High Pass Winery

Our story dates back to the 1970's, when Dieter, our founder, made it to Eugene from the then communist East Germany, despite the Berlin wall. In his early years in the US, he was a tree planter; he let go of his computer analyst skills to play in the dirt.

Driven by his passion for nature, and inspired by the landscape of the Elbe River Vineyards, and the romance of the wine villages which he experienced while he attended university in Dresden, Germany, Dieter planted his first vines at High Pass Vineyard in 1984.At that time, it was initially a 20-acre parcel of land and he saw the potential of this area, at a time when no one else did.

We believe that wine is made in the vineyard, and you can taste the difference in a High Pass wine! At High Pass Winery, we know that the quality of our wine depends on the quality of our vineyard. Our wine-making philosophy is deeply rooted in respect for the earth and the vines, and we place great emphasis on sustainable farming practices.

At High Pass we have been stewards of sustainable farming practices before it had a name. Dieter, the founder of High Pass, planted over 100,000 trees in the NW United States. This included, but not limited to, the Coastal range Mountains and the North Slope of Praire Mountain. While in our tasting room facing the foothills, you may see some of the trees he planted.