Winery opens its doors to a special spot including their caves for the first time in five years
Salem, OR, November 15, 2024 – Historic winery Evesham Wood, along with sister winery Haden Fig, is opening the doors of its original 1980s winery for the first time since 2019. This beloved spot includes underground caves and the open house event will feature a tasting of the winery’s new releases and several library wines. Owner and winemaker Erin Nuccio sees this special event as a look-back occasion for fans of the winery to experience how tastings operated decades ago in the Eola-Amity Hills of Oregon. The Open House will be held November 23rd and 24th from noon to 4:00 pm each day.
One of the highlights will be tasting first sips of the 2022 Evesham Wood, Le Puits Sec Vineyard Pinot Noir. The estate vineyard, planted by Russ and Mary Raney in 1986, obtained organic certification with grapes experiencing low intervention in the cellar, and harvesting of grapes exclusively from non-irrigated vineyards. This dry farming forces the vine’s roots to grow deeper into the soil, sustaining the terroir.
Decanter Magazine rated this wine a 97, and had this to say; What a beautiful Pinot Noir from the Evesham Wood estate Le Puits Sec, Aromatics of smoky rose petals and dried violets are buoyed by notes of wild mint, tea tree oil and a seaspray saline note that goes on and on. The palate is delicate, refined and yet so energetic. Mouthfuls of vibrant red cranberries, a spritz of blood orange and delightfully spiced wild strawberries. The cool 2022 vintage has set this wine up perfectly, it’s brilliantly harmonious now, and it will age for aeons. Burgundy, eat your heart out.”
Le puits sec, literally means “dry well,” and the vineyard is planted in what is known as “Spring Valley.” Its micro-climate is considered one of Oregon’s best for producing fine wines.
“At our Open House tasting, our guests will have some of the first tastes of our 2022 estate wines, which I think fans of Evesham Wood and Oregon’s wine history from the 80s will appreciate,” said owner and winemaker Erin Nuccio, who started making wines there in 2007 and three years later became the owner. “We truly believe small is beautiful, and honoring the style of wines with balance, restraint and transparency that Russ and Mary Raney carefully built in 1986. I continue this tradition and we’re proud of the quiet accolades and the wines produced at our small family winery.”
Evesham Wood is one of handful of Oregon wineries employing draft horses to work the soil. With small rows between the vines, horse hooves plow and aerate, cut weeds, and break up the soil surface gently without destroying the microbiomes. They provide mulch after harvest keep the vines warm and the base to prepare them for dormancy for Oregon winters.
Wine club members and their guests are complimentary. The Open House will be held 12 to 4 pm, both Saturday November 23 and November 24.
More info on Evesham Wood and Haden Fig
Founded by Russ and Mary Raney in 1986, after a comprehensive search throughout the Willamette Valley, they chose a site for the estate vineyard, “Le Puits Sec” (French for “the dry well” which we have in the vineyard). There they planted eight acres, three of Pinot Noir (Pommard clone), two each of Chardonnay (108 clone) and Pinot Gris (Colmar clones) and one of Gewurztraminer. Since then, four and one half acres have gradually been added of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, as well as small plantings of the German variety, Rieslaner and the Austrian variety, Gruner Veltliner. In addition, the original two acres of Chardonnay were grafted over to Pinot Noir in 1999. Distributed in 26 states in major markets and in 8 countries. Evesham Wood and Haden Fig have developed a small customer base of loyal fans who enjoy minimal intervention terroir developed through dry root farming and restrained wine styles.
After twenty plus years, Russ and Mary began working with Erin Nuccio, who is the owner of Haden Fig and shared the same philosophies of winemaking. In August 2010, Erin and his wife, Jordan, became the owners of Evesham Wood Winery & Le Puits Sec Vineyard.
