Granville Wine Co.

Why You’ll Love Granville Wine Co. in Dundee Oregon

• The views are Grade A and the property has a calm, secluded feel to it. 
• The attention to detail in the tasting room, with a cozy yet smart feel
• The Chardonnay, you have to try the Chardonnay. 
• The family history baked into the winemaking and estate

Generally before I visit a winery I like to do some homework the morning-of. It helps me absorb some of the information ahead of time, the preliminary details like what varieties are grown, the year the winery was started, etc. That way I’m not using all my CPU processing that stuff during my visit, and instead I can focus on the experience, or ask other questions that get below the surface a little bit. 

So, I didn’t do ANY of that with Granville. Not because I didn’t care or was feeling lazy. More because I had a sense that it was going to be something special and I really wanted to savor the moment of discovery. 

You know how things come up in life that are new to you and all of a sudden start to pop up in the randomest contexts? That was Granville for me in 2024. Despite living just miles away from the winery it was completely off radar for me until I heard it mentioned by a few guests. And then a few more. Some industry friends gave it the thumbs up. 

It had The Buzz. The name floating through the air, powered by its own magic inertia. There are 750 wineries in the valley, can I guess which one you wrote on the back of the Queen of Hearts? Granville. 

Anyway I finally got my act together and with my friend Tessa we dropped in a few weeks ago. Then I got sick (again) and didn’t do any wine tasting for several weeks. To celebrate the return of my sense of smell and palette, I took my family out wine tasting… at Granville again. Back to back, baby. 

Obviously I was impressed. 

Background

There are a lot of details that make Granville easy to like. The wines are excellent. The tasting room has all the right vibes. The view is top tier. And founders Ayla and Jackson Holstein actually grew up in Dundee, Oregon where the winery is located. 

With so much investment coming from out of state, and even internationally, it’s not often you find wineries in the Willamette Valley with such a hyper-local connection. 

In fact, the winery is located at Jackson’s childhood home. The surrounding vines make up the Holstein Estate vineyard, originally planted in the early 70’s by Jackson’s father Allen. Allen is an influential vineyard manager in his own right. 

The property is far from a museum. The original house has been completely renovated and updated into a small but refined tasting room. The vineyard has been modernized as well, being completely replanted for the new millennium. 

In addition to the generational know-how, the Holstein’s spent time abroad learning the craft as well. They produced their first vintage in 2014 and opened the tasting room a few years later. Jackson now acts as head winemaker, with Ayla overseeing business and hospitality.  

Setting the Scene

The winery and tasting room are nestled on top of a hill just north of Dundee. Despite being just minutes from town, it feels peaceful and secluded. The property boasts views for miles and sits surrounded by vines. 

There are other local homes that have been converted into tasting rooms, but I think this one might be my favorite. 

There’s a fireplace to keep you cozy on damp days. Shiplap walls, wooden beams, and plenty of small details show that a lot of thought has gone into outfitting the tasting room. 

Outside features a shaded deck for nicer weather and a firepit out on the lawn.  

This is the perfect small space to hang out in, perfectly balanced between cozy and quietly elevated. Tessa and I sat inside with a great view out the window. When I returned with my wife and parents it was 65 degrees and sunny outside. In February! 

We opted to sit out on the deck to take full advantage of the amazing views. 

Our Tasting

Granville fruit is coming from two primary sources: The Dundee Hills where their estate vineyard is located and a few sites in the Eola-Amity region. Wine nerds will recognize that both of these areas showcase volcanic basalt soil, something that’s prized among Oregonian grape growers. 

Our flight consisted of 2022’s across the board, which made for a nice comparison between the sites. We started with a side by side of Pinot Noirs from the Eola-Amity AVA:

Koosah Vineyard Pinot Noir

Koosah is a Chinook word for “sky”. Anyone that’s tasted at Resonance Vineyards recently is probably familiar with the vineyard,  it’s one of their estate properties. A rocky, dry farmed, and high elevation vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills.  

Temperance Hill Pinot Noir 

Also located in Eola-Amity AVA, Temperance Hill is one of the classic Oregon vineyards. We share the birth year of 1981. Grapes from the site are always in high demand, and Granville was able to procure Temperance fruit starting in 2022. 

Next we tried out two estate Pinots:

West Block Pinot Noir

As you’d expect, this one uses grapes coming from the west side of the Holstein vineyard. In the Dundee Hills, westward facing usually means lots of afternoon sun and exposure to dominant local winds. Red fruit, tangy herbaceousness, and that faint earthiness common to Dundee reds. This would be my pick to go with grilled salmon.  

Holstein Estate Pinot Noir

A broader spectrum view of the vineyard, this incorporates multiple clones from around the 8-acre site. So much complexity and perfectly balanced! Definitely my favorite Pinot on the flight. 

O’Della Reserve Chardonnay

The runaway favorite during the tasting with my family. 

The O’Della has an awesome balance of richness and bright intensity. White flowers, creamy citrus and liplicking salinity. 

Sometimes my appreciation for Chardonnay is a bit academic, but this is a wine that I truly enjoyed and look forward to drinking again. I’ve already started browsing my cookbooks for the perfect meal to serve with it. 

And no, there’s nothing wrong with positioning your Chard at the end of the flight. 

To wrap up the experience, Jake poured us some bubbles. Shirt sleeves and sunglasses in February! (ok I was the only one in short sleeves but whatever) Perfect time for some sparkling. 

Basalt Willamette Valley Sparkling 

Traditional Method bubbles for a very fair price. ‘Basalt’ is their distribution line of wines, but we got to try it because the premium sparkling SKU was sold out. 24 months en tirage and primarily Chardonnay. Dosage is <1g/L of sugar, but Jackson completely avoided the austerity that can sometimes accompany an Extra Brut. 

Wrapping Up

Granville has been around for over a decade at this point, but the buzz keeps getting louder and louder. The Holstein’s have purchased a second property not far from the winery which will eventually be home to a new tasting room. It’s going to be fun watching them grow over the next few years. 

If the current product is anything to go by, there’s even more good stuff on the horizon. 

Thanks again to Jake and the team at Granville for making us feel welcome… twice! 

The Details

Hours: By appointment only, call for details

Pets Allowed: Yes, outside and on a leash

Children allowed: Yes

Food Offerings: None, but they do host catered events and wine dinners… which sell out fast!