We know you’ve been waiting for the perfect occasion to open those exceptional ¡Salud! Cuvées, so now, in honor of ¡Salud!’s monumental 20th anniversary, we’re giving you one!  On Saturday, August 13, dust off one of these precious bottles, pour it with dinner, and join other ¡Salud! Cuvée connoisseurs for a show and tell of what you’re drinking on Facebook and Twitter.  Better yet, join Donna & Bill at Winderlea for dinner and a couple of their iSalud! cuvees and bring along your own to share with the group. For more information and to make a reservation, call Donna at 503-554-5900.

Join us for our 4th Annual “Friday Lunches at Winderlea” series. Each Friday from July through September we will be featuring a 3 course luncheon created by a local chef and paired to Winderlea wines. Lunches start at 12:45 with a tour of our vineyard. Cost is $55 per person, which is inclusive of food, wine, & service. Contact us at info@winderlea.com or call 503-554-5900 to make reservations. Only 12 seats are available per lunch.

This has become one of our favorite nights of the year. Seriously, we think it should be made a national holiday. If you’re a wine lover, what could be better than getting together with some of your favorite people, having a great meal, and sharing some amazing wines? Nothing, right?

Most of you who know us also know about Open That Bottle Night (OTBN). It was started in 2000 by the wine writers for the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher (for an interview with Dottie and John on the origins and evolution of OTBN follow this link http://palatepress.com/2010/02/dottie-and-john-on-open-that-bottle-night/). In short, they learned that people were holding wine that had become so dear to them that it was almost impossible to find a reason special enought to drink it. So, they created a night, originally in September, now held the last Saturday in February, designated as the night to open whatever bottle of wine you can never seem to find a reason to drink.

Donna and I have celebrated many (if not all) of these over the years, with family and friends. We knew that when we started our own winery, OTBN would become one of our flagship event. On Saturday, February 27th, we held our third annual Open That Bottle Night for Winderlea. It was an amazing night with temperatures in the high fifties with blue skies, cherry trees and daffodils in bloom, and, when the sun went down, a full moon (known as The Hunger Moon according to our friend, David Beck). It was glorious (note to all our east coast friends – this is Oregon winter).

We had a delicious four course meal created by chef Jason Stoller Smith of the Dundee Bistro (Jason does his thing at the Bistro, a wine country institution, but he really shows his creativity at private wine dinners). Sadly, Jason’s grandmother passed away and he had to go to Utah, but his sous chef of nine years, Chris Flanagan, executed his plan perfectly. The food and the service were wonderful. The menu and wine pairings are below.

We use OTBN as an opportunity to pour our new vintage each year and it’s a treat for us to do so, but honestly, the fun really begins once our guests start opening the wines they’ve brought. This year they really outdid themselves and shared some stunning wines. The list is below.

Donna did a fantastic job as MC and really kept the festivities moving. Ingeniously creating some competition with prizes, she actually managed to get all the guests to write down their stories for us. Each table selected their best story and the winners shared the tale of their precious wine with the room. The grand prize winner, and recipient of a magnum of the 2007 Winderlea Vineyard (Estate) Pinot noir, were Jim and Karen Halliday. Jim is a gifted story teller who told a wonderfully romantic story about the wine he and Karen brought with them.

Our winemaker, Robert Brittan, generously agreed to talk about the 2008 vintage and our wines. Given the high percentage of wine geeks in the room, this was a real treat. Robert is not only one of the most knowledgable winemakers/viticulturalists you’ll ever meet but he’s also very eloquent and charming. I love our wines but I always appreciate them even more after listening to Robert talk about them. I think you all know this, but if you don’t, Robert has his own label, Brittan Vineyards, and his estate wines are gorgeous (Robert produces two wines each vintage and Portland Monthly Magazine put them both in the top thirty in Oregon this past year – out of more then 600 tasted). www.brittanvineyards.com

OK, so here’s the list of wines people brought in order of their arrival:

2000 Rene Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques
1995 Caymus Special Select Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 St Innocent Shea Vineyard Pinot noir
1946 Albert Pochon Hospice de Beaune Cuvee Guigone de Salins
1989 Elk Cove Vineyards Dundee Hills Vineyards Pinot noir (original name of Winderlea)
2005 Fidelitas Optu Red Wine Columbia Valley
1994 Stags’ Leap Winery Merlot
1991 Quichotte Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Chateau de la Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape
1961 Lynch Bages Grand Cru Classe Pauillac Medoc
1996 Stags’ Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
1995 Cascina Bongiovanni Barolo Pernanno
1999 Cristom Louise Pinot noir
2005 Sedouce Harris Bridge Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot nori dessert wine
2005 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
1993 Hafner Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
2006 Cobos Bramare Malbec Lujon de Cuyo
2002 Cakebread Rubaiyat Red Wine
2004 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
2004 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits Saint Georges La Perriere (white pinot noir)

Not a bad list, eh?

And here is the menu created by chef Jason Stoller Smith and brilliantly prepared by chef Chris Flanagan.
Appetizers
Chilled Curried Onion Veloute with Pink Lady Apples
Smoked Trout with Radishes in Crispy Parmigiano Cup
Golden Beet Tapenade Crouton with Fra Mani Salametto
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Chardonnay

1st Course
Applewood Bacon Wrapped Sturgeon with Razor & Manilla Clams,
Tomato Broth, Fingerling Potatoes, and Crispy Fried Onions
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Ana Pinot noir

Entree
Pinot noir Braised Short Rib with Torchon of Foie Gras,
Parsnip Puree, Braised Celery, truffle Bordelaise, Gremolata
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot noir

Cheese Course
Ancient Heritage Dairy “Adelle” Oregon Sheeps Milk Cheese
5 Years Aged Prosciutto Riserva
Pickled Mustard Seed Grisini
Paired with 2008 Winderlea Dundee Hills Vineyards Pinot noir

Truffles & Coffee

Thank you so much to our incredible guests. The wine was astonishing, the food exquisite, but it’s the people that make the party.

Please click on Winderlea to become a Facebook fan and to see more images.

Karl Klooster writes, “It won’t be long before word gets out that the little winery referred to by its owners as a “luxury boutique” is, indeed, a viticultural version of Gucci, Hermès and Versace.” This article also appeared in the Yamhill Valley News Register in October 2008. Read the full article at Oregon Wine Press

Join us for a three-course lunch paired with Winderlea wines on Fridays during July, August and September. Lunches start at 12:45 p.m. with a tour of the vineyard. Limited to 12 guests. $50 per person inclusive. Reservations required: 503-554-5900.

Winderlea® Vineyard & Winery – a luxury boutique winery specializing in limited production Oregon Pinot noir announced today the opening of its new tasting room on Worden Hill Road in Dundee. Owners Donna Morris and Bill Sweat are also releasing Winderlea’s inaugural vintage built around the legendary Goldschmidt Vineyard in the heart of the Dundee Hills, which they purchased in 2006. The purchase included 20 acres on the Red Hills Bench, the area in which Oregon’s international recognition for great Pinot noir began.

Boasting some of the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley – the vineyard was planted in 1974 — the property sits on the south side of Worden Hill Road with ideal elevations of 480 to 570 feet. The original plantings include Pommard, Wadenswil, Dijon and the so-called Coury clones of Pinot noir. Today the site is composed of 13 blocks entirely devoted to Pinot noir.

Winderlea’s new sustainably-built 4000 square foot tasting room, which includes a commercial kitchen, offices and equipment storage, was designed by Ernie Munch and Travis Butler of Ernest R. Munch, Architect & Urban Planner, LLC of Portland, Oregon. The firm was chosen for its reputation as a leader in sustainable architecture and experience with winery related projects. Winderlea’s new building was designed and built to take advantage of its site and minimize the use of electricity. The building is designed to conserve energy and shift its source of energy to that which can be harvested on-site, principally sunlight. Winderlea® has installed solar hot water heaters and Day4 Energy photovoltaic modules to meet its energy needs. The building also relies on passive solar heating, natural ventilation and daylight harvesting for lighting. And, with an eye toward the future, the parking lot will feature a station for electric vehicles to recharge.

The modern structure was designed to perform its function as a gatherer of solar energy and to highlight the expansive views of Winderlea® and neighboring vineyards. Many of the materials used for construction contain recycled components, are sustainable and produce a healthy interior environment. The east and south sides of the building are made up entirely of glass and aluminum providing dramatic views. An elevated patio off of the south side of the building further blurs the line between indoors and outdoors. The tasting room was built by R&H Construction of Portland, Oregon..

With the opening of Winderlea’s tasting room, Morris and Sweat are releasing their inaugural 2006 vintage made up of 3 bottlings: the 2006 Winderlea® Goldschmidt Pinot noir – a single vineyard designate from their estate vineyard, the 2006 Winderlea® ANA Pinot noir – a single vineyard designate from the highly regarded ANA vineyard which abuts Winderlea®, and the 2006 Winderlea® Inaugural Reserve Pinot noir made up of fruit sourced from the neighboring ANA and Weber vineyards. Acclaimed winemaker Robert Brittan formerly of Stags Leap Winery makes Winderlea® wines.

Winderlea’s Tasting Room, located at 8905 NE Worden Hill Road in Dundee, will be open Memorial Day through Thanksgiving on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11AM to 4PM. On Fridays during July and August, Winderlea® will offer a 3-course lunch paired with wines for up to 12 guests. These menus will be created and prepared by some of the most popular chefs in the area. Advance reservations will be required.

All proceeds from the winery’s $10 tasting fee will be donated to ¡Salud! – a unique alliance between Oregon winemakers, Tuality Healthcare and medical professionals to provide education and access to healthcare services for Oregon’s seasonal vineyard workers and their families.

Winderlea® Wine Company, LLC was founded in 2005 by Donna Morris and Bill Sweat, as an outgrowth of their passion for great Pinot noir. Winderlea® wines will also be available through a limited number of fine wine stores and restaurants as well as online at www.winderlea.com.

An excerpt from the article “Retire to Your Dream Job”, written by Mary Beth Franklin:

“For many boomers, midlife is a time to explore completely new options. Donna Morris and Bill Sweat spent more than 20 years — most of their married life — working in the financial-services industry, she in marketing and he in operations. About ten years ago, the couple started thinking about what kind of business they could run together when they left the corporate world. “We wanted to do something with a product that you could touch, hold and feel, and wine was something we were both passionate about,” says Morris, 48.”

Read the full article on Kiplinger

Please join us for our first very special event, a preview of Winderlea’s inaugural wines and a celebration of Open That Bottle Night, Sunday, February 23, 2008 at 6 p.m.

The Black Walnut Inn
9600 NE Worden Hill Road
Dundee, OR 97115

The last Saturday in February has become a special day for wine lovers around the world. It is the night founded by Wall Street Journal wine writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Bretcher for couples, families and friends to open that cherished bottle of wine or champagne hidden away for the perfect occasion. The tradition started in 2000 and has grown in popularity ever since.

Bill and I have shared some wonderful treasures over the years on Open that Bottle Night. As we thought about what we might like to do in 2008, we could not think of any bottles of wine more anxiously wanted to open and share than our inaugural Winderlea wines.

Please join us as we open and pour our 3 inaugural wines:

2006 Winderlea Goldschmidt
2006 Winderlea ANA
2006 Winderlea Inaugural Reserve

A five-course gourmet dinner will be prepared by Kris Utz, chef at the Black Walnut Inn. The cost for this special evening is $75 per person and, in the spirit of the evening, a bottle of wine you have been waiting to open.

Bill and Donna were featured in the New York Times article “How to Walk a Mile in Your Dream Career” by Matt Villano. Read the full article at the New York Times

Winderlea® Wine Company, LLC, a boutique winery specializing in the limited production of Pinot Noir from Oregon, announced today the purchase of the renowned Goldschmidt Vineyard in the heart of the Red Hills of Dundee. The purchase includes 20 acres on the Red Hills Bench, the area in which Oregon’s international recognition for great Pinot Noir began.

The vineyard, located on the south side of Worden Hill Road, was planted in 1974 and boasts some of the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley. With ideal elevations of 480 to 570 feet, the property’s original plantings include Pommard, Wadenswil and the so-called Coury Clone. More recently complemented by the addition of densely planted Dijon clones, today the site is composed of 13 blocks entirely devoted to Pinot Noir.

According to Winderlea® Wine Company co-founders Donna Morris and Bill Sweat, the Goldschmidt Vineyard is the ideal property from which to launch their winery. “Early on we were drawn to the volcanic, clay loam Jory soils of the Red Hills of Dundee for the wines they produced,” said Ms. Morris. “We’re excited about the possibilities our vineyard holds for a wine of the finest quality.” Co-founder Bill Sweat added, “We have spent the past 14 months walking thousands of acres of vineyards and tasting hundreds of wines from those vineyards to find the site we believe will produce the elegant, sensuous and balanced wines we want to create.”

Most recently, the fruit from Goldschmidt has been sold to an exclusive group of winemakers in Oregon. Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, Patricia Green Cellars, Adelsheim Vineyard and R. Stuart & Co. have reserved the fruit to create single-vineyard designates for which each has earned critical recognition.