Wine Industry Report

Montalieus and Niemeyer assume ownership of 200-acre property

Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu of Solena Cellars, in partnership with their Northwest Wine Company co-founder John Niemeyer of Oregon Wine Services (OWS), announce the purchase of Hyland Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA.
First planted in 1971, Hyland is of one of Oregon’s oldest and largest vineyards with 100 acres currently under vine and exceptional potential for future development. Viticulturalist Joel Myers will manage Hyland and oversee the immediate planting of 20 additional acres to Pinot Noir.
“Hyland Vineyard is strategic on several levels,” says Laurent
Montalieu. “From a winemaking perspective, Danielle and I believe in allowing wines to reflect a sense of place, and a vineyard with this history presents the ultimate expression of terroir. Plus, having such a large resource, we are able to provide clients with some of the best fruit in the Willamette Valley.” The Montalieus will introduce a Solena Cellars “Hyland Vineyard” Pinot Noir this year.
The addition of Hyland Vineyard to the partnership’s other
McMinnville-based enterprises creates a unique, vertically-integrated company covering the wine industry from grape to table. Niemeyer commented:

“Our aspiration to create a full service organization to benefit the Oregon wine community has came to fruition. We can now provide the best in grapes, winemaking, wine storage, marketing and a relaxing place to enjoy the products of this great industry.”

Companies under the partnership include Northwest Wine Company, a state-of-the-art custom winemaking facility, and home to 25 producers under the consult of Montalieu; and Northwest Wine Bar, a trendy retail outlet featuring wines from Oregon and beyond. OWS, which provides case good storage for over 100 wineries and is managed by Niemeyer’s son Jeff Meader,
and the Montalieus’ winemaking, sales and marketing consultancy Domaine Danielle Laurent complete the alliance.

Danielle and Laurent Montalieu are well-known in the Oregon wine industry and were each introduced to wine at an early age: Laurent as a child in Bordeaux, and Danielle through the Andrus family’s Pine Ridge winery in the Napa Valley. Laurent joined WillaKenzie Estate in 1987 and Danielle was instrumental in establishing her family’s Oregon property, Archery Summit. In 2001 they founded Solena Cellars, named after their daughter.

[Source: Northwest Wine Company]