“Papa Pinot” Passes Away
We were saddened to hear that one of Oregon’s pioneers in the wine industry, David Lett passed away on Thursday night. Widely considered the “father of Oregon’s thriving Pinot noir” industry and a major force in winning worldwide respect for Oregon’s wines, “Papa pinot” as we call him affectionately, was the first to plant the pinot noir grape in the Willamette Valley, more than four decades ago.
Lett first came to Oregon in 1965 seeking a place that could produce Pinot noir that was equal to the wines coming from the Burgundy region of France. Although he was at first viewed as “naive” to think that this cantankerous grape would take off in Oregon, David soon proved his critics wrong. The rest as they say, is history. Read more about David Lett here.
On a day when we remember the unwavering optimism of David Lett, the words we used to describe him in our first “Dreamer” print ad a few years ago seem appropriate.
As it so happened one day, a man who came to be known as Papa Pinot fell in love with a curious spirit—the curious spirit being a kind of grape they call pinot. He was so head over heels for the mysteriously delicious fruit and what happens to it when left to sit in a barrel for a bit with some yeast, that he set out to create his own special vineyard just for them. He searched high and low and as it so happened the grapes with whom he fell in love just so happened to fall in love with the long, cool growing season of the beautiful green hillsides in Oregon.
So they settled here to start their life together. And instead of listening to the ways of the European and Californian wine makers, Papa Pinot decided to listen to what his vines had to say. He tended them with care and admiration, not forcing them to be anything but what they wanted to be. And he found that when given the chance, Oregon pinots have many secrets to share. So when you come to Oregon, be sure to try a bottle or seven. Their secrets are delicious. See the ad here
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lett family today as they say goodbye to a true Oregon dreamer.
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