Brigadoon Wine Company
A young and promising winery of the Willamette Valley
Brigadoon Wine Company is a young property founded in 2008 by the Shown family. It is located in a wooded canyon, deep in the southern Willamette Valley, northwest of Eugene.
The property extends over 66 acres of which 15 are planted with vines. The rest of the area is occupied by a Christmas tree plantation, a sheep farm, forest, an orchard and a large vegetable garden.
The vineyard is planted mainly with Pinot Noir but also with Riesling, Pinot Blanc as well as a nursery (trees and vines). By conviction Brigadoon vineyards will always be operated by sustainable agriculture practices by Chris Shown, his wife (Sheree) and his two children (Matt and Nick).
Where does the name of Brigadoon Wine Company come from?
“This is the name of a 1947 musical, a film released in 1954 and a 1996 album of which we are fans. “(Chris Shown) Brigadoon is a beautiful love story between an American and a young Scottish woman. The young man arrived in Scotland to hunt. During his stay he falls in love with a girl from the village of Brigadoon, a village lost in the countryside. However she could not go with him to the United States or she risked seeing the town disappear for mystical reasons …
Focus on Chris and Matt Shown, coowners of Brigadoon Wine Company
“My family is of British origin. I started my career in viticulture in 1970 in Napa Valley, I helped my father to work the vineyard. I’ve always been a farmer, it’s my passion!
In 1988 w hen the property was sold I left for retirement but the virus of the vine quickly caught up with me. So we looked for a place to create a vineyard and we arrived here. This is a remote place, no road but a beautiful place. There are superb terroirs to work and the Willamette Valley offers a unique lifestyle. “(Chris Shown)
“I was soon fascinated by wine and winemaking. I went with my father and I attended to the various works of the vineyard and the winery since my childhood. After horticultural studies, my other passion, I started working for different vineyards in New Zealand and Oregon. In 2008 when my family embarked on the creation of Brigadoon it is natural that I join the project.
Today even if I work for another property I spend most of my time here because I fell in love with this place, this beautiful part of life. “(Matt Shown)
What allows one recognize the wines of Brigadoon Wine Co. in blind tasting ?
“All our wines have a nice texture and matter. We work a lot on it. I am looking to have a perfect balance, a bright acidity and good structure. Our wines are often recognized thanks to the quality of the structure, whatever the vintage. They should be based primarily on the fruit. It makes wines that we like and we like dry wines!
We want to make wines that express all the characteristics of their vines, their vintages and reflect their terroir. It is there to guide the vine / wine, not for them to say or do anything different than their nature. ”
Could you talk about the terroir and the vineyard of Brigadoon Wine Company ?
“It is a beautiful terroir, with great potential. It is composed by Bellpine, Jory and also some clay. These are welldrained soils and rocky with some silty clays. These are fertile soils. It is in the foothills. It is located at an altitude of 400/600 feet which gives us a freshness that most wineries in the area do not. This allows us also to harvest between 3 and 10 days after the others . These additional days to allow the vine to continue the physiological development of fruit flavors and therefore without increasing the sugar level (and therefore alcohol). This microclimate allows a slower development of the berries. We work in sustainable agriculture to protect and perpetuate this wonderful terroir, land and its balance. ”
If you had to describe what the wine represent for you in a few words, what would you say?
“I’d say it’s a beautiful drink, nice, enjoyable and friendly” (Chris & Matt Shown)
Do you have a specific project to Brigadoon Wine Co. ?
“As you can see we like to welcome people, we would like that to continue. We are currently producing 15,000 bottles a year, but eventually we will produce 55,000. However, it is already very tight in our buildings, we can not increase our production without constructing a new building. This is our medium / short term project. “(Chris & Matt Shown)
Anecdote side
“Here we absolutely do everything by ourselves, while family, from vine to wine production all through bottling. We are all engaged in Brigadoon, me, my two children and my wife. My wife Sheree is a very good chef. She works a lot on food pairings and wines. “(Chris Shown)
Thanks to the Shown family for their warm and friendly welcome.
Choukroun Chicheportiche Jonathan
Brigadoon Wine Co.
25166 Ferguson Rd.
Junction City, OR 97448 (Oregon)
(541) 9982600
