This is for our Friends in Forest Grove....

 

Forest Grove still claims to be "where Oregon pinot was born."
The Oregon legislature
disagrees:
 

HOUSE RESOLUTION:  Whereas Oregon this year will celebrate the golden 50th anniversary of the first planting of pinot noir vines in Oregon; and Whereas Richard Sommer was considered the 'father of the Oregon wine industry' and was the founder of HillCrest Vineyard, Oregon's oldest estate winery; and Whereas Richard Sommer was the first wine pioneer to come to coastal Oregon from California with a vision to produce world class wines from pinot noir and other varietals; and Whereas Richard Sommer began using the first stainless steel tanks in winemaking in Oregon in 1963, giving birth to modern Oregon winemaking; and Whereas 50 years ago Richard Sommer planted Oregon's first pinot noir in Roseburg, Oregon, and this noble variety has since become the national and international icon of the thriving Oregon fine wine industry; and Whereas Richard Sommer co-founded the Oregon Winegrowers Association in Roseburg, Oregon, in 1965; and Whereas Richard Sommer bottled the first commercial pinot noir in Oregon with the historic 1967 vintage bottling; and Whereas Richard Sommer died July 28, 2009, at age 79; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Oregon: That we, the members of the House of Representatives of the Seventy-sixth Legislative Assembly, honor 'father of the Oregon wine industry' Richard Sommer and the 50th anniversary of the first planting of pinot noir vines in state history and express our gratitude and admiration for the vision and pioneering leadership of Richard Sommer in the development and growth of the Oregon wine industry.