Sometimes, the best memories are argyle wine made from unexpected events. This was true during our recent trip to the Willamette Valley.
It was just a chance. VRBO arranged for us to rent an apartment. Matt and Nichole Lenker were our hosts. Matt Lenker is the Member Services Manager at Argyle wine in Dundee Oregon. We were able to take a behind-the scenes tour thanks to some good luck.
Dundee was the First Home of Argyle Wine
Argyle wine was established in Dundee, in a building that was once used for hazelnut drying. Dundee’s City Hall was the original location for the original tasting room. Wine production has been moved to Newberg, Oregon in recent years. This allowed for expansion of Dundee’s hospitality and tasting areas. And what a job they did!
The new tasting house incorporates almost all the materials travel transparency of the old argyle winebuilding. It is a modern structure, with hints of history everywhere you look. A set of sliding doors made from old wine racks that can be used to close off a small tasting room was a favorite.
Outdoor spaces are spacious and welcoming. Many of our fellow wine tasters took advantage of the beautiful weather outside to enjoy their wine. It is designed to be an example of low-impact landscaping in the Willamette Valley. Matt said that the gardens are flourishing. They looked great. The grounds and tasting house were breathtaking.
Let’s not forget about the wine. From the beginning, the argyle wine mission was to produce sparkling wines that were world-class and reflect the site. They have been able to achieve this over the years while also travel trunk producing premium cool climate white wines as well as Pinot Noir. During our tasting, we particularly enjoyed the 2014 Nuthouse Pinot Noir, the 2013 Argyle Brut and the 2012 Argyle Brut Rosé’.
The wine history of Argyle is a long one. Wine Spectator has ranked their wines among the Top 100 a dozen times. The White House has hosted several state dinners where Argyle bottles were served. In a more travel soap case casual setting, we enjoyed a complimentary bottle Matt & Nichole gave us: we sat on the deck and took in the setting sun.
Although we had been to Argyle before on other trips to Willamette Valley’s Willamette Valley, this visit was unique and completely unexpected. This is how great memories are made. Make sure to add Argyle to your travel list so you can visit their new digs. I also included Nichole’s VRBO…perfect to accommodate up to four people. Cheers!