Bethel Heights

Established in 1977, Bethel Heights Vineyard is a family-run estate winery. The land was previously known as Bethel Heights Walnut Groves, which was founded in 1909, and some of the original walnut trees still thrive around the vineyard's edges.

The twin brothers Ted and Terry Casteel and their partners Pat Dudley and Marilyn Webb decided to leave their academic careers and clear the abandoned walnut orchard to establish a 50-acre vineyard at Bethel Heights. Between 1977 and 1979, vines were planted just before phylloxera was discovered in Oregon. Un-rooted cuttings were stuck in the ground and let them make their own roots in place.

By the 2020's these Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines are among the last remaining own-rooted plants in the Willamette Valley. Although phylloxera has had an impact, and production has declined, these vines continue to produce some of their finest wines: the Flat Block, Southeast Block, West Block, and High Wire Chardonnay.
Other vineyards, including the nearby Justice Vineyard established in 1999 and the Lewman Vineyard, which was established in 1992, are all planted on phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Now fully matured, these second-generation vines bring new and exciting flavors to our wines.

Bethel Heights now owns 33 hectares of which 85% is Pinot noir, 13% Chardonnay, and 2% Pinot blanc

Bethel Heights wines are rated high by wine journalists and are loved by wine enthusiasts worldwide. The Chardonnay The High Wire scores 96 points in 2015, 2016 and 2017.