King Estate Winery

Ed King Jr. (1921-2012) and his son Ed King III established King Estate in 1991 on a 600-acre cattle ranch in the Coast Range foothills southwest of Eugene, near the small community of Lorane in Lane County. The King family business background was in Kansas City-based aviation electronics (King Radio), and Ed King III had earned an MBA from the University of Oregon in 1982 before returning to Eugene to launch the winery project. The first vines (16.5 acres) were planted in 1992 and the inaugural estate vintage was harvested in 1995. By 1994 the planted area had grown beyond 100 acres, with a focus on Pinot Gris alongside Pinot Noir. The estate built its national reputation around Pinot Gris at a time when the variety was largely unfamiliar to American wine drinkers, and the Willamette Valley AVA boundary expansion in 2016 formally brought the property into the appellation.

• Founded 1991 by Ed King Jr. and Ed King III; family wealth originated in Kansas City aviation electronics (King Radio)
• Site is a former 600-acre cattle ranch in the Coast Range foothills near Lorane, Oregon (Lane County, southwest of Eugene)
• First vines planted 1992 (16.5 acres); first estate vintage 1995; over 100 acres planted by 1994
• Joined the Willamette Valley AVA in 2016 following a boundary expansion of the appellation
• Brent Stone serves as Co-CEO and Winemaker

The estate occupies a Coast Range foothills site at elevations roughly 740 to 1,200 feet, with cool maritime influence from Pacific Ocean winds funneling through the southern Willamette Valley. Two soil types dominate the vineyard: marine sedimentary Bellpine soils and volcanic Jory soils, both with silty clay loam texture that drains freely while retaining moderate moisture. Large diurnal temperature swings (up to roughly 35 degrees Fahrenheit between day and night) preserve natural acidity, a defining feature of the estate's white wines. King Estate dry farms throughout, forgoing irrigation; the resulting smaller cluster weights and more concentrated fruit are central to the house style, particularly in Pinot Gris. The estate's southern Willamette Valley location places it well west and south of the more commonly cited Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, and Chehalem Mountains AVAs.

• Elevation roughly 740 to 1,200 feet in the Coast Range foothills southwest of Eugene
• Two dominant soil types: Bellpine (marine sedimentary) and Jory (volcanic), both silty clay loam
• Diurnal swings up to 35 degrees Fahrenheit preserve acidity, particularly important for Pinot Gris
• Dry farmed throughout (no irrigation); smaller cluster weights and concentrated fruit

King Estate earned Oregon Tilth organic certification in 2002 (one of Oregon's early large-scale organic producers), and in 2016 became the largest Biodynamic-certified vineyard in the United States under Demeter USA certification. The organic certification applies to all 1,033 acres of the estate as well as the winemaking facility itself. The estate functions as an integrated agricultural ecosystem: roughly 30 acres of orchards, vegetable gardens, lavender plantings, and beehives sit alongside the vines, supporting on-site restaurant sourcing and the broader biodynamic compost and preparation cycle. A solar array of more than 4,000 panels supplies a substantial share of the estate's annual electrical demand. King Estate's significance within the biodynamic movement is partly demonstrative: it shows that Demeter certification is operationally and economically viable at production scales above 250,000 cases per year, a scale most biodynamic estates do not approach.

• Certified organic by Oregon Tilth since 2002; certification covers the full 1,033-acre estate and the winery
• Certified Biodynamic by Demeter USA since 2016; largest Biodynamic-certified vineyard in the United States
• Integrated agricultural ecosystem: roughly 30 acres of orchards, gardens, lavender, and beehives alongside the vines
• Solar array exceeding 4,000 panels supplies a substantial share of estate electrical demand

King Estate's Pinot Gris program is the wine the property is most closely identified with nationally. Plantings of roughly 290 acres of Pinot Gris (against 165 acres of Pinot Noir) make the estate unusually Gris-heavy by Willamette Valley standards, and the wines span several tiers. Inscription Willamette Valley Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir serve as the broad-distribution Oregon-sourced introductions; the Signature tier (the long-running Willamette Valley Pinot Gris) was historically the estate's flagship and remains its widest-distributed bottling. The Domaine tier draws exclusively from estate-grown organic and Biodynamic fruit. Above that, the Artisan Series Pinot Gris (and Artisan Series Pinot Noir) is 100% estate-grown Biodynamic fruit at limited production. Single-vineyard bottlings include Steiner Block Pinot Gris, sourced from Block 2D in the far southeast corner of the estate (own-rooted vines planted in 1992, whole-cluster pressed and fermented in concrete egg with extended sur lie aging), and Croft Vineyard Pinot Gris from a long-time partner site in the Willamette Valley. The estate also produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir at multiple tiers, and Sauvignon Blanc. Annual production is approximately 250,000 cases.

• Approximately 290 acres of Pinot Gris and 165 acres of Pinot Noir; balance in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and other varieties
• Pinot Gris tiers (entry to flagship): Inscription, Signature, Domaine, Artisan Series, single-vineyard Steiner Block and Croft Vineyard
• Pinot Noir tiers: Inscription, Domaine, Artisan Series (100% estate Biodynamic fruit)
• Steiner Block Pinot Gris: own-rooted vines planted 1992 in Block 2D; whole-cluster pressed, fermented in concrete egg with extended sur lie aging

King Estate launched Acrobat in 2009 as an accessible Oregon second label with broad distribution and value pricing; it became one of the fastest-growing wine brands in Oregon history during its early years. In April 2018 King Estate sold Acrobat to Foley Family Wines, a strategic decision to refocus the estate on smaller-production, higher-tier bottlings under the King Estate name. Acrobat is no longer part of King Estate's current portfolio. In 2022 the estate acquired Pfeiffer Vineyard, a roughly 70-acre Willamette Valley site that had been a King Estate sourcing partner for approximately three decades, expanding the estate-fruit base for the post-Acrobat lineup. Current portfolio structure reflects that refocus: an Oregon-sourced entry tier (Inscription), the long-running Willamette Valley flagship (Signature), estate-grown Biodynamic mid-tier (Domaine), small-production estate Biodynamic tier (Artisan Series), and single-vineyard bottlings. The on-site restaurant and tasting room on the estate is a significant Oregon wine destination in its own right and contributes to direct-to-consumer sales of the smaller-production bottlings.

• Acrobat launched 2009 as an accessible Oregon second label; sold to Foley Family Wines in April 2018 and no longer part of King Estate
• Pfeiffer Vineyard (~70 acres) acquired in 2022 after roughly 30 years as a King Estate sourcing partner
• Post-Acrobat portfolio refocused on King Estate-label tiers (Inscription, Signature, Domaine, Artisan Series, single-vineyard)
• On-site restaurant and tasting room is a significant Oregon wine destination contributing to direct-to-consumer sales