ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Roots Wine Company
Chris Berg, the winemaker/vintner behind Roots Wine Company, was born in Racine, Wisconsin, and grew up in Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Kansas, Chris was uncertain about his career path. However, when his parents, Chuck and Dian Berg, moved to Oregon from Illinois, Chris followed them and planted a small vineyard. That was back in 1999. Three years later, Chris and his wife Hilary picked their first harvest of a whopping three tons, which were made into 72 cases of Pinot Noir.
The name “Roots” pays homage to Chris’ birthplace, Racine, WI, which means “root” in French. The “Klee” label is a tribute to one of Chris’ favorite artists, the German Expressionist/Bauhaus/Surrealist painter Paul Klee. The label artwork is their own adaptation of an obscure 1924 Klee painting, Lösung “ee.” der Geburtstagsaufgabe. The “Un Autre Monde” label features artwork by French surrealist J.J. Grandville, from his 1844 book, Un Autre Monde.
Today, Roots produces approximately 5,000 cases annually. Wines include the flagship estate Pinot Noir, as well as eight single vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs, sourced mostly from neighboring vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Other wines include a Grenache, Pinot Gris, Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and a Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling named after their son, Theo. All these wines are made in small lots and handcrafted using indigenous yeasts.
Farming/winemaking practices: All of Roots Wine Company’s wines are crafted with grapes that are honestly farmed in small lots and vinified using indigenous yeasts. The estate vineyard is biodynamically farmed, and all sourced vineyard sites adhere to biodynamic, organic, or sustainable practices.organic. Indigenous yeasts only. The wines are not fined (except the whites, with bentonite) and are vegan.
In 2002, the Bergs picked their first harvest of a whopping three tons, which were made into 72 cases of Pinot Noir.
