Leah Adint is the winemaker for Erath Winery in the Dundee AVA of Willamette Valley, Oregon. She graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in Viticulture and Enology, after which she worked several vineyard and winery internships in California. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Oenology from the University of Adelaide in Australia. During her time abroad, she traveled and worked harvests in Burgundy, central England, and Switzerland. Upon her return to the United States, Leah joined Chateau Ste. Michelle as a Traveling Winemaker for 6 years before moving to Oregon to join the winemaking team at Erath. In 2022, she was appointed Head Winemaker, as the fourth person in Erath’s 50-year history to hold the role.
Media Inquiries: Katie Jaeger Katie.Jaeger@smwe.com | https://www.erath.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
Erath Winery is one of the pioneering wineries of the Willamette Valley – our founder, Dick Erath, started experimenting with wine grapes in the late 60’s when the valley was primarily planted to fruit orchards and hazelnut farms. He had a vision that the Willamette Valley would be the next great grape-growing region of the world and that that grape would be Pinot Noir. Dick was always connected to the land and to the community, he helped many others start their vineyards and wineries as the Willamette Valley began to boom.
We’ve been thoughtfully producing Pinot Noir since Dick’s first vintage in 1972. In that 50-year history, there has only been 4 winemakers for Erath – our passion for Pinot Noir and winemaking style has remained incredibly consistent. We continue to hold a close connection to the land – our relationships with our growing partners span decades and our estate vineyards are all sustainably farmed and devoted to producing the highest quality Pinot Noir.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
What a fun question to think about. Unconstrained, I would join our winemaking and viticulture teams into one ‘Wine-Production’ team. As one team with shared goals and intentions, our farming could be completely dialed to the winemaker’s stylistic preferences and needs. It would give the opportunity for winemaking to influence the vineyards, and a chance for the viticulture team to feel engaged in the winemaking. This was my experience working in Burgundy – everyone does everything and we do it together!
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
Our Reserve Collection Pinot Noir. Often with Pinot Noir, we think everything must be kept separate: separate vineyards, clone, and fermentations. The Reserve Collection Pinot Noir bucks that trend; it’s a chance to blend our very best vineyard sites into a true Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. We’re showcasing the best of the Dundee Hills, the best of Eola-Amity Hills, the best of Yamhill-Carlton into one wine. Like a recipe from Grandma’s cookbook, we’re layering aromas and flavors into one another.
This wine is styled for the Old World; we’re thinking less about abundant fruit (we have plenty of that in Oregon) and thinking more about tension, texture, and length in the wine. This is a food wine; meant to be enjoyed with family and friends around the dinner table. This is a wine worth aging, developing delicate nuance as our natural acidity begins to soften and secondary characters develop. Stay tuned, this wine review is coming soon!
Bonus Question: What are your wholehearted convictions related to the wine business?
Wine needs to be approachable, relatable, and affordable. For too long, wineries have expected consumers to come to them, understand the nuance and complexity, and pay a price that’s often higher than other alcoholic beverages. We need to shift that mentality and find the consumers where they are! It’s why I always try to relate wine to food or clothing – you don’t have to be an expert chef to know what you like or don’t like, and wine should be the same way. A good winemaker or sommelier will help a new consumer find a wine they like and then guide them into understanding the similarities and differences between varieties, regions, or vintages. Wine should be fun, not intimidating.