Oregon 2022: The Rollercoaster Vintage

BY ERIC GUIDO | AUGUST 08, 2024

The 2022 vintage in Oregon was a nail-biter and a head-scratcher for winemakers throughout the Willamette Valley. It was a growing season fraught with challenges that tested the skills and decision-making abilities of growers and winemakers in ways never seen before. Being a competent enologist or agronomist wasn’t enough to deal with the curveballs Mother Nature threw at the region. Patience, perseverance, ingenuity, lack of bias and adaptability were all vital to turning out a successful range of wines. In the best-case scenarios, there are many outstanding success stories. However, on the other end of the spectrum, many wines pale in comparison to their usual selves.

The Bethel Heights vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills.

First, a Little Housekeeping

Before digging in deeper, it’s important to mention that my previous report published in January 2024, Sitting Pretty: Oregon's New Release Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Beyond, covered over 1,000 wines, focusing primarily on the 2021 vintage, late-release 2019s and a small amount of 2022s. This report falls just short of another 1,000 wines and primarily covers 2022 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, some 2019s that I didn’t taste six months ago and wines from Rogue Valley and the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Combined, these two reports bring our Oregon coverage entirely up to date. Going forward, readers can expect our coverage of Oregon to be more comprehensive than ever, including in-depth reporting on emerging regions. While the Willamette Valley is still Oregon’s premier AVA, areas such as The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater and Rogue Valley continue to deliver elevated quality. As Oregon continues to evolve in an exciting way that goes far beyond Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it’s clear that the future is very bright for the region and its fans.

The 2022 Growing Season

Outlining the 2022 vintage is a challenge on its own. I spent two weeks in the Willamette Valley tasting with and interviewing over forty winemakers and growers, and even after all of that, new details continue to emerge that further complicate the narrative. Not all individuals are as forthcoming as others, and many want to sugarcoat the situation. I’m sure nearly every reader has heard the phrase, “The best vintage is the one they are trying to sell.” Sadly, this is a reality of the industry worldwide. Oregon is not immune to such antics. My job often traverses from wine-writing to investigative reporting to get the whole story. There are many truths about the 2022 vintage and several misconceptions—digging into the minor details is imperative to understanding what took place and how that ultimately affected the wines.