Harvest Club - August 2021

August marks the third and final stop in our summer Harvest Club *Destinations* series, venturing (with wine!) into some of California's off-the-beaten path wine destinations...and beyond. From the wild and woolly Sierra Foothills in June to sun-kissed Baja, Mexico, with a stop in San Diego on the way in July, we hope you've enjoyed the ride! Now we head north across the state line to our final destination: Oregon!

From the benchlands above the Columbia River Gorge to the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley, Oregon possesses some of the most diverse and beautiful wine-growing landscapes in the world. Thus it comes as no surprise that some of the world's most talented and free-thinking viticultural minds found their way to Oregon. Read on to learn more about this month's featured producers—Lingua Franca, Brooks Winery, Hiyu Wine Farm, Johan Vineyards, and Art + Science—and the inspiring stories behind their wines.

Harvest Club Updates: Starting in September 2021, the Harvest Club selections will be expanding to include wines from all over the world. The club will continue to highlight new and exciting wines from our favorite West Coast producers, and we can't wait to share the best organic, Biodynamic and sustainably farmed wines from farther afield.

Featured Wines

HIYU WINE FARM “FLOREAL” HOOD RIVER HARD APPLE CIDER

Produced in collaboration with a Biodynamic orchard at the base of Mt. Hood, this fermented with native yeasts and was raised in in old barrels with zero additions, resulting in a pure, unadulterated cider that tastes exactly as it should.

Try it with: This complements a wide range of foods ...from sandwiches and salads to burgers, fish ’n chips - you name it.

2010 JOHAN WILLAMETTE VALLEY BRUT NATURE SPARKLING WINE

Made in the traditional Champagne method, this is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from Johan’s Biodynamic estate. With nine years on the lees and bottled with zero dosage, this dry Brut Nature gives Champagne a run for the money. Try it with: Caviar, crab, sushi…or just on its own.

2019 BROOKS WILLAMETTE VALLEY RIESLING

From a benchmark Oregon producer for Riesling, this beauty shows aromas of jasmine and lemon with mouthwatering acidity that carries along fresh kiwi and pear flavors. Try it with: So many foods! Especially Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Indian fare - anything with some heat.

2018 LINGUA FRANCA "AVNI" EOLA-AMITY HILLS CHARDONNAY, OREGON

Exceptional terroir, conscious farming and first-class winemaking result in this truly stunning Chardonnay that seems to have taken the world by storm and wowed all the critics. Succulent and silky with aromas of lemongrass, honeycomb, citrus and spice. Lively acidity and chiseled minerality seal the deal. Try it with: Crab, lobster, clams, oysters; trout or salmon, and roasted chicken.

ART & SCIENCE “JOHAN VINEYARD” VAN DUZER CORRIDOR-WILLAMETTE VALLEY MONDEUSE

Mondeuse is a red grape grown in the Alpine regions of Eastern France that has found a home at the Biodynamic Johan Estate in the cool Van Duzer Corridor. Foot-punched, native yeast fermented and barrel aged with zero additions, this is light , bright and fragrant with lush berry fruit and peppery earth spice notes. Try it with: All forms of charcuturie and cheese; your favorite meat or meatless burger.

2018 LINGUA FRANCA "AVNI" EOLA-AMITY HILLS PINOT NOIR, OREGON

From some of the most hallowed terroir in the Willamette Valley, this has beautiful notes of rose petal, red fruit and forest floor. Complex and layered with terrific with depth and structure, this is a lovely Pinot that will appeal to fans of Burgundy as well as great California Pinot Noir. Try it with: Game meats, classic and veggie pates, mushroom risotto.

  • JOHAN VINEYARDS
  • ART + SCIENCE
  • LINGUA FRANCA
  • HIYU WINE FARM
  • BROOKS WINE

About the Producers:

Brooks Wine | Willamette Valley, Oregon

Founded in 1998, Brooks is a reflection of the visionary Jimi Brooks. His reverence for the land and vines made him a practitioner of organic and Biodynamic farming. Janie Brooks Heuck and winemaker Chris Williams’ approach is simple: seek natural balance in the vineyard and cellar to show the true expression of terroir in their wines. Brooks is also a working market farm and garden, and operates according to its founding principles of promoting nourishment, community, sustainable land stewardship, and minimal intervention winemaking. Brooks is the only winery in America to be a Certified B Corp, a member of 1% For The Planet and Demeter-Certified Biodynamic.

Hiyu Wine Farm | Hood River Valley, Oregon

Hiyu is a 30 acre natural farm in the Hood River Valley, founded by Nate Ready, former Master Sommelier (Ready resigned from the Court of Master Sommeliers in June 2020 in solidarity with social and environmental justice causes), and his partner China Tresemer. Located 22 miles from the peak of Mt. Hood, the mountain has an important influence on the climate of the farm, making it similar to winegrowing areas in the Alps. Though deeply inspired by Biodynamics, permaculture and regenerative agriculture, Hiyu Farm takes all of these to the next level. In addition to operating as whole ecosystem where every element—human, plants, animals, insects, fungi, etc—play an essential role, the farm also functions as incubator for developing farming systems that better address the needs of the planet for the future. Ready is specifically interested in viticulture’s Old World roots and the cultivation of field blends. He has over 100 varieties planted, and produces wines from twelve complex field blends. There is no mowing or tilling, and all vegetation is managed by livestock. In the vineyards, there is no hedging, green harvest, leaf pulling or other interruption of the vines growing cycle (only a single cut is done at pruning). Hiyu sprays 85% less material than a typical organic or biodynamic vineyard. They do not use any sulfur at any stage of production. Mildew and other diseases are controlled with herbal teas and sprays. In addition to wine, Hiyu Farm also produces heirloom apple cider in collaboration with ta nearby Demeter-certified Biodynamic family orchard.

Lingua Franca Winery | Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

Lingua Franca was co-founded by Master Sommelier Larry Stone, David Honig, and Dominique Lafon in 2015, inspired by the exceptional vineyard site in the Eola-Amity Hills that Larry bought in 2012. With talented French winemaker Thomas Savre, all are committed to farming and winemaking practices that respect the environment, believing that complex and undisturbed ecosystems help to create the most complex and seductive wines. The 66-acre vineyard is adjacent to the Seven Springs vineyard and borders Domaine Serene's Jerusalem Hill. Lingua Franca takes its name from the spirit of universal language, of bringing people of different worlds to common ground – shared conversation and shared enjoyment.

Art + Science | Yamhill County, Oregon

Art & Science was started by Dan Rinke and Kim Hamblin in 2011. The project began as a fun experiment making cider from foraged apples, and since has blossomed into a cider and winemaking business. Located in rural Yamhill County, this fifty-acre farm consists mainly of apple, quince and pear orchards, hay fields and woods that are left to the wild. There are pastures for rescue sheep and alpaca as well as chickens. They farm applying natural systems and in keeping with the belief that nature often has the best solution to agricultural issues. Their farming approach is one of balance with nature and the natural systems. They produce natural cider, perry, and wine using foraged, organic, or Biodynamic fruit purchased from smaller local farms. All of their products are fermented with indigenous yeast without processing aids and with minimal intervention, no fining or filtering. They are certified organic and currently working towards biodynamic certification.

Johan Vineyards | Van Duzer Corridor - Willamette Valley, Oregon

The Johan Vineyards estate is adjacent to the Van Duzer Corridor (now its own AVA) in the Willamette Valley. Inspired by the legendary vineyards of Burgundy, Norwegian native, Dag Johan Sundby came to North America in 2004 seeking new life among the vines. His search for the terroir most similar to Burgundy brought him to the Willamette Valley, Oregon, which is on the same latitude as Burgundy and has a similar climate. He settled on 175 acres in the heart of the valley next to the Van Duzer Corridor, an east-to-west corridor through the coast range that funnels ocean breezes from the coast inland. Consequently, it is much cooler here than nearby Dundee Hills and other sub regions of the Willamette Valley, resulting in grapes being able to ripen slowly at lower sugar levels and retain naturally higher acidity. The soils are very complex in composition - a mix of silts from Missoula Flood deposits over ancient marine sedimentary rock and shallow topsoils full of decomposed granite.The farming philosophy integrates natural farming methods with the most advanced viticultural research. They achieved Organic Certification from Stellar Certification Services and Biodynamic Certification from Demeter USA in 2010. Today, winemaker Morgan Beck and vineyard manager Dan Rinke (formally of Rhys) work with the estate’s 85 acres of Demeter certified vineyards to craft elegant, small batch wines. Demeter-certified Biodynamic.

Harvest Club $180/month

We offer four monthly wine club subscriptions covering a range of interests and budgets. Our offerings include high quality, hand-selected wines at each level, including the option to customize. Perks include huge savings with each selection and 10% off anytime you shop. Not a members? Join today.