Legendary Willamette Valley Site Opens New Tasting Room on Worden Hill Road
Dundee, OR. (June 8, 2020) — Knudsen Vineyards, a storied winegrowing property in the Willamette Valley, will open its doors to the public for the first time today with a new tasting room on Worden Hill Road. The Outlook at Knudsen Vineyards, housed in the former Knudsen Erath Winery, will offer tasting flights, a picnic package and an immersive hiking experience. Two terraces and a bright indoor space overlook the estate’s expansive vineyard and woodlands, which have been stewarded by the Knudsen family for close to 50 years.
Knudsen Vineyards was founded in 1971 by Cal and Julia Lee Knudsen. They became steadfast champions for the burgeoning Oregon wine industry and partnered with Dick Erath, another Oregon wine pioneer, to build the Knudsen Erath Winery in 1976. It was the first commercial scale bonded winery in the region now known as the Dundee Hills.
Recognizing the great potential for méthode champenoise wines in the Willamette Valley, Cal Knudsen partnered with Rollin Soles in the late 1980s to become Argyle’s founding vineyard for high-elevation Pinot noir and Chardonnay. In 2012, the four Knudsen siblings decided to honor their parents’ legacy and make wine under the name of their now-iconic site Knudsen Vineyards.
“We have been looking forward to this moment — opening our doors to and sharing this place with the public — for many years now,” said Page Knudsen Cowles, Managing Partner of Knudsen Vineyards and one of four sibling owners that comprise the second Knudsen generation. “We are excited to welcome guests in this special corner of Oregon wine country, while also providing a restorative ambiance,” she continued.
The tasting room opens by appointment only, with reservations available online. The Daily Outlook Tasting offers a guided tasting of five wines ($25 per person). The Marketplace Picnic Pack includes two pours of guests’ choosing and a picnic box with cheese, charcuterie, and more ($35 per package). Lastly, the Pioneering Footsteps Hike offers a tour of the vineyard’s premium blocks guided by Page Knudsen Cowles, ranging in elevation from 500 to 1,000 feet, followed by a picnic lunch and wine flight ($55 per person).
Opening wines include the 2016 Chardonnay, 2016 Pinot Noir, 2015 Pinot Noir, 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir, and Knudsen Vineyards’ inaugural Rosé, a 90% Pinot noir and 10% Chardonnay blend. All wines are estate-grown from Knudsen Vineyards’ LIVE Certified and Salmon Safe site, and made by Winemaker Nate Klostermann.
The Outlook at Knudsen Vineyards is light and airy, with clean and contemporary touches that complement the building’s wooden frame. Skylights over the tasting bar and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout provide abundant natural light. Comfortable leather dining chairs are grouped around cherrywood tables that seat parties of two and four, while a larger table in a semi-private space seats up to ten guests. Two terraces overlooking the sweeping vineyard and the valley beyond are also available to tasting room guests.
Photos of The Outlook can be found in the gallery here, and images of the Knudsen family and property are here.
Following state guidelines and the winery specific guide developed by an industry task force, The Outlook at Knudsen Vineyards opens with limited seating, both indoors and outdoors. Inside, 22 guests can be accommodated, while the tasting room patio and upper terrace seat 22 and 28 guests, respectively. Located in Yamhill County, now in Phase 2 of the state’s Reopening Plan, Knudsen Vineyards has outlined its opening policies in the COVID-19 disclaimer here.
Safety protocols will not impede genuine hospitality at The Outlook. Tasting room operations and the new Family Roots wine club are helmed by Patty Meuchel, Director of Consumer Sales, who brings 18 years’ experience to the team at Knudsen Vineyards. Tasting appointments are available now, via the Knudsen Vineyards website or by calling (503) 580-1596.
This fall, Knudsen Vineyards will introduce the Talking Block Series of Pinot noir wines produced from very specific vineyard locations, and in 2021, the winery will celebrate its 50-year milestone. For more information on Knudsen Vineyards, including more details on its legacy in the Willamette Valley, please visit knudsenvineyards.com.
The Outlook at Knudsen Vineyards
- Opening date: June 8, 2020
- Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, by appointment only (last appointment at 3:00 pm)
- Address: 9419 NE Worden Hill Road, Dundee, OR. 97115
- Phone: 503-580-1596
- Website: knudsenvineyards.com
- Facebook: @knudsenvineyards
- Instagram: @knudsenvineyards
- Twitter: @knudsenvineyards
- Capacity: 22 indoors, 50 outdoors
- Offerings: Daily Outlook Tasting ($25 per person), Marketplace Picnic Pack ($35 per package), Pioneering Footsteps Hike ($55 per person)
