ELKTON, Ore. — One doesn’t quite know where life will lead, especially when Pinot Noir is a factor. Terry Brandborg likely never thought he’d end up in Elkton, Ore., not after growing up in San Francisco and loving the big-city life.
Yet here is our 2008 Oregon Winery to Watch, in a town where wine barrels outnumber people by a five-to-one margin.
Back in the mid-’80s, Brandborg set up a winery in Richmond, Calif. It was a rough neighborhood, but he got along well with his neighbors and began to work with cool-climate grape varieties from such areas as the Anderson, Russian River and Santa Maria valleys.
In 1998, he was at a wine event in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and met Sue Scarlett. Each had recently divorced after two decades of marriage. After the meeting, they began to correspond, writing honest-to-goodness letters that shared each others’ hopes and dreams. By June 1999, Sue moved to California. They wanted to plant a vineyard and began to search for the right place. Turns out that place was Elkton.
“Pinot Noir has been grown in Elkton since 1972,” Brandborg said. “It reminded me of the Anderson Valley and Mendocino County.”
They began to research soil and weather data, both of which confirmed their gut feelings that this place would be perfect for growing Pinot Noir.
In April 2001, they married, and in January 2002, they moved to Elkton after purchasing 145 acres of land in the hills above town, where their home provides inspiring views of the Umpqua Valley. So far, they’ve planted five acres — all Pinot Noir — with the goal of having 50 to 60 acres.
Their original plan did not include building a winery right on the highway through town.
“Everything fell into place like it was meant to be,” Brandborg said. “It was incredibly easy.”
They ended up with a bigger building, which gave them more room in both retail and cellar space. And there was little red tape in the way. Brandborg showed up at city hall on a Friday and got a site application. Over the weekend, he designed the winery, then took it back Monday morning and got his building permit. By Thanksgiving weekend 2002, Brandborg Vineyard & Winery was open to the public.
The 2002 vintage was 2,500 cases, which has expanded to 8,600 cases today. Brandborg also does some custom winemaking for other producers, which amounts to another 4,400 cases of wine he makes. He crafts Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Syrah from a variety of sources in the Umpqua Valley.
A primary focus is Pinot Noir, of which he makes no fewer than five different bottlings. One is from the estate Ferris Wheel Vineyard, and another is called “Love Puppets Pinot Noir.” The story goes that, during the long-distance courtship, Sue sent Terry a refrigerator magnet that showed a couple holding hands on a carnival ride with the caption, “Love Puppets on a Ferris Wheel.”
Now, the two love puppets are loving life in small-town Oregon.
“We’re a ma-and-pa operation,” Brandborg said. “We’re passionate about what we’re doing. Elkton has turned out to be a very interesting community with old ranch families and lots of artists.”
The Brandborgs began to offer live music a couple of years ago in the nicely sized tasting room. Their proximity to Eugene has meant a number of high-quality musicians coming through town, which the Brandborgs have taken full advantage of to the delight of other residents.
Today, Elkton has four wineries with another on the way and plans for a 15-acre vineyard to be planted next year. For this rural area, that’s a veritable wine boom. But Brandborg doesn’t figure the town will explode in size, and he still has a hankering for the bright lights.
“I’m a city kid, and I can’t stay here 365 days a year,” he said. “While we are on the road marketing around the country, it is fun to visit cities and explore. It’s nice to hike on pavement once in awhile.”
And, we presume, ride on the occasional ferris wheel.
Brandborg Vineyard & Winery, 345 First St., Elkton, Ore. 541-584-2870,
brandborgwine.com.
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