Witness Tree Winery in Oregon's North Willamette Valley

Witness Tree Vineyard

The Namesake Oak and vineyards of Witness Tree Vineyard - Willamette Valley, Oregon

Website: www.witnesstreevineyard.com Email: info@witnesstreevineyard.com

Winery Information

Winemaker/Vineyard Manager: Steven Westby
Cellar Master: Heath Payne
National Sales Director: Mark Pape Proprietors: Dennis & Carolyn Devine
Vineyard Acreage: 52 acres
Average Annual Production:
6,000 cases per year

Products:
100% Estate Bottled
Numerous bottlings of Pinot Noir,
Dolcetto, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot blanc,
Sweet Signé (Dessert Wine)

Picnic Area

Tasting Room

Winery Tours
(By appointment)

Special Events

Witness Tree Vineyard Wine Club
The Witness Protection Program
(Futures Club)

VISA American Express

Master Card Discover

Tasting Room Hours: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

SUMMER & FALL
May thru October – Tuesday thru Sunday (Closed Monday)
Memorial Open House Weekend – Saturday, Sunday & Monday
November and early December – Saturday and Sunday
Thanksgiving Open House Weekend – Friday, Saturday & Sunday

WINTER
January & February:
OPEN Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend &
President’s Weekend only

SPRING
March & April – Saturday & Sunday

A special place to visit and enjoy Northwest wines

Like many wineries in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Witness Tree Vineyard is a small producer of premium-quality Pinot noir, Chardonnay and more recently, Viognier, Pinot blanc, Dolcetto and a late-harvest Chardonnay. Several things make this winery special.

First, their wines are 100% estate bottled; every grape that goes into a Witness Tree wine has been grown in one of the winery's own vineyards showing the properties of each. This provides Witness Tree with complete control over the quality of the fruit used in its wines... at least as much control as Mother Nature allows. Not many Oregon wineries have this ability.

Second, Witness Tree Vineyard's growing site is exceptional and lies within a distinctly beneficial microclimate. Located nine miles northwest of Salem, in the Eola-Amity Hills District AVA, the vineyards benefit from a southeasterly exposure which allows the site to warm early in the day. A protective ridgeline to its west, along with favorable climate elements, facilitates earlier fruit ripening than in many other local vineyards... a major factor in the quality of Witness Tree wines.

The third factor contributing to Witness Tree's distinction is its historic setting. The winery takes its name from an ancient oak tree used as a surveyor's landmark in 1854 during the Oregon Trail era. The tree was used to mark the northwest corner of the original Donation Land Claim #51. It is alive and well, overseeing its namesake from an adjacent ridge.

Finally, the fourth element of Witness Tree's individuality is its winemaking and vineyard management. The force behind this element is winemaker and vineyard manager Steven Westby. For the past 12 years, Westby has developed an intimate knowledge of multiple micro climates within Witness Tree's estate vineyards, all the way down to distinct vineyard-block differences. Westby's experience, knowledge and talent have established an enduring path to awarding-winning wines for Witness Tree.

Witness Tree Vineyard... a special place to visit... a memorable place to enjoy Northwest wines. Come and taste for yourself. Take home some special wines and vivid memories.

Witness Tree Vineyard Wine Club

As a Witness Tree Wine Club member, you will receive a shipment of 2–3 bottles of wine three times a year at your home or office. The wines will include new releases, winery only items or library releases. You are entitled to a 15% discount off all retail wines you receive and all wines you buy at Witness Tree Vineyard. As a member, you will also receive invitations to special events, and, of course, you will never be charged a tasting fee.

Click here for details

Featured Witness Tree Wines

100% Estate Bottled
Every grape in every wine is grown on Witness Tree vineyards.

2007 Witness Tree Viognier
Willamette Valley
$20.00 bottle / $216.00 case
[To Order]

The fruit for this bottling was also grown in a two-and-a-half-acre block of vines which was grafted into our vineyard in 2001. Wines made from Viognier have long been prized for their effusively floral nose and spicy, exotic fruit character. This wine offers a nose full of apricot and orange blossom aromas, and an explosion of flavors suggestive of peaches and spice fill the mouth. Serve it with spicy Thai or other Asian dishes.

2007 Witness Tree Pinot Blanc
Willamette Valley
$15.00 bottle / $162.00 case
[To Order]

The Pinot Blanc variety is grown in very small quantities in the Willamette Valley. Here at Witness tree we now have two and a half acres in production. This limited bottling offers delightful fruit flavors reminiscent of apple and pear, balanced beautifully by a crisp refreshing acidity. Serve it with lighter table fare, crab or other shellfish, or simply on its own.

2007 Witness Tree Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
$28.00 bottle / $302.40 case
[To Order]

We are excited to release our 2007 Witness Tree “Estate” Pinot Noir – the wine that is really a “snapshot” of our entire vineyard – which ultimately reflects the blending of the flavors and textures produced by the varying soil types, vine ages, clonal-selections and sun-exposures from our 52-acre vineyard. The wine itself is packed with succulent, forward black fruits with just the slightest hint of vanilla and spice. The 2007 season provided us with graceful and spirited Pinot Noir - the kind of beautiful wine that put Oregon on the world map of premier Pinot producers in the 1980's.

2007 Witness Tree "Claim No. 51" Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
$48.00 / bottle and $518.40 / case
[To Order]

“Claim No. 51” Pinot Noir comes from two vineyard site selections in our Upper Vineyard – a total of just over one acre that yields unique wines that unite to epitomize the red clay soil types from which they come. Graceful and spirited at the same time, this wine offers a fusion of aromas of red and black fruits with notes of vanilla and exotic spices. Totally hedonistic right now, this wine guarantees to be a show-stopper with some cellar time – as the tannins have the chance to soften into the wine.

2006 Witness Tree "Hanson" Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
$48.00 / bottle and $518.40 / case

Planted in the spring of 1999, Hanson Vineyard is located at the very top of our world (at slightly over 600 feet in elevation) here at Witness Tree Vineyard. This tiny “high-tech” vineyard (right at 2 acres) was planted equally to the Pommard and Wadenswil clones of Pinot Noir that were grafted onto 3309 rootstock. Modern technological viticultural practices were implemented, including high-density planting and a vertical shoot-positioned trellising system. The result is an amazingly complex and concentrated Second Release of 2006 Witness Tree Vineyard “Hanson” Pinot Noir. Only 150 cases were produced of this deeply fruited and densely colored Pinot Noir and they are sure to sell out from the tasting room swiftly!

2008 Dolcetto "Remari"
Willamette Valley
$20.00 bottle / $216.00 case
[To Order]

Named in honor of our owners' granddaughters—Remi and Mari—our Dolcetto comes from a 1.6 acre site that we like to refer to as an experiment gone right! Native to the Piedmont region in Northern Italy , the Dolcetto grape exhibits big grapey, sassy flavors! Its considerable “slurpy factor” makes it a wonderful cocktail wine, while its natural acidity gives it the power to pair exceptionally well with all kinds of cuisine.

VINTAGE SELECTS

Vintage Select represents our highest achievement in winemaking -- our reserve wines. The fruit from specific vineyard sites is selected for these truly special wines, and only new French oak barrels are used. Low yields in the vineyard and minimal handling in the winery allow us to create wines of depth, elegance, concentration, and character; they are the ultimate expression of the earth from which they were born.

2007 Witness Tree "Vintage Select" Chardonnay
Willamette Valley
$28.00 bottle / $302.40 case
[To Order]
We only grow 1.9 acres of Chardonnay here at Witness Tree Vineyard. The bottling from this tiny site is truly a handcrafted, limited-production wine. Honey and spice fill the nose with just a hint of vanilla. The mouth is full and intense, brimming with tropical fruit flavors and almost a hint of butterscotch. The wine possesses great suppleness of texture, and good balancing acidity. The finish is exceptionally long. This is a powerful Chardonnay, yet it offers intensity without ever seeming overblown or out of balance.
2007 Witness Tree "Vintage Select" Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
$40.00 bottle / $432.00 case
[To Order]

Here it is, our flagship wine, our piece de resistance, the 2007 “Vintage Select” Pinot Noir. We are very excited to be able to present to you this incredible wine. Intense aromas of cherry, blackberry, spice and vanilla surge from the glass. One sip reveals incredible richness--ripe fruit, rich and expansive--which fills the mouth yet the texture is smooth as silk. Balancing all, is a firm tannic structure suggesting a long life ahead. As wonderful as this wine is now, it will only be more glorious in the future.

DESSERT WINE

2008 Witness Tree "Sweet Signé"
Willamette Valley
$25.00 bottle (375 ml) / $270.00 case
[To Order]

Named for our granddaughter, this incredible dessert wine was created by freezing the grapes and then pressing the frozen fruit. The resulting juice is thus super-concentrated. The juice is cold-fermented over the winter months--yielding an elixir that can only be appreciated by tasting it! In the nose, you will find heady aromas of white peaches, apricots and hints of spice. On the palate, explosive tropical fruit flavors are carried in the unctuous mouth feel. Although decidedly sweet, the wine possesses a brilliant acidity which keeps it dancing on your palate. Previous releases of “Sweet Signe” have sold out very quickly so don’t delay.

To Purchase our Wines:

To purchase wines or check on current pricing:
Please call the winery at 503-585-7874 or
1-888-478-8766
You can also FAX your order to 503-362-9765

Twelve bottles per case. 10% discount on cases and mixed cases.

Ships to all states where local laws permit direct-to-consumer sales.

Finding Witness Tree Vineyard

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Last revised: 12/21/2009