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As the crow flies Bethel Heights rests some 50 miles southwest of Portland in the prized Eola-Amity Hills of the Willamette Valley. From this bird's eye view the vineyards blanket fewer than 50 acres. Scanning a plot map of the property is like reading a vintner's wish list; all the best clones of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay are plotted out in a tidy arrangement, on a human scale, shored in by walnut groves, and poised to contribute their best to one of America's finest wineries. On the ground, Bethel Heights exceeds even the loftiest expectations. The lay of this land begs for grape growing; hillsides of well draining volcanic soil in gentle slopes that seem to proffer the vine rows up to the passing sun. With the Coast Range rising to the west, Eola-Amity is shrouded from the worst of the Pacific storms. On the whole, the maritime troubles are kept at bay but thanks to a fortuitous valley running east and west, the cool sea breeze is drawn along this corridor inland over grape clusters, blowing off the fog and keeping them clean and dry while retaining a structuring acidity as the autumn harvest approaches. These may not be the sun kissed climes of Napa to the south or the Columbia Valley to the north, but who decided that those are the touchstones for terroir? Since the 1980s, the wine community in Oregon has tendered such poignant Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that even the most maniacal Burgundy drinkers have sat up and taken notice.
Although Oregon's Willamette viticulture is widely and rightfully respected among the world's most conscientious, few acknowledge their relationship to the earth with greater care than the Casteel family. With over 30 years among these vine clad hills, the Casteels know every corner of their beloved Bethel Heights and what is required for each vine of every plot. Unlike the pandemic practices of conventional farming, wine growing at Bethel Heights is both sensitive and systematic. Spent soil, tired industrial methods, and heavy yields will strip any farm of its strength to be sure. A white elephant looms most menacingly above the negligent growers employing such a lazy approach: wines made from the fruit of such exhausted farms lack character, place, stamina and, most importantly, soul. In the great state of Oregon, already known for its pioneers, Bethel Heights is leading the curve toward meaningful progress.
Bethel Heights was among the first wineries to become Salmon Safe, an initiative to protect the rivers of the northwest from errant agricultural practices to ensure salmon habitat. Bethel Heights Co-founder and Vineyard Manager Ted Casteel helped draft the sensible guidelines for the LIVE certification (Low Impact Viticulture & Enology) and their 1999 Pinot Noir was the first to receive the LIVE certification. Ted's daughter and General Manager Mimi Casteel is a strong advocate for low impact agriculture. Experimenting with every approach of organic and Biodynamic grape growing, Mimi and the Casteels ensure Bethel Heights fosters healthy soils full of biodiversity. Heavy herbicides are never used. Measures are taken to avoid soil compaction. Bethel Heights even farms in ways to permit unbroken migration patterns, an essential practice often overlooked.
Just as the vineyard management aims to work within the balance of nature, the winemaking at Bethel Heights is gentle in order to preserve the inherent character of each variety, each vineyard, and each vintage. In the cellar Winemaker Emeritus Terry Casteel (Ted's twin brother) is handing the reins to his son Ben who has taken up his father's mantle as Winemaker along with the philosophy of minimal intervention. When one is fortunate to possess some of the finest terroir in North America, why try to attempt at putting into your own words what the fruit has so eloquently expressed already? As the round result of all their work in the vineyard, the Casteels allow their gifted plot to speak for itself. Listening to the Eola-Amity Hills come whistling through each glass, we are held in rapt attention and wish more wineries might realize how the efforts behind sustainable agriculture make finer wine -as a matter of principle.
Stock your cellars with wines of place and purpose while they last.
2007 Estate Chardonnay
2008 Estate Gewurztraminer
2008 Pinot Gris, New Release
2007 Pinot Noir Estate Grown
2007 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Cuvče
2006 Casteel Reserve Pinot Noir
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