Lowell and Pauline Ford are the owners of Illahe Vineyards. Lowell began his career as a winegrower on his father-in-law’s farm with a planting of an acre of müller-thurgau in 1983. He sold his first vintages in the 1980s to Knudsen-Erath, Eyrie, and Chateau Benoit. His early experiments in viticulture were made with the help of friend Earl VanVolkinburg of Vitae Springs Vineyard in South Salem. In 1995 he tripled his acreage by planting ehrenfeltzer, grüner veltliner, pinot noir, and pinot gris at the Glenn Creek Vineyard in West Salem.

In the 1990s, Lowell spearheaded the development of the Northwest Viticulture Center at Chemeketa where he worked as the Dean of Students. Lowell is still on the board of directors at the Viticulture Center and a lifetime donor.

In 1999, Lowell bought the 80-acre Illahe Vineyard, which was a pasture at the time. Though its main production is pinot noir, his love of white wine and experimentation ensured that its future will always include a broad view of world wine grape production and not simply copy a Burgundian domaine.

Lowell is Illahe’s vineyard manager and top salesperson, as well as person-in-charge of vineyard layout, grafting, planting , and the occasional excavation project.

“When I drank my favorite wine the experience was as important as the drink itself. My dear friend and I were traveling through Alsace and we stayed in a little town called Turkheim. In the walled town was a small neighborhood winery named August Hurst. We wandered in the gated, enclosed entrance and knocked on the door. An older gentleman came out and my friend Earl explained in broken French that he had visited once many years ago and would like to taste wine. The man’s face brightened and he shouted, “Liberators, Amies, Liberators.” With a warm, friendly smile he took us through the winery and caves and had us taste every wine from every vintage, including the best of the best. We managed to communicate and laugh and it really didn’t matter that I couldn’t understand much. What a joy! I left with a bottle of late-harvest Gewurztraminer. No wine ever tasted as wonderful as the one I enjoyed with a newly acquired compatriot, in a beautiful little town, made by a most appreciative wine maker.”