Whole Cluster Fermentation of Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley
Neal D. Hulkower
Whole cluster fermentation of Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley is no longer a rarity. It is regularly being used by winemakers for some or all of their production. As would be expected in Oregon where there are no prescribed winemaking practices as there are in Europe, producers are free to follow their own instincts. Those who are adopting it fall along a broad spectrum ranging from occasional use to almost always fermenting with 100% whole cluster. As such there is no formal organization advocating the method. In addition, tasting notes are highlighting the practice. For some wineries, whole cluster fermentation has become one of the ways to differentiate their product in the market.
When stems are included in the fermentation either as whole clusters or dried and added separately from the grapes, the result is typically different from a wine made with destemmed grapes. It is also seen as one of the many techniques to counteract the effects of climate change. With global warming, stems are lignifying (ripening) to a greater degree reducing vegetal aromas and flavors. Customers are attracted to whole cluster fermented Pinot Noir because of the additional complexity in aroma and flavor and the silky mouthfeel. It adds savory, spicy, and floral notes to complement the fruit as well as enhanced age ability.
This presentation will begin with a soupçon of stem science followed by a summary of the history of the practice of whole cluster fermentation in the Willamette Valley which traces its roots to Burgundy. Opinions of leading winemakers representing all sides of the issue of whether to employ whole cluster fermentation and examples of Pinot Noirs fermented with at least some percent of whole clusters will be shared.
Neal D. Hulkower, Ph.D., is an applied mathematician and freelance writer living in McMinnville, Oregon. While he has been writing regularly about wine-related topics since 2009, his first contributions to a wine publication appeared in the early 1970s. His wine writing can be found in academic, trade, and popular publications including the Journal of Wine Research, the Journal of Wine Economics, American Wine Society Wine Journal, Oregon Wine Press, Practical Winery & Vineyard, Wine Press Northwest, the Slow Wine Guide USA, and The World of Fine Wine and on wine-searcher.com, trinkmag.com, and guildsomm.com. He focuses on applications of mathematics to the world of wine, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, and reviews of wine-related books. He also enjoys covering wine events and personalities. He is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers and the American Association of Wine Economists. Neal can occasionally be found pouring some of Oregon’s finest in a tasting room at the top of the Dundee Hills. His first book, Grape Explications, was released in 2025.