PEOPLE
Lowell and Pauline Ford -Owners and growers.
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.
Brad Ford- Winemaker
Brad’s first harvest was in 1986, when he worked in the important roles of tractor driver and bucket collector. He took a short break after high school to work as a bartender, carpenter, grant writer, and English instructor. He then returned to wine, taking classes with Barney Watson, Al MacDonald, and Professor Wamser at Chemeketa and PSU.
Brad worked with Earl VanVolkinburg, Joe Dobbes, and Russ Raney, who taught him the practical aspects of the craft and about their love of the produc t. He also owes a debt to Peter Julian of Nuit-St. Georges, Burgundy, who invited him to attend tastings from Chablis down to Mercurey, hitting all the major towns in between. His experiences there taught him that winemakers can craft incredible wine without huge operations, but not without close attention to the vineyard and vinification.
Michael Lundeen- Winemaker
Micheal has made wine with some of Oregon’s greatest producers: Willakenzie Estate, Domaine Serene, and Belle Pente, as well as with Barolo and Barbaresco producer Castello di Verduno in Verduno, Italy.
He also bottles his own wine under the Genius Loci label. He produces estate pinot noir and pinot gris from Yamhill County, and syrah from Folin Vineyards in Southern Oregon. His wine is featured at this year’s Indie Wine Fest in Portland.
Michael’s mom, Patricia, who teaches at the Northwest Viticulture Center, helped in harvest 2007 and created the first Illahe documentary. His fiancée, Desireé, is also a frequent volunteer for Genius Loci and Illahe.
Bethany Williams- National Sales Manager
Bethany found herself falling in love with Pinot Noir in the Santa Ynez Valley while she was achieving her degree in art at Biola University in Los Angeles. Inspired by the craft and process of making wine and having always wanted to live in the Northwest, she moved to Oregon in 2005. Bethany gained experience in sales at Domaine Serene Winery, Argyle Winery, and Methven Family Vineyards, before coming to Illahe. You might see her running around Portland selling wine, in her office snuggling with her dog Logan, or in the winery punching down fermenters and trying to learn some science.
Leanna Garrison- Volunteer Extraordinaire
If it werent for Leanna, Illahe wouldn’t be here. Leanna does all of the tiresome jobs that we would rather not do. She is at the winery hand labeling bottles almost every week. She delivers wine. She bottles. And she brings us coffee! Leanna is a retired teacher, who has changed the lives of several generations of children in Lincoln City. We are very blessed to have her.
Justin, Alicia, and Elliot- Summer vineyard crew.
Growing up in a vineyard, Brads three kids understand vineyard practices better than a lot of adults. In the summer you will find them outside working on a new experiments.
Logan and PowPow- Winery dogs.
It’s not an Oregon winery without a few dogs. Pow Pow enjoys working out in the vineyard with our vineyard crew, while Logan likes to hang around the office waiting for treats or a good pat. They both stay in shape by racing the cars up the driveway.