I visited Evening Land Vineyard back in 2019, and it was such a unique experience that I knew I needed to go back to experience it again; this time with a camera. Nat, the sales director, connected me up with the hospitality manager AJ for another unforgettable experience. Because I was going to try and shoot a bit of the experience, AJ said, "I'm up at 5:30 AM to let the chickens out; come anytime you'd like." 6 AM it was, the sunrise over the vineyard was beautiful. I shot the vineyard and flew the drone in the early light and then had to see the chickens. We were met by AJ and Kaya (his beautiful Akita) at the new tasting room and soon learned he had blackberry scones in the oven, made with blackberries from the property and fresh eggs from the chickens... Oh, this was going to be a good morning! Rumor has it they will begin sunrise tastings and vineyard experiences in the fall. I highly recommend it! We have all had stuffy tasting room experiences before, and this is a new and wonderful way to see where your wine comes from and understand how each vineyard block influences the wine in your glass. 

Evening Land practices LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology), a certification unique to Oregon. That means no copper sulfate is used in the vineyard, and there's a focus on vineyard biodiversity, native habitats, watershed quality, salmon safe farming practices, and independent certification for accountability. The vineyard is called the Seven Springs Vineyard for a reason, and it is all dry-farmed, with 85 acres under vine. Even in the 90+ degree heatwave, there was still a twenty-five-foot waterfall flowing—what a perfect spot for a taste of the 2019 Chenin Blanc.

Tie all of this together with the business partners of Raj Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman, and you're in for a treat with Eveningland selections of Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gamay Noir...