Our Story

Our roots trace back to the 1970s, when our founder, Dieter, made his way from communist East Germany to Eugene, Oregon—defying the constraints of the Berlin Wall. In his early years in the U.S., Dieter left behind a career in computer analysis to embrace a different kind of calling: working the land. As a tree farmer, he discovered a deep connection to the soil, driven by his lifelong love of nature.

Inspired by the vineyards along the Elbe River and the romantic wine villages he came to know while attending university in Dresden, Dieter planted his first vines at High Pass Vineyard in 1984. The land—just 20 acres at the time—spoke to him in a way few others recognized. He saw promise where others saw potential risk.

Just a few years later, Dieter began producing some of the same premium wine grapes that would help earn Oregon international acclaim. While local wineries were eager to buy his fruit, he always reserved a portion to experiment and learn the craft of winemaking himself. In 1994, High Pass Winery celebrated its first commercial crush—and we’ve been producing award-winning wines ever since.

​

Looking Forward

After years of cultivating Pinot Noir, Dieter is a firm believer in the centuries-old concept of terroir—the idea that a wine is deeply influenced by the soil, microclimate, and exposure of the region where its grapes are grown. No grape variety reflects these nuances quite like Pinot Noir, which uniquely captures the character of its environment. While this area lies within the greater Willamette Valley, Dieter has long felt it deserves its own distinction. He first petitioned for a sub-AVA under the name Prairie Mountain, a title proposed by the Prairie Mountain Wineries marketing group. However, the TTB rejected the name. Undeterred, Dieter resubmitted the proposal a few months later as the Lower Long Tom sub-AVA. The TTB accepted the petition on January 5, 2018, and in November 2021, the region was officially recognized as a sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley.

​