Bergström Wines

Bergström Wines traces its roots to Dr. John Bergström, who grew up in a small agricultural and logging village in northern Sweden and emigrated to Oregon as a teenager. After becoming a surgeon and raising five children in his adopted homeland, John pursued his lifelong dream of winegrowing. In 1999, John and his son Josh formally established Bergström Wines after Josh returned from earning a postgraduate degree in Viticulture and Enology at the CFPPA in Beaune, France, bringing with him his Burgundy-native fiancée Caroline, whom he married that autumn in the Bergström Vineyard. Today Josh serves as general manager, winemaker, and vineyard manager, while Caroline oversees sales.

• Founded 1999 by Dr. John Bergström and son Josh; first vintage harvested that fall from purchased fruit at a neighboring winery
• Josh trained at CFPPA in Beaune and met his wife Caroline, a Beaune native who had worked at the Hospice de Beaune, during his studies
• Portfolio focused on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a small amount of Syrah, all from estate fruit
• The winery's name and philosophy reflect John's Swedish agricultural heritage, rooted in the Pacific Northwest since his teenage years

Bergström Wines is widely regarded as one of Oregon's most important estate producers, demonstrating how rigorous biodynamic farming and minimal-intervention winemaking can produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of genuine site specificity. Josh Bergström has crafted wines from over 125 different vineyards within the Willamette Valley over his career, deepening his understanding of regional terroir. His vision from inception has been to craft estate-only wines that speak to place, and his active role on the Willamette Valley Wineries Association board and as a driving force behind the Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction has helped elevate Oregon's international profile. In 2023, Josh was inducted into the Académie Internationale du Vin.

• One of Oregon's earliest Demeter-certified biodynamic estates, farming without synthetic chemicals since 2000
• Sigrid Chardonnay has become a benchmark for Oregon Chardonnay, named after Josh's Swedish grandmother and produced since 2006
• Cumberland Reserve is the estate's entry-level Willamette Valley Pinot Noir blend, widely recognized for regional typicity and value
• Josh Bergström inducted into the Académie Internationale du Vin in 2023, a rare distinction for an American winemaker

The estate currently farms 70 acres across five sites in three Willamette Valley AVAs. The original Bergström Vineyard, 13 acres in the Dundee Hills, sits on volcanic Jory soils at 350 to 380 feet with a south-facing orientation, providing what the family describes as the estate's most powerful yet elegant expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Silice Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains sits on warm, south-facing marine sedimentary sandy soils and produces Pinot Noir with darker fruit and more pronounced tannic grip. Le Pré du Col in Ribbon Ridge and Gregory Ranch in Yamhill-Carlton round out the estate's range of soil types, elevations, and mesoclimates.

• Bergström Vineyard (Dundee Hills): 13 acres, volcanic Jory soils, 350-380 ft elevation, south-facing; planted to six clones of Pinot Noir and three clones of Chardonnay
• Silice Vineyard (Chehalem Mountains): marine sedimentary sandy soils; produces darker-fruited, more structured Pinot Noir
• Le Pré du Col (Ribbon Ridge) and Gregory Ranch (Yamhill-Carlton): expand the estate's terroir range with contrasting elevations and soil compositions
• All five sites farmed biodynamically; vine density ranges from 2,200 to 5,000 vines per acre across the estate

Josh Bergström employs native yeast fermentations for all wines, with Pinot Noir fermentations incorporating varying percentages of whole clusters depending on the vineyard and vintage. The winery uses gravity-flow processes throughout to minimize mechanical intervention. Wines are aged in French oak barrels, with new oak carefully calibrated per wine; the Sigrid Chardonnay is fermented and aged sur lie for 18 months in small French oak barrels, incorporating 10% new oak, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. Single-vineyard Pinot Noirs use typically 15 to 30% new oak. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

• Native yeast fermentation used for all wines; no inoculated commercial yeasts
• Whole-cluster inclusion varies by vineyard and vintage for Pinot Noir; gravity flow used throughout production
• Sigrid Chardonnay: fermented and aged 18 months sur lie in French oak with 10% new oak; full malolactic fermentation
• All wines bottled unfined and unfiltered; biodynamic preparations and cover crops used to build soil health and biodiversity

The Bergström portfolio is built around Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a small production of Syrah. Single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from each estate site form the core of the lineup, expressing terroir differences in soil type, elevation, and mesoclimate. The Sigrid Chardonnay, produced since 2006, is a best-barrel selection from the estate's oldest Chardonnay plantings at Bergström Vineyard, Silice, and Le Pré du Col, and is the winery's flagship white. The Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir is the estate's Willamette Valley blend, combining fruit from multiple sites to produce a regionally expressive, accessible bottling that anchors the lower end of the price range.

• Sigrid Chardonnay: produced since 2006; best-barrel selection from oldest estate Chardonnay vines; the winery's flagship white
• Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir: multi-site Willamette Valley blend; the most widely distributed wine in the lineup
• Single-vineyard Pinot Noirs sourced separately from Bergström, Silice, Gregory Ranch, Le Pré du Col, and Winery Block
• Small production of Syrah also made from estate fruit; distribution covers the U.S. and select international markets

Visitors experience Bergström Wines at Ekollon, the family's tasting house perched atop the Bergström Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. The name Ekollon is the Swedish word for acorn, chosen by John and Karen Bergström as a tribute to family roots and the promise of something small growing into something mighty. Tastings are by appointment only and include a hosted, guided exploration of the estate's vineyards and wines. The estate is open seven days a week, with same-day appointments often available.

• Address: 8115 NE Worden Hill Rd, Dundee, OR 97115
• Ekollon tasting house is perched atop the Bergström Vineyard with panoramic views of the Willamette Valley
• By appointment only; hosted Ekollon Experience priced at $85 per person ($45 for wine club members and their guests)
• Open 10am to 3pm daily; same-day appointments are often available; call 503-554-0468 or email reservations@bergstromwines.com