The Happening: 4th Annual Dundee Hills Passport Tour

Domaine Serene

This April 18th and 19th the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association will host the Dundee Hills Passport Tour, and these wineries, ladies and gentlemen, are the real deal.

Eyrie Vineyards

For starters, my favorite wine in the universe, Eyrie Vineyards, will be pouring their incredible wine. I have a lot of favorite wines, but Eyrie takes things to a whole new level. So much so I wrote a whole article about them in Issue 2.

Argyle

The rest of the wineries participating reads like the Boston Celtics starting lineup . Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Dobbes Family Estate, Argyle Winery, Archery Summit, Sokol-Blosser Winery, and Erath Winery are just a few of the many all-stars from the Dundee hills.

Stoller Winemaker Melissa Burr

Also part of the festivities are ten seminars covering some very enticing topics including “Starting Your Own Winery ~ Dream of Delusion”, “Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture”, and even “So you want to have a Bed & Breakfast ~ rewards and responsibilities of the business”.

Dobbes Family Estate

Here is what the fine people at the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association want you to know about their event. Some of the most incredible people in the world make wine int he Willamette Valley. I’m going to try and be there myself, it should be an incredible experience.

Dates: April 18 and 19tt
Location: Participating Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association members
Time: Hours vary by location, but wine tastings are generally 11:00am-4:00pm
Price: Tasting fees vary by location. No charge for vineyard seminars.
Further Information: Full details including passport, winery hours and vineyard seminar topics and schedule is available at: www.dundeehills.org.

Domaine Drouhin

Win a fabulous weekend in the Dundee Hills along with other great wine country prizes by entering your Dundee Hills Passport in our drawing with 4 or more stamps collected during your tour.

About the Dundee Hills AVA and DHWA: The Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association was formed in 2005 to highlight the unique relationship between soil, climate and vintners as expressed in exceptional wines. Known in wine circles as the epicenter of Oregon Pinot Noir, the region saw its first grape vines over 40 years ago, when pioneers such as David “Papa Pinot” Lett of Eyrie, Dick Erath and the Sokol Blossers cleared south-facing slopes to plant many of Oregon’s first vineyards. Their faith in the Dundee Hills as a premium winegrowing region was confirmed in 1979 when Lett’s 1975 Pinot Noir twice placed among the top three in a French-sponsored blind tasting of international Burgundies. Other wineries took note, including top Burgundy producer Maison Joseph Drouhin. When Drouhin embraced the Dundee Hills as the next frontier in Burgundian varietals, his 1987 decision to purchase 225 acres and build a winery ricocheted around the wine world, squarely placing the Dundee Hills–and Oregon–on center stage for premium Pinot Noirs.

Located 28 miles southwest of Portland and 40 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Dundee Hills AVA encompasses 6,490 acres. The region’s geology dates back 15-17 million years ago when lava flows from northeast Oregon pushed into the Willamette Valley, covering all but the highest hills with up to 1,000 feet of basalt. The catastrophic Missoula floods 10-15,000 years ago deposited a blanket of sediment on land below the 200 ft elevation, sparing the original red volcanic hills above the small town of Dundee. Today, the 200 ft contour line defines the Dundee Hills AVA.

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