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petes mountain wine |
The Willamette Valley is a world class wine region, part of which falls in Mt. Hood Territory. In this area you'll find a former volcano in West Linn named Pete's Mountain that is practically a mini wine region within a wine region, as several top wineries are within a very short distance of each other.
Pete's Mountain's peak is a little higher than 800 feet. The location next to the Tualatin and Willamette rivers, in addition to its elevation and soil composition make it an ideal location for wine growing. Several wineries have opened here in the past decade, each with its own style and philosophy on creating wines, and each working well with their neighbors.
At the top of the "hill" is the eponymous Pete's Mountain Vineyard. Their tasting room is warm and inviting, and the views from their outdoor tasting areas are nothing short of inspirationally epic. They pour pinot noir and gris, chardonnay, cabernet and syrah. Their reds are bold and fruit forward, while the pinot gris is crisp and refreshing.
While Campbell Lane is one of the newer wineries on the mountain, their vineyard isn't. Leigh Campbell and his wife Ceille purchased acreage at the end of Campbell Lane in 1966, the name being nothing short of serendipitous coincidence. Not too much later they planted Stoneridge Vineyard, which grew to become the largest pinot gris vineyard in the U.S. at the time. While the varieties and the vineyard continued to grow, it wasn't until 2015 when the next generation decided to use the grapes for their own wines. Pro tip: For vino adventurers, they also have canned wines available.
Tumwater Vineyard is the newest winery on Pete's Mountain. What they don't have in longevity they more than make up for in the quality of their wines and the experience they offer. The tasting room is a stunning combination of rusticity and elegance. A large fireplace invites conversation with friends over a glass of pinot noir–or a chardonnay if that's your preference. Either promises to be pleasing to the palate.
Located on the northern flank of the mountain, twill cellars is the first winery to open here. The winery started in 2000 as an effort to explore the potential for the terroir found in this area. They learned that the land worked best for them in growing pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah and have continued to hone their craft since. They recently built out their tasting room to include a heated patio for cooler days. They also have the absolute cutest Bernese Mountain Dog, Molly.
