Lucidwild Estate

Blair and L.J. Nicholas went looking in late 2020 for somewhere to make Burgundian-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, having explored wine regions around the world. They landed in the Dundee Hills and bought a 46-acre estate then known as Bella Vida Vineyard, with vines already 27 years in the ground. Their reasoning was simple: you can’t recreate three decades of vine age in a cellar.

The vineyard runs 25 acres — 22 Pinot Noir, three Chardonnay — southwest-facing on red volcanic Jory soil, rising from 600 to over 800 feet. It’s 100% dry-farmed and belongs to the Deep Roots Coalition, with LIVE, Bee Friendly, and Salmon Safe certifications. Their phrase for the approach is “putting the land before the hand.”

Isabelle Meunier makes the wine. Classically trained in Burgundy and New Zealand, she’s produced some of the highest-rated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon’s history, working with native yeast fermentation and long élevage in French oak. The range covers four Pinots, a Chardonnay, and two sparkling wines.

Then there’s the building. The SkyTerraces and WineCaves opened in July 2025 — over 15,000 square feet of tasting spaces including elevated terraces at 800 feet, subterranean cave lounges for barrel tastings, a RecRoom with bocce, shuffleboard, billiards and a 96-inch screen, and a boardroom on the vineyard floor. A full commercial kitchen supports chef collaborations and caviar service.

The centerpiece is Jellies, a speakeasy behind a discreet door past the game room. Dim lighting, velvet and leather, dark wood, a wall-sized live jellyfish tank, and a vintage vinyl turntable. It pours limited bottlings you won’t find in the main room — amphora-aged Pinot Gris, carbonic reds. It’s members-only.

Valais Blacknose sheep live on the property and can be hand-fed. Two of them are called Popcorn and Pebble.

Whether bocce courts and jellyfish belong at a serious winery is a fair question. The answer here seems to be that the wine holds up regardless.