Smuggled To Oregon In A Suitcase

Today, winemaking in Oregon is often a rigorous blend of science, art, and business. But in the beginning, it was anything but. The original vines at David Hill Winery were established in 1965 by Charles Coury. Obsessed with Alsatian and Burgundian wines, he arrived in Oregon with a suitcase of cuttings from European vineyards determined to prove that cool-climate grapes could thrive in the Willamette Valley.

At some point in the late 1970s, Charles abandoned the property and it sat vacant for more than a decade. In 1992, the current owners bought the land as an investment that soon grew into a passion. They renamed the vineyard David Hill, an historic name honoring Forest Grove’s Frederick David family. They released their first wine under the David Hill name in 2000 and have remained committed to producing high quality, cool climate grapes ever since.

Chuck Coury’s suitcase has left Oregon with one long-standing mystery. There’s a Pinot Noir grown at David Hill that’s known as the Coury clone – precisely because no one knows what it is. Is it a variation on another Pinot clone? Is it a truly original hybrid Pinot? Or is it something entirely different – not Pinot at all? Extensive DNA testing is underway now. Science will win the day!