Brooks Wine

Biodynamic | Vineyard | Winery

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About Us

Brooks Winery came to life in 1998, after founder Jimi Brooks had spent time in France, where he worked with wineries who were using biodynamic farming principles in their vineyards. Seeing parallels between the use of these processes and the resulting healthier, better-tasting fruit, so when he returned to Oregon and started his own label, the awareness that everything growing in the ground is a reflection of everything else in its environment became a key element of his approach.

This sense of vineyard transparency has been at the heart of the Brooks program from the beginning. "If the vine is happy, the grapes simply taste better." Jimi once said, "I believe that farming in this way, by keeping the earth alive and the ecosystem intact, is the only way to really achieve that concept of terroir."

The benefits of biodynamic farming are particularly noticeable in the production of our primary grape varieties, Riesling and Pinot Noir. We believe that, more than with virtually any other cultivar, these varieties have the ability to reflect the terroir in which they were grown to an extent that it would be a disservice to them to use any other farming method that would intrude on what the earth provides.

Although the Brooks estate vineyard was not Demeter certified until 2012, the practices have been in place since 2002. These vines were planted between 1973 and 1977, making them among the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley. 10 acres of vines in this vineyard are planted on their own rootstock, increasing the essence of purity in the fruit harvested from this site.

Life too, like a vineyard, has a cycle. In 2004, Jimi passed away at age 38, leaving his young son Pascal as sole owner of Brooks Wine. Winemaker friends who'd gathered at his memorial service compelled the family to carry on the winery and Jimi's philosophy. A dozen of Oregon's top winemakers saw the 2004 vintage through, and in 2005, Chris Williams (Jimi's assistant) became Head Winemaker; Jimi's sister, Janie Brooks Heuck, took over the role of Managing Director, completing the circle of Brooks' core values of friendship, family and spirit. That these values are reflected in the way our farming is handled is no surprise; our appreciation of the interrelatedness of everything in life is why we are so attuned to the precepts of Demeter farming.

Over the past few years, our Ara Riesling has been featured at a dinner at The White House, and our wines have won accolades in all corners of the wine world. Jimi Brooks' story figured prominently in "American Wine Story," a film about inspiration and compulsion that was well received at film and wine festivals around the country. We have a new winemaking facility that will be in place in time for the 2014 harvest, and we're been able to increase the number of outside vineyards we're able to source grape from, and our relationship with these growers is such that they allow us to be involved in the farming decision throughout the process.

The Brooks tasting room is open all year-round, so we look forward to your stopping by when you're in the area.

Certified Products

Features

• Wine Tasting

Acreage

Cropped: 19 Acres
Total Acreage: 24 Acres

Hours

Open by Appointment
Monday: By appointment only
Tuesday: 11 AM - 5 PM
Wednesday: 11 AM - 5 PM
Thursday: 11 AM - 5 PM
Friday: 11 AM - 5 PM
Saturday: 11 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: 11 AM - 5 PM

How We Sell Our Products

• Club
• Restaurants
• Retail
• Website