Beacon Hill Estate was originally named Beacon Hill Vineyard , named for a lighthouse-like structure at the top of the hill. It was mostly planted in 1988 by local Leo Stika constituting his first single-vineyard Pinot Noir and it had 22 planted acres. A quarter of the vineyard's Pinot Noir vines were Pommard and Wadenswil clones, planted on their own roots in 1988, the remaining sources were planted in 1998, 1999, and 2004 under Tony Soter's professional expertise with optimum vine density and "heirloom" clones, chosen for flavor potential over productivity.
The Beacon Hill Vineyard was sold in 2005 and renamed Beacon Hill Estate by the current owners Razvan and Felicia. It now comprises of 45 acres, with a unique mesoclimate, protected from Pacific winter storms by the gently folded Coast Range, and from the frigid Columbia Gorge winds by the Chehalem Mountains. The soil is among the oldest in the valley, coarse-grained and rich in the ancient marine sediment endemic to the area. The estate is further cradled by lush conifer forests, which shelter and purify our spring- the vineyard’s natural water source.
In October 2006 they began an intensive biodynamic farming program to revivify the soil and allow the fruit to express its terroir with greater and greater transparency.
Another 10% of the total acreage was planted with Chardonnay and recently another acre and a half of Riesling and Gewürztraminer was added, which will not come into production for a few years. Most of the vines are on devigorating rootstocks, which offer the bonus of earlier ripening.
