Ovum Wines, Big Salt White 2023

Ovum Wines runs on a very important principle- vineyard first, winemaker second.

Founded in 2011 by John House and Ksenija Kostic House, Ovum Wines is built on a simple idea: wine should speak more about the vineyard than the winemaker. Instead of anchoring themselves to a single estate, John and Ksenija source fruit from carefully chosen sites across Oregon- from the Willamette and Umpqua Valleys to the Rogue and Columbia Gorge. That range allows them to show just how differently Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Aligote can express themselves across soils and climates.

Riesling is at the heart of the project. While Oregon is often seen through the lens of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Ovum has made a name by giving Riesling the spotlight, producing wines that are layered, mineral, and age-worthy. It’s a contrarian stance that underlines their belief in letting vineyards, not fashion, dictate the story.

In the cellar, the approach is deliberately minimal. Fermentations run on native yeasts with no additions except a small amount of sulphur if needed. Wines rest on lees for up to nine months in neutral oak, cement eggs, or large Austrian casks. This method is closer to Alsace or Austria than to many new-world cellars and avoids signatures of oak or winemaking trickery and allows vintage and site to come through clearly.

The range includes BIG SALT™, their bright, saline white blend that has become a calling card, alongside serious single-site Rieslings like “Off the Grid,” and smaller explorations into lesser-known whites. Each wine is made to feel individual and highly textured.

By holding back their own hand in the cellar and seeking out distinctive vineyards across Oregon, John and Ksenija House have built Ovum into one of the state’s most original voices. A project defined not by a fixed house style, but by trust: in the land, the grower, and the season itself.