Merriman Estate

Since the first vintage in 2006, Merriman Wines has been working to produce exceptional Oregon wines. The winery is named after owner Mike Merriman, a Texas native with a passion for Oregon and the world-class Pinot Noir produced there.

The vineyard was planted in 1999 on an east facing ridge, entirely to Pinot Noir. The vines are not irrigated, encouraging the roots to grow deeper into the ground in search of water. The clones planted are the Dijon 113,114,115,667, and 777, as well as Wadenswil and Pommard. We use only sustainable viticultural practices, and the Merriman Vineyard received LIVE and Salmon Safe certification in 2008. We crop the grapes in many blocks to just one cluster per shoot, ensuring ripeness and flavor development. Yields on top of the ridge can be as little as one ton per acre or even less in some years. It is that fruit which goes into the Merriman blend. The Cummins Road is a blend of some of the Dijon clone blocks, chosen to highlight the bright Pinot fruit from the vineyard hillside.

The dry farmed, east facing vineyard slope allows the cool breezes at night and warm morning sun to grow the grapes slowly, giving the wine its complexity and allowing the unique terroir of the vineyard to come through in your glass.