Winemaker Interview: Jon Armstrong of Purple Cow Vineyards
There is never a dull moment in the life of a winemaker. Making unique, high-quality American wine is a full-time job in itself, yet many winemakers also take on sales and marketing duties, pour wine in the tasting room, and offer themselves up to winemaker dinners and events across the United States.
With that in mind, we know that we can’t always go all “Barbara Walters” on a winemaker with our interviews. Sometimes we gotta be quick and dirty. Without further ado, here are a few quick questions with Purple Cow Vineyards’ winemaker, Jon Armstrong.
Stacy Buchanan: Tell us about the creation of Purple Cow Vineyards. How long has your winery been in operation?
Jon Armstrong: We first planted in 2000, and first sold wine in 2006. We celebrate our birthday at Thanksgiving, as that weekend in 2006 was when we first opened to the public. In the six years that span the gap between planting and selling, we had several years of nursing young vines, followed by finally getting a commercial-sized crop, followed by another year of wine-making before the first products were ready. Our first year showcased estate Pinot Noir & Marechal Foch, with a barrel-fermented Chardonnay sourced from another vineyard in the Willamette Valley. Our product line has diversified quite a bit since then. As we reconciled ourselves to the idea that we had more wine than we could drink and share with family/friends, we started considering a name for our business. We looked hard at merging a bird of prey with a geographic feature, common in the industry, but it was our youngest daughter who had the answer. As she played with a little plastic toy in the bath, it was obvious that she (18 months old) already recognized that being a Purple Cow (she pronounced it “Purkle”) was inherently remarkable. Thus the genesis of the name. My wife was not too happy about it at first, but she’s come around.
SB: What winery/winemaking experience (or education) did you have before opening your own winery?
JA: I don’t have a wine education- computer science is pretty far from it. Books, on-the-job training, and industry networking go a long way. I must credit my mother and step-father for a lot of free training in viticulture. They started a vineyard several years before I did and I learned a lot by volunteering on the establishment and care of that vineyard. In the winery, books and experimentation drove my experience level. As we embarked upon commercial wine-making, I sought consulting from an excellent wine-maker, Bill Musgnung, to come by and double check that our products were healthy. His mentoring was very valuable. I also think the high quality of our fruit from the vineyard has helped us avoid many of the challenges one can face in the winery.
SB: Oregon is well known for its outstanding Pinot Noirs. In your own words, specifically with your wines, what makes this region ideal for this grape?
JA: I could give you the same speech about Terrior (soil, climate) that has been voiced by many more decorated industry members than I. Personally, I don’t think Pinot Noir and Oregon need be monogamous. I think the soil and humidity makes Oregon idea for all kinds of varietals, but the temperatures limit most of us to growing Pinot Noir as the only viable red Vinifera. The innovators in Oregon have made Pinot Noir great by practicing best-known viticultural techniques, limiting our yields, and generally behaving in a way that sacrifices everything else in order to drive quality. I think Oregon can support other reds as well. As we learn to adjust our methods to it, Marechal Foch is going to become a very attractive wine and will shake off the stigma of lower quality. I’ve invested in Tempranillo, and have witnessed a growing interest in Baco Noir. I have a couple more projects going, but I’m not going into great detail about them until the experiments have been completed. Oregon could be in for a rough period if someone made a movie like “Sideways” that bashed Pinot Noir in favor of some other variety. Thus diversity is very important to me.
SB: What have been some challenges for the winery over time?
JA: Infant mortality is my greatest obstacle. Summer drought or winter ice that breaks grafts can really delay your production ramp. It’s something different every year. You just have to learn from the risks you took that exposed you, and jump back into the struggle. The 2nd biggest obstacle is our local government and getting past its land use department for construction of facilities. The final one is investing and financing in a scenario where you live on the property that produces the raw materials for your product. It’s amazingly complicated from a liability protection, ownership of assets, and financing standpoint. I realize these challenges are a little dry, but it’s the truth. I think the most romantic challenge is balancing that temptation to grow your business fast enough to make it profitable, but retaining the detailed control that made your product successful.
SB: Is there anything that you’re particularly proud of with Purple Cow Vineyards?
JA: Ask anyone that visited us, you learn 5 times more about viticulture and winemaking when you visit our tasting room than you’ll learn anywhere else. Everyone here who works in the tasting room also has production responsibilities and that expertise is free for the tapping. It’s a real joy to take people out and show them what is happening in the vineyard or explaining the interaction between rootstock, soil moisture, root depth, and ripening progress. I think we’re even pretty good at slowing down before we overwhelm our customers with information.
SB: What’s new or coming up at Purple Cow Vineyards?
JA: I hinted at this earlier. I am thrilled that we picked our first commercial vintage of estate-grown Tempranillo in 2008. I’ve been working on that project since 2001, so it’s nice to get to the part where you get to share it with enthusiasts.
***Watch Purple Cow Vineyards’ “Straight from the Source” Video Short***
