Led R.

My Hillcrest experiences started in 2004. I met Winemaker Dyson DeMara at an event in Roseburg called "The Greatest of the Grape". A group of us wine drinkers in the Portland area go to this event every year. When I first met Dyson, I thought he was a nice, outgoing type of person. He seemed almost too outgoing but then I quickly realized that he was very passionate about wine. I soon learned that first night I met him that he was a "walking encyclopedia" of wine knowledge. The combination of his outgoing personality and his deep knowledge of wine was very intriguing to say the least. The day after the event, our group went out to his winery and visited. Dyson and his wife Susan treated our group like kings and queens. They were very down to earth yet extremely knowledgeable about wine. I soon realized that I was in the midst of a wine master who had a passion for teaching people all about wine.

It was an experience that changed my life and I will be forever grateful. I have visited the Demaras several times a year ever since that first meeting and I am always struck by the quality of the wines that Dyson produces along with the passion and dedication that he and Susan have for the "art" of winemaking. With Dyson's background in the California Wine industry over the course 20+ years, he is one of the true professionals in the wine business here in Oregon. He has a dedication to "old world" style of wine making and his wines reflect that. Hillcrest wines are distinctive and powerful yet subtle and complex.

Dyson and Susan present a no-nonsense approach to the wine tasting experience that everyone will learn from. I have watched Hillcrest Vineyards grow and evolve into one of Oregon's most innovative and interesting wineries in all of Oregon. It has been fun watching what the DeMaras have done with this ever-changing winery and they continue to create and produce the most distinctive wines in Oregon. If you stop by to visit Hillcrest Winery, you might have the good fortune of learning from a true master of wine making,Dyson Demara, what wine is truly about.