Determined to make the Dundee Hills AVA known to the public, Jesse Lange helped create the Dundee Hills Winegrowers’ Association to showcase the specificity of the red Jory soil of the terroir. This two-year old organization hosts an annual passport event and “Dundee Hills Wine Experience” encouraging the public to discover this little-known area. Presently, Lange owns sixty acres here alongside neighboring wineries such as Argyle, Domaine Drouhin, Eyrie, and Sokol Blosser.

I was able to sample the 2005 Dundee Hills Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir ($60), which revealed both vibrancy and earthiness in the form of autumnal spices (think cardamom and nutmeg) and clay soil. The down-to-earth characteristics of this unique terroir lingered long after I left Dundee.