Cooper Mountain Vineyards

Brand Description

In 1978 Dr. Robert Gross and his wife Corrine planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the slopes of Cooper Mountain, an ancient volcano located in Willamette Valley just ten miles from Portland, Oregon. Overlooking the cloud-covered Coastal Range to the west, the site's unique soils proved favorable to the vines and produced high-quality fruit. After initially selling grapes to other pioneering wineries in Willamette Valley, in 1987 the family converted an old horse barn on the property to start their own label, offering Cooper Mountain's first vintage.

Dr. Gross developed an early interest in biodynamic agriculture, an extension of his interest in homeopathy and acupuncture, and Cooper Mountain became an early adopter of organic and biodynamic farming practices by the early 1990s. The winery has since expanded to seven vineyards over 200 acres with plantings such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris, all maintained with strict organic and biodynamic farming practices and still owned and operated by founder Dr. Robert Gross with his daughter and co-owner Barbara Gross.

With each passing vintage, Cooper Mountain strengthens its bond to the land and continually seeks innovative ways to produce sustainable wines. It was the first winery in the United States to gain label approval for a no-sulfite-added wine.

Location of Vineyard

Cooper Mountain's vineyards span across 200 acres in North Willamette Valley, with each vineyard site defined by unique elevation and soils. These elements, along with climatic conditions influenced by the winery's location between the Chehalem Mountains to the west and the foothills of Mount Hood to the east, contribute to Cooper Mountain's sense of place. The diversity of soils across Cooper Mountain’s five vineyard sites offers a rich palette for winemaker Gilles de Domingo, providing an equally diverse set of fruit flavors and characteristics.

Winemaking and Viticulture Philosophy

The Cooper Mountain team is a trailblazer in sustainable winemaking. A commitment to sustainable practices is an important part of the winery's identity, and 100% of the grapes are organically and biodynamically grown. In 1995, Cooper Mountain received organic certification from Oregon Tilth, and shortly after received biodynamic certification from Demeter in 1999.

True to their sustainable roots, today the vineyards and winery are certified USDA organic, with strict programs that prohibit the use of synthetic materials in the vineyards and limit sulfites in the wines. For their biodynamic program, Cooper Mountain never uses synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, nor fungicides, and works to maintain the ecosystem within and around the vineyard in order promote natural predators in the area and biological life in the soil. Cooper Mountain was also a pioneer in limiting carbon emissions and is committed to mitigating their carbon output, with the winery achieving carbon neutrality in 2010.