March 16, 2026 (Newberg, OR) — For the first time in North America, one grape variety is getting its own celebration. Balsall Creek Vineyards, a family-run estate in the Willamette Valley, announces the Aligoté Affair, the first event of its kind in the United States dedicated entirely to Aligoté on May 2, 2026.
While the Willamette Valley has long been celebrated for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Aligoté, the other great white grape of Burgundy, has been quietly taking root in Oregon. About 20 producers now make an Aligoté varietal wine in the state, and 12 of them will pour together for the very first time at the Aligoté Affair on May 2 at Balsall Creek.
The event is a landmark opportunity to explore how this expressive, food-friendly variety translates across Oregon’s diverse growing regions. Participating wineries represent AVAs spanning the Willamette Valley, including Andante Vineyard (Van Duzer Corridor), Lumos Wine Co (Eola-Amity Hills), Abbey Road Farm (Yamhill-Carlton), and Beckham Estate and Balsall Creek (Chehalem Mountains), among others.
Participating wineries include:
Abbey Road Farm
Andante Vineyard
Balsall Creek Vineyards
Beckham Estate Vineyard
Björnson Vineyard
Concinnitas Farm
Domaine Divio
Flâneur Wines
Limited Addition Wines
Lumos Wine Co
Moffett Vineyard
Suzor Wines
“We fell in love with Aligoté when we found this vineyard,” shared Jon Owens, cofounder and co-owner of Balsall Creek. “So many guests came in who hadn’t heard of Aligoté before, and we saw the opportunity to invite people out and get to know this stunning variety. We are excited to pour with so many other wineries dedicated to crafting quality Aligoté wines.”
Alongside the wines, guests will enjoy French-inspired bites from Alchemy NW, curated specifically to highlight Aligoté’s affinity for food. The menu features sole meunière crostini with wild Oregon petrale sole, butter-poached asparagus with puffed wild rice, fresh-baked cheese and quince gougères, and pork tonkatsu sliders with sesame cabbage slaw.
The Aligoté Affair takes place May 2 from 1–4 pm at the Estate House at Balsall Creek Vineyards. Tickets are on sale now: $65 general admission or $45 for wine club members of any participating winery. Tickets include pours from all 12 wineries and paired bites from Alchemy NW.
Tickets can be purchased here.
ABOUT BALSALL CREEK
Balsall Creek Vineyards is a family-run vineyard and winery in the Chehalem Mountains of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Founders Jon and Lesli Owens have deep roots in Oregon, and always dreamed of owning a vineyard together. Both their children help to run the business, which is a multigenerational project. The vineyard is both Live Certified and Salmon Safe Certified, dry-farmed and hand-harvested, and the estate has solar panels that produce more energy than they consume. Perfectly situated on south-to-southeast facing slopes, they grow Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Aligoté, all of which are produced as varietal wines. Find more info at BalsallCreek.com.
