Your Next Great Bottle Of Aligoté May Come From Oregon
Aligoté blocks at Abbey Road Farm.
For decades, Aligoté has been introduced as Burgundy’s "other" white grape—the one that lived in Chardonnay’s shadow. Oregon winemakers think it's time that changed.
Across the Willamette Valley, a small but growing group of producers is betting that Aligoté's naturally bright acidity, lower alcohol and food-friendly personality make it one of the region's most promising white wines. At a time when consumers are increasingly reaching for fresher, more restrained styles—and many say they're moving away from heavily oaked Chardonnay—Aligoté may have arrived at exactly the right moment.
"Consumers are seeking bright, fresh, clean white wine alternatives to Chardonnay," says Blair Trathen, director of winemaking at Abbey Road Farm. "Aligoté ticks all of those boxes."
For Bree Stock, founder and winemaker at Concinnitas Farm, the attraction began years before the variety started appearing on more Oregon wine lists.
"I first recognized the quality and aging potential of Aligoté when it was handled with intent and respect," she says, recalling a bottle from Burgundy that completely changed her perception of the grape. When the opportunity arose to secure the rare Aligoté Doré clone in 2015, she jumped at the chance. Today, Stock believes Oregon is proving uniquely suited to the variety.
Because Aligoté ripens later than Chardonnay, the fruit benefits from Oregon's long growing season, allowing flavors to develop while preserving the vibrant acidity that has become the grape's calling card. Its naturally looser clusters also make it well suited to the Willamette Valley's dry farming conditions.
"I think the variety shows great potential in the face of a drying and warming climate," Stock says, noting its later harvest window, resistance to heat and rot, and strong long-term farming potential.
Abbey Road Farm’s Trathen points to Oregon's warming climate, relatively low disease pressure and combination of volcanic and sedimentary soils as producing particularly expressive examples of Aligoté.
The resulting wines are bright and energetic, often showing citrus, orchard fruit and a saline minerality that makes them equally comfortable alongside oysters as they are with roast chicken or simply enjoyed as an aperitif. Consumers, meanwhile, appear more than willing to embrace something new.
"When we purchased our vineyard in 2021, we were fortunate to have Aligoté already planted," says Jon Owens, co-founder of Balsall Creek. "It has become a customer favorite."
In fact, Owens says many guests who insist they don't enjoy Chardonnay quickly become converts.
“We produce our Aligoté in 100% stainless steel to make it a crisp, refreshing wine and to make that differentiation from Chardonnay. What we’ve seen in our tasting room is that guests who say they don’t like Chardonnay love our Aligoté,” he says.
Owens says more retailers have picked up Balsall Creek’s Aligoté than its Chardonnay, while Stock says sommeliers are excited to introduce consumers to another Burgundian variety capable of expressing Oregon’s terroir. Still, perhaps the biggest opportunity isn't simply producing more Aligoté—it's giving the grape an identity beyond Burgundy.
Rather than attempting to replicate French examples, Oregon winemakers are discovering what Aligoté looks like when shaped by the Willamette Valley's volcanic and marine sedimentary soils, long summer days and cool evenings. Flavor profiles already range from bright lime zest and quince to richer orchard fruit with saline, wet stone minerality, suggesting the region is beginning to carve out a style of its own.
Goodfellow believes Oregon has another advantage Burgundy cannot easily offer.
"The U.S. rarely sees the highest quality wines from this grape due to its success in Nordic and European markets," he says. "Making this a variety that Oregon can truly own and contribute to the premium white wine space in the U.S."
by Emily Capilello for Forbes Magazine
