Cristom Vineyards

Cristom’s founder and owner, Paul Gerrie, used his skills as an engineer and avid researcher to pursue his passion for wine. On his travels to France, he was introduced to the traditional growing practices of the Burgundy region. He learned that soil (terroir) and site were key in developing the complexity of the fruit.

After a 1991 visit to the International Pinot Celebration in Oregon, Paul decided the time was right to leave the East Coast and bring his family and his passion for great Pinot Noir to Oregon’s burgeoning wine country.

But their journey wasn’t complete without a winemaker who shared Paul’s vision of “letting the land make the wines.” Enter Steve Doerner who, after a quarter century of experience, still believes the winemaker’s job is to “optimize what nature — the vineyard — provides.” In addition to his reputation as a master winemaker with “keen intuition” (possibly from his French heritage), Steve is a biochemist who had been making wine in California.

And so with a passion that only wine enthusiasts embrace and a precision that can only come from a chemist and an engineer, the two set out to cultivate their vision, which today, can be seen in the seven distinct vineyards on Cristom’s 65 acres.

Cristom Vineyards was once again honored by Wine & Spirits Magazine as a 2020 Top 100 Winery.  This recognition is Cristom’s 8th in the past 10 years, an achievement that we are all very proud of and a beacon of the brand’s true staying power and consistent outstanding quality. This press release was announced by W&S September 16^th, 2020. The Top 100 is based on wine quality and reviews - specifically, that your winery has received a minimum of 6 scores over 90 points in the last calendar submission year. For 2020, Cristom was fortunate to receive 12 wines rated 92 points or higher.

Visit the Brand’s Website:

https://www.cristomvineyards.com/

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