Concinnitas Farm is much more than a vineyard. It is a deliberately composed fermentation landscape—one of the most diverse of its kind in the Willamette Valley. Beyond the vineyard, the farm includes a fruit orchard devoted primarily to traditional Spanish cider apple varieties, along with ongoing experimentation with hops and grains. In time, these elements will give rise to ciders and beers shaped by the same curiosity, restraint, and respect for place that define our wines. Together, they reflect our belief that diversity—when thoughtfully composed—fosters a healthier, more resilient farm, more expressive fermentations, and a richer experience at the table.
Our Vineyard
Every aspect of the vineyard was intentionally planned—from varietal and clonal selection to block placement, row orientation, and training methods. Rather than impose a preconceived model, we designed the vineyard in direct response to the land itself, transforming an undeveloped property into an integrated fermentation farm uniquely suited to this site.
Much of the vineyard occupies a hillside shaped like an ancient Roman amphitheater. Its undulating slopes and varied aspects create meaningful differences not only between blocks, but within them—differences that translate into greater nuance, variation, and complexity in the wines.
The vineyard is rooted in Bellpine soils, formed more than 12 million years ago from ancient seabeds. These compact, well-draining, nutrient-poor soils are challenging for young vines to establish. But once roots are forced deep enough in search of water and nutrients, they yield fruit of remarkable concentration and flavor.
Throughout the growing season, cool coastal winds move through the site. On certain afternoons, moisture—and even the scent of the sea—can be felt in the air. These winds temper warm summer days, enhance airflow through the canopy at higher elevations, and contribute to balance and vine health.
At the same time, the site’s location within the valley and the contours of its hills place it, on average, slightly warmer than many surrounding vineyards. None of these conditions were ignored. Each informed decisions about grape varieties, clonal material, spacing, orientation, and training—with the singular aim of producing the most expressive and highest-quality wines possible from a place we deeply respect.
Grape Varieties & Selections
One of the defining characteristics of the Willamette Valley is its diversity. Vineyards are prevalent, but they do not dominate the landscape. Forests, orchards, farmland, and open space coexist, and almost anything can be grown successfully here. We approached grape selection with the same openness—guided by site conditions, flavor development, and long-term resilience.
Today, more than a dozen grape varieties are planted across just over fifteen acres, including Aligoté, Chenin Blanc, Gamay Noir, Godello, Mencía, Savagnin, Albariño, Arinto, Loureiro, Trousseau Noir, Garnacha Tinta, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Juan García, and Castelão.
Growing Conditions
We focused on varieties and clones we believed would thrive in our climate and soils. In many respects, the Willamette Valley shares important similarities with regions such as Northwest Spain and the Loire Valley—climate patterns, rainfall timing and volume, soil types, proximity to cold oceans and rivers, and forested mountain ranges. These parallels, often stronger than comparisons to Burgundy, played a central role in our decision-making.
Flavor Development
Each year, our goal is harmony between phenolic and sugar ripeness. To achieve this, we gravitated toward varieties and clonal selections with longer ripening curves, naturally higher acidity, and the capacity to deliver intensity and nuance at moderate sugar levels. Wherever possible, we selected lower-yielding material—smaller clusters and berries—to concentrate flavor. These choices include Aligoté Doré, a Gamay Noir selection from Morgon, Chenin Blanc from the Loire, and heirloom selections of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Resilience
Some of the world’s most compelling wines come from places where ripening is not guaranteed. In the face of a warming climate, we selected varieties and clones that position the farm to produce compelling wines well into the future—while still respecting vintage variation. Many of these selections offer stylistic flexibility, allowing us to craft wines that are still or sparkling, lean or powerful, depending on the year. This versatility is central to resilience—and to delivering consistently expressive wines over time.
Fruit Orchard
In recognition of the area’s history, we dedicated portions of the farm to fruit trees. We have carefully begun restoring existing plum, apple, and pear trees through annual pruning, both to preserve them and to determine their suitability for consumption or inclusion in future fermentations.
We have also planted a dedicated cider orchard, becoming one of the first orchards in the country devoted exclusively to traditional Spanish cider apple varieties. To date, fifteen varieties from northern Spain have been planted: Blanquina, Collaos, Coloradona, Cristalina, De la Riega, Marialena, Perico, Piel de Sapa, Raxao, Reineta do Caravia, Repinaldo do Liébana, Sangre de Toro, Solarina, Teórica, and Xuanina.
Additional fruit trees—peaches, apricots, figs, and almonds—are grown to feed our family and to share with guests during special occasions.
Hops & Grains
From the beginning, we envisioned the farm as a place capable of producing more than wine alone. Hops and grains were planted with the intention of crafting small quantities of single-farm beers—a nod to brewing traditions, family history, and the broader fermentation culture that informs our work.
We currently grow several hop varieties, including Saaz, Hallertauer, Spalt Select, Serebrianka, Fuggle, Tettnanger, and Kent Golding. In the fall of 2024, we began experimenting with a small barley plot to assess its suitability for future on-farm use.