Belle Pente was founded in 1994 by Jill and Brian O’Donnell who, after meeting in California, moved to the Willamette Valley. Both were award-winning home-brewers, although Brian had started making wine for family and friends as early as 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[1]west exposures. 16 acres planted on the property, including 12 acres of Pinot Noir and 2 each of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, plus 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 processing philosophy reflects the inspiration from ‘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 on arrival at the winery. The three-tier, gravity-flow structure is designed for gentle, natural vinification in small batches, with minimal manipulation, to preserve the varietal integrity and unique attributes of the time and place in which the wines were grown. All this makes Belle Pente one of the best interpreters of winemaking in Oregon and the United States.