Visited Hyland Estates' tasting room in April. A relatively new winery for bottling under their own label producing Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir. Enough good things here that we'll go back. But a couple problems on site need correction we think.
TASTING SET UP
Tasting room hostess was knowledgeable about wine making in the region given her experience in other top end local wineries. Her passion for Hyland Estates wines was evident as she poured and talked about them. Brava!
Tasting fees are $10. Don't recall if the fee was refunded with our purchases.
THE WINES
Riesling and Gewurztraminer @ $25 / bottle. The Pinot Noir @ $35. We thought the PN was a good buy for the quality. Both white varietal bottlings were crisp but less pronounced for fruit and acid balanced than we would normally choose in either. Different styles for different palates. We still bought a bottle of each to open at home.
THE WINE MAKER AND OWNERS
In 2007 three partners purchased the Hyland vineyards with some vines as old as 1971 and a couple of hundred acres in total size with about half planted to vines. The grapes from the vineyard had been sold for decades to some of the Valley's best winemakers. The new team of wine maker Laurent Montalieu (who received his wine making education in France with hands on experience in the US). his wife Danielle Montalieu (who hails from a US wine making family that also owns Archery Summit) and John Niemeyer set about to maintain the integrity of the vineyards and also produce high quality estate grown wines under the Hyland label.
FACILITY - the pluses
Here are the pluses; a newishly renovated facility (the winery's marketing collateral says "brand new") with an ample parking lot, a small patio outside and a spacious tasting room with interior that is fully accessible (the loo too) for all people.
FACILITY - the minuses
Equal access barriers outside to get inside are the negatives. Because in getting FROM the parking lot INTO the building there were two problems. To Yeeps and other Peeps who consider barriers in advance:
1. As much as I could find one, there was not a curb ramp to allow a wheelchair user who cannot step up over a curb a way to get from the parking lot onto the walkway and into the building.
Why does this matter?
If you push a stroller or pull wheeled luggage, you know why curb ramps that transition from parking lot or street to sidewalk are important. But, if they're missing, you might lift the stroller or suitcase up over the curb. A wheelchair user can't lift their chair over the curb. They're stuck in the street and can't get across a walkway into the door to participate.
2. Although none of the other parking stalls in the lot require back in parking, Hyland set up the wheelchair accessible parking stall to require backing in and even a "back in only" sign This is the result of a design / build error where Hyland painted the striped access aisle on the wrong side of the vehicle per state codes and federal rules. They need to fix their error.
Why does this matter?
Because Hyland should not penalize a wheelchair van user by making parking more difficult for him (back in) than they do for all others.
Both Federal Standards passed in 1990 as part of civil rights law (ADA) and the mirror standards in Oregon Structural Code (OSSC 11) have required these curb ramps and parking design for more than twenty years. Perplexing that "brand new" infrastructure like this doesn't meet the minimums as clearly defined for two decades.
Why do I pay attention?
Because I am a wino with MS. (I'd say oenophile with MS but I lack the credentials for the fancier title.) I have a dog in this hunt.
I also think of my fifty something urban planner oenophile (she has earned the title) friend who uses a wheelchair due to a childhood virus. She couldn't get from the lot into the door here to taste and buy wine.
I also think of a twenty something year old veteran I met this year. His legs were severed in Iraq. He said, "When I walked around in my uniform I was a hero. Now that I use a wheelchair, I sometimes get treated like the enemy for just wanting to get in the door." He'd need that parking to be correct and the curb ramps too to get in the door to taste and buy wine.
People of all ages and walks of life are part of this minority population.
Some folks recognize the importance of getting equal access right on their own. (Hooray - see Penner-Ash, Alexana, Trisaetum, Stoller, Chehalem and Winderlea as examples). Some folks take a "wait and see if we get a complaint" approach before they do what they know needs to be done. But isn't it shortsighted as a biz owner to have barriers in place that keep out customers with money to spend?
THIS N THAT:
1) Hyland makes, bottles and sells verjus! Yahoo. We bought some .
2) The cozy little outdoor patio is available for picnicking if you're buying Hyland wine. read more