WIllamette Valley, Oregon, United States
Oregon’s Ancient Earth Winery
Nestled in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Antica Terra is a boutique winery in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, celebrated for its dramatic terrain and marine fossil-rich soils. The name “Antica Terra”—Latin for “ancient earth”—reflects the vineyard’s prehistoric seabed origins and the winery’s deep connection to its land.
The vineyard was originally planted in 1989. In 2005, Scott Adelson, John Mavredakis, and Michael Kramer acquired the site and enlisted Maggie Harrison, formerly of California’s Sine Qua Non, as winemaker. Harrison, now co-owner, has led the winery since its first vintage in 2006.
The vineyard’s fractured sandstone, minimal topsoil, and constant winds from the Van Duzer Corridor create extreme growing conditions, resulting in wines of complexity and intensity. Antica Terra’s estate has since grown to roughly 28 acres, supplemented by select vineyard partnerships across the Willamette Valley.
Maggie Harrison and the Philosophy of Precision
Maggie Harrison’s winemaking philosophy blends meticulous craft and creative freedom. A hallmark of her approach is blind blending—assembling wines based on taste alone, without knowing barrel origin, to ensure purity of expression. Grapes are hand-harvested at peak ripeness, sorted twice, and fermented using only native yeasts. Fermentations are small, allowing hands-on attention, and wines are typically bottled without fining or filtration.
Harrison also produces Lillian, a California Syrah-based label, and The Glories, a limited project. Antica Terra’s acclaimed rosé is made using an unconventional method: Pinot Noir ferments on its skins for nearly a week before being removed mid-fermentation, yielding a textured, aromatic wine that transcends traditional rosé.
Sustainable and Biodynamic Practices
The estate is both Certified Organic and Certified Biodynamic. Vineyard work is entirely manual, with no synthetic inputs. The winery emphasizes regenerative agriculture and precision farming, allowing each vine to reflect its microclimate and soil. In 2023, Antica Terra expanded its estate holdings by acquiring Keeler Estate Vineyard, further deepening its commitment to sustainable viticulture.
Critical Acclaim and Awards
Antica Terra has garnered numerous accolades:
- James Suckling Top 100 Wines of the Year (2021) – 2018 Antikythera Pinot Noir
- James Suckling 100-Point Score (2023) – 2020 Aurata Chardonnay
- JamesSuckling.com Top 100 Wines of the USA (2022) – 2019 Botanica Pinot Noir
- Decanter World Wine Awards (multiple years)
- Consistent 96–99 point scores from Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, and Jeb Dunnuck
The winery has been profiled in The New York Times Magazine, Air Mail, and Portland Monthly, and even gained celebrity fans like LeBron James.
Antica Terra stands apart through its radical blending techniques, small-lot precision, and commitment to translating its ancient landscape into expressive wines. Maggie Harrison’s leadership has positioned the winery as a benchmark for Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With each vintage, Antica Terra redefines what’s possible from Oregon’s “ancient earth.”
