Erath Winery

Erath wines are an expression of the land that the winery has cultivated for more than 40 years, longer than any other winery in the Dundee Hills of Oregon. The red, iron-rich Jory soils, combined with gentle breezes and warming sunshine of a marine climate, have bestowed upon Dundee a terroir of note. It has given rise to the handcrafting phenomenon, and the art of Pinot.

As one of Oregon’s wine pioneers, Dick Erath had always been as tenacious in his approach to Pinot as the Pinot grape is stubborn. The engineer-turned-viticulturist was first inspired to pursue winemaking in 1965 after an early garage experiment. After completing coursework at UC-Davis in 1968, Erath relocated his family from California to the untamed red hills of Dundee. An unheated logger’s cabin on 49 acres would serve as home – and ad hoc winery – for several years.

The following spring, he planted the Dundee Hill’s first wine grapes – 23 varieties. Pinot Noir flourished.

By 1972, Erath had produced his first commercial wine of 216 cases – the first official wine production in the Dundee Hills. Enchanted with French varietals, he soon began testing non-California clones and was instrumental in importing French clones to Oregon in 1974.

In 1976, Erath broke ground on the first winery in the Dundee Hills. Early successes, including the 1982 Pinot Noir vintage, inspired leading winemakers to move to Oregon to forge their own path in this special place.

Disciplined in approach yet progressive in artistry, our winemaker Gary Horner, strives to reveal classic Oregon Pinot: light, delicate and fruit-forward.

Gary’s goal of “making the best Pinot Noir the region has to offer – time honored, authentic and uniquely Oregon” is matched by his reputation of excellence.

© Erath Winery

Under the vigilance of Winemaker Gary Horner, Erath Pinot is as it was over 40 years ago. Only better. Just as modern gem cutters use lasers to perfect time-honored diamond cuts and unleash the brilliance of a gem, Erath Winery thoughtfully introduces new winemaking tools to remove imperfections and reveal the Pinot varietal’s true beauty and character.

In such Old World trades, tools are critical, yet secondary to the artistry, skill, judgment and experience of the craftsman. Horner’s intimacy with each of the barrels he procures from various parts of French oak forests, for instance, allows him to thoughtfully match vessel to vineyard, revealing the site’s best fruit profile. Drawing on intuition and scientific sensibilities, he quantifies myriad factors – soil variations, clone selections, weather, barrel personalities – and wields them into quality wine, year after year.

Across all of the Erath tiers, from premium barrel and estate selections to the value-priced Oregon wines, winemaking at Erath remains focused on bringing out the best characteristics of the vineyard.

Quality wine begins with quality fruit, which is why Horner actively farms vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley and Oregon to achieve consistency in style. However, it is his embracement of new technologies that has allowed him to transform thin-skinned Pinot grapes into memorable, critically acclaimed wines that are also affordable.

© Erath Winery

© Erath Winery