Erath Vineyards

Erath Vineyards is perched on top of Worden Hill just outside of Dundee, Oregon, off Highway 99 west of Newburg.  Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson dominate the skyline, shared with the 115 acres of Erath vineyard and others nearby.  After turning onto a gravel road and heading up the hill off of Worden Hill Road, you approach the paved parking lot of the Erath tasting room.  Picnic tables and rhododendrons provide the foredrop for the tasting room, which is filled with mustards, mayonnaises and sauces made from Erath's own wines, wine glasses, tablecloths and more.  We purchased an acrylic wine set for a motor home, and a tablecloth.  We were also won over by the sharp, lively taste of Erath's popular Pinot Gris.  While not normally Pinot Gris fans, this is one of the finest we've tasted. 

We came away with only the Pinot Gris, although we were quite impressed with the quality and consistency of the Pinot Noirs, particularly the 1998 reserve.  We came very close to purchasing either that, the 1997 reserve, or the 1998 La Nuit Magique (The Magic Night).  The more expensive Pinot Noirs were not available for tasting, but given the quality of the lesser Pinots, we were very tempted to go out on a limb.  At $50 a pop, and given the quantity of Pinot Noir already on our rack at home, we reluctantly had to pass.   Several wines, including Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and some Pinot Noirs were available for tasting, though only five were free, with an additional five available for a $2 tasting fee, covering all five wines.  Though most of the wines were unimpressive, the Pinots were well worth the trip.  These, combined with Erath's convenient location make it a very popular stop on the wine tours.