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Lillian Pitt at Helvetia Winery

by | Nov 22, 2017 | Events, Winery Photos

Lillian Pitt and “She Who Watches”

Renowned Native American Artist at Helvetia Winery, Friday, November 24, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Lillian Pitt, Warm Springs artist, will be with us on “Black Friday” to present some of her recent works and visit with our patrons.

A Columbia River Artist

Lillian Pitt is a Pacific Northwest Native American artist whose ancestors lived in and near the Columbia River Gorge for over 10,000 years.Called simply the Big River or the Nch’i-Wana by her ancestors, the Columbia River was the backbone of one of the largest trade networks in all of Native America.

The Focus of Her Art

Lillian’s focus is on creating contemporary works of fine art that delight today’s art lovers, and at the same time, honor the history and legends of her people. Primarily a sculptor and mixed media artist, Lillian’s lifetime of works include artistic expressions in clay, bronze, wearable art, prints, and most recently, glass. Her works have been exhibited and reviewed throughout the Pacific Northwest, nationally and internationally, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions.

 

 

 

 

 

The Very First Step of Harvest

by | Sep 28, 2016 | Harvest, Vineyard, Winery Photos

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Claudia and Charlie preparing the destemmer and the fermenters.

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Jeff spending time fixing the good ole ATV.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the work done at the winery during harvest of course, is picking grapes. What most people do not know is that harvest actually begins the day before the grapes are picked. This entire day is spent cleaning and sanitizing every nook and cranny of not only the winery and the space around the winery but every tool, bucket, press, hose, and pump you could imagine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helvetia Winery takes Sliver

by | Mar 23, 2016 | Events, Winery Photos

Helvetia Winery’s 2014 Estate Pinot Noir receives Silver Honors at Cascadia Wine Competition

Yashar Shayan is owner of Impulse Wine in Seattle and is a judge at the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition.

Yashar Shayan, owner of Impulse Wine, an online retailer in the Seattle area, judges at the annual Cascadia Wine Competition in Hood River, Ore. (Photo by Andy Perdue/Great Northwest Wine)

HOOD RIVER, Ore. – The fourth annual Cascadia Wine Competition took place this month and we are honored to announce that Helvetia Winery was awarded a silver medal for our 2014 Estate Pinot Noir.

The judging attracted more than 1,000 entries from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho. Twenty-two wine professionals from across the Pacific Northwest served as judges.

silver winner squareThe Cascadia Wine Competition is sponsored by CascadiaNow!, a nonprofit organization formed to foster awareness of the Cascadia bioregion.

Our 2014 Estate Pinot Noir was harvested on October 8, our earliest harvest until 2015. This wine is a robust, fruit-forward pinot with aromas of black cherry, vanilla, tobacco and black pepper and flavors of blackberry, current, and hints of cacao. Its lingering finish pairs well with salmon, beef or pork tenderloin or a meat dish with mole’.

According to the sponsors, all wines were tasted blind by a panel made up of 12 women and 10 men including winemakers, sommeliers, journalists, retailers and marketers. Ken Robertson, longtime columnist for Wine Press Northwest magazine, served as chief judge. The judges do not know the winery or the price while they are evaluating the wines.

The competition is managed by Great Northwest Wine, an award-winning news and information company owned by Degerman and Perdue. Between them, the two have more than 35 years of combined experience writing about the wines, vineyards and chefs of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho. They founded Wine Press Northwest magazine in 1997 for the Tri-City (Wash.) Herald and edited the quarterly glossy consumer magazine through 2012.

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More than 3,000 bottles of Northwest wine are set up in the backroom at the 2016 Cascadia Wine Competition, held at the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Ore. The wines are poured in the backroom, then served to judges in another room so they cannot see which wines are being evaluated. (Photo by Andy Perdue/Great Northwest Wine)

Cascadia Wine Competition judges

The judges for the fourth annual Cascadia Wine Competition were:

 

Helvetia Spotlight: Catherine

by | Feb 19, 2016 | Winery Photos | 1 comment

When Catherine first visited Helvetia Winery in 2010, she came for facts not for wine. She was working for the federal government then, conducting the 2010 census in the Helvetia area and other Tualatin Mountain surrounds. John Platt recalls her going beyond the usual questions and engaging in a conversation about a wide range of topics related to the people and places on both the east and west slope communities.Catherine

A year later, when she stopped by the winery seeking work as a server, she offered her resume after a brief phone interview. John told her not to bother. Her vetting as a census taker by the federal government ensured she was not a security risk and her friendly style and engaged conversation had qualified her for the job months earlier. As an added qualification, she was an Oregon wine aficionado who had followed the growth of our industry from its inception and loved tasting each new vintage . . . in moderation.

According to Catherine, “Wine is delicious. I have discovered it offers life-long-learning as well. Everyday I experience something fascinating and quite often in areas of study I would have avoided when in school; geography, chemistry, botany, meteorology—wine is all of them. And did I mention, wine is delicious.” Catherine brings curiosity as well as a friendly outlook. She sees her work as an “opportunity to meet visitors.”

“They come to the winery from the metro area; from states all over the US, and from countries all over the world. They come to us bringing friendship and good humor and contribute knowledge of their own to our wine tasting conversations—together we share an interest in wine and together we learn.”

While her avocation is wine, her job focus is exhibit design. She is a graphics artist who, under the business name Dalziel Graphics, has developed displays for entities including OMSI, the Oregon Jewish Museum, the Multnomah County Library and other public institutions.

Catherine is one of the reasons Helvetia Winery is so special, and we are all better for having her around.

Helvetia Spotlight: Alicia and Carolyn

by | Jan 27, 2016 | Events, Winery Photos

Alicia Eddens & Carolyn Sloan

Alicia Eddens & Carolyn Sloan

For a number of years, Alicia Eddens and Carolyn Sloan were loyal customers of Helvetia Winery, often visiting and staying late on Saturday afternoons. Alicia says that when their wine tabs mounted, both began serving wine on weekends while Carolyn took on additional tasks as the vineyard and winery bookkeeper.

Carolyn and Alicia met as across-the-street neighbors while raising young children in Bethany. Currently, Alicia is a medical assistant for a dermatology office and cares for her two daughters at her Bethany home. One is a freshman at Westview High School and the other, a freshman at University of Oregon. While,at their ages.  Alicia’s daughters have better things to do on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon than hang out at the winery, you may run into Alicia’s rescued terrier, Leo, her ever-faithful companion. Carolyn now lives in Rock Creek and works for the Beaverton School District as a budget specialist. Her son, Jordan, is a junior at Oregon State University while son Matt specializes in finish carpentry. When Carolyn isn’t at her jobs working for the school district, the winery, or the PaintNite organization, she takes time off to work on a school construction project in El Salvador.

Carolyn enjoys the winery’s “great customers and fun-to-work-with co-workers” as well as the laid-back family atmosphere that, she says “is never snooty.” Alicia adds that she is attracted to the personal experience of meeting and learning about the people who visit the winery and what they like. She appreciates the cozy and comfortable atmosphere that is both casual and welcoming. “It’s not an overpriced, expensive showroom,” according to Alicia.

Helvetia’s Holiday Hours- Extended through the New Year

by | Dec 28, 2015 | Events, Winery Photos

Join Us Every Afternoon through the New Year

With Christmas and Hanukkah in the past, and New Years Eve around the corner, this week is the perfect  time to come out to Helvetia Vineyards and Winery. Just 25 minutes from Portland, but a world away from the Holiday hustle and bustle. We have extended Helvetia’s Holiday Hours through the New Year.

Join us in our tasting room, and relax by our wood stove while enjoying a tasting of our artisan wines while taking advantage of our after Christmas sales on gifts and wines. Or call ahead and schedule a tour. Our proprietor John Platt would love to show you around, and tell you what makes Helvetia Winery so special. A Helvetia Winery tour is the perfect way to give your out of town guests an Oregon experience. And if you take advantage of our Groupon Offer, you can save 50%.

Recharge your spirit while taking in the breathtaking vistas that our wine farm has to offer.

Our hours through the New Year are 12-5pm every day. We are closed on New Years Day, but open the remainder of the weekend. We look forward to serving you.