Some think all great wine is made in the cellar – processed, fermented, blended and bottled under the careful watch of the winemaker. But some of Oregon’s most innovative winemakers are learning to relinquish some control to create the complex, spontaneous and sometimes unexpected results known as field blends.

With field blends, different types of grapes are grown, picked and fermented together regardless of variety, clone or perceived ripeness. Nurtured along gently by the winemaker, the wine actually blends itself in the field weaving the different varieties, soil types, elevation and harvest conditions into a complex result, long before it reaches the winery’s crushpad. Read the whole story here on WinePress Northwest.