Lumiere is a special barrel-selection of structured Pinot Noir, characteristic of the Eola-Amity Hills appellation.
J. Christopher is located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA in the northern Willamette Valley of Oregon and is a winery that produces Pinot Noir using traditional Old World techniques.
Owned by renowned German Mosel winegrower Ernest "Ernie" Loosen (owner of Dr. Loosen Estate), the winery produces small-lot, handcrafted wines from its own Appassionata Vineyard as well as long-standing partner vineyards in the Willamette Valley.
J. Christopher's philosophy is to produce Old World style, terroir-driven wines that emphasize focus, length and balance.
J. Christopher is run by internationally acclaimed winemaker Ernst "Arni" Rosen of Dr. Rosen, Germany.
Arni has had a passion for Pinot Noir all his life and in the early 1990s he realized there was something special here in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
He became an avid collector of Oregon Pinot Noir, visited the state frequently, and founded his own US importing company in 2003.
Arni was particularly drawn to J. Christopher's wines.
He saw this wine as a New World wine made in the Old World style, with finesse, a clear expression of terroir and excellent aging potential.
A collaboration soon began, and Arni named a carefully selected blend of premium Pinot Noir Appassionata, after Beethoven's piano sonata.
A few years later, Erni purchased 16 hectares of land in Chehalam Mountain in Newberg, Oregon, and built Appassionata Vineyards and the winery where he still produces Appassionata and J. Christopher Wines today.