91 Points, Illahe 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir. Wine Spectator.
Light and fragrant, the silky texture carries lovely cherry, bergamot and tea flavors through a long, expressive finish. H.S.
From Soil to Bottle
Sustainable, Hand-crafted, Estate-grown
Wine, Vinyl, and Fondue Valentines Party!
Did someone say Fondue, Vinyl, and bringing the 70’s back? Yep, we did! We are planning on digging out our most romantic records from the 70’s, drinking wine, and serving fondue.
We will be open Saturday, February 11th, from 11-5.
We will be whipping up cheese fondue to pair with our Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, and Pinot Noirs, and of course chocolate to pair with our Port.
$10 Tasting fee, Free for Cellar Club.
Illahe is open by appointment.
Call 503-831-1248 to schedule a tasting
Check out our latest Blog Post!
2011 Oregon Winery to Watch – Wine Press Northwest
91 Points Wine Spectator - Illahe 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir.
92 Points – Illahe 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
Wine & Spirits Magazine, April 2011.
At Illahe, our goal is to make wine as naturally as possible from the soil to the bottle. This requires working by hand on small lots with age-old techniques and materials. Our focus is to make and grow quality pinot noir and white wines that stay true to the varietal characteristics. We avoid over-extraction and use of unnecessary chemical or biological additions, fining, filters, or machinery. We use a gentle wooden basket press, age our pinot noir in French and Oregon oak, and use pigeage whenever possible.
Of course, quality wine starts with quality fruit in the vineyard. Lowell Ford is a true farmer at heart and he and his family have grown grapes for over 25 years. Our 80-acre, south-facing vineyard rests on shallow clay soils. Like our friends in the Deep Roots Coalition, we do not irrigate mature plants. As one of Oregon’s few horse-powered vineyards, we utilize a team of Percheron drafts to mow and deliver grapes to the winery at harvest. Along with our LIVE sustainable certification, we believe slow farming techniques allow us to pay more attention to what is happening from vintage to vintage.
We are part of a group of vineyards in Dallas, Oregon on a ridge just south of the main Van Duzer wind corridor that includes Freedom Hill, Croft, Amalie Robert, and Erratic Oaks vineyard. We continue to sell grapes to some of Oregon’s top wineries.
Illahe (ILL-uh-HEE) is a local word that has been used to describe “land” for centuries in Oregon and the Northwest. The Chinook Jargon word appears from Canada to California, sometimes meaning “earth” or “place” or “soil.” It is comparable to the French word terroir, and, in a sense, is the Northwest’s word for terroir.
Our winery, powered by solar panels, and cleaned with harvested rain water, was designed by Laurence Ferar and Associates of Portland. It is just now being filled with the wines that will define the vineyard and the region. Pinot noir, pinot gris, riesling, and grüner veltliner come up the hill at harvest. We also buy viognier from three Willamette Valley vineyards.
