LucidWild is a beautiful family owned and operated estate nestled in the heart of the Dundee Hills in Oregon.

In late 2020, after exploring prominent wine regions around the world, we began searching for the ideal region to cultivate premium single vineyard estate wines that reflect the Burgundian style of pinot noir and chardonnay wines from Burgundy, France. After a memorable visit to Dundee Hills, the search successfully ended and we acquired a stunningly beautiful 32-acre estate with nearly 25 year old vines. Previously named the Bella Vida Vineyard, the estate overlooks a breathtaking view of Mount Hood and the north cascade mountain range. This estate wasn’t simply an investment, it was a blank slate set to express the lucid yet wild journey of farming premium pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. This was the first chapter of a truly LucidWild journey.

We knew we could never recreate nearly 25 years of complex vine age in a cellar or winery and since premium single vineyard wines are created in the vineyard, we treat the land and vines as our greatest asset. Our core mission is to preserve, regenerate, strengthen and nurture the land and the nearly 25 year old vines in order to produce premium 100% single vineyard estate pinot noir and chardonnay.

With the estate facing southwest, it allows for gentle ripening posed by the early morning and afternoon sun combined with the cooling breeze that sweeps through the Dundee Hills. Considering the unavoidable circumstance of a warming climate, our unique location at 600 to 800 foot elevation helps protect the vines from the increasing risk of frost damage and heat spikes. This maximizes the period of slow ripening as the grapes gently hang on the vines longer to develop natural, fresh, and vibrant characteristics representative of the estate.

LucidWild is certified under the LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) and Salmon Safe programs, and is 100% dry-farmed to promote ecological sustainability, conservation, and a deep-root vine system to accentuate the interesting layers of the volcanic Jory soil in the wines. This results in vines that produce a smaller berry, with a greater skin to juice ratio, which yields a more intensely flavored berry and a naturally flavored and balanced wine. We typically thin the grape clusters on the estate vines prior to harvest to ensure only the highest quality grapes ripen and mature under ideal conditions in order to produce premium small-crafted wines. Our grapes are 100% hand-harvested and meticulously hand-sorted for only the ultra-premium selection of grapes for fermentation and winemaking.

Our acclaimed winemaker, Isabelle Mounier, has been classically trained in Burgundy and New Zealand. She has consistently crafted top-rated single vineyard wines and produced some of the highest rated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon’s history. Mounier employs minimalist winemaking techniques of the Old World including natural and native yeast fermentation and long élevage time in French oak to slowly develop earth driven aromatics, complex structure, and length to connect the wine to the land. LucidWild ethos is based on the mantra of “Putting the Land Before the Hand” and our wines are crafted to reflect an authentic expression of the estate vineyard. It takes LucidWild over three years to farm, ferment, and age each bottle of wine before we offer the wine to the market to enjoy. We release bottled wines only when they are truly ready to drink and not sequentially or for cash flow.

We have not stopped there. We also set aside over 10% of the estate for natural bio-dynamic wildlife to encourage diversification and sustainable husbandry practices and to foster a holistic approach to the land and vineyard care. This drastically impacts the vines health, the quality of the wine and the ecosystem. We also created “LucidWild Gives Back” to serve as a commitment, both financially and with our time, to mission driven non-profit organizations that share in our values of empowering the underprivileged, protecting the environment, and making the world a more equitable place for all.

LucidWild proudly stands at the crucial meeting point between the past and future with a strong commitment to producing premium single vineyard estate wines of purity, authenticity and sense of place with farming values to not only sustain the land and nature, but to strengthen it. We are 100% committed to this LucidWild journey and hope to share in our journey with you and your family and friends.

Blair and L.J. Nicholas Proprietors