Beneath dazzling blue Oregon skies, the hills of the Wy’east Vineyards seem to stretch as far as the eye can see. Criss-crossed with rows of prized Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay grapes, the rolling sea of greens is interspersed with colorful wildflowers, grazing horses, and a peaceful wetland pond complete with reed grass and a babbling brook that cascades down a tiny waterfall. Here you can enjoy some of the finest wines in the Hood River Valley, either while relaxing on the charming patio or comfortable indoor tasting room or while challenging your family and friends to a stirring game of Bocce ball.
The Vision
Husband and wife team Christie and Dick Reed moved their family from Chicago to Hood River in the 1990’s, after discovering their love affair with all things wine-related. They jumped into the world of wineries in 1996 when they purchased Wy’east, and after several years of growing award-winning grapes they made the full commitment to running their own winery in 2002. Ever since, they have been churning out hand-selected and hand-crafted wines with a passion, and all of it happens on site right here at one of the best Hood River wineries.
The Wines at the Wy’east Vineyards
Wy’east is the Native American word for Mt. Hood, and at 1,600 feet of elevation, the vineyard on the slopes of Mt. Hood is one of the state’s highest. The unique location of Wy’east, and its terroir of rich volcanic soil, results in wide temperature swings with warm days and cool nights. All of this combines to lend high acidity levels perfectly balanced with robust fruitiness in the grapes, and that leads to fantastic wines. Grapes are hand-picked and hand selected, and the Wy’east philosophy is to let the fruit shine, as clearly evidenced by their delicious Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and two levels of Pinot Noir. Using premium grapes from local vineyards specializing in other varietals, Wy’east also produces a spicy Syrah, a well-balanced Cabernet, and a wonderfully aromatic Zinfandel. All are available to try in the comfortable tasting room, whether you prefer to relax on sumptuous couches, belly up to the bar to talk wine with the friendly staff, or sip away to your heart’s content on the beautiful patio.
Conveniently located on Highway 35, the Wy’east Vineyards and tasting room are open daily from 11am to 5pm. Flights of tastings (6 in total) are a very reasonable $15, but the fee is waived with the purchase of any of their bottles (15$+).
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