Illahe ‘Project 1899’ Estate Pinot Noir 2024
Varieties: Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon, United States
Producer: Illahe / Brad Ford
Costs: $80-$100
Missive: I Paddled Wine Up A River
My body is sore, my hands are blistered, but the wine is happy. I am emerging from a three-day canoe trip orchestrated on behalf of Illahe Vineyards. These folks are winemakers who just happen to be geniuses, mixed with a dash of mad-scientist energy and historical fanaticism.
I mean, quite honestly, who produces a wine only using the technology available at the tail end of the 19th-century? Brad Ford, Bethany, and the people over at Illahe Vineyards do it. And folks, they really do it over there in Salem. Brad and Nathan produce some of the best Pinot Noirs one can find. In the world. Bar none. Their ‘Project 1899’ Pinot Noir is the apex of this conversation, and we are really going to get into it tonight.
I have been acquainted with Illahe for a good minute now. When I began my wine-buying role, Brad was one of the first winemakers whom I really connected with. He visited the store a couple of years back, tasted his whole lineup with me, and then we naturally hit it off over Rousseau and his notion of the “noble savage”. So, flash forward some time, and imagine my surprise when Brad invites me to participate in the 2026 ‘Project 1899’ Expedition. To spend three days in the wild, transporting wine UP the Willamette River for distribution, because why not? Yup, sign me up. However, when the rubber met the road, I was humbled by nature. This stuff is not for the faint of heart.
I rowed a canoe approximately 90 miles up the Willamette River with cases of wine on board for the fun of it. That is not a statement I had on my 2026 bingo card. But if you present me with an opportunity combining amazing wine with better people, it is hard for me to say no. After going through the necessary chain of command, i.e., getting my dog watched and time off work, I pulled the trigger. These are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
It’s just an added bonus that the wine itself is amazing. Brad has really cemented himself as one of the real stars of the Willamette Valley. His line of Pinot Noirs culminates in the 1899, which is essentially the grand cru. The best of the grapes from the vineyards meet the best story you could tell related to wine production. To intentionally go about making a wine all by hand to convey an essential truth: that wine connects us to history.
Drinking a bottle of this wine, or any other that conveys a real story and a sense of place, connects us to broader themes and elements of life. Heck, when I drink a bottle of 1899 now, I will envision myself as a Homeric hero traversing the Wild West in pursuit of larger goals.
I could go on and on about the complexities of the 1899 bottling. The aromas that unfold before you. I can only imagine what time in the bottle would do to this wine. You get all of this beautiful, condensed fruit alongside the notable aspects one would get from oak fermentation and aging. However, I truly believe the story of this wine is what one should focus on. The story behind the wine and the related stories behind those who participated in its journey. When you all source and drink a bottle of ‘Project 1899’ 2024 from Illahe Vineyards, you will have insight into one of the people who paddled that wine upriver.
This is one of those experiences that really opens the mind up to reflection. Three days canoeing on a river and sleeping outside in a tent at night are activities that can really probe the brain. My first realization was how important and insightful it is to intentionally connect oneself to generations past. There is an element of yourself, a part, so to speak, that becomes awakened when you paddle a canoe in a very merchant-coded fashion. Related options could include baking your own bread, owning a garden, or anything nature-related that somehow shuns an aspect of modern technology.
I felt like an old fur trapper selling his wares up and down the Willamette River. A previous life of Alex circa the late 1800s. It’s a fun experience, folks. You have GOODS/CARGO in your CANOE. You have to bring said canoe to a center of commerce in order to sell your product. In this case, I just happened to be a wine merchant.
One of the more beautiful aspects of a trip like this is that I can share the story with visitors in the store. It is really a privilege to have readily available stock of an amazing producer such as Illahe Vineyards. It is even more of a privilege when I consider my place as an independent retail shop in the Midcoast of Maine. For that, I have to give a quick shoutout to both Illahe and Easterly Wines, the distributor responsible for their representation in Maine.
I’m just a small-town wine guy who happens to fancy himself an outdoor explorer for three days a year. You learn a lot about yourself during a trip like this. One big takeaway for me was that I love being outside, but I also enjoy knowing I will be going home to sleep in a bed at the end of the day.
Another undeniable part of this story is how damn hard it was. At the end of the day, you are paddling a canoe laden with wine upstream on a river. 90 miles on the river in three days. You can do the math, my friends. I was wearing a sun hat, drinking water with electrolyte packets, and snacking on little salami Ritz sandwiches. Your shoulders hit a dull point from the repetitive motion alone. The sun puts you in a state of Dionysian consciousness.
It is a project that connects you to your body and mind. You really have to be in the moment, or you run the risk of tipping your damn canoe and losing all the wine! That’s a trader’s worst nightmare, folks. I can now speak from experience. A mountain man trapper like myself who traverses the Willamette River could never imagine losing his wine to the unpredictability of nature. We forge ahead in a strong and calculated manner.
The work that goes into a wine and project like this makes the end experience that much better. You can drink this bottle now and envision the love, sweat, and possible tears that went into this wine. Delayed gratification, especially when it comes to wine, really pays off in the long run. All that “stuff” that goes into something beautiful behind the scenes is worth celebrating. Whether that applies to wine, life, relationships, or personal goals, it remains an eternal truth. When you work hard for something, its eventual achievement tastes that much sweeter.
When I drink a bottle of ‘Project 1899’ now, I envision everything that occurs behind the scenes. The conversations in the canoe, food at night signifying the day’s end, and all the connection in between. Brad and I shared a canoe for three days. You learn a lot about someone in close quarters over the course of three days. We basically rewrote The Odyssey ourselves with Brad as Odysseus and me as Ajax. We called our canoe the SS Polyphemus as an homage to a mutual love of the classics. I told him my life goals, both personal and business-related, and listened to his advice in return. It is important to realize that someone with more life experience can offer sound advice and encouragement in one’s endeavors. If you are doing something right, you will feel it in the deepest parts of your heart. I felt that in many ways as I paddled this wine up the Willamette River. This bottle is a celebration of history, love, and winemaking on a personal scale. Grab yourself one and fashion yourself a Greek hero out in the Pacific Northwest.
That is amazing, Alex!! I am entranced by the water adventure & adding wine into the mix just elevates it that much more! I can’t wait to try this wine. Bravo!
What an amazing experience. So glad you did it!!!