Bryn Mawr Vineyards

Owner and winegrower Jon Lauer left a career in law to focus on Bryn Mawr Vineyards in Oregon. He took classes at University of California at Davis and grew wine grapes in San Diego, California for a number of years. His spouse, Kathy, also a lawyer, had long shared his passion for wine. She continues to practice law in San Diego, California. The couple bought a property in the Eola-Amity Hills with a small vineyrd in 2009. They hired the vineyard's caretaker, Rachel Rose, to make the wines, then planted an additional 11 acres, mostly to various clones of Pinot Noir.

Bryn Mawr Vineyards is located near Salem, Oregon. The estate vineyard is now 15 acres (Jeffrey's Block is mostly Pinot Noir planted between 1994 and 1997 with a smattering of Chardonnay and Tempranillo; Krista's Block was planted initially in 2002 to Dijon 113, 115, 667 and 777 and additional 777 and Pommard was added in 2010; David's Block was planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc in 2010). Estate, Reserve, and block-designated Estate Pinot Noirs are produced. The wines are reasonably priced.

Bryn Mawr is Welsh for "High Hill," which describes the property that sits from 650 to 820 feet above sea level, high enough to expose the vines to the brunt of the winds that course through the Van Duzer Corridor from the Pacific Ocean.

The consulting winemaker is Rachel Rose, a graduate of the University of Adelaide in South Australia where she received her M.S. in Oenology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture. She has extensive winemaking experience in Australia, New Zealand and Oregon.

Annual production is 3,000 cases, 80% of which is estate grown.

A tasting room at 5955 Bethel Heights Rd. NW, Salem, Oregon is open Memorial Day through Thanksgiving Weekend, Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 to 5:00 and by appointment.