ROSEBURG, OR — A new historical marker will be dedicated to the first pinot noir vineyard to be planted in Oregon for commercial use.
In 1961, Richard Sommer defied contemporary wisdom, which believed that only California’s climate could sustain the grapes necessary for fine wines.
“Richard realized that Oregon shared the same latitude and similar topography with many of the European wine-growing regions,” says Annie von Domitz with Oregon Travel Experience. “He took a chance, and it really paid off.”
Von Domitz says that now, 50 years later, an interpretive marker will be dedicated at the original Hillcrest winery.
Oregon Travel Experience is responsible for what they call “Beaver Boards”- the brown historical markers seen from the state’s many roadways.
For more from Oregon Travel Experience, click here.
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