PORTLAND — Not even a potentially catastrophic spring frost could slow the growth of Oregon’s wine industry in 2022.

Vintners harvested a record 137,065 tons of winegrapes statewide, up nearly 20% from the previous year, according a report published Sept. 19 by the Oregon Wine Board.

The Oregon Vineyard and Winery Report is prepared annually by the University of Oregon Institute for Policy Research and Engagement, and includes data about wine production, acreage and sales. Figures are also broken down by grape variety and growing region.

For winegrowers, the 2022 season got off to a difficult start after a hard frost in mid-April nipped vines that had just emerged from dormancy, damaging buds and raising questions about whether the crop might be significantly diminished.

But that wouldn’t be the case. A long, warm summer gave fruit enough time to fully develop and ripen after falling behind early, and farmers reported that vines impacted by the frost compensated by growing larger, heavier grape clusters.

“The later summer’s temperatures were moderated by the Pacific maritime influence, allowing sugars to develop slowly as compared to recent vintages,” said Steven Thompson, co-founder of Analemma Wines in the Columbia River Gorge.

Thompson described the 2022 vintage as “spectacular” in both quantity and quality.

Tom Danowski, president of the Oregon Wine Board, said last year’s unpredictable weather could have been devastating.

“Veteran viticulturists, however, nursed the vines and set them up for sensational late summer growing conditions across the state, saving the vintage,” Danowski said. “Winemakers around the state say the young wines are maturing beautifully and will rank among the best in the past few decades.”

Pinot noir still king

Pinot noir remains the dominant winegrape variety in Oregon, though others are seeing gains.

The report shows Pinot noir accounted for 26,648 out of 44,487 planted acres in 2022, or nearly 60%. Pinot gris came in second, with 5,974 acres, and Chardonnay third with 3,118 acres. Both Chardonnay and Gamay noir had double-digit increases in new plantings, up 14% and 28% over 2021, respectively.

About 58% of all Oregon winegrape acreage is in the northern Willamette Valley, where the region’s cooler climate is well suited for growing Pinot noir. The state’s other major growing areas include the Rogue and Umpqua valleys in southwest Oregon; the southern Willamette Valley, including Benton, Lane and Linn counties; and the Columbia Gorge.

The total number of harvested acres increased to 40,774 in 2022, up 4% over 2021. Yield per acre was 3.36 tons, up 15%.

Oregon also added 58 wineries in 2022, up to 1,116 total. An estimated 35% to 40% of those are certified sustainable, organic or biodynamic.

Sales on the rise

Coinciding with increased production, the report goes on to detail rising sales for Oregon wine.

Sales jumped 8% across all channels in 2022, from 5.3 million cases sold in 2021 to 5.7 million. Direct-to-consumer sales were up 12%, with a 14% bump in tasting room visits.

Oregon wineries also boosted sales to grocery stores, wine shops, restaurants and other distributors, both in and out of state. Sales to Oregon distributors was up nearly 9% in 2022, and nearly 7% to distributors in other states.

Export sales grew by a more modest 4%, with Canada being the largest buyer.

In all, the value of wine sales from Oregon producers in 2022 was about $956.4 million, up from $844.3 million in 2021.

Five-year perspective

Greg Jones, CEO of Abacela Winery in Roseburg, Ore., said the latest industry report should be viewed through a five-year lens to gain context.

For the 2018 and 2019 vintages, Jones said production reached 100,000 tons or more before tumbling 30% in 2020 due primarily to heavy wildfire smoke that tainted grapes.

There were signs of recovery in 2021, as production rebounded to nearly 115,000 tons, Jones said. Momentum then surged in 2022, with growers able to weather the frost and having new acreage coming online from vineyards that were planted in 2020 or earlier.

Danowski, with the Wine Board, said demand for the state’s wines is fueled by greater recognition of quality and maturation of new offerings.

Even though the average bottle of Oregon wine is more expensive than those from California or Washington — $18 per bottle, versus $12.71 per bottle from California and $11.64 per bottle from Washington — Danowski said wine critics are tasting the difference.

“You can see the premium we represent,” he said. “That’s the whole reason why you just have to have quality. … All of our numbers continue to point in the right direction.”