In 1965, against the advice of his viticultural professors at the University of California, Davis, David Lett moved to Oregon to plant Pinot noir in the Willamette Valley.

The 1975 Eyrie Vineyards Reserve came in second, losing to Drouhin's 1959 Chambolle-Musigny by only two-tenths of a point.

Over the years, David Lett (known locally as "Papa Pinot") maintained a light-handed style of Pinot noir that did not follow the trend toward greater flavor, tannin, and color extraction, believing color not to be an indicator of quality in Pinot noir.

[2] David and Diana's son Jason Lett is now president and winemaker for the winery.

The winery itself is in McMinnville, which annually hosts the International Pinot Noir Celebration on the last weekend in July on the campus of Linfield College.