About AITIA

AITIA is a project from Laura Brennan Bissell that is focused on the Underwood Mountain terroir of the Columbia Gorge. The irregular topography and myriad of microclimates deter large scale investment making the Columbia Gorge truly a region of small producers. Underwood Mountain sits at the far western edge of the AVA, on the Washington side of the river, giving it the shortest growing season and coolest temperatures of anywhere else in the Gorge. White wines with restrained alcohol and racy acidity thrive in the high elevation and short growing season of Underwood Mountain.

Laura's farm sits at 1700 feet, some of the highest in the area. Her estate vineyards are organically farmed, dry-farmed, own-rooted, and no-till. The vines are untied, allowed to grow naturally. The farm is painted with natural cover crop and Laura keeps a variety of animals on the property. This is truly organic, sustainable viticulture.

Given the location of Laura’s vineyard, quality of her farming, and the particularly high pH in her soils, she has leaned into producing a variety of zesty white wines including: Albariño, Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. In addition, she is making very small quantities of Gewürztraminer and Tempranillo that defy what we’ve come to expect from those varieties in the United States. In the cellar, Laura is restrained in her winemaking choices. The wines are uniformly fermented with native yeast and see a long elevage in neutral oak with minimal amounts of sulfur. This long ageing process creates texture, complexity, and stability in the wines. It is no surprise that Laura’s exceptional vineyard site, farming practices, and thoughtful cellar choices have resulted in expressive, characterful wines that are defining not only the Columbia Gorge, but a new wave of American wine.