Oregon

Big Salt is a white wine that embodies a day at the beach. It’s bright, fresh, dry and a bit salty (although no salt is added of course!) – once it’s done you’re left wanting more. We achieve this experience by letting mother nature create complexity – that is to say we allow all of the grapes to ferment together, with native yeast..rather than making a blend in the laboratory. Finding the right vineyards throughout Oregon that share the same cool climate is what it’s all about.

The Wine
Elkton AVA, planted on Windygap soils (deep, well-drained residuum and colluvium from sandstone and siltstone)
90 native co-fermented Gewurztraminer (1980) & Riesling (1983) in stainless steel
8 Early Muscat (1978), native fermented in neutral barrel
2 Melon, Savignin Rose (1980), and Pinot Noir (all de-stemmed and added to the press)
7-8 gr/L RS
No additives except SO2, Crossflow filtered and bottled after 6 months on lees

The Winery
Founded by husband-and-wife duo John House and Ksenija Kostic in 2011, Ovum is a celebration of the diverse expressions of Oregon Riesling. After years of learning the intricacies of the Willamette Valley while working together at Chehalem, John and Ksenija set off to further investigate the myriad terroirs of Oregon through the lens of Riesling, and now source fruit from through the state. They have found sites with blustery Pacific winds, extreme diurnal shifts, and rocky, well-draining soils.

To emphasize the idiosyncrasies of these vineyards, all of Ovums wines see the same practices in the cellar: natural fermentations, no additions or subtractions except for SO2, extended lees contact of 8-9 months all in neutral barrels of acacia and oak, as well as Nomblot concrete eggs. The resulting wines are textured and concentrated, driven by minerality, and framed by unwavering acidity. Ovums work is among the most compelling white winemaking we have encountered in our search throughout the Pacific Northwest.