Belle Pente
United States – 
Oregon – 
Carlton / Willamette Valley – 
Carlton / Willamette Valley – 

THE COMPANY

Belle Pente was founded in 1994 by Jill and Brian O’Donnell who, after meeting in California, move to the Willamette Valley. Both were award-winning home brewers, although Brian had been making wine for family and friends since 1986. On the night of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, they decided to leave their careers in Silicon Valley to pursue their wine dream. Organic and biodynamic viticulture, vineyards with south, south-east and south-west exposures. Sixteen acres planted on the property, including twelve acres of Pinot Noir and two acres each of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, as well as nearly half an acre of Gamay Noir. Bellepente’s shallow soils are recognised for their ability to produce exceptional wines of great power and finesse. In the cellar, the winemaking philosophy reflects the inspiration of “old world” winemaking traditions: great wine is born in the vineyard and is simply respected in the cellar. The grapes are harvested by hand and meticulously selected upon arrival at the cellar. The three-level, gravity-flow facility is designed for gentle, natural vinification in small batches, with minimal manipulation, to preserve varietal integrity and the unique attributes of the time and place where the wines were grown. All this makes Belle Pente one of the finest expressions of Oregon winemaking.

United States - 

Oregon

Willamette Valley

The discovery (or invention) of the Willamette Valley as a modern wine region dates back to the late 1970s in Dundee, near Lafayette, Yamhill County, by David Lett and his Eyrie Vineyards. If Lett had planted chardonnay and cabernet, fame would have been slow in coming. He turned instead to pinot noir and, in fact, since 1970 Oregon and pinot noir have been inextricably linked. Almost half of the Willamette Valley vineyards are reserved for this whimsical grape. The second most popular grape in Oregon, chardonnay, is now rapidly being supplanted by the white grape most similar to pinot noir, pinot grigio, and there is also growing interest in pinot blanc. At the same time, riesling and gewurztraminer are being explanted in response to market disinterest, a pity since especially in the north of the valley these varieties are much better suited than the pale relatives of pinot noir.

United States - 

Oregon

Willamette Valley

The discovery (or invention) of the Willamette Valley as a modern wine region dates back to the late 1970s in Dundee, near Lafayette, Yamhill County, by David Lett and his Eyrie Vineyards. If Lett had planted chardonnay and cabernet, fame would have been slow in coming. He turned instead to pinot noir and, in fact, since 1970 Oregon and pinot noir have been inextricably linked. Almost half of the Willamette Valley vineyards are reserved for this whimsical grape. The second most popular grape in Oregon, chardonnay, is now rapidly being supplanted by the white grape most similar to pinot noir, pinot grigio, and there is also growing interest in pinot blanc. At the same time, riesling and gewurztraminer are being explanted in response to market disinterest, a pity since especially in the north of the valley these varieties are much better suited than the pale relatives of pinot noir.