Raise a Glass to Dundee
On our first day in the Willamette Valley, my partner and I decided to start in Dundee by visiting Argyle Winery, Hyland Estates, and The Four Graces. Apart from being three of the largest wineries my wine store represents, I was independently eager to visit each of them for a different reason.
The best part of waking up is bubbles in your cup
It may be a cliche, but whenever visiting a new wine region, it's always fun to start with bubbles, and Argyle fit that bill. For the past 35 years, Argyle has been crafting some of the best sparkling wines in the country with their bubbles being served for several Presidential dinners going back to Regan. They're one of the oldest wineries in the Willamette Valley, and they honor the unique Oregonian terroir. The highlight of the tasting for me was getting to experience aged bubbles and aged Riesling. Here in the United States, wine retailers have to struggle with the clock: most bottles are consumed within the first eight hours after purchase. Additionally, most of the wines that I sell don't have a lot of bottle age to them, usually coming from the past five years or so. Their tasting room was a favorite of mine. After visiting Amador with their barn-converted-bars and Napa with their Versaille competitive estates, I found the modern farmhouse style of Oregon deeply refreshing. Argyle was both modern, with natural lighting and polished cement floors, and warm with their deep, cozy armchairs and matching lap blankets. It was a wonderful experience with highly educated, friendly inviting staff who do their best to make both casual tourists and industry feel welcome.
Next, we went drove over to Hyland Estate and after briefly getting lost wandering through the production yard, dodging forklifts toting barrels from building to building (thanks Google Maps), my partner and I found our way over to the tasting room on the back corner of the property overlooking some of their vines and a picturesque Walden reminiscent pond. With lots of natural light, and an idyllic sunroom, Hyland wanted to separate you from the rush and bustle of life outside. The oldest and one of the largest vineyards, Hyland's pedigree is very impressive. They started off selling their grapes to other producers, and then they decided to get in the game themselves. What was unique about their tasting was the opportunity to taste old-vine varietals like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir. In the United States, we have a lot of free reign when it comes to marketing and using terms like 'old vine' which could be anywhere between 30-120 years old. As the oldest vineyard in the Willamette Valley, going back to 1971, they still use their fifty year old grapes for production, creating these concentrated, powerful wines that are well worth the visit. I'm so glad my partner and I made the time to include it in our schedule.
Our last tasting of the day was at The Four Graces, and we were pretty hungry after our first two tastings of the day. On the recommendation from our host at Hyland, we visited the Red Hills Market to grab a quick bite. Of course, with their shelves full of locally sourced, and delicious treats, as well as a cold case stocked with Willamette wines from the surrounding vineyards, this place became a staple we'd visit a few times throughout the week. Their tuna niçose sandwich was exactly what I needed before our last stop.
Pinot Noir and Puzzles Abound at The Four Graces
I went into the third tasting not knowing what to expect other than of the three wineries, I'd seen The Four Graces sold everywhere from my store to Costco to Raley's. Not that it negatively impacted my expectations, but it definitely left me surprised when on a windswept autumn day my partner and I walked up to the most charming farmhouse surrounded by row after row of golden trellises, grape leaves shaking in the breeze. Our host, Valerie, greeted us warmly with a glass of their pinot gris and we were hooked. Inside, we were charmed by the variety of sitting options, and the dozens of puzzles they had available! They even had the Water and Wine Map puzzles of different wine regions I'd been oogling at on Instagram, and having them available to play with during our tasting was such a treat. Our hosts were friendly, knowledgeable and so personable. Even as their last guests of the day, they took their time to walk us through their flight, and each wine was even better than the last. My partner and I had a difficult time walking away with only two bottles, and I doubt that was the last time we visit.
Resources
Argyle Winery
Located 691 Highway 99W Dundee, OR 97115
Open Daily 11 AM - 5PM
Starts at $45 per person for parties of 1-8 people
Reservations recommended, walk-ins subject to availability
No outside food, food available for purchase, dogs welcome
Hyland Estates
Located 20980 NE Niederberger Rd. Dundee, OR 97115
Open Daily Sat-Wed 10 AM - 5 PM, Thurs 10 AM - 8:30 PM, Fri 10 AM - 7 PM
$10 deposit per person (can be applied to tasting, glass & bottle purchase) for parties of 1-6 people
Reservations recommended, walk-ins subject to availability
No outside food, no food available, dogs welcome on patio
The Four Graces
Located 9605 NE Fox Farm Rd, Dundee, OR 97115
Open Thurs-Mon 11 AM - 5 PM; closed Tues & Wed & most major holidays
Starts at $40 per person for parties of 1-6 people
Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome
Outside food allowed on patio, food available for purchase, dogs on leash welcome