Dundee, OR - Peter and Paul's Wine

Recently I had an opportunity to visit my friend Paul Vorvick's winemaking operation in Dundee, OR.   Paul and I work together at Serena Software.   Paul's partner in this project is a man named Peter Bouman.   Peter is the leader of this two man band, and is a long-time Oregon resident.   Peter and Paul don't make wine commercially, they do it for their own enjoyment and that of their friends.  I don't know exactly how much they make, but I'm sure well within the limit that Oregon law prescribes for "homemade" winemaking ;).

I have to say that the wines I sampled at Peter and Paul's were some of the best I've ever had.  Their Pinots, Syrahs and Cabernets would easily fetch $50 and more at a wine store (and double or triple that in a fine restaurant).   The hand crafting that goes into these wines is amazing.  Making great wine requires much care and feeding, and Peter and Paul are devoted parents to these vintages.

One of the things that struck me on this trip is that making wine is a lot of work.   Not just at harvest time, but for several months thereafter tending to the wines every need.  I've included a picture of their basket press above.   This is a "bladder press" meaning that the basket has a rubber bladder inside it.  The bladder is attached to a hose when it's time to press the grapes.   The pressure from the bladder squeezes the juice from the grapes.   That's a little easier than a traditional hand crank press.  As you can imagine, Peter and Paul's winemaking building is complete with carboys, barrels, and all the accessories.  They've also got some great tunes on the radio and plenty of sampling equipment handy!

Peter and Paul make wine near Hyland Estates, which also has some great wines.   http://hylandestateswinery.com/.   They do some serious volume too - check out the barrels that are just waiting for wine.

I definitely recommend you checking it out if you're in the area.  You might ask how Peter and Paul are so well connected in the Oregon wine scene.   Well, Peter's day job is pretty cool.   He's a vineyard broker so he knows anybody and everybody around Dundee OR which is in the heart of the Willamette Valley.   That's big time Pinot Noir country for anybody that knows the basics of American wine.   It's the same lattitude as Burgundy in France, hence the affinity for Pinot and to a degree Syrah as well.

So, in closing, if you're inspired by this blog to start your own winery in Oregon, check out Peter's website at http://oregonwinecountryproperties.com/ and see if there's a vineyard that's just right for you ;).   And if you're inspired by the notion of releasing better software faster, check out serena.com and buy something from Paul and I.  We're saving up for our own wineries as well!