Bethel Heights Vineyard

I had previously tasted Bethel Heights Vineyard’s pinot noir, but not by choice. My partner, Kathleen, and I had been to one of our favorite restaurants, Nick’s Italian Café in McMinnville. We ordered a bottle of pinot noir to go with our dinner, and a couple of minutes later, our server gave us the bad news that they were out of that wine. No worries. I picked up the wine menu and ordered another Oregon pinot noir. A couple of minutes later, the server reappeared, again with the same refrain — they were out of that wine, too. However, she suggested an alternative wine that’s “gorgeous and has a good price point.” We decided to give it a try.

She was right; It was gorgeous and didn’t break the bank. The wine? A Bethel Heights Eola-Amity Hill Pinot Noir Cuvée.

Ironically, a week later we were in the Eola Hills to visit Bethel Heights Vineyard. I was excited because I knew that I liked its wines and was familiar with the fact that Bethel Heights Vineyards was one of the original vineyards in the Eola Hills (planted in 1977). However, I didn’t have a clue that the establishment had a panoramic view of the valley below and Mount Jefferson in the distance. A beautiful terrace wraps around the tasting room, giving visitors the opportunity to relax and enjoy the view with the owners’ Alaskan husky, Jack. I was in heaven.

Make no mistake, this is a family affair, with members of the Casteel family growing the grapes, making the wine, running the tasting room, and managing the books. Twin brothers Ted and Terry Casteel are at the center of the winemaking enterprise. Ted manages the 51-acre vineyard surrounding the winery, and Terry makes the wine at a clip of 10,000 cases annually. There are clear divisions of labor amongst the family — except during crush. At that time, the roles dissipate and everyone rolls up the proverbial sleeves to pitch in.

Visitors can taste other Bethel Heights Vineyard products, including chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot gris, but make no mistake: The focus here is on pinot noir, with most of the vineyard planted with that most noble of Burgundian grapes.