Producer notes from Jenny and Francois Selections:

• Hiyu is a true mixed farm with pigs, cows, chickens, ducks and geese living among the vines during different parts of the year and helping to control the vegetation. Nate calls their vineyard management, which has been deeply influenced by Masanobu Fukuoka, “the wild side of permaculture”
• The property is divided into half-acre blocks, each planted to a field blend from a different place or moment in the genetic history of the grapevine, with up to 150 different varieties and clones in total
• Part of the estate’s land is being moved into “food forests”, and there’s also a small market garden; their produce is served in the on-premise wine tavern alongside their wines
• The name “Hiyu” comes from Chinook Jargon, where it denotes “abundance”, “plenty” or “big party”
• Nate used to work as a sommelier in various fine establishments, including the lauded Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Napa Valley

About the cuvee:

"Arion" comes from a single vineyard near the Sandy River. It's a field blend based around Assyrtiko, and saw two days of skin contact at the outset of primary fermentation.