Bethel Heights Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio

Two families established Bethel Heights Vineyard in 1977, in the Eola Hills northwest of Salem, Oregon. Twin brothers Ted and Terry Casteel and their partners Pat Dudley and Marilyn Webb detoured into winemaking after trying their hands at other careers and interests. Ted and Pat were graduate students doing historical research in France when they discovered the joys of wine. Marilyn and Terry were practicing therapists in Seattle when they started drinking Burgundy and became wine enthusiasts. Reunited by their newfound interest in wine, in 1977 the two families, together with Pat's sister Barbara Dudley, bought 75 promising looking acres and started a new life. 

Organically grown, Ted Casteel has been a leader in developing standards for sustainable viticulture in Oregon, and Bethel Heights' estate grown wines were among the first certified LIVE under those standards.

Wall Street Journal online
May 30, 2008
TASTINGS
By Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher
While we can certainly enjoy a simple,
gulpable Pinot Grigio from the U.S. or
Italy, we've always preferred a Pinot
Grigio or Pinot Gris with a little bit
more stuffing. At its best, these are
aromatic wines that can offer some
weight, with hints of melon, tangerine
and minerals, maybe some mouthfeel
and even a hint of oiliness. They should
have enough acidity to pull that off
without any heaviness.
Our very best of tasting, a Pinot Gris
from Bethel Heights Vineyard in
Oregon, showed what this can be at
its best: a wine of substance that truly
tastes like nothing else. Fresh and
vibrant, with great melon fruit, but
with a sturdy backbone. Fresh
tropical fruits at the top, minerals and
serious earthiness at the core—bravo.