Bella Vida Vineyard

What to do? What to do? Imagine having 12 of the best acres of pinot noir in Oregon and yet neither of you have a winemaking background. What’s more, you reside in Tucson, Arizona, and have full-time professional careers that preclude grape stomping, racking wine and bottling. It’s a dilemma that might force most of us to give up on the whole wine idea and put up the “For Sale” sign.

However, it’s not a problem for Steven and Allison Whiteside, owners of Bella Vida (“Beautiful Life”) Vineyard in the Dundee Hills, who split their time between Arizona and Oregon. Inside the spacious tasting room, with its commanding views of the surrounding vineyard, this very cute couple do the pouring honors. (Steve’s title is “President of the Vines,” and Allison’s title is “President of the Wines.”) As they pour, they let you in on the secret of their success and the solution to the lack of winemaking experience.

Essentially, they offer the same vintages and same vineyard grapes, but rely on different winemakers to produce distinct pinot noirs. They call this the Bella Vida Winemaker series, and each vintage displays the talent of one of three winemakers: Jacques Tardy, Jay Somers, or Brian O’Donnell. As visitors work their sampling way through these wines, bearing the labels Tardy, J. Christopher, or O’Donnell, they should keep in mind that each was made with the same grapes from the same harvest.

Feeling a little indecisive about which of the three to buy? No problem: You can purchase Bella Vida’s “Party in a Box” and get all three for $80, a savings of more than $20. Now, that deal adds to an already beautiful life. By the way, if you’re interested in white wine, check out their estate Gris-Ling blend of 80 percent pinot gris and 20 percent riesling.

Bella Vida’s soil is red clay Jory soil, and the slope adds to the drainage. Here you have hot summer days, followed by cool nights with a breeze supplied by the Pacific. With its breathtaking views, it’s truly an exquisite setting for growing that most noble of Burgundy grapes, pinot noir.

Your next stop along the Dundee Hills WineTrail North is Maresh Red Barn. Ironically, the friendship between the Whitesides and the Maresh family led Steve and Allison to purchase and create Bella Vida Vineyard.