(Renderings Courtesy of Amaterra)

Since 2019 Westlake has assisted with construction of the new $26 million Amaterra Winery in Portland’s West Hills.

The new three-story winery, built into the hillside, will be the city’s first full production winery in the metropolitan area. The 46,000 sqft three-story winery will focus on making pinot noir and chardonnay in its gravity flow winemaking facility. The multi levels allow gravity, screw augers, and aeration pumps to move wine through the winemaking process, requiring less electricity while preserving the wine’s aromatic qualities. The venue will also feature a tasting room, top floor restaurant, 12 acres of vineyards, indoor event space, and an outdoor lawn which will be used for weddings and concerts.

As a sub-consultant to Emerick Construction, WCI provided construction surveying services including project control, settlement monitoring, rough grade construction surveying and staking.

The project offered a few unique challenges including a tight slope and deep excavation in a microclimate subject to strong winds. Like many other projects in 2020, COVID-19 and the Oregon wildfires required constant monitoring to keep crews working safely.

Amaterra opened its doors to the public for wine tasting and dining in 2021, and has been featured on USA Today’s Best New Winery 2022 list, ranking 7th place nationwide. A big draw for customers is Amaterra’s patent-pending gravity-fed production facility, which allows guests to view the production of the wine as they enjoy.