Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Our Estate

Poised atop the Dundee Hills, with gentle slopes that capture the breezes and sunshine, our 235-acre estate overlooking the Willamette Valley produces some of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit in the world.

The Vineyards
The Winery
Oregon Team
Family Properties
End of vine rows with rocks and red clay soil
View of vineyards and trees
The Drouhin Family

Estate Vineyards

Poised atop the Dundee Hills, with gentle slopes that capture the breezes and sunshine, our 235-acre estate overlooking the Willamette Valley produces some of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit in the world.

Robert Drouhin’s vision of an Oregon estate winery that could rival the great vineyards of Burgundy has been realized at DDO. From what began as test plantings of cloned Pinot Noir rootstock, Domaine Drouhin now encompasses 130 acres of hillside vineyards. Interspersed with the Pinot Noir vines are 13 acres of Chardonnay, planted at various elevations and, like in Burgundy, planted right alongside rows of Pinot Noir.

Everything planted at DDO is unique to the estate. We also have two large blocks of rootstock planted on the estate, so we can graft the cuttings onto rootstock that we have grown ourselves. We grow and plant rootstocks that we’ve learned are well suited to the specifics of our vineyard sites in terms of site elevation, soil depth, and moisture-holding capacity. In this way we can maintain the highest level of quality control over our plant material.

Our densely planted vines are farmed sustainably, L.I.V.E. certified, and tended to by hand when leaves and fruit are thinned; harvesting is also

done entirely by hand.

Our site was selected for its remarkable similarity in climate, latitude and aspect to the legendary vineyards of Burgundy.

Est. 1989

Landmark Gravity Flow Winery

All of our wines are crafted by hand in our four-level gravity flow winery built atop the Drouhin family’s 235 acre estate in the Dundee Hills of Oregon.

Our goal is to craft wines naturally with gentle treatment and minimal manipulation. It is our hope that our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay will be appreciated for their classic finesse, elegance and for the true reflection of their origin; their terroir.

Once the grapes have reached full maturity with a perfect balance between brix and acid, and fruit and tannin, they are hand-picked into small 25 pound totes, insuring the arrival of pristine, uncrushed fruit at our four-level gravity-flow winery. Everything we do in the winery is intended to preserve the unique qualities that nature provided for us in the vineyards.

Our winemaking techniques are adapted from what the Drouhin family has learned in Burgundy since 1880.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon barrels in racks
Winery crush pad at night

Active fermentations last 7-12 days, during which time the age-old Burgundian techniques of pigeage (punch-down) and remontage (pump-over) are used as means of gentle extraction. Fermentations are long and careful and once complete, the free-run juice is moved via gravity to the third level of our winery, the barrel cellar.

Our Pinot Noir is aged in both new (20%) and neutral French Oak barrels. Barrels are custom made for us in Burgundy, using oak from France’s best forests, which we feel allows the character of the wine and vintage to show through. Once the secondary, malolactic, fermentation is complete, the wines are racked off their lees via gravity and back into barrel.

After 12-14 months in oak, Véronique selects barrels for each of our three cuvée’s and the wines are then blended and allowed to rest for several months before moving to the final level of the winery, our bottle room. At this final stage, the wines again are moved via gravity into bottle and then allowed to mature 6 to 18 months before release.

Our Oregon Team

David Millman, President & CEO

David Millman joined DDO in 2004 after a 20-year career in the music business, working for several record companies and eventually running his own public relations and marketing firm. In addition to his duties with DDO, David has served as Board President of both the International Pinot Noir Celebration and Oregon Pinot Camp, and is a mentor within the Root Funds and Harrington Foundation programs.  He is active in supporting the Salud Auction, and frequently serves on industry committees.

Arron Bell, Asst. Winemaker & Operations Manager

Arron Bell joined DDO in July of 2002, and was promoted in 2009 to the specially created position of Assistant Winemaker & Operations Manager.  Arron is in charge of production operations, and is responsible for helping Véronique achieve her vision for each vintage.  He also regularly travels on behalf of DDO to talk about the intricacies of the Drouhin style, and what sets our wines apart.

Kateland Harvey, Director of Sales & Marketing

Get to know Kateland…

  1. If you were a pasta shape, what shape would you be and why? Fusilli Corti Bucati. It’s curly like a spring and can be enjoyed with practically any kind of sauce. I like to think that I bounce back well from adversity and get along with most people I meet! And also, I love pasta.  
  2. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Say how you really feel and ask for what you want.  
  3. What is your favorite part of working in the wine industry? I love the camaraderie of the wine industry, the travel, and always living in the most beautiful places. I’ve met all of my best friends through this industry.  

Dyane Savino, Wine Club & Shipping Manager

Get to know Dyane..

  1. If you could drink any wine in the DDO cellar, what would it be and why? The 2005 Laurene. I’ve always loved the vintage, and it’s still gorgeous! 
  2. When did you join the DDO team? I started in 2007 as a part-timer and in 2009 full-time. 
  3. What are your top 3 favorite podcasts/books? It’s hard to give just 3: Outlander Series, To Kill a Mockingbird, French Lieutenant’s Woman.

Kayla Arnold, Events & Hospitality Manager

Get to know Kayla…

  1. Do you have any hidden talents most people don’t know about? In college, I worked part time as a blackjack dealer.

  2. How did your childhood prepare you for your job today? I grew up with a profound love of learning and travel, both of which have served me well in the wine industry, as there is so much to learn and experience!

  3. What is your favorite part of working in the wine industry? There is always something new to learn, whether it’s about the winemaking process, the vineyards, another region or producer…there is so much out there to explore and enjoy.

Josh Bickley, Controller

Get to know Josh…

  1. If you could drink any wine in the DDO cellar, what would it be and why? 2016 Pinot Noir Edition Limitee as this was the year my first daughter was born.
  2. What is your favorite part of working in the wine industry? The people and their passion for creating world-class wines (particularly in the Willamette Valley).
  3. What’s your background? I’m a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) that was previously converted from an outdoor educator.  

Megan Davison, Information & Logistics Manager

Get to know Megan…

  1. If I were a superhero, what would your superpower be? I would be able to watch an inanimate object’s history from the present moment back to its origin by touching it. As if rewinding a recording that followed the object through its lifetime.
  2. What is your favorite part of working in the wine industry?It’s poetic: It integrates community (wine lovers!), creativity and problem solving (puzzles!), and intrigue (a variety of occupation types). Bonus that it nurtures one’s epicurean side.  
  3. What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?I enjoy adventuring, board games, fantasy novels, and roller derby. 

Maeghan Moss, Hospitality Coordinator

Get to know Maeghan…

  1. What is your favorite part of working in the wine industry?The best part of working in the wine industry is the wide variety of people you meet. I love connecting with people and talking about life. I have met some incredibly interesting people here at DDO. I wouldn’t change my line of work for anything else! 
  2. Where are you from originally? I was born and raised in Louisiana but moved to Oregon with my family in 1998.  
  3. Cats or Dogs? I’m a dog person through and through. I will most likely greet any dog before their human.  

Ken Lukhard, Tasting Room & Trade Liaison

Get to know Ken…

  1. What is the most inspiring part of your job? The most inspiring thing about my job was working with our winemaker, Veronique Drouhin, during my first harvest here in 2021.  
  2. What is your top “bucket list” item? To visit Lanarkshire, Scotland where my family is originally from. 
  3. What did you think you would do as a career in elementary school? When I was five, I was pretty sure I would be Spiderman.  

Elliot Dow, Tasting Room Supervisor

Get to know Elliot…

  1. What did you think you would do as a career in elementary school? I knew I was going to be an astronaut when I grew up. Always shooting for the stars!

  2. What’s your background? Before working at DDO, I was able to travel through some of France and Scotland, working with organic farms, homesteads, and breweries. That is where I learned about the passion that one could put into taking something grown from the earth and crafting delicious and beautiful beers, wines, and spirits.

  3. Where are you from originally? Oregon Grown…. and grass-fed.

Victoria Sinclair, Experience Specialist

Get to know Victoria…

  1. What do you think you were in a past life? A stunt car driver! If I could learn how to drive like Bond in an Aston Martin without concern for its condition after… that’s the dream!
  2. What’s the most inspiring part of your job? The passion our guests come through the door with, for wine or anything else, getting to meet a person and exchange stories is a wonderful benefit of working in the Tasting Room!

  3. Cats or dogs? Dogs! One of the perks of DDO is our shared love of dogs & wine (in that order!). Monty, the winery dog, brings a lot of joy to the Tasting Room.

Abbey Portis, Tasting Room Associate

Get to know Abbey…

  1. What did you think you would do as a career in elementary school? I wanted to be a trapeze artist in the circus and even went to circus camp one summer.
  2. What’s your background? My background/degree is in sports management and did my internship with a professional hockey team. And ended up in the world of hospitality and camping, which in turn led me to the hospitality side of the wine industry. Most recently I spent the last 4 years in production at a cooperage making barrels. 
  3. What is your top “bucket list” item? Travel around Ireland and Scotland and go on a hot air balloon or skydive. 

Ashley Walters, Tasting Room Associate

Get to know Ashley…

  1. Do you have any hidden talents most people don’t know about? Yes! I love to sing!

  2. What is your favorite part of working in the wine industry? The networking connections I’ve made with the generous and fun people in the Willamette Valley and the delicious wines! 

  3. What are your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?
    1. My favorite Podcast is The Armchair Expert by Dax Shepherd and Monica Padman
    2. The Memoirs of A Geisha By Arthur Golden
    3. The Things They Carried By Tim O’Brien 

Ryan Harvey, Cellar Master & Assistant Operations Manager

Get to know Ryan…

  1. What is your favorite word in the English language? My favorite word in the English language is defenestrate. (Google it!) I love that people 400 years ago agreed that this action needed its own specific verb. 
  2. What is your favorite part of working in the wine industry? The people! Through the wine industry, I have met people from all over the world who love good food and wine!! 
  3. What did you think you would do as a career in elementary school?I was certain I would be an Artist. I was very fond of drawing as a child. 

Matt McMillin, Packaging & Labeling Supervisor

Get to know Matt…

  1. Where are you originally from? I was born in Burbank and raised in a very warm but cool place called Simi Valley. Nestled in a valley 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, it was a great place to grow up. 
  2. What is your favorite thing about your career in the wine industry? I have always found great joy in making something that others love. A warm feeling takes over when people from near and far seek out or stumble upon something they enjoy that you had a part in.  
  3. Cats or dogs? I have two dogs and a cat. Our dogs’ names are Raya and Bernadette. Raisin is a mini golden doodle, and Bernie is a Catahoula/Pitbull mix. And our recently adopted cat is named Tobiko.

Joe Terre, Cellar Assistant

Get to know Joe…

  1. What’s your favorite quote? “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” 
  2. What’s your background? My wine production background started during my third year of university when a close friend and I spearheaded a home winemaking operation in my garage. After two years of garage winemaking and a degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California Davis, I went to work for wineries and vineyards in Napa, Margaret River, Santa Rita Hills, and the Willamette Valley.  
  3. When did you join DDO?I joined the team as a harvest intern in 2021 and liked it so much that I stayed!  

Rhianna McCarty, Labeling & Packaging Assistant

Get to know Rhianna…

  1. What is your guilty pleasure? I enjoy watching true crime shows, documentaries, podcasts, and books.
  2. What did you think you would do as a career in elementary school? When I was five, I was pretty sure I would be a veterinarian when I grew up.
  3. What do you like about working at DDO? I like that everyone is kindhearted and easygoing and everyone always treats everyone with respect. I love how the DDO team is like a family. 

Bruno Panzo, Vineyard Team

Get to know Bruno…

  1. What do you like about working for DDO? I like working at DDO because I learn something new every day in the vineyards.
  2. When did you join the team at Domaine Drouhin Oregon?  I have been a part of this team since 2004! 
  3. Where are you from originally? I’m from Veracruz, Mexico. 

Jose Gutierrez, Vineyard Team

Get to know Jose…

  1. What do you like about working for DDO? I love driving tractors through the vineyards. 
  2. Do you prefer cats or dogs?  Dogs

Antelmo DeJesus-Hernandez, Vineyard Team

Cirilo Hernandez-Feria, Vineyard Team

Get to know Cirilo…

  1. Do you prefer cats or dogs? I prefer cats!
  2. What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? I enjoy going on fishing trips to local rivers.
  3. What is your favorite part of working at Domaine Drouhin?My favorite part of working at DDO is driving the tractors through the vineyards!   

Montrachet Magnum (aka: Monty), DDO Mascot

Get to know Monty…

  1. Cats or Dogs? Is that a serious question?
  2. What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? I’m passionate about bung chasing, ground squirrel elimination, and am always on the lookout for my next treat.
  3. Where are you from originally? Burgundy Born, Oregon Raised
  4. When did you join DDO? I arrived just in time for the 2016 Harvest, which started on August 30.

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Domaine Drouhin Oregon
6750 NE Breyman Orchards Rd, Dayton, OR 97114
(503) 864-2700    Email Us