May is Oregon Wine Month and we are going to celebrate everything that we love about our craft, this land that we call home, and the enjoyment that their combination brings.
To quote Laurent, our owner and leader of the winemaking team, “Seeing the accomplishments of people that work with you is the most rewarding thing, but I think the most satisfying is the journey with people.”
At Westmount, our teams combined experiences are influential in growing, farming and making our wines. We all have taken different paths to be where we are right now, and to give you an insight into who we are, we did a quick q&a with our team, and over Oregon Wine Month we will share more about our team members and their journeys in the wine industry. First up, winemaker, Brian Irvine!
What was your first ever wine experience?
Honestly?… It was a jugg of Gallo Chenin Blanc on the roof of my middle school. (Chuckling…) Seriously, you have to start somewhere!
Earlier in my working life, I was in the food industry and was in and around cooking and restaurants. Because of that, I had access to a broad range of wines. The first wines that struck a chord with me, were the wines produced by Ridge. I grew up at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and as a local favorite, those wines were big, yet balanced. I loved how geeky they got on the label too, it opened my eyes to another world.
How did you find winemaking as a career?
I was working at a wine shop in Berkley, so I knew that I liked wine and the amazing rabbit hole that this industry is. A friend of mine was attending Fresno State at the same time and was telling me about a viticulture final exam where he had to prune a row of vines in the school’s vineyard. I’m a hands-on guy, and the fact that a final involved creating with your hands, I knew I had found what I was going to do. I love the craft and creation that we do every vintage.
As we roll into longer, sunnier days, what are you drinking now?
At the end of the day, I look for a nice cold beer first. This time of year, breweries are releasing their spring seasonals, and I love exploring the many options that we have in the PacNW. There’s so much creativity in some of these beers, it can definitely help to inspire. On the wine side, I’m exploring some cool climate whites and of course rosés. Rosés are such versatile wines, they go with so many different foods.
How has being a winemaker shaped your perspective?
In winemaking, you’re only as good as the fruit that you are working with. I grew up in and around the large-scale commercial farming of California’s Central Valley, where many chemical inputs are the norm. The more chemical inputs that you have on a vineyard, there is no question that the resulting wine is negatively affected. Winemaking has made me very aware of the natural balance of an ecosystem and the environmental impact that farming has. I have always eaten healthy, but the longer I’m a winemaker the more I want to find the source of what goes into my and my families bodies.
Why did you choose to make wine in Oregon?
Food and cooking are a large part of my life, and the best wines to drink with food are acid-driven. There is a natural correlation between food and acid-driven wines, and I love exploring it. The acid backbone of a wine is really only created in a cool climate. The Willamette Valley of Oregon is really the only true cool climate in the new world. We have mountains, rivers, streams, coastal and continental influences, and at the 45th parallel, our day length is maximized while maintaining cool nights to retain acid in our fruit. Plus, I live in Portland and work in the country, I love that daily change. Within an hours drive from Portland, you can be in the mountains, at the ocean, or cruise vineyard rows in the valley.
With 2018 being your 12th vintage in Oregon, how has your time in Oregon shaped you as a winemaker?
I’ve always enjoyed learning, and over the last 11 vintages, Oregon has shaped me to believe that I still have so much more to learn. It is a beautifully humbling experience, it forces you to always have your eyes wide open and take every vintage as it comes. Winemaking is a blend of scientific knowledge, experience, and creativity. Every year, we use our scientific training and experience in fermentation, but we always let the wines guide us and tell us where they want to go. In winemaking, there is always something new. No two vintages are alike, every blend is unique.