Winderlea founders Bill Sweat and Donna Morris fell in love with Pinot Noir while living on the other side of the country in Boston. They found the elegance and sensuality of Oregon Pinot Noirs to be irresistible, especially in the beautiful way it paired with a range of foods. This launched the start of a second career for our founders in the heart of the Willamette Valley, nestled in the Dundee Hills.
Oregon’s unique climate and soils paired with the heritage of artisanal craftsmanship and an obsession with making small lots of the highest quality wine. To understand what makes Oregon wines so unique, it helps to understand the overall landscape. Throughout the state there are 21 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). These are 21 recognized growing regions that have their own characteristic based on the soil and climate. In fact, the Willamette Valley was formed during the Missoula floods almost 15,000 years ago, bringing with it the distinct soil types that make the region perfect for grape growing.
Within each of these AVAs are microclimates and single vineyards with their own distinctive flavors and nuances. That’s why here at Winderlea, we focus on the heritage of artisanal craftsmanship and an obsession with making small lots of the highest quality wine. We achieve this through our sustainable farming practices as a Certified B Corp and Biodynamic winery. The Dundee Hills in which we’re located is a recognized and sought after AVA because of its cool maritime climate, rolling hills and soil composition of volcanic and sedimentary loam – which makes it the perfect place to grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc.
Our estate name came from combining two words, “wind,” with the word “lea,” meaning meadow or pasture. Winderlea holds the meaning of “Wind in the Meadow,” and we believe it evokes the feminine, sensuous and elegant wines we are making in the Dundee Hills of Oregon.
We created Winderlea at Your Door (WAYD) to be a comprehensive wine tasting experience to bring this special region right to your doorstep. Our goal is to have you as enthralled and mesmerized with the Willamette Valley as we are. That’s why this subscription features the best Pinot Noir under $50 (average price), and the best sparkling wines under $50. When Winderlea arrives at your door, the only thing you have to do is enjoy! We’ve aged the wines to perfect drinkability for the perfect taste of the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling wine shipped directly to you.