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Horse & Bicycle Powered

Illahe Vineyards
Cuveé Miette 2023
Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
Sustainable, hand harvested, wooden basket pressed, 11 months in French oak barrels, & horse-powered vineyards
Dallas, OR
Owners, growers and pioneers: Lowell & Pauline Ford
Winemaker, owner and president: Brad Ford

Shining rosy cherry stained glass. Sniffing and at first it’s light and then grows as cherries wave hello with a little chocolate, gentle oak, licorice/fennel, dash of mint, and a shake of cooler weather holiday spice. First sip is so delicate and delicious. There’s cherries, an old holiday memory of the smell of oranges my mom would alway decorate with cloves & hang in the kitchen, raspberry, blueberry, even a touch of boysenberry, quince cheese, and a jumble of those cooler weather spices: clove, nutmeg, sprig of mint, and others. Over time the delicate sip turns into a strong joyful backbone.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

This truly is a full on family affair that started with an immigration from Russia to Canada and then finally Oregon. They strive to make handcrafted wines with great respect to the land, the water (and salmon) and tradition. Some of the wines don’t even have electricity used during their creation. Percheron horses, Dakota & Takota (2025 harvest) deliver the grapes from the vineyard and mow between the vines. In the case of their 1899 Pinot Noir project, there’s even more. Brad had visited France and wanted to embrace the traditional ways, so he got the horses, made the harvest and winemaking all by hand & foot, including the bottling process. Yes, even putting the wine in the casks and bottling, by sorting out a bicycle powered pump. Please watch the video. Then when it comes time for it to go to the distributor, it gets loaded on a mule driven stagecoach, then into canoes on the Independence River (3 day trek) and then the last bit of the trek are by cargo bicycle. That’s very cool devotion to pure tradition & nature.

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Devotion to Pure Tradition

Illahe Vineyards
Estate Grüner Veltliner 2019
Willamette Valley
Sustainable, hand harvested, mature plants are dry farmed, family owned, certified salmon safe, and horse-powered vineyards
Dallas, OR
Owners, growers and pioneers: Lowell and Pauline Ford; Winemaker, owner and president: Brad Ford

Shimmering light gold. Super inviting scents of honey, crisp apple, a smidge of light allspice (light but pie worthy), firm pears, slate, and a whiff of cedar. Flavors like a pear apple pie with a honey graham crackers crust, some gooseberries, a smidge of a fresh green garden shoot, and pinch of white pepper. It’s a light and dancing and just darn good.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: well, it just stays refreshing and delicious

This truly is a full on family affair that started with an immigration from Russia to Canada and then finally Oregon. They strive to make handcrafted wines with great respect to the land, the water (and salmon) and tradition. Some of the wines don’t even have any electricity used during their creation. The majestic Percheron horses, Doc and Bea (now in retirement), deliver the grapes from the vineyard and mow between the vines. In the case of their 1899 Pinot Noir project, there’s even more. Brad had visited France and wanted to embrace the traditional ways, so he got the horses, made the harvest and winemaking all by hand and foot, including the bottling process. Yes even putting the wine in the casks and bottling, by sorting out a bicycle powered pump. Please watch the video. Then when it comes time for it to go to the distributor, it gets loaded on a mule driven stagecoach, then into canoes on the Independence River (3 day trek) and then the last 11 miles are on bicycle. That’s romantic devotion to pure tradition.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @illahevineyards @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #GrünerVeltliner #GrunerVeltliner #pinotnoir #sustainable #biodynamic #WillametteValley #Oregon #Percheron