Dion Vineyard

Dion Vineyard started in 1973 when Ron and Joanne Johnson bought five acres. Ron’s father Al had grown wine grapes in the Yakima Valley and came out to help. So did their toddler son Kevin and the family golden retriever. They put in their first Pinot Noir vines and learned as they went — year-round vine care, and the particular challenges of cool-weather grape growing.

Fifty years on, the property has grown to 60 acres of southerly slopes in the Chehalem Mountains. Kevin now runs it as owner and winemaker, third generation, having started producing under the Dion label in 2007. He and his wife Beth Klingner handcraft fewer than 1,000 cases a year in a small hands-on facility, while the vineyard continues supplying premium fruit to wineries across the valley.

The vines sit in Laurelwood soils between 300 and 500 feet. Some date to 1976, making them among the oldest in the valley, and a great deal of the vineyard is self-rooted. It’s dry-farmed and LIVE certified.

The Old Vine Pommard block is the family’s own favorite, bottled at 100 percent Pommard and aged in new French oak. It shows a classic Laurelwood signature — white pepper and clove on the finish. Beyond Pinot Noir there’s sparkling, Pinot Gris, and limited runs of Tempranillo, Rosé, Viognier, Chardonnay, and Syrah.

The tasting room is small and unfussy, off Highway 219 just outside greater Portland. The owners are usually the ones pouring, and guests describe conversations ranging from farming and vineyard history to bird watching. Titus, the vineyard dog, is part of the operation. You’re welcome to walk the property with a glass.