Our Story

Eric is a LEED building advocate. His first mixed-use commercial project is One North in Portland OR. Eric’s environmental ethics permeated the project from community input, to the choice of building materials. He used local sustainably harvested lumber from a collective of family owned tree farms in neighboring Washington, rather than trusting FSC wood that could not be traced backed to it’s origins. He added 14,000 sqft of courtyard space for use by the tenants and surrounding neighborhood. By using building techniques that maximized energy efficiency, reducing waste and consumption, One North became a unique commercial project in the city of Portland characterized by inspired architecture that embraced the city’s policy goals of creating walkable, bikeable neighborhoods.

• Read The New York Times article “In Growing Portland, the Strategy is Density Over Sprawl,” which focuses on Eric’s One North project in Portland.
• Read The Portland Business Journal article “Peek inside North Portland’s inventive mixed-use project with lots of curves,” about the One North project.

His personal homes also reflect his ethics. The Chestnut Hill vineyard residence is a triple certified high performance building. Again, following a commitment to energy efficient building, the home is a true example of form and function, created in a sustainable manner.

What does all this lead to?

It means Lemelson Vineyards is another example of Eric’s commitment to the environment, to the land and to his community. Eric fell in love with Pinot noir in the early 1990’s and began planting his first vineyards in 1995, soon after he began planning the construction of a sophisticated gravity flow winery which processed it’s first vintage in 1999. An Oregonian since the late 1970’s, his “green” principles are reflected everywhere you look at the winery. All vineyards are organically farmed since inception.

The winery itself was built with the most sustainable practices available at the time of construction. In 2007, a solar photovoltaic system was installed providing over 40% of main buildings energy needs. The winery’s innovative design combines centuries old winemaking knowledge with modern techniques. His team is treated with respect on every level, personal and professional.

This allows Lemelson Vineyards to create some of the most expressive Pinot noir in Oregon.

Nature, Tradition, Innovation and Driven by Values. Those are Eric’s founding and guiding principles. The proof is in the product he creates, and Lemelson Vineyards creates beautiful Oregon wine.

The facility features multiple levels to accommodate gentle, gravity-flow processes, which help preserve the unique flavor profiles produced in the vineyards. A one-of- a- kind mobile sorting platform, lovingly referred to as the “Enterprise”, was constructed by Cornish Enterprises in Napa, CA to assist in efficient, gentle delivery of grapes into fermenters. Standing fourteen feet above the fermentation floor, the “Enterprise” mobile sorting platform can be selectively positioned over stainless steel tanks, allowing for precise sorting of the recently harvested fruit. The stunning temperature-controlled concrete caves are located in the basement of the winery and are home to the Pinot noir during an extended 14-16 months of barrel aging.