Nate Wall is the winemaker at Troon in Applegate Valley, Oregon. His fascination with the unseen world of microbes began with a degree in molecular microbiology, where he studied the many and varied roles played by microbes in natural systems. In graduate school for environmental engineering, his attention turned to how we might be able to manipulate natural microbial systems to help us clean up our messes, like contaminated groundwater aquifers or polluted stormwater. After a stint as a consulting engineer, Nate decided to turn his attention towards what is possibly humanity’s oldest, and arguably best, intentional use of microbes – making wine!
A few years of winemaking in Virginia and nearly a decade in the Willamette Valley brought Nate to Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon, where he has been the winemaker since 2018. Troon’s focus on regenerative Biodynamic agriculture and minimal intervention wines has been an amazing challenge, and an opportunity for Nate to re-examine winemaking through a “natural” lens. He now has way more questions than answers, but is pretty sure that our increasing understanding of the complexity of the microbial world will ultimately revolutionize how we think about winemaking, and our role as a “winemaker”.
Media Inquiries: Craig Camp craig@troonvineyard.com | troonvineyard.com
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
The way we work at Troon is hard. In trying to exist in collaboration with nature rather than fighting against it, we cede over much of the control humans have created to exert our dominance over the physical world and instead humble ourselves before the awe-inspiring complexity and interconnectedness of all things. We set our intention for each Biodynamic preparation we make, each vineyard block we farm regeneratively, and each spontaneous ferment we perform in the cellar. We do this out of an obligation to the Earth, an obligation to those who live and work on this land, and an obligation to truth and transparency in our entire process as well as within the resulting wines themselves.
Thus the most unique thing about Troon Vineyard is that we always strive to do what’s best and true, even though that path may be less certain and inherently more risky. It was a risk when Dick and Virginia Troon first planted the vineyard in 1972, with just two or three other vineyards in existence in Southern Oregon at the time. And it was a risk when, in 2018, Troon Vineyard transitioned over to 100% organic, Biodynamic and regenerative farming and created a biodiverse farm ecosystem while simultaneously embracing spontaneous fermentations and minimal wine manipulation in the cellar.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
I am of the firm belief that Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley could be one of the most dynamic and exciting wine regions in the United States. I’d like to do what I can to remove some of the obstacles towards fulfilling that vision.
First, I would establish a shared winemaking facility—something the Rogue Valley currently lacks. It would serve as an incubator for small-scale, startup brands, allowing new winemakers to produce limited quantities of wine. These producers would likely source grapes from the valley’s many small, family-owned vineyards, which now sell fruit to large wineries where site expression gets lost in broad blends. With smaller, vineyard-designated wines, we could begin to identify and compare the valley’s diverse terroirs. These new brands might also experiment with a wider range of grape varieties, better matched to their specific sites.
Second, I’d work to develop a local wine studies program—there’s currently no viticulture or enology training in the region. A curriculum centered on regenerative farming and low-intervention winemaking could attract passionate talent, create a skilled workforce for local vineyards and wineries, and encourage students to settle in the region. With relatively affordable land and access to a cooperative winery, some could even launch their own labels, helping grow the Rogue Valley wine community from within.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
The 2023 Amphora Mourvèdre is emblematic of the Troon Vineyard brand because it: a) is a somewhat unique variety (we have 20 different varieties planted here, many much more obscure than mourvèdre!); b) utilized whole cluster fermentation; c) is a relatively lower alcohol, more nuanced and elegant expression of the grape as opposed to a more massive, extracted wine; d) utilized “alternative” wine storage vessels – terra cotta amphorae; and e) therefore contains no oak presence whatsoever as this wine was never in even neutral oak barrels.
As with all Troon wines, this wine received no acid adjustments, water, enzymes, tannins, or any other additive except for an eventual small amount of sulfur (30 mg/L TOTAL sulfur) before bottling. The estate grapes were hand-harvested and made the short trip to the winery where they were hand sorted into a 1.5-ton fermenter with about 30% whole cluster inclusion. The fermenter remained outside for the entirety of fermentation, slowly coming up to temperature with the warmth of the sun allowing the spontaneous ferment to kick off. After about three weeks of fermentation, the wine was pressed off, settled for ~24 hours, and racked into two large terra cotta amphorae for aging for 10 months before bottling. Stay tuned, this wine review is coming soon!
Bonus Question: What are your wholehearted convictions related to the wine business?
I strongly feel that the path that Troon Vineyard is on is the future of the wine industry. “Farm like the world depends on it” is the tagline for our Regenerative Organic certification, and embracing regenerative practices across all aspects of the industry is necessary to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing planet. Perhaps paradoxically, in the age of social media consumers crave what is real and true. Stepping back from the more heavy-handed approach of conventional winemaking that strives for consistency and instead allowing for a more authentic expression of time and place is what will sustain consumer interest in and demand for wine in the face of increasing market headwinds.