De Ponte Cellars

Home to many things, the Dundee Hills are famous for their red Jory soils, which date back to lava flows occurring 15 million to 17 million years ago. This area has the highest concentration of vineyards (try 2,000 acres) in the Willamette Valley and most of that is dedicated to one grape — pinot noir. And because the vineyards reside between 200 and 1,000 feet above sea level, they don’t have the frost problem that can occur at low elevations of the Willamette Valley. It’s little wonder that the Dundee Hills are home to nationally and internationally renowned wineries, including the early pioneer winery De Ponte Cellars.

Owners Scott and Rae Baldwin have winemaking neighbors with excellent pedigrees, including Archery Summit and Domaine Droughin. And like their neighbors, the Baldwins focus on Burgundy grape varieties such as pinot noir (of course), but they also make an unusual (for Oregon) Melon de Bourgogne white wine. De Ponte Cellars has developed a cult following of loyal fans who snap up cases of the Melon de Bourgogne. This is a wine crafted for Northwest seafood, particularly oysters, scallops, Dungeness crab, and sturgeon. However, it is the De Ponte Cellars pinot noir that shows exceptional finesse and will have you reaching for your wallet. The only downside to this wine is that it should be cellared for years to attain its peak taste. Tick-tock! Whereas great patience is in order for the pinot, the Melon de Bourgogne is ready to be drunk now. Luckily for me, I had the pleasure of meeting De Ponte Cellars’ French-born, -educated, and -trained winemaker, Isabelle Dutartre. She often works the tasting room with other staff, pouring wine and introducing visitors to their wines. Through her thick French accent, her passion comes through loud and clear. A tasting fee of $10 includes a sampling of all four of De Ponte’s current releases.

As the WineTrails guy, I brake for all tasting rooms. I must admit, however, that some wineries are more enjoyable than others. Much of this has to do with the overall demeanor of each winery, and I sense that attitude starts at the top and carries through to the staff. Despite the fact that De Ponte Cellars has all the trappings of pretension — glorious setting, great views and grand buildings — it succeeds in achieving a sense of country comfort, relaxation and, yes, fun. I’d be willing to bet that Scott Baldwin wouldn’t want it any other way.