Learn about the Oldest Pinot Noir Vines in Willamette Valley (VIDEO)

Dundee, Oregon. David Lett may not have single-handedly put Oregon wine on the world map when he began planting the first Pinot Noir grapes at Eyrie Vineyards, but he was certainly one of its earliest, most prescient, winemaking crusaders that helped establish the wine industry in the state. As Jason Lett said during the interview process of his late father who passed away in 2008:

"My father had a reputation for being a bit of a retro-grouch. Here was this forward thinking person who came and brought these grapes to a place where they had never been grown, that captured attention around the world in international competition, and yet at the same time, he was a real traditionalist. He believed that the less you monkeyed with the wine in the winery, and the more attention that you paid to the grapes in the vineyard, the better the wine would be".

Even to this day, Jason went on to say, the philosophy of "natural winemaking" is still far from being the dominant mindset of the industry but it is slowly growing new adherents. Watch the video and learn more:

Originally posted on Cooking Up a Story.