Cody Wright is steeped in Willamette Valley winemaking history. His father, Ken Wright, was a pioneer of the industry in Oregon.
DUNDEE, Ore. — There is a joke in the Oregon wine industry that it has taken Cody Wright a decade to become the “new” winemaker in the Willamette Valley.
In 2005, Wright started Purple Hands Winery in Dundee, Ore. That year he produced 250 cases of wine with an Oregon-grown blend. Just three years later, Purple Hands Holstein Vineyard Pinot Noir cracked the 90-point mark with a score of 92 from Wine Spectator. Wine lovers started to pay attention.
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Cody Wright chose downtown Dundee, Ore., for a new winery and tasting room.
DUNDEE, Ore. — Downtown Dundee is a construction zone.
At one end of town, the Newberg-Dundee bypass is nearly finished. At the other, orange cones protect freshly poured sidewalks that creep west along Highway 99W. Old buildings are being remodeled and new ones are springing up. At the west end of town, winemaker Cody Wright is washing barrels behind Purple Hands Winery’s new facility.