When my college teammate Julie flies in from Atlanta, we always manage to uncover something new and wonderful about wine country! This trip was no different as we spent all weekend bouncing around Dundee.

As you may remember, The Renaissance Man and I volunteered at the Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon early this Spring. As part of the event, we received free tasting cards to a variety of vineyards supporting the event. We’ve slowly been working our way through the free tastings and I am oh so thankful that I waited to use the tastings at De Ponte Cellars!

Spending the afternoon at De Ponte Cellars will certainly be a day that holds strong in my memory. When Julie and I arrived we drove our way up a steep serpentine hill and at the top we were stunned by the shear beauty of the vineyard.

I kept thinking to myself, how have I never heard about this place before? What a hidden gem!

With fall colors, brisk autumn air, the afternoon sunlight, and a wonderful glass of wine I could have spent the rest of my life sitting on that porch talking with Julie and enjoying everything about our wonderful little spot in the world.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t provide some narrative about this particular glass of wine. De Ponte Cellars is actually known for their Melon grape which is both rare in Oregon and in the United States. When planted, the original growers through the vines would produce Pinot Blanc grapes, but instead it turns out the varietal planted was Melon de Bourgogne which is typically grown in the Lorie Valley of France. The 2013 DFB Melon de Bourgogne was super unique and I could taste sweet fruit notes that lingered on the palate.

If you haven’t heard, Harvest 2014 was one of the largest grape harvest the Oregon wine industry has ever seen. We had such a warm growing season that produced so many grapes…many had to be left on the vine.

At De Ponte Cellars, we were encouraged to go pick a few clusters and try out the grapes!

And with that, we didn’t need to be told twice! On our way back to the car, Julie and I both picked a cluster of grapes for the road. The grapes were surprisingly sweet and tart…I can only imagine what this vintage of wine will taste like!? Julie and I will have to come back and visit when they start releasing 2014 vintages.

Cheers to a perfect afternoon in wine country!