Dukes Family Vineyard

Kelly is an exciting, talented and passionate winemaker. Kelly strives to the true expression of the vineyard and vintage in her winemaking. Her style is hands off while remaining attentive to detail in every step in the process and thereby intervening only when necessary. Kelly’s focus is on balance. With balance you achieve the elegance and finesse needed for a truly great Pinot noir. Our relationship with Kelly began in 2006 with a small production, special project (crafting our single barrel fermentation Nipple Hill Pinot Noir) while she was working at Lemelson. The Old-World style of these Nipple Hill wines are proving to be exceptional. Beginning with the 2008 vintage, Kelly took over responsibility for winemaking operations. Kelly Kidneigh moved to the Willamette Valley in 1998 with her eye on winemaking. She began her journey as a harvest intern at WillaKenzie Estate. The internship evolved into the vineyard and after a year with the vines she continued her enological exploration with David Lett at Eyrie, as well as a stint at Torii Mor, and Tyee Cellars while pursuing her BS in fermentation science from OSU. Upon graduation, Kelly accepted a position as an Assistant Winemaker at Lemelson Vineyards.