Don (pictured above talking to Robin) wanted to know if I worked in the wine industry. I thought about telling him that "I work for a winemaker", because according the Gospel of John, that's was Jesus was, but instead confess that I'm an ordained Lutheran minister who at one time owned a wine shop, and who has written a book called, "The Theology of Wine". (By the way, our website is up and you can view it by clicking on this link!)
Don grew up a farm boy in rural North Dakota, so it's no surprise that he was raised a Lutheran. He was intrigued by the book, and offered to buy one. I gave him a copy and told him I'd trade for a bottle of his wine. It is one of the best deals I have ever made! He served us three estate Pinots from three different vintages ('10, '11 & '12). It is fun to taste how different each year presents itself. Then we taste three Pinots from a single year, but a different part of the vineyard each with it's own clones of the Pinot Noir. It is really a fun way to taste what a difference a different clone, and even a different row in the vineyard can make in the taste of the wine.
Back to the signs (or lack thereof), Vidon does not have a public tasting room with defined visiting hours. They are able to sell almost all of their wine to club members, or rather, just members. Don has a unique marketing approach where people join as members of the winery, and commit to purchasing a minimum amount of wine each year. The type and quantity are up to them. In most clubs the winery decides what you are going to receive without much input from you. Contrary to what you may think, that tasting fee you pay at a winery doesn't come close to covering the cost of serving you that wine.
And Don's wines are wonderful. I'm not in the habit of joining a bunch of wine clubs, but we may have to consider this one. These are some of Robin's favorite Pinot Noirs, and they are reasonably priced for premium estate wines.
Vidon is a Salmon Safe winery, meaning they take great care not to send pollution, sediment, and fertilizer into local streams where they could harm native fish. He also has a bank of solar panels on the roof of his tasting room. They are planting some very interesting varietals for this part of the country including Syrah and Tempranillo. It would be worth it to track them down if you wanted a tasting. But make sure you e-mail ahead of time to make an appointment.