BENTON-LANE 

Steve and Carol Girard have been owners of Benton-Lane since 1988. They headed north from their home state California, feeling that Oregon’s cooler climate offered the possibility of producing Pinot Noir with better balance, structure, and more interesting flavours. They settled on a property called ‘Sunnymount’ in southern Willamette Valley, named for its rain shadow position due east of the highest peaks in the coastal range. Sunnymount straddles the border between Benton and Lane counties. The vineyard has grown to 138 acres, planted mostly to Pinot Noir, with 7 distinct clones of rootstocks carefully matched to the planting location. In 2004, the winery began full production of Pinot Gris. Benton-Lane is distributed throughout the U.S. and various international markets, and continues to be highly regarded for its exceptional crafted wines, showing off the amazing capabilities of the Willamette Valley.