Chardonnay Expands to Oregon

Chardonnay vineyards continued to expand along California's coastline. Santa Barbara County saw a boom with winemakers like Jim Clendenen, who established Au Bon Climat, and vintner Jess Jackson, who purchased the famed Tepusquet Vineyard and established Cambria Estate Winery. 

In Sonoma, Mark Aubert’s vineyard-designate wines showcased another side of Chardonnay.

In Oregon, many credit David Adelsheim with rewriting Oregon Chardonnay’s fate. After spending time in Burgundy, Adelsheim realized the issue in Oregon wasn’t the climate, but the clones. He tirelessly worked to bring Burgundian plant material to Oregon, resulting in the region’s current Chardonnay boom.