Barrel Fence Cellars

My husband and I were here on a BEAUTIFUL warm spring day. We sat on the deck and enjoyed a delicious 2008 Pinot. The ability to enjoy their wines from New Zealand and their local stock was a happy surprise. Great conversation with the owner topped off the happy memory.

We did the $ 6 tasting and ended up buying a bottle of the savignon blanc from New Zealand which was better than most I’ve tasted. The views from the tasting room are gorgeous! Such a great little stop when wine tasting in the area.

Very friendly. Very chatty. I liked that they had wine from New Zealand. Maybe not what you’re expecting, but that was part of the fun!

I was a bit reluctant to stop in here at first as there was only one three star review on Unilocal.I’m glad we did though, this turned out to be our favorite winery on our recent Oregon trip!
We were the only two tasters inside at first so we were able to chat with the wine pourer/​proprietor and learn all sorts of interesting stuff, such as how the Oregon climate is perfect for Pinot Noir (and how the more extreme fluctuations in weather from year to year make for interesting side-​by-​side tastings) and what makes the Oregon climate similar to and different from the New Zealand climate (also where Pinot grapes are grown and at the same latitude south as Oregon is north). Because Barrel Fence also grows grapes and imports wines from New Zealand, my mom was able to reminisce on her trip there a few years ago. The friendly proprietor also made some great recommendations of other wineries to visit — both the big guys, and those that were off the beaten path. The visit truly was the catalyst that sort of turned our beer drinking trip into a wine drinking trip.
Oh and the wines? Delicious! I’m no Pinot expert, but these seemed much more tannic and fruit forward than their California counterparts (or maybe I’ve just been drinking cheap, watered down Pinot). About standard prices for Oregon Pinot ($ 35-​$ 50ish) and they sell their New Zealand wines as well. During all of our other winery visits, we were constantly comparing the wines to those we tried at Barrel Fence and were somewhat disappointed (except for Erath, where I bought I bottle I will probably just stare at and never drink, as I don’t want the magic to end).
If you find yourself in this part of Dundee and are lured to Winderlea for their smart, green-​looking architecture (like I was) don’t miss out on Barrel Fence on the other side of the street!

Two great things that stuck out for this place:
1. The view is great. They have a great deck attached to the tasting room. I imagine that stopping here on a summer day would be great. I’m not sure if they’ll be setting up tables outside when the weather gets better but it is a good view no less.
2. They are pouring both Oregon and New Zealand wines side by side which is nice to have something to compare.
The price point was pretty solid on the wines and the wines were pretty decent. I’d recommend stopping by.