Milestone Anniversaries in the Dundee Hills
There’s something to celebrate in the Dundee Hills! This year, a remarkable collection of wineries, restaurants, and places to stay are celebrating milestone anniversaries. We invite you to take a getaway or a day trip this harvest season to raise a glass to the vintages they’ve created, the meals they’ve shared with us, and the memories we’ve made with them.
55 Years: Knudsen Vineyards
The Dundee Hills AVA was built on a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ mentality, and Page Knudsen Cowles, owner and Managing Partner of the family vineyard, recalls being surrounded by early Oregon winemakers like her dad, Cal Knudsen, who collaborated with each other often.
“At Knudsen Vineyards, we were the recipients of experience-informed advice and open hearted generosity from many of the early pioneers,” she recalls. “We did not have access to large wooden or metal posts for our vines, so instead, we sourced wooden poles from bean farmers to provide stability for our first vines.”
In those early days, winemakers looked to each other for advice about clonal material, row and vine spacing considerations, and equipment sharing when they didn’t have the right tool for the job. “This ethos of collaboration is omnipresent in the Willamette Valley and beyond,” she says.
35 Years: Tina’s Restaurant
When chef Michael Stiller first arrived in Oregon wine country, folks were primarily concerned with getting enough fruit ripened and picked before it was soaking wet. He remembers winemakers in the region finding their way with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir, and he remembers the 2007 Pinot Noir vintage that matured into some of the most beautiful Pinot Noir he’s had to this day.
After 35 years of service, there’s one core value that Stiller refuses to compromise on. While food trucks and tasting room snacks have their place, he says Tina’s has chosen to elevate its service in response to the rise of casual dining. “Wine country cuisine means elegance, creativity, and thoughtful considerations of flavors to showcase the local wines. That’s what Tina’s has always been known for, and continues to value.”
25 Years: Ayoub Wines
Mo Ayoub had a successful engineering career, but he always had a great passion for food and wine. With no prior experience in growing grapes and making wine, he took a leap of faith 25 years ago and purchased a great site to plan his vineyard and start making wine.
As the vine ages, the root systems push deeper into the subsoil, and the character of the wine shifts toward complexity and consistency. The yields naturally drop, resulting in more concentrated, higher-quality grapes. The change in the people is just as vital, notes Ayoub.
“Early on, there’s a tendency to over-manage, too much intervention. With decades of experience, you learn to trust the site,” he says. “Winemaking becomes more intuitive and restrained. You learn all the nuances of the site; you stop trying to force the wine to be something and instead start listening to what the land is giving you. The result is a bottle that feels less like a ‘product’ and more like a reflection of time.”
25 Years: White Rose Estate
Greg Sanders, founder of White Rose Estate, created the Segmented Press Fraction technique, an innovative method used in concert with whole-cluster fermentation where wine is extracted from the fermentation tank at three distinct times, determined entirely by taste. Each extraction reveals a unique personality and quality. Rather than blending immediately, the components are aged separately and, after months of observation and evaluation, are reunited to create a collection of wines based on emotional connections.
“It is an honor to celebrate our 25th Anniversary with so many who have supported and believed in our vision,” says Sanders. “This milestone reflects not only our wines, but the relationships and shared passion that have shaped White Rose Estate and our legacy of intention.”
20 Years: Purple Hands Winery
Native to Oregon vineyards and farmland, owners Cody and Marque Wright are most inspired by wines that reveal stories of native landscapes. The name Purple Hands depicts the work of harvest when hands are purple and black from long and hardworking days and nights in the pursuit of excellence. As they mark their twentieth vintage, they are proud to uphold the fundamentals that generations of their families have demonstrated.
“Oregon Pinot Noir possesses a rare vibrancy,” says Wright. “There’s an energy that sets it apart from every other wine I’ve experienced. My goal is to capture that electricity in every vintage, creating bottles that invite others into the same sense of discovery and captivation.”
20 Years: Winderlea Vineyard & Winery
After 20 years under the helm of Bill Sweat and Donna Morris, Winderlea Vineyard & Winery begins its third decade under the care of the Ricci family, a multi-generational Oregon family with deep ties to the Willamette Valley that sees the estate’s history as part of its future. “This is not just a 20-year-old winery; it’s a 50-year-old vineyard,” says Lindsey Morse, Vice President of Strategy & Winery Operations.
For the Ricci family, Winderlea’s appeal extends beyond the winery to the guests who will make memories around their bottles of wine. “Winderlea really is an incredible gem, and we’re excited for new offerings that will welcome in a new generation of wine drinkers.”
15 Years: Chateau Lesieutre Guest House
For 15 years, Chateau Lesieutre has welcomed families and friends to its secluded five-acre setting high in the Dundee Hills. Perched at 1,000 feet above sea level, the 2,600-square-foot home offers sweeping Willamette Valley views and a peaceful base for exploring nearby tasting rooms, restaurants and activities.
Over the years, the property has become a sought-after refuge for gathering, celebrating, and making memories. “We’ve lived in the Dundee Hills for nearly 25 years, and for the last 15, it has been our pleasure to host visitors here,” says owner Chris Lesieutre. “As tourism in the area has grown, our fundamental mission has remained the same: to give guests a peaceful, secluded place to slow down, get away from it all, and experience the Dundee Hills at their own pace—with one of the world’s great wine regions right at their doorstep.”
15 Years: Red Hills Market
From the beginning, Red Hills Market has focused on “local goodness” and been a gathering spot for locals and visitors alike. But over the years, they’ve emphasized their tagline more and more.
Fifteen years later, guests will find more comfortable seating, both indoors and on the new heated patio. There are large harvest tables to allow groups to slow down and enjoy long meals together. “Warm hospitality, kindness and tasty food made from scratch are non-negotiable in our guiding principles,” says Jody Kropf, the owner and chef of Red Hills. “ Low-and-slow cooking, along with live-fire cooking is the foundation for our flavors and local goodness.”
The menu still celebrates the bounty of the area while connecting it to the world class wines in their backyard, but they’ve also increased their grab-and-go items to facilitate a quick turnaround for hungry local workers needing to return to the cellar, vineyard or neighboring workplaces.
