About Torii Mor Winery

 

Our Story

Torii Mor Winery started with a vision: the pursuit of elegant, Old World style Pinot Noir.

Dr. Donald Olson moved to Oregon to pursue this vision and purchased an older vineyard in the Willamette Valley, planted in 1972, and renamed it Olson Estate Vineyard. High in the Dundee Hills, the ten acres of old vines produce high-quality Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay year after year.

Don was drawn to the close ties Pinot Noir has to the earth and its ability to express terroir. The name Torii Mor derives from the Torii gate in the property’s Japanese garden and the ancient Scandinavian word for earth. Together, the name is a nod to Pinot Noir’s expression of terroir and connection to the earth.

After the first vintage in 1993 with just 1,000 cases, Torii Mor today produces 10,000 cases annually under the direction of Burgundian winemaker Jacques Tardy. Jacques produces those wines of elegance and balance that Don began pursuing years ago and Torii Mor continues to pursue elegance in wine making, respect for the earth, and balanced wines that can be enjoyed for years to come.

DON OLSON - - OWNER - TORII MOR WINERY - 2019 - DUNDEE - OREGONDon Olson

Winemaking

At Torii Mor, our winemakers work in harmony with nature. It is a process that begins with the purest of waters from our artesian well, passing into the grapes of our vines, and through our methods, becoming wines of elegance and intention.

The Japanese torii gate symbolizes a passage and transition into the sacred. With every sip of our wines, our intent is that you too may experience a transition: From energy into balance, and the harmony within.

Jacques Tardy
Jacques Tardy was born into a love of wine. As the eighth generation of a Burgundian winemaking family from Nuit Saint Georges, Jacques pursued wine making and vineyard management from a young age. After studying Viticulture and Enology at Lycee Viticole de Beaune, Jacques moved to California in 1982. By 1990, he had made his way to the Willamette Valley and in 2004, he joined the Torii Mor team as head winemaker.

Jacques…carefully produces wines of elegance, balance, and intention…

Jacques brings his Burgundian heritage and his years of experience to Torii Mor and carefully produces wines of elegance, balance, and intention, utilizing our Olson Estate Vineyard and other prestigious vineyards in the Dundee Hills and other AVAs within the Willamette Valley.

Jon Tomaselli - Associate Winemaker

With three generations of Italian winemakers in his family, Jon Tomaselli began his love affair with wine at the age of 4 years old while assisting the elder Tomasellis in their viticultural endeavors. By the age of 8, Jon knew he had found his calling in life. In 1999, Jon graduated from Arizona State with a degree in small business management. After four long years in the trenches of corporate America, Jon went into business for himself brokering wine grapes from California and wine equipment. Upon moving to Oregon in 2006, Jon was offered a position at Torii Mor and in 2007, was promoted to Associate Winemaker under the direction of Winemaker Jacques Tardy.

 

The Vineyards

Olson Estate Vineyard has been the cornerstone of our production since our first vintage in 1993. Since then we have had the pleasure to work with a variety of prestigious vineyards within the state of Oregon.

Most of the fruit for our wines comes from the Dundee Hills AVA, the home of Torii Mor, as well as nearby Yamhill-Carlton AVA and Chehalem Mountains AVA. We also source warm weather grapes from Southern Oregon in the Rogue Valley, to create our beloved Port. Sourcing from a variety of AVAs around the state allows us to take advantage of the beauty that is Oregon and translate that into the bottle to enjoy.

Sustainability

We are proud to be a part of the innovations made in the state of Oregon in environmental stewardship. In 2007, we built our gravity flow winery on Olson Estate Vineyard, complete with solar panels on our south facing roof. Our commitment to sustainability has awarded us two special achievements.

Live Certification
We are one of 41 wineries that strive towards responsible wine production and vineyard cultivation. We limit water consumption and fuel usage during production and use only environmentally safe chemicals and fertilizers in the vineyard.
LEED Gold Certification
We received our certification in March 2010 by meeting very specific guidelines. Our gravity flow winery helps us reduce our footprint in a variety of ways. From a roof with a low Solar Reflectance Index to our solar panels on the south side of our roof, to installing aerators and planting local plants to reduce overall water usage, and using recycled materials whenever possible, we have a building that is not only functional but kind to the environment.