OVUM Big Salt Oregon White Table Wine 2023

2023 Big Salt is dry, aromatic and zippy. Lemon peel, mandarin and pineapple leap out of the glass. An earlier than expected harvest gave the palate a lightness at just 12.0% abv. In its youth, Big Salt continues to be Muscat forward, but we find as it ages into summer that Gewurz comes to the forefront, while oceanic citrusy Riesling shines after a year in the bottle.

Established in 2011 by Ksenija and John House, Ovum was founded in hopes of producing Oregon white wines that are honest reflections of time and place. Our low intervention production method is a commitment to letting the vintage and vineyard shine, not the vintner. Fruit comes first – our top priority is finding farmers that share our beliefs, and then getting out of the way so their hard work can be tasted.

Native ferments, no subtractions or additions, except for SO2 – extended lees contact 8-9 months, for textural complexity. All of this is done in neutral barrels of acacia and oak, as well as cement egg and Austrian cask. Ovum is solely committed to the production of white wines, mainly Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat.

At Ovum, each wine is produced the same way – if the wine smells and tastes different, it has everything to do with terroir, and little to do with the winemaker. Our hope is that through our attention to detail and honest technique, we can produce old fashioned wines in the modern world.