Winderlea Vineyard and Winery (Oregon)

I first found Winderlea Vineyard (winderlea.com) over ten years ago.  At that time I was searching for Oregon Pinot Noir to ship home to my Chicago cellar to contrast with my collection from California.  Right from the first tasting at Winderlea, I knew I had found my wine!  Since then, I have returned many times, and happily referred friends who were visiting the area. 
Compared to California Pinot Noir, grapes grown in Oregon produce wine that are similar to the French “burgundy” style.  Growing in a cooler, more northern location, Oregon wines will have less of a fruity nose and palate.  They will taste more earthy, and have a bit more acid to provide structure to balance the alcohol and tannins.  The end result is a lighter, more elegant wine that provides a pleasant alternative to the more fruity, bold and assertive California wines.

Winderlea has estate grown grapes from their 20 acre property, as well as fruit that they source from nearly a dozen neighboring properties.  They have  Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and multiple clones of Pinot Noir including Pommard, Wadenswil, Coury, and several Dijon clones.  The Pinot Noirs that they serve are generally labelled by the name of the property of origin, and most represent blends of several clones.
Winderlea staff are very knowledgeable about the terroir specifics for each of their offerings.  They are happy to recite elevation, sun exposure, soil type, etc. for each wine and how that impacts the final product.
The tasting room is open daily from 11:00 to 5:00.  White wines are served from a cooler, and reds are served at room temperature that seems to always be around 68 to 70 degrees.

The wine club at Winderlea ranges from six to twelve bottles per shipment, which are released three times per year.  While they suggest the composition of each wine shipment, they permit substitution to customize the order.  Price discounts range from 15% to 20% depending on the level of club membership.