(TheDrinksBusiness) - Oregon must protect its reputation for high quality Pinot Noir as the variety’s growing international popularity leads to cheaper, higher yielding examples, a number of the state’s top producers have warned. “Part of me is worried about the future of Pinot Noir everywhere,” remarked Eyrie Vineyards owner Jason Lett, whose father David Lett was the first to plant the variety in the Willamette Valley back in 1966. Highlighting a growing demand for Pinot Noir from consumers around the world, Lett warned: “There’s a danger that people are going to start making it cheaper and cheaper.”