The Eyrie Vineyards

“[Eyrie] is the birthplace of quality wine in Oregon. The wines ... are simply legendary.”
—Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine

Launched in 1966 by David and Diana Lett (they planted pinot noir vines on their honeymoon), The Eyrie Vineyards has achieved many firsts, including growing and bottling the first pinot gris in America, and the first pinot noir and chardonnay in the Willamette Valley. David also evolved the single-vineyard concept by bottling pinot noir using vineyard-designated grapes. Eventually, through this labor of love, David, aka “Papa Pinot,” put Oregon on the pinot map. He entered his wines in prestigious wine competitions in France in 1979 and 1980 and came away with top honors after competing against the traditional Burgundy biggies. Clearly, it must have sent the citizens of Beaune scurrying to their atlases to figure out where Oregon is located.

WineTrail note: Sadly David Lett passed away in October 2008 following a long illness. His original 13 acres of pinot noir plantings showed the world that Oregon produces great pinot noir. Today over 10,000 acres of pinot noir are planted throughout Oregon adding to his legacy as one of Oregon’s wine growing pioneers.

David’s winemaking style has influenced how wine is made in Oregon ever since. Throughout Oregon, you hear a common refrain about using a “hands off” approach to making wine as a way of preserving the flavor of the harvest. David employed this Burgundian method for producing pinot noir, which entails minimal racking, extended lees contact, complete and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, no fining, and minimal filtration. Although making pinot noir wine involves a minimalist approach, growing pinot noir (which has earned the nickname “heartbreak grape”) requires major intervention in the vineyard: constant caring, pruning, and nurturing. This most vulnerable of noble grapes is susceptible to the vagaries of each year’s wind, rain, and heat, and as a result, each vintage possesses its own flavor profile.

Visitors to The Eyrie Vineyards tasting room in McMinnville are surprised to enter a rather dated facility devoid of surrounding vineyards and an ultra-modern gravity-fed winery. However, David discovered early in his career that the refurbished poultry plant works just fine. Now under the direction and winemaking leadership of the Letts’ son Jason, wine tourists come to experience the family’s award-winning pinot noirs, pinot gris, chardonnay, and pinot blanc. Just as in France, the torch passes from one generation to another, and the family tradition continues.