History

When the Schechtel family moved to The Dalles, Oregon in 2001 ~ the small agricultural & industrial town had not yet made its presence known to the wine industry.  Recognized as the epicenter of trade during the Lewis & Clark days, few people knew that wine grapes had been growing in the Mill Creek drainage of Mount Hood for nearly 100 years.

Things have sure changed in the past 9 years!  Erin Glenn is Wasco County’s oldest winery and one of several located in and around The Dalles.  In 2001 there were a handful of wineries scattered throughout The Columbia Gorge – today there are almost 30 and the number is growing almost by the day...

Erin Glenn’s winery and tasting room are located at The Mint ~ a fortress-like edifice commissioned by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. After the gold rush failed to produce, the Feds thought better of their original plan and pulled up stakes, leaving the building incomplete and vacant.  It served as a moving and storage facility, among other things until 2005 when Erin Glenn moved in and began producing its wines here.