WINEMAKING Techniques:
Pinot Noir
Pick on acidity, flavors and seed tannin. Most of the Pinot noir is de-stemmed but at times I do a Whole Cluster lot. This is all due to the vintage and it is not a protocol decision. Small, open-top, two-ton jacketed stainless steel fermentation vessels for each lot of Pinot noir. Simple pump over and punch downs for the first couple of days. Then a juice analysis is completed to determine how this wine might ferment. All native yeast start and finish fermentation. These can be quick, lasting eight days or long, lasting as long as three weeks. Free run is kept separate from press juice then blended back if it adds something interesting. Wine goes to approximately 20 percent new reach oak of various coopers, where it rests for eighteen to twenty-three months, all depending upon the vintage.
Jay McDonald, Winemaker and Owner
Jay McDonald, Winemaker and Owner
Chardonnay
Picked based upon acid as flavors build on itself with Chardonnay in Oregon. Heavy press cycle lasting eight to the hours with eight to fifteen cycles. Juice is allowed and encouraged to fully oxidize before going to barrel. Various French coopers, sizes and shapes are utilized. Chardonnay is not stirred, moved or adulterated for eighteen to twenty-three months. Leaving it alone is the key here.
Tiny Tank
A 100 gallon stainless steel tank is allowed to remain outside for the entire harvest season. No temperature controls. Only human hand punch-downs are performed. All native yeasts, no enzymes or SO2. Just let it go. Pressed separately when dry and placed into a single neutral French oak barrel where it resides until bottling, usually eighteen months later.
White Pinot Noir
Making a purpose “built” wine of Pinot noir in the methodology of white wine. Grapes come in, whole cluster pressed with lots of solids and put into stainless steel barrels. Fermentation is all native without any additions other than heat to get it to go dry by the first quarter. An amazingly complex wine even though it was made quickly.
Open top Oak Barrel Fermentation
As above, but all within French oak. A bit smoother due to primary and secondary fermentation occurring simultaneously. Fun wine!
WINEMAKING Techniques:
Pinot Noir
Pick on acidity, flavors and seed tannin. Most of the Pinot noir is de-stemmed but at times I do a Whole Cluster lot. This is all due to the vintage and it is not a protocol decision. Small, open-top, two-ton jacketed stainless steel fermentation vessels for each lot of Pinot noir. Simple pump over and punch downs for the first couple of days. Then a juice analysis is completed to determine how this wine might ferment. All native yeast start and finish fermentation. These can be quick, lasting eight days or long, lasting as long as three weeks. Free run is kept separate from press juice then blended back if it adds something interesting. Wine goes to approximately 20 percent new reach oak of various coopers, where it rests for eighteen to twenty-three months, all depending upon the vintage.
Jay McDonald, Winemaker and Owner
Chardonnay
Picked based upon acid as flavors build on itself with Chardonnay in Oregon. Heavy press cycle lasting eight to the hours with eight to fifteen cycles. Juice is allowed and encouraged to fully oxidize before going to barrel. Various French coopers, sizes and shapes are utilized. Chardonnay is not stirred, moved or adulterated for eighteen to twenty-three months. Leaving it alone is the key here.
Tiny Tank
A 100 gallon stainless steel tank is allowed to remain outside for the entire harvest season. No temperature controls. Only human hand punch-downs are performed. All native yeasts, no enzymes or SO2. Just let it go. Pressed separately when dry and placed into a single neutral French oak barrel where it resides until bottling, usually eighteen months later.
White Pinot Noir
Making a purpose “built” wine of Pinot noir in the methodology of white wine. Grapes come in, whole cluster pressed with lots of solids and put into stainless steel barrels. Fermentation is all native without any additions other than heat to get it to go dry by the first quarter. An amazingly complex wine even though it was made quickly.
Open top Oak Barrel Fermentation
As above, but all within French oak. A bit smoother due to primary and secondary fermentation occurring simultaneously. Fun wine!
Philosophy
EIEIO & Company
“First and foremost wine making is focused on the fruit that grew in the vineyard and not the other way around.”
- Jay McDonald
Jay McDonald was the guy in college who kept wine in his fridge instead of beer, an interest that would grow into a passion and evolve into a career. After a detour through the world of business management and finance, Jay’s interest in wine led him to Oregon. In 1994, he purchased an historic building in downtown Carlton, a small town in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine country. Several Oregon wine-centric businesses followed: wine distribution, marketing, retail, and in 1996, his first commercial wine.
Jay thought up the name of his winery, EIEIO while drinking with friends and family by throwing ideas around, “deciding not to take myself too seriously.” First and foremost his wine making is focused on the fruit that grew in the vineyard and not the other way around; made in the winery! More details can be found within this website as well as various philosophies of transforming fruit into wine.
Jay thought up the name of his winery, EIEIO while drinking with friends and family by throwing ideas around, “deciding not to take myself too seriously.” First and foremost his wine making is focused on the fruit that grew in the vineyard and not the other way around; made in the winery! More details can be found within this website as well as various philosophies of transforming fruit into wine.
Jay McDonald, Winemaker and Owner
EIEIO & Company was founded in 1998, and Jay’s first independent commercial vintage was during the amazingly hot 2003 vintage, nothing like having your “feet put to the fire” they say!
EIEIO & Company operated from 2003 through 2014 in leased facilities while Jay searched for and developed his ideal vineyard and winery. Bergstrom Winery was EIEIO’s original operating premises as well as one of the first separately bonded “alternating wine proprietorship” in the state from 2003 through 2007. In 2006, Jay found and purchased his ideal location just outside Carlton. Since 2015, Jay has been in his own winery.
EIEIO & Company operated from 2003 through 2014 in leased facilities while Jay searched for and developed his ideal vineyard and winery. Bergstrom Winery was EIEIO’s original operating premises as well as one of the first separately bonded “alternating wine proprietorship” in the state from 2003 through 2007. In 2006, Jay found and purchased his ideal location just outside Carlton. Since 2015, Jay has been in his own winery.
Philosophy
EIEIO & Company
“First and foremost wine making is focused on the fruit that grew in the vineyard and not the other way around.”
- Jay McDonald
Jay McDonald was the guy in college who kept wine in his fridge instead of beer, an interest that would grow into a passion and evolve into a career. After a detour through the world of business management and finance, Jay’s interest in wine led him to Oregon. In 1994, he purchased an historic building in downtown Carlton, a small town in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine country. Several Oregon wine-centric businesses followed: wine distribution, marketing, retail, and in 1996, his first commercial wine.
Jay thought up the name of his winery, EIEIO while drinking with friends and family by throwing ideas around, “deciding not to take myself too seriously.” First and foremost his wine making is focused on the fruit that grew in the vineyard and not the other way around; made in the winery! More details can be found within this website as well as various philosophies of transforming fruit into wine.
Jay thought up the name of his winery, EIEIO while drinking with friends and family by throwing ideas around, “deciding not to take myself too seriously.” First and foremost his wine making is focused on the fruit that grew in the vineyard and not the other way around; made in the winery! More details can be found within this website as well as various philosophies of transforming fruit into wine.
Jay McDonald, Winemaker and Owner
EIEIO & Company was founded in 1998, and Jay’s first independent commercial vintage was during the amazingly hot 2003 vintage, nothing like having your “feet put to the fire” they say!
EIEIO & Company operated from 2003 through 2014 in leased facilities while Jay searched for and developed his ideal vineyard and winery. Bergstrom Winery was EIEIO’s original operating premises as well as one of the first separately bonded “alternating wine proprietorship” in the state from 2003 through 2007. In 2006, Jay found and purchased his ideal location just outside Carlton. Since 2015, Jay has been in his own winery.
EIEIO & Company operated from 2003 through 2014 in leased facilities while Jay searched for and developed his ideal vineyard and winery. Bergstrom Winery was EIEIO’s original operating premises as well as one of the first separately bonded “alternating wine proprietorship” in the state from 2003 through 2007. In 2006, Jay found and purchased his ideal location just outside Carlton. Since 2015, Jay has been in his own winery.
Discover
The Root of The Matter
Wine quality starts in the vineyard.
The site is everything and the farming a parallel. Finding that right site to ultimately own and “put down roots” is time consuming and can be heartbreaking. After a long search I was lucky enough to find an entire hill for my vineyard, offering every exposure and containing innumerable soil types.
classic Willakenzie soil at Saffron Fields Vineyard
Discover
The Root of The Matter
Wine quality starts in the vineyard.
The site is everything and the farming a parallel. Finding that right site to ultimately own and “put down roots” is time consuming and can be heartbreaking. After a long search I was lucky enough to find an entire hill for my vineyard, offering every exposure and containing innumerable soil types.
classic Willakenzie soil at Saffron Fields Vineyard
accolades
Previous
Next
Previous
Next
accolades
Previous
Next
Previous
Next
