The Green Eola Hills
This lush Willamette Valley winemaking region shines in early summer
Myron Redford is an Oregon pioneer. He didn’t arrive in a covered wagon, but he did help blaze a now well-trodden trail. In the mid-1970s, he became one of a handful of adventurous winemakers who settled in the Eola Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. In today’s world of heavily oaked wines, Redford’s style, which eschews new oak barrels, goes against the grain. “Grapes are a fruit, and my job as a winemaker is to let people taste that fruit.”
Whether you prefer a fruit-forward Pinot Noir or a crisp Pinot Gris, you’ll find plenty to please your palate here. More than 12 wineries are tucked into the Eola Hills, which rise abruptly from the valley and stretch across 15 miles.
Start an Eola Hills wine tour at Kristin Hill Winery, where sparkling wines, including one flavored with cherries, are a specialty. Nearby, at Myron Redford’s Amity Vineyards, be sure to taste the superb single-vineyard Pinot Noirs. From Amity, drive 5 miles east over the hills to Mystic Wines, where winemaker Rick Mafit makes good Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Zinfandel.
