, the soil had been chemically treated and needed some TLC. To fix this, we stopped using chemical herbicides, invested in mechanical weeding and began using an organic fungicide program during the growing season. Additionally, we’ve been employing a special formulation of microbes that break down hydrocarbons and are intended to repair the soil from past chemical herbicide use. Our goal is to create more diversity of cover crop species, enhance the vineyard’s biodiversity, and improve overall soil and ecosystem health.
Our first harvest of Crowe Hill Vineyard grapes was the 2021 vintage. We have used fruit from this vineyard in several of our wines including Kings Ridge Pinot Noir, Underwood Pinot Noir and Underwood Rosé Bubbles. Over the next few years, we plan to add an additional 60 acres of grapes, along with bat boxes, owl boxes, raptor perches, and more, so stay tuned for more exciting projects!
