Owner Andy Lytle brings both Oregon wine projects together in one stunning space for an authentic wine tasting experience of sparkling wine, single vineyard estate Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir; 5% of sales during the month of May benefiting ¡Salud!
Dundee, OR. (April 25, 2024) – Premier Willamette Valley wine brands Lytle-Barnett and Aubaine are unveiling their collaborative venture with the opening of their inaugural tasting room in the heart of Oregon wine country. Situated on SW 7th Street in Dundee, this eagerly anticipated opening marks the fusion of two esteemed wine brands, offering a unique and immersive tasting experience for wine enthusiasts seeking to try highly rated sparkling and still wines in the region.
Opening its doors on Friday, May 10, the grand opening invites guests to indulge in one of three tasting experiences of a curated selection of wines, featuring Lytle-Barnett’s vintage méthode champenoise sparkling wine and Aubaine’s single-vineyard estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A small bites menu from The Dundee Bistro will also be available. This partnership promises to showcase the best of both brands, providing guests with a personalized exploration of Oregon’s terroir within an upscale atmosphere inspired by the vineyard, right in the bustling center of Dundee.
In honor of the tasting room’s grand opening, and just in time for Oregon Wine Month in May, the Lytle-Barnett | Aubaine Tasting Room will be donating 5% of sales to ¡Salud! throughout the entire month of May, a project of Hillsboro Medical Center Foundation that supports accessible and affordable healthcare services for vineyard stewards and their families. Anyone visiting the tasting room will receive a raffle ticket during Oregon Wine Month, and can purchase additional raffle tickets for $25 each to win a two-night stay at affiliate property AtTheJoy, a $7,000 value.
“This project is a major milestone for us—a result of hard work bringing together the best talents in our region. We’re excited to offer a unique wine and hospitality experience in Dundee,” says Andy Lytle. “Starting from our first Eola-Amity Hills vineyard Anahata in 2013 to creating our wine brands, Lytle-Barnett and Aubaine, and establishing Windfall Vineyard in 2018, it’s been an incredible journey. We can’t wait to share our wines and the essence of our vineyards with you at our new tasting room in Dundee.”
A special emphasis on hospitality, overseen by Director of Hospitality, Jessica Gengler, will elevate the tasting experience at the Lytle-Barnett | Aubaine Tasting Room. Guests can look forward to seated tastings that offer educational insights, guiding them through every step from soil to bottling processes. Beyond merely merging two exceptional wine brands, this collaborative venture is poised to seamlessly blend the essence of the vineyard experience into the tasting room ambiance. “It’s important to honor the terroir of the Eola-Amity Hills through warm, natural design elements, captivating imagery of our estate vineyards—Anahata and Windfall—and a color palette that reflects the land,” emphasized Andy Lytle. Adjacent to The Dundee Bistro and Red Hills Market, this destination is an ideal stop before or after dining. To ensure a seamless experience, reservations are encouraged and can be made through Tock, and social media channels @LBAubaine.
The hospitality extends beyond the new Lytle-Barnett | Aubaine Tasting Room to the company’s luxury vacation home rental AtTheJoy located in the Eola-Amity Hills among our estate vineyard Anahata. Boasting six bedrooms (four of which are primary suites), it’s an ideal location for entertaining and hosting life’s most significant events, as well as serving as a relaxing vacation in wine country. Amenities include a heated swimming pool, lush lawns, an expansive deck, outdoor experiences, and a spacious interior spanning 6,500 square feet.
A second estate vineyard, Windfall, located where the western edge of the Eola-Amity Hills meets the winds of the Van Duzer Corridor, will play an important role in future vintages of both brands.
The new tasting room is located at 110A SW 7th Ave., Dundee OR, 97115; Operating hours are Thursday – Monday from 11am – 6pm, with summer hours Friday & Saturday 11am – 9pm. Follow along @LBAubaine on social media to see the tasting room opening progress and soon you can make a reservation for tastings at LBAubaine.com.
About Lytle-Barnett
With 32 years of experience in the wine industry, Founder Andy Lytle set out to create sparkling wines authentic to Oregon, made in the French tradition méthode champenoise in 2012. Lytle-Barnett, co-founded with Antony Beck, brought on bubble experts Andrew Davis as Director of Winemaking. “Andrew (Davis) brings that Oregon authenticity and also understands the traditions of French vintage Champagne and follows those to a tee so we are in alignment,” said co-founder Andy Lytle. “Andy (Lytle) came to me looking to make Oregon’s finest sparkling, I felt like that was a challenge I was more than happy to accept. I was ready to make that wine.” stated Andrew Davis. The results are wines that are beautifully textured, with great poise and tiny bubbles. Davis says “We’re just trying to be the absolute best that’s out there.”
About Aubaine
Aubaine is a high-end boutique project of single vineyard and estate only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir created in 2019. Founder Andy Lytle teamed up with esteemed winemaker Isabelle Meunier because “she is a world-class winemaker, clearly a rockstar in this community.” Together they set out to make the best possible expression of the Eola-Amity Hills from Anahata Vineyard, located at 500 ft elevation in the heart of Willamette Valley. “The Eola-Amity Hills is ideal because we have cooler weather, later budbreak and the opportunity for longer hang time which creates the quality characteristics we are looking for in still and sparkling wine,” says Andy. Aubaine is sourced from the Anahata Vineyard using clones of Pommard, 777, and 667 for Pinot Noir and clones 76 and 95 for Chardonnay. Seven different blocks make up the blends and all of the blocks are named as translations of the word “JOY”. The resulting wines are elegant, lean, graceful and fresh. Upon tasting the first vintage of Chardonnay (2019) Isabelle Meunier says “it’s a great food wine. You can enjoy it on a sunny afternoon, but it’s got enough concentration and depth that you can also have it with beautiful food.” On working with Andy on Aubaine, Isabelle says, “It’s been an absolute pleasure.”
Photos courtesy of Carolyn Wells Kramer
