Bethel Heights Estate Vineyard Diagram
Certified Sustainably Grown; LIVE and Salmon Safe
Bethel Heights is located in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA (Map Available Here), a sub-appellation of Oregon's Willamette Valley.
The first vines were planted at Bethel Heights in 1977, and the backbone of our wine production still comes from the own-rooted Pinot noir vines that we planted 30 years ago. In 1999 Justice Vineyard was established adjacent to Bethel Heights as part of the estate. Together these vineyards comprise 70 acres, more than three-fourths planted to Pinot noir, with Chardonnay running a strong second and a minority commitment to Pinot blanc and Pinot gris.
The original 50-acre Estate vineyard is planted on a south-facing hillside rising from 480 to 620 feet elevation, with shallow well-drained soils of volcanic origin (Jory/Nekiah soil series). The 20-acre Justice Vineyard sits lower on the hillside, with soils that show the transition between volcanic layers above and the older underlying marine sedimentary layers of the original ocean seabed.
More than three-fourths of the estate acres are planted to Pinot noir, and the backbone of our wine production still comes from the original blocks of own-rooted Pinot noir vines that we planted 30 years ago.
Under the direct care of Vineyard Manager Ted Casteel our viticulture has been refined over twenty years to maximize the specific potential of each section of the vineyard for wine quality. The crop is held to 2.5 tons per acre or less, with intensive canopy management throughout the growing season to enhance flavor development.
Check out the schematic diagram of our Estate vineyard, showing the age and clonal composition of each block.
Geologic History of the Willamette Valley
LIVE and Salmon Safe
Certified Sustainably 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. A good clear explanation of Oregon LIVE appeared in the September 2002 issue of Vineyard & Winery Management. Read all about it here: All the Way LIVE in Oregon. For more background about the context in which LIVE was developed, and its relation to biodynamic and organic programs, check out this earlier article by Lisa Shara Hall in Wine Business Monthly: Oregon Takes a Leadership Role with Sustainable Agriculture.
Bethel Heights was also one of the first vineyards to be certified "Salmon Safe", by the Pacific Rivers Council, signifying our adherence to farming practices that help keep Oregon's streams and rivers clean. For more information about Salmon Safe, visit the Salmon Safe website.
Our Estate Grown wines have had the LIVE logo on the label since the 2000 vintage. They have had the Salmon Safe logo since 1997.
