Aromas include white peach, lemon zest and star fruit. Flavors of citrus, fig, and sea salt exude acidity for a crisp, refreshing finish.

The winery blends Willamette Valley and southern Oregon grapes to get the best of both regions: the bright, fresh acidity of the Willamette Valley with the fullness and weight of Southern Oregon. Delicious wine!

2006 Vintage Tasting Notes

The Bethel Heights 2006 Pinot gris was chosen as "Best of Tasting" by the Wall Street Journal on May 30, 2008. Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher said: "Fresh and vibrant, with great melon fruit, but with a sturdy backbone. Fresh tropical fruits at the top, minerals and serious earthiness at the core -- bravo." Note their suggested retail price is $17.

The bottling from Bethel Heights is peachy, spicy and rich, but also perfectly balanced. (Food & Wine)

Fruit from several vineyards in the Willamette Valley provide bright crisp acidity and purity of fruit; fruit from the warmer climate of the Rogue Valley adds lush, floral qualities to this wine. The wine was fermented cold in stainless steel and finished without malolactic fermentation at 0.5% residual sugar. Bottled cork-free to protect its freshness.

FRom the Winery

THE 2006 VINTAGE: As a general rule a large crop usually means a bit less concentration in the wines, but 2006 was an exception. Mother Nature provided the extra heat and light necessary to ripen a larger crop, and there was plenty of moisture in the soil at the beginning of the season to carry it through. 2006 reminds us of 2003, another exceptionally warm vintage. The difference in 2006 was that all the heat came in early to mid-summer (five days over 100? between May and July). Since the heat came before color change, rather than at the end of the season, the grapes actually ripened in relatively cool conditions and therefore have more expressive fruit and more freshness than one might expect from a hot vintage. There was no rain to threaten the integrity of the fruit before the harvest.

WINEMAKER NOTES: This Pinot gris comes from several vineyard sites. Bethel Heights, Elton, and Lewman are all in the Eola Hills region of the Willamette Valley. Del Rio is in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon. The Willamette Valley provides brightness and purity of fruit; Southern Oregon fruit gives a more lush, often floral note to the final wine. The wine was fermented cold, exclusively in stainless steel, and finished without malolactic fermentation. It was bottled with a screwcap closure to protect its freshness.