The History of this award winning McMinnville Winery and Inn
Youngberg Hill Wine Philosophy
Founded in 1989, Youngberg Hill aspires to create the best wine from the grapes grown in each vintage. We focus on developing the highest quality of grapes possible and then managing the fruit through fermentation. By limiting yields and restraining barrel treatment, we can produce fine wines that give a pure expression of our beautiful vineyard and its terroir.
Wine is a beautiful gift from nature; its qualities vary according to the year and the different elements in a vine’s growing environment. The French term which describes this concept is terroir – meaning not just the soil but also the rainfall, drainage, exposure, and climate specific to a given site. The journey of a vine through its growth cycle within its particular terroir is a fantastic thing: the vine sends its roots deep into the living earth. It struggles in search of water and nutrients in communion with the unseen but vital world of soil microbes. Above the ground, the vineyard teems with life. A large community of grasses, herbs, and wildflowers supports a complex array of insect life, and the vine, with its verdant canopy, sends out its flowers and produces a crop of grapes. During the warm days of summer, the grapes soak up the sun and ripen. When the season changes and autumn arrives, it is time to begin the harvest, not too soon or too late.
The attentive grower watches over the vines as nature works its miracles, feeling the energy of life in the air and tending the vineyard sensitively and with a light hand. It is the winegrower’s job to bring out the grapes’ potential and let the story of this place- the terroir of the vineyard and the year of the vintage- be told with clarity in the wine. Here at Youngberg Hill, we aim to accomplish just that with every bottle of wine we make.
Our Vineyard
We practice holistic farming and natural winemaking to allow our wines to express where the fruit is grown on our hill, in different soils, and in the weather of that growing season. As you sip our wines, you will sense the farm we care for, our passion, and the memories we share with you.
Our goal is for life on the farm, including the soil, the vines, and all other plant and insect life, to be healthier 50 years from now than today.
The vineyards are 20 acres with three blocks of Pinot Noir and one block of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. The Natasha block at 6.5 acres is the largest of the three Pinot Noir blocks and is located at an elevation of approximately 600 feet on marine sedimentary soil. The Jordan block of Pinot Noir is 5 acres in area and grows on a steep slope of volcanic rock at an altitude of approximately 750 to 800 feet. Both blocks are own-rooted, 60% Pommard and 40% Wadenswil clones, planted in 1989. The Bailey block, Dijon 777 on 10114 rootstocks, is our third block of Pinot Noir that we planted in 2008 and has an area of 3.5 acres between the Jordan and Natasha blocks. It grows primarily in volcanic rock with a broad band of shale running through the middle about 18 inches down. The Aspen block, planted in 2006, consists of 2.5 acres of Pinot Gris, 148 and 152 clones on 3309 rootstocks at approximately 525 to 600 feet; and 2.5 acres of Chardonnay, 75, 76, 95, and 548 clones on the same rootstock. These clones are more suited to ripen in our cooler climate.
Youngberg Hill has earned third-party sustainable certifications for LIVE (liveinc.org) and Salmon Safe (salmonsafe.org), and in 2010 we were certified “Sustainable” by the Oregon Wine Board. We started farming organically in 2003 and have been practicing biodynamic farming since 2011 and dry farming, meaning no irrigation. We are totally in balance and sync with nature.
The soils are complemented by distinct weather here in the coastal foothills. We receive slightly less precipitation and more sunny days. Since Youngberg is located only 25 miles from the ocean, the coast range provides a shadow for the weather coming from the coast. We enjoy long days in the summer, cool day temperatures of 83 degrees, coastal breezes every afternoon, and cooler night temperatures of 55. All these elements are excellent for growing Pinot Noir and enable us to produce high-quality fruit with rich, intense black fruit flavors.
Youngberg Hill's Reserve Label - Bailey Family Wines
The Youngberg Hill Reserve Label: A Commitment to Excellence
The Youngberg Hill Reserve Label, formerly Bailey Family Wines, was created to achieve something truly extraordinary—a reserve wine label that represents the pinnacle of winemaking at Youngberg Hill. This exclusive label was crafted to highlight the best our vineyard offers, reflecting our unwavering dedication to quality, sustainability, and the land’s rich heritage.
The reserve label was inspired by a deep passion for exploring the full potential of our vineyard. By introducing new clones and continuously refining our winemaking process, we recognized an opportunity to craft wines that stand out—a true expression of our unique terroir and the meticulous care that defines every bottle.
Our reserve label embodies the essence of Youngberg Hill’s philosophy: to create wines that are not only a delight to drink but also a tribute to the art and science of sustainable viticulture. Each bottle celebrates the land, the vines, and the dedication that goes into every step of the winemaking journey.
Bailey Family Wine Offerings
When deciding on which varietals to incorporate into the Bailey portfolio, we knew we wanted to create a sparkling wine that could be enjoyed on any occasion. The 2016 Bailey Sparkling Wine is crafted in the traditional Champagne method. Made of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the grapes are fermented separately and blended to meet Nicolette’s ideal characteristics bottled with secondary yeast to ferment in the bottle for up to 3years, disgorged, dosaged, corked, and labeled.
Once this vital process takes place, the wine gives off aromas of cherry and pear framed with vanilla spice and shortbread. The first sip is crisp and cool as ripe raspberries, apple blossom, and peach fill the palate. Although it contains high acidity, the mid-palate enlivens your taste buds with lovely hints of strawberries and ripe apricot.
The Bailey Chardonnay is a representation of the finest chardonnay grapes grown on the Youngberg Hill Estate. Once fermented and aged, the barrels are tasted for quality and only the finest of the barrels are selected for the Bailey Family Wine label.
This chardonnay first reveals a rich golden hue, promising to light up your glass with color and your senses with flavor. Before the first sip envelops the mouth, the nose tantalizes with gentle touches of wet stone, citrus, and vanilla. Pear, meyer lemon, peach, and tangerine lead to flinty tones of wet stone which slide over the palette. The lingering finish balances creaminess with crispness, freshness with fullness, and length with layers.
The Bailey Family Wine Grenache is sourced from Swallow Hill which sits in the Rogue Valley just outside Ashland consisting of 4 acres of vines.
When first sipping the Bailey Grenache, this ruby-red beauty throws out aromas of strawberry and currant with black pepper and sage. Congruent with the nose, the flavors embrace raspberry and orange zest around dried herbs, butter crust, and caramel. The velvety mouthfeel with light tannins contributes to the symmetry of the overall pallet and a strong finish.
Bailey Pinot Noir is a representation of the best grapes grown at the Youngberg Hill Estate.
This hand selected wine is a deep garnet red and has a nose as alluring as it tastes with a blend of mushroom, dried leaves, and campfire ash. With notes of dark candied cherry, red plum, and blueberry complemented by supple tobacco and chalky tones all topped off with cocoa dust. These characteristics create a juicy yet elegant mouthfeel paired with refined, bright tannins, allowing the finish to unravel one layer at a time.
Our current Bailey Family Wines Club is under renovation and will soon become the Youngberg Hill Reserve Club
Membership includes:
- Bailey Family label, Youngberg Hill label, Merchandise and Inn Stays
- Complimentary Bailey Family and Youngberg wine flights for you and 7 others per visit
- Complimentary shipping on case purchases/Flat rate on all other orders
$15/ WA, OR, CA
$25/ all other contiguous states - Loyalty Point Program (for every dollar spent, earn points to use on future purchases)
- Access to older wines and limited production
- Access to exclusive club offerings
- Complimentary vineyard tour and private tasting with one of our wine specialists, for up to 4 guests twice annually (over $1,200 value)
- Invited to all Youngberg Hill and Bailey Family Wine events
Learn about our Bailey Family Wine Society and sign up for this exclusive membership today.
