Captivating beauty just few steps away

The Biodynamic Approach &
The Farm Individuality


The fundamental principles of Biodynamic Farming emerged from a series of lectures and conversations led by Rudolf Steiner, held in June 1924. In response to his community’s concern for a change in nutrition during the rise of industrial agriculture, Steiner outlined a unified approach to agriculture that relates the ecology of the earth-organism to
that of the entire cosmos.

Much like Steiner, we see our vineyard as an individual organism that will eventually showcase its own identity through the fruit it develops. Biodynamic® farming combines the knowledge of premium viticultural practices with an understanding on how to treat the vineyard and its surrounding areas in order to achieve desired long-term farming results. We use the preparations 500-508 as prescribed by Steiner, which are a range of homeopathic applications to promote healthy and holistic growth.

In addition, we maintain over 30 acres as a biodiversity preserve, which includes virgin oak savannah and biologically active riparian zones.

the van duzer corridor ava

Johan Vineyards is one of five bonded wineries within the newly established Van Duzer Corridor AVA. The unique growing conditions within our viticultural area yield wine grapes with a compelling expression of Oregon’s sense of place.

Our calcareous sedimentary soils with non-native erratic granite contrast our easterly neighbors’ iron-rich volcanic soils; we see a greater pH buffering capacity in our soils conducive to a healthy and diverse soil microbiome. The resulting wines from our site have exotic and complex aromatics with balancing acidic structure and tension.
In addition to the soil characteristics, our site is affected by the unapologetic and persistent coastal winds. Daily, the sun heats the valley floor and causes a “heat-sink” effect. This differential draws maritime air through the coast range, directly across our site.

Annually, we see 30-40% greater daily wind speeds compared to our neighbors in the north Willamette Valley.

our label art

by Yong Hong Zhong

Yong Hong Zhong was born in Canton, China and immigrated to the United States when he was twelve years old.  Yong developed a keen interest in drawing at an early age.  His determination to pursue his dream of being an artist prompted him to attend La Guardia High School, a prestigious school for music and arts in New York City.  

Yong continued his education at Pratt Institute in New York to further develop his artistic skills.  He majored in Illustration and has a minor in Art History.

During his third year at Pratt Institute, Disney Animation Studios selected him and fourteen other college students from all over the country to tour their facilities and study under their artists for two weeks.  The animation industry reinforced his love for the arts. Upon graduation, he was offered an internship at the Disney Animation Studios in Florida.  After completion of the internship, Yong went back to New York and worked for MTV Animation Studios as a storyboard artist.  At MTV, he helped design backgrounds, props and also had an opportunity to be a voice-over.   A year later, he rejoined the Walt Disney Company and has worked on featured films since 1995.

learn more about yong
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Blaufränkisch

Chardonnay

Drueskall Pinot Gris

Gruner Veltliner

Melon de Bourgogne

Pinot Noir

Ribolla Gialla

A SUSTAINABLE, SOUTHERN OREGON STANDOUT

Global travel in a glass: we select grape varieties that are historically associated with the Rhône River wine region of France: Syrah and Grenache for red wine, and Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne for white wine.

A west-coast wine haven: our latitude is a bit lower than the Rhône, and the growing season is shorter. However, our arid river-side bench-land made of porous rocky soils creates a growing environment akin to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It’s quite obvious the folks in the Châteauneuf region figured out which grape varieties excel under these conditions, because their wine has been famous, fabulous, and inspired the best of the west.

A stray grapevine growing above the vineyard rows at Cowhorn winery

Captivating beauty just few steps away

FARMING FOR THE FUTURE

Cowhorn is certified as a Biodynamic® farm and winery.

     What is Biodynamic Winemaking?

The future is here, and that future is Cowhorn. Biodynamic farming (aka organic 2.0), means not using anything synthetic, toxic, or harmful. Instead, we build up the soil with micronutrients, allow beneficial plants to grow between the vine rows, and encourage other creatures to live around the vineyard.

There are only a few certified Biodynamic vineyards in the U.S., and even fewer certified wineries. Our nature-focused farming and winemaking contribute to the many dimensions of richness and complexity in our wine.

The Biodynamic Approach &
The Farm Individuality

Located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, within the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, Johan Vineyards is an 85-acre certified Biodynamic® estate winery. Our goal is to create a self-sustained holistic farm system with the energy to produce an honest expression of itself, to share with others.

The Biodynamic Approach &
The Farm Individuality


The fundamental principles of Biodynamic farming emerged from a series of lectures and conversations led by Rudolf Steiner, held in June 1924. In response to his community’s concern for a change in nutrition during the rise of industrial agriculture, Steiner outlined a unified approach to agriculture that relates the ecology of the earth-organism to that of the entire cosmos.

Much like Steiner, we see our vineyard as an individual organism that will eventually showcase its own identity through the fruit it develops. Biodynamic farming combines the knowledge of premium viticulture practices with an understanding on how to treat the vineyard and its surrounding areas in order to achieve desired long-term farming results. We use the preparations 500-508 as prescribed by Steiner, which are a range of homeopathic applications to promote healthy and holistic growth.

In addition, we maintain over 30 acres as a biodiversity preserve, which includes virgin oak savannah and biologically active riparian zones.

the van duzer corridor ava

Johan Vineyards is one of five bonded wineries within the newly established Van Duzer Corridor AVA. The unique growing conditions within our viticultural area yield wine grapes with a compelling expression of Oregon’s sense of place. 

Our calcareous sedimentary soils with non-native erratic granite contrast our easterly neighbors’ iron-rich volcanic soils; we see a greater pH buffering capacity in our soils conducive to a healthy and diverse soil microbiome. The resulting wines from our site have exotic and complex aromatics with balancing acidic structure and tension. 

In addition to the soil characteristics, our site is affected by the unapologetic and persistent coastal winds. Daily, the sun heats the valley floor and causes a “heat-sink” effect. This differential draws maritime air through the coast range, directly across our site. Annually, we see 30-40% greater daily wind speeds compared to our neighbors in the north Willamette Valley.

the van duzer corridor ava

Johan Vineyards is a certified-Biodynamic estate vineyard and winery, located in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA. As winegrowers, we have a very intimate connection to our site. With each growing season, we mature and evolve with the farm and find ourselves continually refining our approach in order to develop a more honest and true farm individuality.

Our winegrowing is guided by the objective to authentically interpret our farm’s identity through the creation of wine. We believe the sense of place, the essence of our farm, is best expressed through our deep commitment to Biodynamic farming practices, native-yeast fermentation, and minimal intervention in the cellar.

our label art

by Yong Hong Zhong

Yong Hong Zhong was born in Canton, China and immigrated to the United States when he was twelve years old.  Yong developed a keen interest in drawing at an early age.  His determination to pursue his dream of being an artist prompted him to attend La Guardia High School, a prestigious school for music and arts in New York City.  

Yong continued his education at Pratt Institute in New York to further develop his artistic skills.  He majored in Illustration and has a minor in Art History.

During his third year at Pratt Institute, Disney Animation Studios selected him and fourteen other college students from all over the country to tour their facilities and study under their artists for two weeks.  The animation industry reinforced his love for the arts. Upon graduation, he was offered an internship at the Disney Animation Studios in Florida.  After completion of the internship, Yong went back to New York and worked for MTV Animation Studios as a storyboard artist.  At MTV, he helped design backgrounds, props and also had an opportunity to be a voice-over.   A year later, he rejoined the Walt Disney Company and has worked on featured films since 1995.

learn more about yong

Blaufränkisch

Chardonnay

Drueskall Pinot Gris

Gruner Veltliner

Melon de Bourgogne

Pinot Noir

Ribolla Gialla

vISIT OUR FARM

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