Enjoy a Tour and Lunch in the Vineyard
By Eugene Magazine August 2023
"We visited Bryn Mawr Vineyards to experience a new in-depth tour and lunch at the winery. It’s a beautiful site, perched at 870 feet on the upper crest of the acclaimed Eola-Amity Hills — an area known for its afternoon winds. Bryn Mawr is Welsh for “high hill,” and the vineyard is nestled atop one of the steepest slopes in the Willamette Valley along a windy corridor (they don’t host weddings because there’s too much at stake when the wind picks up — they tried it once and learned their lesson!) The 40-acre LIVE-certified estate enjoys rocky volcanic soils which anchor the vines on their steep vineyard. They have two guesthouses on the property where visitors can get an immersive experience. And, David Lauer, son of owners Jon and Kathy Lauer, recently introduced a new hospitality experience at the winery.
The Exploration Tasting is personally led by David and begins with a tour of the winery, where winemaker Rachel Rose helms Bryn Mawr’s innovative program. David led our small group on a hike of the vineyard for a discussion of Bryn Mawr’s sustainable vineyard practices, like their no-till approach, their partnership with Philomath-based nursery Buzz Seeds to source organic cover crops that naturally suppress noxious weeds, under-vine composting, and more. We had some really informative and picturesque tastings under the trees among the vines, which culminated in a tasting led by David along with a beautiful charcuterie plate in the winery’s new private tasting room."