It’s no secret that the wines of Willamette Valley’s Eyrie Vineyards are among my very favorite on the planet. The wines, particularly the pinot noirs, are full of character and complexity that rival the great wines of burgundy, yet are uniquely Oregon. It was a sad day when Eyrie founder David “Papa Pinot” Lett passed away on October 9, 2008. David Lett essentially invented the modern wine industry in Oregon through the founding of Eyrie Vineyards, and his epic story is truly incredible. I came across this video of David’s son Jason Lett giving the commencement address at the Linfield College in Willamette Valley and was pretty blown away by it. David was also honored with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree by Linfield College faculty and trustees, and Jason’s address beautifully tells the story of this legendary wine pioneer and the lessons that can be learned from his journey.

Part 1 of Jason Lett’s 2009 Commencement Address
Part 2 of Jason Lett’s 2009 Commencement Address

We were saddened to hear that ‘Papa Pinot’ David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards passed away on Thursday. I never met David in person, but I did get the opportunity to know him well through his wines and contributions to the wine industry. I met with his son, Jason, in August to research an article on Eyrie, which was included in the last issue of Mutineer Magazine.

If you haven’t had a bottle of Eyrie Pinot Noir, do yourself a favor and track down a bottle.

Here is a link to the obituary in the LA Times.