Jill & Brian O'Donnell established Belle Pente Vineyards in 1994, with the first wine produced in 1996. Brian is from New York City, and Jill from St Cloud, Minnesota. They met while living in California, and moved to the Willamette Valley in 1992. Both were award-winning home brewers, and Brian began making wine for family and friends in 1986.
On the night of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, they resolved to begin a transition out of their Silicon Valley careers to start up a small premium vineyard & winery. Brian is currently responsible for production, and he and Jill share marketing and administrative duties. Daughter Riona arrived just in time for the 1999 vintage, and now serves as Director of Social Media Marketing.
On the night of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, they resolved to begin a transition out of their Silicon Valley careers to start up a small premium vineyard & winery. Brian is currently responsible for production, and he and Jill share marketing and administrative duties. Daughter Riona arrived just in time for the 1999 vintage, and now serves as Director of Social Media Marketing.
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Vineyards
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Belle Pente sources grapes from our estate vineyard site located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of Oregon's Willamette Valley. We also source from unique, high quality, independent vineyards. Since the beginning, we've taken a two pronged approach to insuring that our winery is supplied with the finest raw materials possible.
Overview
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At Belle Pente (bell-pont') we are dedicated to producing high quality artisanal wines in partnership with nature and with respect for the environment. The name means "beautiful slope, " describing our hillside vineyard site in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of Oregon's Willamette Valley, and reflecting the inspiration we draw from "old world" winegrowing traditions: that great wine is made in the vineyard and merely nurtured in the winery.
Cellar Notes
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The following recommendations are based ontastings over the past several months. Please remember that personal preferences vary, however, and drinking a wine too young is generally better than too old! For older wines, it is best to stand the bottles upright for 2-3 days prior to opening (to allow any sediment to settle to the bottom).
Winemaker's Diary
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As the owner/operator of a small winery in Oregon's Willamette Valley, I urge you to consider the unintended consequences of the potential increased tariffs on European wine. Although on the surface it would seem like we should be embracing these actions, the reality is that the risks of negative impact on our business far outweigh any potential benefits.
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