During summer, temperate marine breezes chase away the afternoon heat, wrapping our grapes with the cool air that slows the maturation process. The combination of hot days and cool nights enables the grapes to develop the balance of sugars and acid which characterizes classic fruitful wines.

Van Duzer benefits uniquely from its gateway location in the Van Duzer Corridor. Temperatures at Van Duzer Vineyards drop earlier each afternoon than at vineyards down-valley and, as the table shows, register lower temperature "lows". "Lows" 13 degrees below those experienced in the northern Willamette Valley extend the precious hang time during the ripening process. Each day in the cool autumn season, grapes on Van Duzer hillsides develop increasingly complex and concentrated flavors, ultimately revealing their character in wines of delightful nuance.

Winemaker Jim Kakacek acknowledges the winemaking benefit of Van Duzer's location in a cool weather zone. "The critical period for development of concentrated flavor is the 4-8 weeks from veraison (the point when grapes change color and begin to be edible) to harvest. In cooler regions, the arrival of cool temperature each night stops the acid-to-sugar conversion, so that by the time our fruit possesses adequate sugar for fermentation, it has hung longer on the vine, developing the fullest flavor of which it was capable." The time from veraison to harvest lasts 5-6 weeks in most other regions, but 6-8 weeks in Oregon.