Seufert Winery

For WineTrail enthusiasts, there’s one thing to know about Seufert Winery: Look for the vineyard inside the bottle of wine. That is to say, owner/winemaker Jim Seufert (pronounced “sī-fert”) is not tied to his own vineyard. He works with select vineyards in the Willamette Valley to make his wines, like a chef at a four-star Portland restaurant, free to buy from the best meat producers, vegetable and herb farmers, and seafood suppliers. Using minimalist winemaking practices, Jim focuses on the quality of the wine, on what he describes as “wine with soul.”

He contracts for grapes from the best of the best in terms of organic vineyard practices. With Seufert’s associations with names like Bishop Creek Vineyard, Momtazi Vineyard, Hawks View Vineyard, and Coleman Vineyard, consumers can sip with a clean conscience, knowing that sustainable methods went into the production of their wine. Visitors to Seufert Winery, in Dayton, can sample their way through the different areas of the Willamette AVA: Dundee, McMinnville, Carlton, Chehalem, and others. If you know someone who insists that all pinots of the Willamette Valley taste the same, take this person to Seufert Winery to experience the difference between darker, richer Yamhill-grown grapes and Dundee Hills’ lighter, fruitier pinot noir. That’ll cure that notion.

Here’s a tip for getting the low-down on Seufert wines: Jim provides an easy-to-read taste profile on the back labels of all his wines. He characterizes each wine’s flavor intensity, sweetness, acidity, oak influence, mouthfeel, and cellar life in a handy-dandy chart. In addition, the labels offer Jim’s suggestions for which wines to pair with what foods, such as appetizers, light meals, pastas, hearty meals, and desserts. Life just got easier!

Please note that this worm-farm-cum-winery-and-tasting-room is cramped, but it’s all part of the charm. Here you can engage Jim and get his winemaking philosophy, the various flavor profiles, and perhaps help on your golf swing (just kidding). Let him know what you’re looking for, be it food pairings or simply a good hot-tub wine for later. He’ll suggest a good match. (WineTrail tip: If you seek a wine to share with a friend or loved one, sans food, let me suggest Jim’s Woven White blend of pinot gris, riesling, and chardonnay.) Delicious!