Eyrie Vineyards
Encyclopedia
The Eyrie Vineyards is an American
winery in Oregon
that consists of 49 acres (19.8 ha) in several different vineyards in the Willamette Valley
. The vineyards and winery were established by owner and winemaker David Lett
, who produced the first Pinot gris
in the United States. Against the advice of viticultural professors at the University of California, Davis
, Lett and his wife, Diana, moved to Oregon to plant Pinot noir
in 1965. They founded Eyrie Vineyards in 1966, and their first vintage was 1970.
The 1975 Eyrie Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir won tenth place among Pinot noirs in blind tasting at the Wine Olympics
in 1979.
Burgundy winemaker Robert Drouhin organized a re-match at Maison Joseph Drouhin
in France
. The 1975 Eyrie Vineyards Reserve won second place, losing to Drouhin's 1959 Chambolle-Musigny
by only two tenths of a point. Drouhin later purchased land in Oregon and built Domaine Drouhin Oregon.
Over the years, David Lett (known locally as "Papa Pinot") maintained a light-handed style of Pinot noir that did not follow the trend toward greater flavor, tannin, and color extraction, believing color not to be an indicator of quality in Pinot noir. This put him at odds with some of the wine critics.
David Lett died on October 9, 2008 from heart failure. David's son Jason Lett is now the head winemaker for the winery.
The Eyrie Vineyards estate vineyards are part of the sub-American Viticultural Area
(AVA) of Willamette Valley AVA
known as the Dundee Hills
. The winery itself is in McMinnville
, which annually hosts the International Pinot Noir Celebration
on the last weekend in July on the campus of Linfield College
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
winery in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
that consists of 49 acres (19.8 ha) in several different vineyards in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. The vineyards and winery were established by owner and winemaker David Lett
David Lett
David Lett was the founder and winemaker for The Eyrie Vineyards in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was a pioneer in the Oregon wine industry.Lett grew up in Utah and studied dentistry in California...
, who produced the first Pinot gris
Pinot gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
in the United States. Against the advice of viticultural professors at the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
, Lett and his wife, Diana, moved to Oregon to plant Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
in 1965. They founded Eyrie Vineyards in 1966, and their first vintage was 1970.
The 1975 Eyrie Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir won tenth place among Pinot noirs in blind tasting at the Wine Olympics
Wine Olympics
A Wine Olympics was organized by the French food and wine magazine GaultMillau in 1979; a total of 330 wines from 33 countries were evaluated by 62 experts from ten nationalities. The 1976 Trefethen Vineyards Chardonnay from the Napa Valley won the Chardonnay tasting and was judged best in the...
in 1979.
Burgundy winemaker Robert Drouhin organized a re-match at Maison Joseph Drouhin
Maison Joseph Drouhin
Maison Joseph Drouhin is a French wine producer based in Burgundy that was founded in 1880. The estate owns vineyards in Chablis, the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise, as well as in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Drouhin is also one of the major négociants of Burgundy, and...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The 1975 Eyrie Vineyards Reserve won second place, losing to Drouhin's 1959 Chambolle-Musigny
Chambolle-Musigny
Chambolle-Musigny is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.It is one of the wine villages situated on the Côte-d'Or escarpment, and is one of the twelve Cote d'Or communes of France which added/adopted the name of their most well-known vineyard as a suffix to the original name of...
by only two tenths of a point. Drouhin later purchased land in Oregon and built Domaine Drouhin Oregon.
Over the years, David Lett (known locally as "Papa Pinot") maintained a light-handed style of Pinot noir that did not follow the trend toward greater flavor, tannin, and color extraction, believing color not to be an indicator of quality in Pinot noir. This put him at odds with some of the wine critics.
David Lett died on October 9, 2008 from heart failure. David's son Jason Lett is now the head winemaker for the winery.
The Eyrie Vineyards estate vineyards are part of the sub-American Viticultural Area
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....
(AVA) of Willamette Valley AVA
Willamette Valley AVA
The Willamette Valley AVA , is an American Viticultural Area which lies in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The AVA is the wine growing region which encompasses the drainage basin of the Willamette River...
known as the Dundee Hills
Dundee, Oregon
Dundee is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,598 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 3,040 residents.-History:...
. The winery itself is in McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
, which annually hosts the International Pinot Noir Celebration
International Pinot Noir Celebration
The International Pinot Noir Celebration , founded in 1987, is an Oregon wine event held annually at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. The event features Pinot noirs from around the globe including Burgundy and the Willamette Valley. The IPNC is not-for-profit and aims to promote...
on the last weekend in July on the campus of Linfield College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
.
External links
- The Eyrie Vineyards (official website)