Lemelson Vineyards Opens Full-Time Tasting Room
Willamette Valley Tasting Room Features Wines True To The Vintage And To The Place
Carlton, OR (June 26, 2009) - Lemelson Vineyards, located just outside the town of Carlton in the Northern Willamette Valley, will open its doors for wine tastings and tours five days a week. Previously open only by appointment, the winery will have its initial public opening on the weekend of July 4th.
Lemelson Vineyards plans to offer guests tasting flights for $10. "The wine selection may not be the same from day to day," says Managing Owner Eric Lemelson. "We may pour our Dry Riesling one day and our Pinot Gris the next, together with our Estate Pinot Noirs. Because we own seven different vineyards with different soil types, the wines we select will offer our guests a unique tasting experience each time they visit."
The tasting room overlooks a breathtaking vista of the Yamhill Valley and the organically-farmed estate vineyard next door. Visitors to the winery often comment about the tasting room's beautiful countertop, made from sodalite, a rare blue and white streaked mineral. Entering the tasting room, visitors can peek into the fermentation area that features Lemelson Vineyard's one-of-a-kind mobile grape sorting platform, known as 'the Enterprise.' In cool weather, guests can warm themselves in front of the tasting room's massive Tulikivi soapstone fireplace.
A tour of the innovative facility will be offered at 11 a.m. daily (Thursday - Monday). "Our intention is to allow visitors to experience the pure, expressive flavors of our wines, unclouded by homogenizing influences," says Lemelson of the winery's multi-level design, which uses gravity to move wine, rather than pumps. The building design and gravity flow process helps to maintain the aromatic and flavor integrity of Lemelson wines.
With a background in environmental law, Lemelson has taken a sustainable and technologically innovative approach to every aspect of the winery. "We're one of the founding members of the Oregon Winery Carbon Neutral Initiative," says Lemelson, "and are working to reduce our environmental impact, both in the winery and in our vineyards." Not only are all of the Lemelson vineyards organic (and have been since they were planted), but the winery recently installed solar panels that offset 40% of the electrical energy used in the building.
As a member of the Oregon Global Warming Commission, and a Board Member of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and several other environmental organizations, Lemelson is working on the policy front to help move Oregon towards a low-carbon economy. He believes that true sustainability requires commitment and strong action by all Oregon businesses, including the wine industry, to reduce the ultimate impact of global warming.
The tasting room will be open Thursday - Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 12020 NE Stag Hollow Road, Carlton, OR 97111. For more information call 503-852-6619 x104 or visit Lemelson Vineyards online at www.lemelsonvineyards.com.
About Lemelson:
LEMELSON VINEYARDS, an ultra-premium Pinot Noir production facility featuring state-of-the-art, gravity flow processing. Lemelson Vineyards produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris from its seven vineyards in Oregon's Yamhill County, the center of the region's wine industry. All vineyards are farmed using organic practices, and Lemelson Vineyards has a long-term commitment to sustainable agriculture. 10-12,000 case capacity, depending on the characteristics of the vintage.
Media Contacts:
Watershed Communications
Lisa Donoughe / 503.827.6564 / lisa@watershedcom.com
Katie Burnett / 503.827.6564 / katie@watershedcom.com
