Winderlea Vineyard and Winery Méthod Traditionnelle Brut 2020

Winderlea is a boutique winery specializing in the limited production of Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Spouses Bill Sweat and Donna Morris moved to Oregon in 2006 and purchased a legendary 20 acre vineyard planted in the 1970s on the Red Hills bench in the Dundee Hills. Originally known as the Dundee Hills Vineyard, today it is Winderlea, a name derived from combining the words wind and lea meaning field or meadow. Like the founders they followed to Oregon, Bill and Donna are committed to continuing the traditions of responsible stewardship of the land and the highest quality artisan winemaking. In 2015 Winderlea earned its Demeter Biodynamic Certification for its estate vineyard and became the 4th winery globally to achieve B Corp Certification.

The earliest plantings on Winderleas 20 acre estate vineyard date back to 1974. The vineyard has been thoughtfully divided into 13 individual blocks of Pinot noir and one block of mixed Chardonnay. The vineyard has always been gently farmed and upon their purchase it earned its LIVE and Salmon Safe certifications in 2008, a year in which they started to farm organically. In 2009 Bill began employing biodynamic farming practices and in 2015 earned Demeter Biodynamic Certification. In 2014 Winderlea added the Meredith Mitchell Vineyard (McMinnville AVA) as an estate holding through a long term lease and established biodynamic farming practices. In addition to their estate holdings, Winderlea makes single vineyard designated wines with fruit from their neighbors in the Dundee Hills including Maresh, Weber, and Murto vineyards. Winderlea also purchases fruit outside of the Dundee Hills from the legendary Shea Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton and Crawford-Beck Vineyard, a jewel of vineyard, in the Eola-Amity Hills.

Winderlea produces Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, Rose of Pinot noir and a tiny amount of Syrah. As lovers of wines that speak to the characteristics of each vineyard site, winemaking at Winderlea is focused and minimalist and adheres to all Demeter Biodynamic practices. Their goal is to create wine that is elegant, restrained, and balanced. These are wines ultimately intended to enjoy with food. Exclusively aged in French oak barrels from a select group of coopers, Winderlea uses just 15% to 25% new barrels in each cuvee.