The name Torii Mor is a combination of the Japanese word "Torii," which means "torii" (gate) at the entrance to a shrine, and the Norse word "Mor," which means "earth."
Combining these two different words, Toriimore alludes to the wonderful things the vine offers us through its sacred portal to the earth.
Perhaps no other variety expresses the subtleties of the land in which it is grown as elegantly as Pinot Noir, and Toriimor's Pinot Noir is meticulously crafted with minimal human intervention and fermented with natural yeasts to allow for a pure expression of what the land has to offer.
Toriimor believes that wine, and especially Pinot Noir, is a priceless, indelible work of art created through the mutual cooperation of man and nature.
We think you'll agree that wine is like art and storytelling, something you can enjoy with family and friends.
Since its first release in 1993, Toriimor has continued to make wine with the vision of "pursuing elegant 'Old World' style Pinot Noir."
The owner, Dr. Donald Olson, is a neurosurgeon currently specializing in pain medicine.
Dr. Olson, a longtime fan of Burgundy wine, believed that Oregon's Dundee Hills was the mecca for the next generation of Pinot Noir, and in 1985 he acquired the winery facilities, including the historic vineyards planted in 1972 and the beautiful Japanese garden, from Jim McDaniel, one of the early founders of Oregon wine.
The winery's name, Toriimore, was coined by the doctor and represents the terroir and connection to the earth that Pinot Noir expresses.
Jacques Tardy, who comes from an eighth generation Burgundy winegrowing family, has been in charge of winemaking since 2004, and John Tamaselli, who worked under Jacques, took over as the new winemaker in 2021.
It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most elegant wine in the Willamette Valley.