Oak Knoll Winery
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| Oak Knoll Winery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States |
| Appellation | Willamette Valley AVA |
| Other labels | Eruption Frambrosia Twilight Blush |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Key people | Greg Lint, former president Jeff Herinckx, wine maker Kim Kolb, director of operations |
| Varietals | Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Niagara, Riesling |
| Distribution | national |
| Tasting | Open to public |
| Website | www.oakknollwinery.com |
Oak Knoll Winery is a privately held winery located in the Tualatin Valley near Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Established in 1970, it is the oldest winery in Washington County,[1] and produces Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Chardonnay. The winery also known for producing Frambosia, a red raspberry wine.[2]
Oak Knoll does not have its own vineyards, instead purchasing grapes from area Willamette Valley grape producers.[3]
The winery was established in 1970 by Marjorie and Ron Vuylsteke south of Hillsboro on what was formerly a dairy farm.[4][5] The couple first started making wine in their garage, after they had a bumper crop of blackberries.[4] At the time, Ron was an electrical engineer.[4] As they became more successful in making wine, they started their business with financial backing from a silent partner.[4]
It was the first winery in Washington County.[1][3] In its early years, the winery used repurposed Coca-Cola drums for storing the wine during the fermentation process.[5] The first batch consisted of 4,000 gallons of blackberry fruit wine. The winery's first Pinot noir was produced in 1973.[3] Chardonnay and Riesling were introduced in 1975 and Pinot gris was first produced in 1990.[3]
Oak Knoll was the first winery in Washington County to open a tasting room.[5] By 1986, the winery was the second-largest by volume sold in Oregon,[6] but slipped to third by 1988.[7] The Washington Post named the winery's Pinot noir some of the best Pinot noir from the United States in 1986.[8] Oak Knoll produced other fruit wines, such as loganberry, and in 1998, its Oak Knoll raspberry "Frambrosia" was named one of the world's best dessert wines in USA Today.[9][10] In 2005, the Vuylstekes sold part of the winery to their sons Tom and John.[11] In 2006, the winery was the largest in Washington County with 30,000 cases produced each year.[12]
Business
Oak Knoll uses grapes from within the Willamette Valley AVA to produce its wines. The winery is a family-run enterprise with Greg Lint serving as president until his death in September 2022.[13] As of 2007, it had annual revenues of $7.5 million, selling varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Niagara, and Pinot gris under its own label as well as under the Twilight Blush, Eruption, and Frambrosia labels.[13] The winery is the official wine sponsor of the Portland Rose Festival.[14][15]
