This was my first time in Oregon—and it most certainly will not be my last.
The sun-dappled hills of the Willamette Valley came alive with the joyful pop and persistent fizz of world-class sparkling wine during the second annual Method Oregon Grand Tasting Weekend. As a wine communicator who lives for terroir-driven stories and sensory connections, stepping into this event felt like watching a region finally claim its voice in the glass. The cool-climate finesse, electric acidity, and pure site expression left me utterly captivated. More than the wines themselves, it was the spirit of community, the warmth of the people, the quiet innovation, and the open invitation to explore that left a lasting impression.
This year marked a genuine milestone. Method Oregon expanded into its first full three-day weekend as a nonprofit founded by and for passionate sparkling winemakers—now 55 founding members strong—dedicated to establishing Oregon as a world-class traditional-method sparkling region.
What is Method Oregon? The organization has created one of the most rigorous standards in the world for traditional-method sparkling wine. To carry the Method Oregon mark, wines must be 100% grown, produced, bottled, riddled, and disgorged in Oregon; made in the traditional method with a minimum of 24 months on the lees; and (beginning in 2029) sourced from vineyards using only organic inputs or LIVE-certified sites free of synthetic herbicides. Labels must also declare the AVA(s) of origin and the disgorgement date.
These standards matter. In a category where language can be slippery, the Method Oregon mark offers clarity and confidence—a signal of quality, land stewardship, and authentic regional character. It elevates the entire category while protecting the very things that make Oregon sparkling distinctive: its brightness, its tension, and its profound sense of place.
Welcome to Oregon Wine Country!
No event would be complete without a proper welcome for those who had traveled far and wide to experience the best of what Method Oregon has to offer. The evening was delightfully casual—organizers from Broussard Communications and Sparkling School presenters gathered with us for intimate sips and easy conversation at The Pub in cozy McMinnville, a perfect gentle start before the weekend’s festivities truly began.
Sparkling School with Panel at Vinovate
We began with a welcome toast led by Rob Townsend of Vinovate Custom Wine Services/Radiant and Ambar Estate. Reception wines poured in Stölzle Lausitz Revolution White glasses set an elegant, intentional tone: Ambar Estate 2022 Blanc de Blancs, Arabilis 2021 “Sequence” Extra Brut, BANKE NV Brut, Flâneur NV Brut, Iterum 2019 Orchard House Estate Brut Nature, and St. Innocent 2022 Crémant d’Innocent. The light catching in the glasses felt like a quiet promise of what was to come.
The State of Sparkling panel, moderated by Ray Isle (Executive Wine Editor of Food & Wine), featured Jeanne Feldkamp of Corollary, Eugenia Keegan of Jackson Family Wines, and Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent. Mark, one of the earliest Oregon producers of traditional-method sparkling, spoke of his deep attachment to the art of winemaking. Jeanne offered the simplest and most perfect truth of the weekend: “We love bubbles and that’s why we make them.”
A dosage discussion with Thomas Houseman (Radiant / Vinovate) and writer Lyn M. Archer followed. Thomas compared dosage trials to fine-tuning a radio—listening until the wine snaps into focus. Lyn reminded us that every cuvée is a fingerprint, its personality a deeply personal choice. The room leaned in.
We then moved through the production stations: tirage bottling with Andrew Davis (sampling Ambar 2025 Blanc de Blancs and Lytle-Barnett 2025 Blanc de Noirs base wines), riddling with Kate Payne Brown of Argyle (tasting the 2022 Vintage Brut and 2014 Extended Tirage Brut), and disgorging and dosage with Lee Beck (Corollary 2022 Cuvée One Rosé). Watching the process up close—the careful turns, the decisive moment of disgorgement—revealed both the rigorous discipline and the fleeting beauty of the craft.
Bubbles Block Party at Argyle As evening settled over downtown Dundee, we shifted to Argyle—the pioneering house founded in 1987 by Rollin Soles in a former hazelnut facility. Long before Oregon sparkling became a movement, Argyle was already proving the Willamette Valley could produce traditional-method wines of true international stature.
The atmosphere turned pure celebration. Rare pours from Argyle, CHO, Corollary, De Ponte, Domaine Willamette, Elk Cove, Gran Moraine, Irvine & Roberts, Lytle-Barnett, Lundeen, Quady North, Soter and others flowed freely alongside food-truck fare while DJ Jimbo kept the energy high and easy. Conversations spilled outdoors, glasses clinked, and the evening felt less like a formal tasting and more like a joyful gathering of friends who happen to make exceptional sparkling wine. A friendly game of pétanque closed the night on a perfectly sporty, lighthearted note.
Grand Tasting at Domaine Willamette The heart of the weekend unfolded at Domaine Willamette, Oregon’s first facility dedicated exclusively to méthode traditionnelle. Nestled in the Dundee Hills at the Demeter-certified biodynamic Bernau Estate Vineyard, the property features an underground aging cellar, sweeping valley views, and gardens that invite lingering.
More than 50 founding members poured alongside thoughtfully paired bites prepared by the Domaine culinary team. The energy was electric yet welcoming—conversations flowed as freely as the bubbles. Standout moments included meeting Rachel Rose of Bryn Mawr, Piper Underbrink of Privé, and Tatum Harloff-Frey of Pashey; tasting De Ponte’s unique Melon de Bourgogne sparkling from fellow Quebecer Isabelle Dutartre; discovering Thomas Sivilli’s oyster-bound cuvée; and a fascinating Crémant Rosé from St. Innocent. Discovery after discovery, each one adding another layer to the story of Oregon sparkling.
Media & Producer Reception Hosted by Visit McMinnville in the event space at HiFi Wine Bar, this more intimate gathering captured the weekend’s spirit perfectly. HiFi is a soulful downtown McMinnville spot where wine, vinyl, design, and community converge. Makers and storytellers mixed easily in a warm, analog atmosphere that felt both curated and completely unpretentious—exactly the kind of place where real connections happen over a shared magnum glasses – a 1996 Argyle with Kate Payne-Brown, sublime Brooks Winery Ara Riesling 2023 and the energetic Soter Estate Blanc de Blancs to name a few.
Choose Your Own Adventure Choose Your Own Adventure
Sunday was for deeper exploration. I chose each stop deliberately because of the leading women who shape these places—from pioneering houses to thoughtful boutique producers.
At Ambar Estate + Soter Vineyards, Tony Soter and Rob Townsend guided us through their shared environmental responsibilities across ranches and wineries, illustrating how nature is entirely interlinked—what Tony calls “the cycle of reciprocity.” Pit stops along the way offered beautifully paired bites and sips from both estates. The enduring legacy of co-founder Michelle Soter remains a powerful touchstone. Tony’s shared knowledge and enthusiasm for his world—from the heirloom Pinot Noir clones and the bees that keep the garden humming to the discovered treasure of “Pinot Blanc”—were infectious. His warmth and generosity welcome you from the moment you arrive. You feel as though you have stepped into another world of serenity, beauty, and happiness—an experience I will treasure always.
At Argyle, under the leadership of Kate Payne Brown (named head winemaker in 2025), the experience was playful and educational: a riddling competition, manual disgorging with a key, and a blind tasting of several sparkling wines with snacks. Supported by Vineyard Manager Erica Miller and Associate Winemaker Rachel Healow, Kate and her team continue to amplify women’s voices in the industry.
Corollary Wines welcomed me into their striking, design-forward, sparkling-only world in the Eola-Amity Hills. Co-founders Dan Diephouse and Jeanne Feldkamp are deeply hands-on in production, business, and leadership. Jeanne’s active role in Method Oregon and women-in-wine initiatives such as “Women Who Sparkle” shapes both the wines and the culture here. We tasted seven distinctive cuvées—from the 2022 Cuvée One to the 2021 Namaste Blanc de Blancs—and closed with a soon-to-be-released 2022 Demi-Sec paired with Japanese breads. Simply sublime.
My final stop, planned the evening before at HiFi, was Brooks Wines in Amity. Family-owned and women-led, Brooks is guided by Managing Director Janie Brooks Heuck, who has stewarded the winery with remarkable dedication since 2004. Head Winemaker Claire Jarreau brings precision and regenerative focus. Janie treated us to Rieslings and Pinot Noirs that completely stole my wine heart—particularly the 2023 Old Vine Pommard.
Each visit felt personal, generous, and deeply connected to the women whose work and vision make these places special—the kind of exploration that turns a first visit into a lasting love affair with a region.
What began as a niche category has surged forward. Argyle and St. Innocent were among the first to plant the seeds. Traditional-method production has more than quadrupled in the past decade and now approaches 150,000 cases annually. More than 100 wineries produce sparkling here, with Method Oregon members at the heart of the quality wave.
Sipping these expressive cuvées—bright, complex, and profoundly tied to place—reinforced why Oregon sparkling belongs among the world’s best. I left inspired, notebook full and heart fuller, already dreaming of my return. The community’s openness, the people’s generosity, the spirit of innovation, and the quiet invitation to keep exploring made this first visit unforgettable.
Oregon bubbles are ready to shine—and I already know I’ll be back.