OUR STORY

Luckily our day jobs (Connie is a Financial Planner and Gary does Dental & Medical Practice Transitions) have successfully evolved so that we have more freedom to pursue personal goals. We both love wine, want to protect the environment, and focus on healthful living. It all started late last Century when Gary took over his ancestral farm in Kansas after his parents died. Not being farmers or ranchers, we decided to convert the farm back to native prairie grasses in order to encourage birds and other wildlife. However, Gary also remembered stories told to him by older relatives – how they would come to his farm for Sunday dinners and leave with clay crock jugs filled with … vino! Gary’s grandmother tended a small vineyard and his grandfather was the winemaker. This was always kept very quiet because of national Prohibition.


One of Gary’s grade school friends had a grandfather and father who were both bootleggers during Prohibition. Then on one trip we met Dennis Reynolds, owner and winemaker for Somerset Ridge Winery near Paola, Kansas. He agreed to mentor all of us as we planted a six acre vineyard on the farm. We sell our grapes to him. Back in Oregon, we earned Certificates in Viticulture Management and took additional courses in Enology at the Wine Studies Program at Chemeketa Community College. We now manage two small vineyards in the Willamette Valley AVA and obtained our Oregon winery license in 2019. So, history beckoned us into vineyard management and wine making.

Our Philosophy: We believe in growing grapes and making wine in the most healthful and hands-on nurturing way. There is no automation in our vineyard or winery operations. Gary jokes that Connie has named every one of our 1,000 vines as she tenderly tends them. Major pest control sources are the numerous Bluebirds and Tree Swallows that call our vineyards home. Organic fungicides are used as often as possible, along with frequent mowing for weed control. Bird netting helps keep the Robins and Starlings out of the ripening grapes.

Our mainly Millennial friends and day job co-workers help us with harvest, destemming, pressing, racking, and bottling. Pictured in the Gallery are some of them at harvest.

Winemaking: We make wine the same way we grow grapes, with hands-on and healthful processes. Gravity feed is used to protect the wine during racking and bottling. Natural yeasts are used for fermentation. Our resealable crystal cork closure preserves flavor and insures minimal environmental impact. After drinking, use the bottle and closure for water, olive oil, salad dressing, or any liquid to reduce our environmental footprint. Of course, our wine is sugar free, non-GMO, and gluten free.

As a result of our winemaking philosophy, we have an unparalleled product for an equally amazing value.