Forty-two acres, dry‑farmed and hand‑picked.

01 The Vineyard

The hard way, on purpose.

Most vineyards irrigate. Sweet Cheeks doesn't. The forty-two acres of planted vines on this hillside are dry farmed — the roots go down after water instead of waiting for it, and what comes back up is fruit with something to say. The farming is organic in practice, the harvest is done by hand, and the whole vineyard is managed directly by the winemaker rather than handed off to a contractor.

That last part matters more than it sounds. Leo Gabica has been here since 2004 — the first person Dan Smith ever hired — which means the man deciding when to pick is the same man who decides what the wine becomes. There is no translation loss between the row and the barrel.

Dan planted the first vines in 1989. He was a commercial refrigeration guy with a hillside, a dream, and by his own account a fridge full of beer for the friends who helped. He named it Sweet Cheeks because, as he put it, "it's a name you'll never forget." He was right, and the family and crew who kept going after him have held onto the rest of it too: the DIY streak, the refusal to take the easy route, the sense that a winery ought to be a good time.

Sweet Cheeks practices organic farming, and we are a dry farmed vineyard. Our vineyard is hand harvested and directly managed by our winemaker, Leo Gabica.

Sweet Cheeks Winery — read the visiting details →

02 The Tasting Menu

Two flights, five pours each, poured at your table.

Every experience is hosted tableside by someone who works here, for up to two hours. Order a flight, a glass of the one you liked, or a bottle for the table — and stay for the view.

Rosy CheeksSemi-sweet rosé

Enjoy the sweeter side of life with these perfectly-balanced wines. Are you Team Rosy or Team Riesling — or both?

Pinot GrisEstate white

Bursting with bright aromatics and lively palates, each bottle is an experience waiting to happen.

Estate Pinot NoirRed varietal

From layered, expressive Pinot Noirs to robust, full-bodied varietals like Tempranillo, and everything in between.

Legacy Pinot NoirRed varietal

From layered, expressive Pinot Noirs to robust, full-bodied varietals like Tempranillo, and everything in between.

03 Visiting

Everything you'd otherwise have to call and ask.

We're a working farm on a country road outside Eugene. Here's what that means for your visit.

04 A Year on Briggs Hill

What the hillside is doing when you visit.

A dry-farmed vineyard reads differently in every season — and the wine club releases are timed to follow it.

05 What's On

Coming up on the hill.

Release parties, live music and harvest weekends. Managed by the Sweet Cheeks team — this list updates itself.

06 Weddings & Private Events

Two hundred people, one hillside, no rain plan needed.

Covered and open-air space for both the ceremony and the reception, an onsite coordinator, and the Willamette Valley doing the decorating.

07 The Wine Club

Three clubs, four releases, one hillside.

Three customizable clubs, four shipments a year — March, June, September and November, three bottles each. Start with the varietals you like, then customize every release before it ships.

• Complimentary tastings for up to four guests per visit
• Complimentary reservations for groups up to six, any time
• 20% off all wine purchases (some exclusions apply)
• 30% off when you add three or more bottles to a release
• Complimentary ground shipping on six or more bottles (contiguous US)
• Access to limited and member-only bottlings
• Invitations to release parties and member events
• Flexible, customizable seasonal releases
• Easy online account management
• Loyalty points on every purchase — redeemable for wine, tours and experiences

08 The Family

Employee number one still calls the picks.

Leo Gabica grew up in the Philippines and came to Oregon building a new life for his family. He was the first person Dan Smith ever hired at Sweet Cheeks, and more than two decades later he still manages the vineyard directly and makes every wine that leaves the property.

Around him is a crew that mostly doesn't leave: a president and a general manager who've been here since 2004 and 2011, a cellar master since 2014, an events manager who's become the reason half the wedding reviews read the way they do.

Also on staff: Charlie, Barketing Director since 2016, Barley, Head of Tail-Wagging since 2017, and Briggs, Chief Mouse Officer since 2016. Both are extremely good at their jobs, and both are part of why yours is welcome here too.

09 Join Us

A family of passionate professionals.

The legacy of founder Dan Smith lives on in the team’s collaborative spirit and its dedication to top-notch hospitality. If you like the idea of giving people a memorable, unbuttoned afternoon on a hillside, you’ll fit right in.

10 The Property

Forty-two acres, from the air and from the patio.

Ten photographs of the place itself — the hillside, the tasting house, the barrel room, and the people who run it. Click any frame to open it full screen.

11 Trade & Media

Where to find us off the hill.

Sweet Cheeks pours well beyond Oregon. Bottle shots, technical sheets, shelf talkers and logos are available on request — and these are the people carrying the wine in each market.

12 Find Us