A trip to Oregon wine country has officially made its way back to the Alabama Gulf Coast.

Deep Roots Restaurant Group has introduced Little Bird Pinot Noir, the group’s first custom wine created in partnership with Left Coast Estate in Oregon’s renowned Willamette Valley. Designed specifically for Little Bird and The Hope Farm, the release marks a major milestone for the Fairhope-based hospitality group and reflects the evolution of its award-winning wine program.

The project was years in the making. “Our Little Bird Pinot Noir was a really connective moment with us and a winery we love, Left Coast Estate,” said Will Jones, COO and Wine Director for Deep Roots Restaurant Group. “We have been friends with them for a long time and they offered us the ability to make our own wine with them last year.”

Jones traveled to Oregon earlier this year alongside Deep Roots co-owners Robert and Bentley Evans and Little Bird executive chef Bill Briand to develop the final blend with Left Coast Estate winemaker Joe Wright.

“Bill, Bentley, Robert, and I all went to their winery and barrel tasted numerous single vineyards, chose our favorites, and blind blended them to make the end wine we just fell in love with,” Jones said.

The final Pinot Noir blends fruit from three vineyards on the Left Coast Estate property — South Block, Field of Dreams, and High Acre — resulting in a wine with notes of black cherry, ripe strawberry, clove, violet, and cocoa.

“The wine itself really feels like us,” Jones said. “It is well crafted, has lots of concentration, and remains fresh and vibrant.”

The release also reflects Deep Roots’ continued emphasis on intentional sourcing and sustainability. Left Coast Estate, a family-run vineyard and working farm in Oregon, is known for its low-impact viticulture and ecological stewardship, with large portions of its 463-acre property preserved for conservation and restoration efforts.

At Little Bird, the wine was designed to pair naturally with some of the restaurant’s signature dishes, including pork belly, stuffed quail, and lighter seasonal offerings like the golden beet salad.

Though the wine was crafted in Oregon, the label brings the project back to the Gulf Coast with artwork by Fairhope artist Maggie Stickney, originally commissioned for the group’s wine room.

“Courtney Hilley, a creative director in Mobile and a friend of ours, photographed it and was able to make it into a textural digital piece,” Jones said.

The custom wine arrives as Deep Roots Restaurant Group continues gaining national recognition for its beverage program. Under Jones’ leadership, The Hope Farm has become one of only four Alabama restaurants to earn Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence and one of only two Alabama restaurants ever named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program.

Little Bird Pinot Noir is now available by the glass and bottle at both Little Bird and The Hope Farm, with limited retail bottles also available for purchase through The Hope Farm.

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