Kristin Hill Winery

The tree out front — the one that looks like it’s upside down — is a Camperdown elm tree, and this little tidbit of trivia gives you a chance to impress friends and family when you visit Kristin Hill Winery. You could casually remark, “Isn’t that a beautifully groomed Camperdown elm tree?” That’s sure to raise an eyebrow.

As you approach the tasting room, which bears the name “Weinstube Aberg” stenciled on its side, you can further solidify your omniscient standing by asking, “Don’t you just love wines made with the ‘ méthode champenoise’ technique?” That little term, “ méthode champenoise,” tells you that Kristin Hill Winery relies on traditional French methods for making champagne. However, it’s an absolute no-no to refer to sparkling wine as “Champagne” — capital “C” — unless it’s from the Champagne region of France.”

For your further edification, “Weinstube” is German for “tasting room” and “Aberg” refers to the owner/winemaker Eric Aberg. The reference to “Weinstube Aberg” harks back to Eric’s time in Europe serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. During his stay, Eric became intimately familiar with wines in Germany and France. That’s where he got his know-how for producing estate pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau, gewürztraminer, rosé, and port. Following his stint in Europe, Eric took enology classes at the University of California–Davis while stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. He then headed north to Oregon to make wine.

Once inside the tasting room, get ready for an enjoyable (and educational) session with Eric, who also tends the wine bar. Yes, he does pour a wide variety of Kristin Hill wines, but what WineTrail trekkers will remember is his production of sparkling wines and, in particular, Fizzy Lizzy. In this small family-owned and -operated winery, the cherry-infused Fizzy Lizzy sparkling wine is one of its most popular wines and it distinguishes Kristin Hill Winery from the pack. At the time of Kristin Hill Winery’s first crush, there were only 22 wineries in Yamhill County. That was back in 1990. Today, with more than 100 wineries that call this viticultural region home, Kristin Hill Winery is a survivor.

By the way, the name Kristin Hill was coined from the name of one of Eric’s four daughters — Kristin. Ironically, of all of his daughters, she is the only one who doesn’t care for wine!