Elk Cove Winery

Oregon Wine, Willamette Valley

About Elk Cove Winery and Vineyard

Elk Cove hand crafts wines from outstanding vineyards in the Northern Willamette Valley of Oregon. Elk Cove Vineyards is a family owned and managed winery with 350 acres of land. At this time 120 acres of mature vineyards are cultivated with 20 newly planted acres in the Mt. Richmond Vineyard.

The winery’s focus is on Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and the ‘Ultimas’ - dessert wines made from Riesling and Gewurtztraminer. Elk Cove Vineyards has produced Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs since 1979. These wines are available in limited quantities and you can buy them here at Saratoga Wine Exchange . Windhill, La Boheme, and Roosevelt Vineyard Pinot Noirs have all been selected for specific site characteristics. Yields are kept to under two tons per acre for these special reserve bottlings.

Barrel-Aging Cellar

In 1996 Elk Cove completed an underground temperature-controlled barrel aging cellar.

* Pinot Noirs are racked by gravity from the fermenters to the membrane press for a gentle squeeze, and then to barrels in the cellar -- also by gravity.

* Nitrogen gas is used during racking to gently push the wines from barrels back into tanks.

* The delicate flavors and finesse of the Pinot Noir grape depend on this careful hand work.

Stainless Steel Fermenters

In 1997 new stainless steel fermenters were added to better control the temperature. An up-to-date hydraulic punch down tool also was added for complete and gentle stirring of the cap.

All Elk Cove Pinot Noirs are aged in the finest quality French oak barrels and are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Pinot Gris is whole cluster pressed, then fermented cool in small stainless steel tanks. To retain freshness and varietal correctness they are not put it through malolactic fermentation.