Wine · Carlton, Oregon
Soter Vineyards
Biodynamic Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a working farm in Yamhill-Carlton.
- Founded
- 1997
- Founded by
- Tony Soter, Michelle Soter
- Based in
- Carlton, Oregon
Making it since
1997
Their story
Soter Vineyards is the Oregon project of Tony and Michelle Soter. Tony spent decades in Napa Valley, first as a winemaker at Chappellet and Spottswoode, then as a consultant to estates like Shafer, Dalla Valle and Araujo, while also building his own Pinot Noir label, Etude. Michelle brought a long career in advertising and a strong commitment to organic and biodynamic farming.
The couple bought their first Willamette Valley vineyard in 1997. After Tony sold Etude in 2001, they purchased Mineral Springs Ranch near Carlton, a 240-acre former cattle ranch, and planted about 40 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay there in 2002 and 2003. Tony moved to Oregon full time in 2006, and the family later added a vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills.
Michelle died in 2019. Tony continues to run the ranch, which today is a diverse, certified biodynamic farm as much as a winery.
How it's made
The ranch earned biodynamic certification in 2016, and it runs as a mixed farm with Highland cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, an organic garden, orchards and grain fields. The south-facing vines sit on well-drained marine sandstone. Grapes are picked early, often fermented with a good share of whole clusters, and aged 10 to 12 months mostly in French oak, typically under 40 percent new.
Why we carry them
We like Soter for the rare combination of a veteran Napa winemaker and a true working farm. The Pinot Noirs are a great way to taste what Yamhill-Carlton can do.
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