Lytle-Barnett and Aubaine have opened a shared tasting room in downtown Dundee in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The tasting room had its grand opening May 10^th.

“It’s a great opportunity to introduce the wineries to people that maybe have heard about us but have never had the chance to try the wines,” says owner Andy Lytle.

If location is everything, the new Lytle-Barnett and Aubaine facility has it. The tasting room is located next to the Dundee Bistro and across the street from the Red Hills Market.

“A huge majority of people that come to [Willamette Valley] wine country drive right by those two businesses,” Lytle says. “We sit right between them, and we have parking.”

The tasting room is approximately 1,400-square feet. The facility seats 26 people indoors and has capacity for 6 more outside. There is also a shared courtyard that will be used for special events.

Lytle-Barnett is a sparkling wine-dedicated winery founded in 2013 by Lytle and Antony Beck. Andrew Davis serves as director of winemaking. Aubaine (pronounced “O-bane”), meanwhile, was founded in 2019. The winery makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from its two estate vineyards, Anahata and Windfall, in the Eola-Amity Hills. Isabelle Meunier (LAVINEA) is the winemaker.

The tasting room offers three flights of wine. One is a Lytle-Barnett sparkling flight. The second is a still wine flight of Aubaine wines. The third is a shared flight across the two portfolios.

“People can come in and taste sparkling wine from the Willamette Valley and also taste single vineyard estate wines from the Eola-Amity Hills, both made by two world-class winemakers,” Lytle says. “I get excited about it.”

The space has a long history. Prior to the pandemic, it was home to The Dapper Frog. Most recently, it’s been used by Dundee Bistro for events.

Lytle has worked for 32 years in the beverage industry. Nearly 9 of those years were spent as a division vice president at Jackson Family. He says he’s thrilled about the opportunity for the new space.

“I get this fun sense of community in Dundee, and the community has really embraced us,” Lytle says. “People couldn’t be more welcoming or supportive.”

Lytle-Barnett produces approximately 4,000 cases annually, and Aubaine produces approximately 1,500. The new shared tasting room is currently open Thursday through Monday.

Images courtesy of Lytle-Barnett and Aubaine. 

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