We are excited to introduce you to Diane Nemarnik of Nemarniki Vineyard—who also makes wines under the same label—of the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Diane will be our 2016 source for both Pommard and Wadenswil (our first time working with “Wad”) Pinot Noir clones.
Although Diane’s vineyard is roughly four miles away from our estate vineyard, hers has Laurelwood soil, which is primarily found within the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Pinots from this soil type tend to have brighter red fruit and express more earthiness. The soil itself is brown loess, a windblown, silty loam that is extremely fertile and drains well, but can erode easily without careful farming and management. The silt is a remnant of Ice Age glacial retreat and blew into the northern Willamette Valley roughly 1 million years ago.
As for Diane, she hails from a long family farming tradition, including her grandfather Salvatore Dindia, himself a winemaker in the Willamette Valley. Diane walked us through the vineyard and our rows on Tuesday, July 26. Although her Pommard and Wadenswil have yet to experience veriason, her 777 crop was well into turning purple, having started to do so just a few days prior to our visit. Here’s a few photos from the tour:
Diane and Dave, touring the Nemarniki Vineyard.
Diane prunes back an unruly grapevine.
A view of Diane’s Pommard vines.
Spectacular view at Nemarniki Vineyard from the Wadenswil section.
