Amity Vineyards

To say that Myron Redford is legendary in the Oregon wine industry states the obvious. With the launch of his Amity Vineyards in 1974, Myron joined a handful of other pioneer wineries in Oregon, including Eyrie, Ponzi, Tualatin, and Erath vineyards. Now more than 30 years old, Amity Vineyards contends with more than 300 other Oregon wineries. With a full beard and blue eyes, Myron continues to reinvent his winemaking craft and strive to create elegant pinot noirs with great finesse and structure.

Turning into Myron’s vineyard, your car climbs a short distance to the weathered tasting room and winery. His estate vineyard surrounds you, and the view of the valley below in this northern part of the Willamette Valley is nothing short of spectacular. Once inside, visitors pay a small tasting fee for access to a variety of Amity Vineyards wines, including riesling, pinot blanc, gamay noir, Gewürztraminer, Maréchal Foch, and rosé, but the real star is Myron’s pinot noir. Here you find reserve and single-vineyard wines, red wines, white wines, eco-friendly wines and sulfite-free wines. However, don’t count on tasting Amity Vineyards 1983 Reserve Pinot Noir. It’s not available. That’s the one Robert Parker gushed over when he stated, “One of the best pinot noirs I have ever tasted.” That review pretty much put Amity Vineyards on the map.

Beginning in 1990, Amity introduced ECO-WINE®, Oregon’s first sulfite-free wine from organic grapes. Now its Eco-Pinot Noir is racking up medals like the Chinese Olympic gymnastic team, taking home the gold at the 2007 Northwest Wine Summit and the 2008 Oregon State Fair. It’s a testimony to Myron’s ability to evolve and meet the challenges that pinot (aka the “heartbreak grape”) presents.

Although it’s a challenge to continually make and refine your winemaking abilities, it’s another thing to market your product. Even though he no longer contends with the notion of “you can’t grow good wine in Oregon,” Myron’s current challenge is marketing to reduce inventory. Still, he and his staff manage to do this year after year, allowing WineTrail enthusiasts the opportunity to taste wine from a legend.