Oak Knoll Winery is a privately held winery located in the Tualatin Valley near Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Established in 1970, it is the oldest winery in Washington County, and produces Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Chardonnay. The winery also known for producing Frambosia, a red raspberry wine.

Oak Knoll does not have its own vineyards, instead purchasing grapes from area Willamette Valley grape producers.

History The winery was established in 1970 by Marjorie and Ron Vuylsteke south of Hillsboro on what was formerly a dairy farm.McNichol, Bethanye. "A Berry Good Start to Wine. The Oregonian, December 14, 2000. The couple first started making wine in their garage, after they had a bumper crop of blackberries. At the time, Ron was an electrical engineer. As they became more successful in making wine, they started their business with financial backing from a silent partner.

It was the first winery in Washington County.Our story. Oak Knoll Winery, accessed October 20, 2007. In its early years, the winery used repurposed Coca-Cola drums for storing the wine during the fermentation process. The first batch consisted of 4,000 gallons of blackberry fruit wine. The winery's first Pinot noir was produced in 1973. Chardonnay and Riesling were introduced in 1975 and Pinot gris was first produced in 1990.

Oak Knoll was the first winery in Washington County to open a tasting room. By 1986, the winery was the second-largest by volume sold in Oregon,Christ, Janet. "Oregon Growers Expect Bumper Crop of Wine Grapes. The Oregonian, September 17, 1987. but slipped to third by 1988.Biggest Wineries. The Oregonian, October 2, 1988. The Washington Post named the winery's Pinot noir some of the best Pinot noir from the United States in 1986.Conaway, James. "The Global Reach of Pinot noir". The Washington Post, September 7, 1986. Oak Knoll produced other fruit wines, such as loganberry, and in 1998, its Oak Knoll raspberry "Frambrosia" was named one of the world's best dessert wines in USA Today.Sloan, Eugene and Donna L. Williams. "Taste Tickles: Olallieberry, Garlic, Mead". USA TODAY, August 31, 1990.Layne Witherell, "Oregon Winery Uses Cool Climate to Its Advantage". Richmond Times Dispatch, July 15, 1998. In 2005, the Vuylstekes sold part of the winery to their sons Tom and John.Leeper, Kate. "Business Briefs: Hillsboro". The Oregonian, April 21, 2006. In 2006, the winery was the largest in Washington County with 30,000 cases produced each year.Mandel, Michelle. "Sweet Sip of Cuccess"[sic]. The Oregonian, May 4, 2006.

Business

Oak Knoll uses grapes from within the Willamette Valley AVA to produce its wines. The winery is a family-run enterprise with Greg Lint serving as president until his death in September 2022.Oak Knoll Winery. Portland Business Journal, accessed October 20, 2007. As of 2007, it had annual revenues of $7.5 million, selling varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Niagara, and Pinot gris under its own label as well as under the Twilight Blush, Eruption, and Frambrosia labels. The winery is the official wine sponsor of the Portland Rose Festival.

Accolades Oak Knoll's wine has been served at the White HouseSherrill, Bob. Time's Right for Sampling Washington County. The Oregonian, July 18, 2002. 1989 Oregon State Fair: Two gold medals and four bronze medalsFoodday: Veritas, Wasson Bros. Take Top Honors: Nine Gold Medals Awarded During State Fair Wine Judging. The Oregonian, August 15, 1989. 1990 Pacific Northwest Wine & Food Festival: Silver medal for its 1988 ChardonnayStockley, Tom. Small wineries win top awards. The Seattle Times. August 13, 1990. 1991 San Diego National Wine Competition: Gold medal for its 1988 Pinot noirStockley, Tom. Northwest wines fare well during California judging. The Seattle Times, May 15, 1991. 1998 Oregon State Fair: One silver and two bronze medalsDuff, Dan. Wine Notes: Amity, King Estate wines take top prizes. The Oregonian, September 1, 1998. 2001 Oak Knoll Winery ranked 10th among the Top 25 Oregon wineries by volume 2003 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition: Ninth place for its 2001 Pinot GrisSchultz, John W. Ultimate Oyster Wine Version 2003. WineSquire.com, accessed October 20, 2007. 2006 The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition: Two bronze medals2006 Awards. The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, accessed October 20, 2007. 2007 Pacific Rim Wine Competition: White wine category, winner for its sweet Niagara grape wineLipson, Larry. Bottles that’ll put you in the red. The Daily News of Los Angeles, May 15, 2007.

References

External links Oregon Wine Explorer: Oak Knoll Winery Wine Release