A Quiet Winter Afternoon at Et Fille

Pinks and Pinots in the heart of historic Newberg, Oregon

It’s the week before Christmas, and it’s been raining a lot. 

The short days of December are the perfect reason to grab a book and camp out on the couch. Maybe make some hot chocolate and put some vinyl on the turntable. Lean into my introverted ways.  

But something in the air was tugging at my sleeve to try something different. 

I had some packages to drop in Newberg and nothing planned for the rest of the day… and that’s how I found myself walking into the tasting room of Et Fille on a dreary Friday afternoon. 

I’ll admit the urban tasting room isn’t usually my thing. I prefer to be out among the vines, soaking in the view, enjoying the slower pulses of vineyard life. 

But the tasting room was pleasant, with plenty of blush and sparkle to cheer up the gray afternoon. 

Setting the Scene

Et Fille is located on a bustling stretch of 1st St in historic Newberg. The tasting room is small and intimate, with thoughtful and well-appointed details. I also appreciated the tasteful use of the color pink, which can quickly veer off into bachelorette party garishness if you’re not careful. 

With so many wineries in the Willamette these days, some of them can start to run together. Luckily Et Fille’s story is baked right into the name. 

Et Fille (meaning “and Daughter”) is a project started by winemaker Jessica and her dad Harold Mozeico. Harold has since passed away, and Jessica continues the business they started together. Her daughter Gabrielle is now the 3rd generation to share in the family story. 

My host for the afternoon was Emma, whose friendly and engaging style came with plenty of stories to accompany the wine. 

Tasting the Wines

My flight started with bubbles. The traditional method Brut Rose is a blend of Pinot and Chard and benefits from 36 months en tirage.  

After that we moved onto Viognier and then a Gamay Noir. This was exciting for me, since we don’t see a lot of these varietals here in the Willamette. Both were made from fruit grown locally, which is also less common.

The Viognier was actually foot-stomped by the winemaker’s daughter Gabriella! Loads of summery peach and white flowers on the nose. 

The Gamay was also bursting with fresh summer fruit, this time summer berries like strawberry and cherries. I don’t have the numbers to back it up but Gamay seems to be gaining some momentum here. It makes an awesome alternative for Pinot fans looking for something different. 

And speaking of Pinot Noir, they were all quite good. I especially enjoyed the ‘21 Gabriella Pinot Noir, which is aged for 20 months in barrel with additional maturation in the bottle. Despite seeing 60% new oak it was very elegant and approachable, probably helped by the lower alcohol percentage (listed as 13.2).  

Sometimes stepping outside of your routine can be the highlight of your day and that was certainly the case with Et Fille. If you’re passing through Newberg or exploring its historic downtown, definitely take the time to stop in and taste what the Mozeico family has built.