Our Team
We enjoy working together as a family to make sustainable, handcrafted wines from our estate vineyard. We are farmers at heart and we enjoy being close to nature through our grapes, watching the seasons change the landscape around us and each vintage change the wines in the bottle.
LOWELL AND PAULINE FORD
OWNERS, GROWERS, AND PIONEERS
Lowell and Pauline have a long history of stewardship and grape growing. Lowell’s great-grandparents immigrated from Russia via Canada and grew wine grapes on their farm near Dallas, Oregon in the 1890s. Pauline’s father finished his family’s westward migration and bought a farm in Salem in 1943, and she has lived on that farm her entire life.
Lowell began his career as a winegrower on that very farm – planting of an acre of Müller-Thurgau in 1983. His early experiments in viticulture were made with the help of friend Earl VanVolkinburg of Vitae Springs Vineyard in South Salem. He won ribbons, including a best of show, at county state fairs for his wines.
In the 1990s, Lowell spearheaded the development of the Northwest Wine Studies Center at Chemeketa where he remains a lifetime donor.
Email Lowell: lowell@illahevineyards.com
BRAD FORD
PRESIDENT, OWNER, WINEMAKER, VINEYARD MANAGER
Brad's job at Illahe is to make delicious wines that have a unique character. He hopes that by working with his grapes year after year, he will discover the little things that ensure each one is a special, hand-crafted product. He reaches back into the history of wine for hints and ideas on how to improve. So far, this has included working with horses, trying ferments in oak, acacia, and clay, and spending hours on the pedal-powered pump moving the 1899 wine from the fermenter to barrels. Recently he built a kiln so he can make his own amphorae, earthenware pots used for fermenting and aging.
After receiving a degree in classics, Brad was a carpenter, grant writer and English instructor. In 2004, he followed his dad into the vineyard and worked his first harvest. He went on to work with Russ Raney (Evesham Wood), Michael Lundeen (Lundeen Wines) and Gabriel Jagle (Scenic Valley Farms).
Email Brad Ford: brad@illahevineyards.com
BETHANY FORD
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, OWNER, GRAPE STOMPER
Bethany fell in love with Pinot Noir in the Santa Ynez Valley while she was earning a BFA in art 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 joined the team at Illahe Vineyards in 2009 after gaining experience with some of Oregon's top wineries. Her sales experience drove Illahe's success in transitioning from a winery with a small distribution radius to achieving recognition in 35 markets internationally. At harvest, you can find her in work boots doing lab work, punch downs, and fruit sorting – she often cooks lunch for the entire crew, as well. Bethany has a WSET Level 2 Award for Wine and Spirits. She is also the mom of two adorable little ones, Beckett and Miette, and is Brad’s wife.
Email Bethany Ford: bethany@illahevineyards.com, or call her cell: 503-415-0067
NATHAN LITKE
WINEMAKER
While working as a whitewater raft guide and ski bum in Colorado, Nathan began to think about a future in wine. So, he hopped on his bicycle and rode back home to Oregon to enroll in the Northwest Wine Studies Center at Chemeketa. Since then, he has learned his trade at various Willamette Valley producers, including A to Z, Panther Creek and Cherry Hill. A desire to explore working with big reds took him out to the Columbia Gorge and Maryhill Winery, where for two years he cut his teeth on fruit from across Washington. But he knew he would return to Oregon to make pinot at some point. He is thrilled to have the chance to work with the Fords at Illahe, crafting fun, exciting and always delicious wines.
Email Nathan: nathan@illahevineyards.
KAREN RICHARDS
DIRECT SALES MANAGER
Karen brings more than twenty years of experience in the wine industry to our team. She previously owned and operated a wine shop on the Oregon Coast and now serves as both our Club Manager and Direct Sales Manager. Her depth of wine knowledge—and Oregon as a whole—is truly remarkable. She loves welcoming and hosting our guests.
If you would like to make an appointment or have a question about the wine club, Karen is your person!
Email Karen: karen@illahevineyards.com
ANGIE CLARK
SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR
Angie started working in the wine industry in 2019, spending time in tasting rooms in Oregon and Washington. She loves sharing great wines and good stories, which makes her a perfect fit for her current role as our Sales and Marketing Coordinator. When she’s not talking about wine, you’ll probably find her in the studio working on ceramics or hanging out with her dog. She’s been “rescued” by several pups over the years. Angie brings creativity, kindness, and a fun, easygoing energy to the Illahe team.
Email Angie: angie@illahevineyards.com
JORDAN FUGEMAN
ASSISTANT WINEMAKER
We were lucky enough to stumble across Jordan via our friends from Epilogue kitchen during the 2020 pandemic and asked him if he would like to work harvest with us. Hailing from Delaware and finding his way to Oregon, Brewing had always been Jordan’s thing (and still is), so he came to us with a lot of practical production knowledge. He can run any press and fix just about everything. He’s also a great canoe partner on the river.
Email Jordan: jordan@illahevineyards.com
SOPHIE ROMANESKI
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Sophie is a native Oregonian who grew up on Mount Hood. She spent ten years working in organic farming in Eugene, where her passion for sustainable agriculture naturally led her to vineyard work in the Willamette Valley. In 2019, Sophie joined Résonance Wines as a harvest intern, where she quickly caught the winemaking bug and made the transition from vineyard to cellar. In 2024, Sophie joined Illahe and now works in the cellar year-round. If you’re lucky, you may spot her at Illahe events—her bright smile and bubbly personality are hard to miss. Outside of work, Sophie enjoys thrift-store treasure hunting and spending time with her son, Toby, and husband, Skyler, often found in the middle of Nerf gun battles or Hot Wheels races.
GABRIEL GONZOLEZ
VINEYARD FOREMAN
Gabriel was by Lowell’s side planting this vineyard from the very beginning in 2000. We are very lucky to have Gabriel here with us making sure we have people to prune and pick. We wouldn’t be here without him.
ELLIOT FORD
ASSISTANT VINEYARD MANAGER
Elliot Ford is an integral member of the Illahe team, working hands-on in the vineyard as he builds toward a career in vineyard management. A member of the Ford family, Elliot represents the fourth generation farming in the Willamette Valley and the third generation to work directly in the vineyards. He is also the dedicated caretaker of Pauline Vineyard, a special 12-acre site located just south of Illahe. Outside of the vineyard, Elliot enjoys spending time with friends and can often be found adventuring with his dog, Arrow.
VERONICA DURAN
WAREHOUSE MANAGER
Veronica’s also been with us since day one. She organizes the vineyard crew during picking and pruning seasons. She also makes sure every single label is on the bottle correctly and manages all distribution orders going out.
FINNY
WINERY DOG
Finny is our Goldendoodle that loves to greet guests at the winery. One of his favorite things to do is snuggle up by tasters and wait for any picnic treats to drop.