Winery History
Since it opened in 1990, the Edgefield Winery has ripened into one of the Northwest's leading wineries, with more than a dozen releases, and a much-visited cellar and tasting room.
The seeds of enthusiasm for a McMenamins' winery were sown by the company's co-founder, Mike McMenamin. He admits he was motivated by a love of wine and a belief that a winery could supply the company's many pubs with the bulk of their wine stock.
The following year, McMenamins' artist Lyle Hehn, designed wine labels for the first bottling. Quantities of both the red and white wines were also kegged, too, for distribution to the pubs.
"In the years following that initial season, the Edgefield Winery has improved greatly as it aged" said Clark McCool, Edgefield's first wine maker. And public interest in Edgefield wines has been enhanced by our popular front meadow, which sweeps from the manor down to Halsey Street, planted in pinot gris vines.
The McMenamins' winery tasting room opened in 1992. And two years after that, the winery released its first Fireside Port (now one of Edgefield's most popular releases).
Today, McMenamins features the whole range of wines that are made in Oregon: including Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The popularity of Syrah grapes led to the development of Edgefield's second vineyard, in the spring of 1995, planted in that varietal on the southwestern part of Edgefield.
In 1998, McMenamins proudly opened our Edgefield Distillery. Grapes from the Edgefield winery also grace fortified-wine products from our Distillery. We merely see this as one more great reason to raise a glass at Edgefield soon!
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