Brooks Vineyard & Winery is your must visit site in the Eola-Amity Hills.
It was founder Jimi Brooks second harvest, 1999. Working well past midnight, Jimi was using his forklift to arrange barrels to make room for more fruit to come in when he took a corner a bit too fast and the barrel he was carrying broke free. Helpless, he watched as the barrel accelerated down a hill and with a loud, heartbreaking splash, ended its journey in the creek below the estate. With flashlights in hand, Chris and Jimi descended the hill to check out the damage (that barrel represented 26 cases of his 300 case total production). Beyond words, they were thrilled to find the barrel completely in tact! They happily dug the barrel out and returned it indoors.
The next day, when Jimi arrived at work, he found that a coworker hung a sign from the barrell that read, "Runaway Red".
The Pinot Noir in that barrel was actually something revolutionary...Jimi's (and the industry's) first attempt to make an "entry level" pinot that was extremely high quality, yet affordable and accessible...a wine for the people. Jimi had yet to come up with a name for this wine and took a liking to the sign on the barrel. You see, Jimi was well versed in Eastern European literature and politics and thought to put Trotsky's photo on the label since he was also, a "runaway red".
Now, 17 years later, they continue to produce the Runaway Red in the same spirit in which Jimi intended: A great Pinot at a great price, produced in the organic and bio-dynamic way. The 2014 Runaway Red ($23) recently earned a 91 from Wine Spectator.
Not only does Brooks have stunning views and a gorgeous tasting room, it has an entire line of Rieslings (ranging from bone dry to sweet and soon Riesling BUBBLES), highly rated Pinot noirs AND (ready for it?) Beer!
Their estate vineyards are produced bio-dynamically, planting clover cover crops to add nitrogen to the soil.
Brooks
It was founder Jimi Brooks second harvest, 1999. Working well past midnight, Jimi was using his forklift to arrange barrels to make room for more fruit to come in when he took a corner a bit too fast and the barrel he was carrying broke free. Helpless, he watched as the barrel accelerated down a hill and with a loud, heartbreaking splash, ended its journey in the creek below the estate. With flashlights in hand, Chris and Jimi descended the hill to check out the damage (that barrel represented 26 cases of his 300 case total production). Beyond words, they were thrilled to find the barrel completely in tact! They happily dug the barrel out and returned it indoors.
The next day, when Jimi arrived at work, he found that a coworker hung a sign from the barrell that read, "Runaway Red".
The Pinot Noir in that barrel was actually something revolutionary...Jimi's (and the industry's) first attempt to make an "entry level" pinot that was extremely high quality, yet affordable and accessible...a wine for the people. Jimi had yet to come up with a name for this wine and took a liking to the sign on the barrel. You see, Jimi was well versed in Eastern European literature and politics and thought to put Trotsky's photo on the label since he was also, a "runaway red".
Now, 17 years later, they continue to produce the Runaway Red in the same spirit in which Jimi intended: A great Pinot at a great price, produced in the organic and bio-dynamic way. The 2014 Runaway Red ($23) recently earned a 91 from Wine Spectator.
Not only does Brooks have stunning views and a gorgeous tasting room, it has an entire line of Rieslings (ranging from bone dry to sweet and soon Riesling BUBBLES), highly rated Pinot noirs AND (ready for it?) Beer!
Their estate vineyards are produced bio-dynamically, planting clover cover crops to add nitrogen to the soil.
Brooks
Experiences:
While we continue to offer our legendary hospitality and wine flights, we are excited to share with you our new Ourborous and Estate experiences.
Daily Tours - Join them for a FREE behind-the-scenes tour daily at 11AM.
Our Ouroboros experience allows you (and up to 7 friends) to dive deep into our wines (library, limited, and single vineyard selections) while discovering what makes Brooks and the Willamette Valley such a idyllic place to grow Riesling and Pinot Noir.
Looking for a bit more adventure? Hop into our brand new RTV and get a grand tour of our estate vineyard. You will be among the vines as you enjoy six different wines and will get an appreciation for how "great wines come from great vineyards."
There are only two slots per day, so be sure to book your preferred time before it's gone.
Click here for details
While we continue to offer our legendary hospitality and wine flights, we are excited to share with you our new Ourborous and Estate experiences.
Daily Tours - Join them for a FREE behind-the-scenes tour daily at 11AM.
Our Ouroboros experience allows you (and up to 7 friends) to dive deep into our wines (library, limited, and single vineyard selections) while discovering what makes Brooks and the Willamette Valley such a idyllic place to grow Riesling and Pinot Noir.
Looking for a bit more adventure? Hop into our brand new RTV and get a grand tour of our estate vineyard. You will be among the vines as you enjoy six different wines and will get an appreciation for how "great wines come from great vineyards."
There are only two slots per day, so be sure to book your preferred time before it's gone.
Click here for details
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Chef Abby's Boxed Lunches
In case you don't know, we have welcomed Abby McManigle to the Brooks team as Executive Chef. Not only does that mean the 2017 harvest crew has some high expectations for lunches, but she is creating new bites and programming for our customers. Her first Chef Series dinner is already sold out (look for an email soon with more Chef Series dinners). But, you can stop by any day of the week for our new Boxed Lunches! Visit our Bites, Sips, and Pairings page for all of our offerings. |
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