Division-Villages
Division Winemaking Company includes the flagship Division label, the more approachable Division-Villages label, the Gamine brand inspired by the Rhone Valley and a personal expression of co-founder Kate Norris’ love of the region, as well as Nightshade, Thomas’s solo project that is heavily inspired by the eating and drinking culture of Italy.
Both Tom and Kate have been passionate about wine for most of their lives. For Tom, it started with an entry level sommelier course in college, and for Kate, it was spending time at her family home in the Loire Valley, France. They both decided to trade cubicles for the cellar,. France proved to be a perfect place for their immersion into viticulture and enology.
Starting with no grape farming or production experience, they crafted Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay at Domaine Sauvat during the 2009 season and harvest, followed by internships in Beaujolais and Burgundy. They each completed an intensive eight-month private viticulture and enology program with both classroom and field study in the vineyards and wineries of Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Northern Rhone.
Norris and Monroe arrived in Oregon in early 2010 with youthful energy and armed with a wealth of experience and knowledge from their time in France. Kate and Tom’s old-world education and experience has helped Division distinguish itself among the new crop of young American winemakers. Over the past ten years, Division has established itself as one of the best-known urban wineries not only in Oregon, but amongst the entire United States. Additionally, their experience with and passion for Chenin blanc and Gamay noir has helped establish Division as one of America’s preeminent producers of both of these varietals, thanks in part to Division’s annual celebrations for both grapes, #DrinkChenin and #ILoveGamay, which are now international celebrations in their own right. While the first decade saw explosive growth for the company (Division now makes around 8000 cases annually), Tom and Kate’s original intention, creating approachable and balanced wines with minimal intervention, still is, (and always will be) the driving force behind their little urban winery.
Philosophy
Tom and Kate are inspired by the wineries of the Loire, Beaujolais, Burgundy and the Northern Rhone. Tom and Kate like to work with well-farmed fruit from terroir-expressive vineyards to craft wines that are approachable and balanced, with as little manipulation in the cellar as possible.
Biography
Division sources grapes from Oregon and Washington vineyards, and the majority are organic or biodynamic. Across Division’s four brands, Tom and Kate work with a number of different varietals, namely Pinot noir, Gamay noir, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Cabernet Franc, Côt-clone Malbec, Syrah, Grenache, and Nebbiolo.
In Southern Oregon, there are two major grape growing regions: the Umpqua Valley, and the Rogue Valley (south of the Umpqua).
Division sources Gamay and Aligoté from the Umpqua Valley. The Aligoté comes from one of Oregon's newer AVAs, the Elkton Oregon AVA, which is cooler than the Willamette Valley, unlike the majority of Southern Oregon. The Umpqua Valley Gamay comes from Rebecca's Vineyard, where the farmers have been working organically for decades, and also practice no-till agriculture.
In the Applegate Valley (a subset of the Rogue), Division sources a number of different varietals, namely Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, and Grenache. Division works with two growers in the region, Herb Quady and Scott Fernandes. Both growers are excellent at what they do. Herb Quady is certified organic, and Scott Fernandes' Serra Vineyard is LIVE certified. The Applegate Valley is essentially a desert, with long and sunny days to promote ripening and cool nights to preserve acidity. The number of microclimates found within the Applegate make the fruit grown there some of the most distinctive in all of Oregon.
Within the Willamette Valley, Division works with a number of growers to sours Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gamay. Within the verdant Willamette Valley, Division is very selective with whom they work -- all of the growers are organic or biodynamic (some uncertified). Division has the good fortune to work with the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, at Eola Springs Vineyard, planted in 1972.
Division Winemaking sources Sauvignon Blanc from the Columbia Gorge; incredibly interesting wine region where vineyard sites are elevated, windy, and cool.
Lastly, from the Columbia and Yakima Valley in Washington, Division Winemaking sources Chenin Blanc, Gamay, and Nebbiolo. Division's Nebbiolo is from Ciel du Cheval vineyard, a celebrated vineyard in the Red Hills District (as an Oregon winery, we cannot put WA sub-AVAs on our labels). Division's Chenin Blanc and Gamay come from Willard Farms, located at the highest within the Yakima Valley. The Chenin Blanc vines are over 40 years old-- An incredibly rare find for Oregon and Washington vines. Long, sunny days and cool nights make this a prime growing region. Division's Yakima Valley grower, Jim Willard, tries to be as hands off as possible during the growing season, to the satisfaction of Division Winemaking.
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