Wooldridge Creek Vineyard
About
The winery is gravity-fed, which means that there is no pump necessary to propel the must. The barrel room is designed to maintain a constant temperature naturally, without artificial heating and cooling. The design allows guests to observe the inner workings of the winery. Committed to sustainable building practices.
Location Description
Located in the heart of Grants Pass, Oregon.
Features
- Producing 3,000 cases per year of premium varietal wines and unique blends!
Additional Information
- Meeting / Conference Facilities:
- Caves:
- Wedding Facilities:
- Picnic Facilities:
- Dog Friendly:
- Winery Tours:
- Wine Tasting:
- Art or Architecture:
- Organic / Biodynamic:
- Awards:
- Wine Club:
- Lodging / Bed & Breakfast:
Average Bottle Price
Winemaker
Having studied Enology at France’s National School of Enology in Montpelier, Greg was interested in a site with a climate and geology similar to southern France. Looking at a map, he identified Southern Oregon as a possibility. Kara wasn’t sure she wanted to leave the California wine industry but agreed to explore Southern Oregon.
The decision to give Southern Oregon a serious try was made when Valley View Winery offered Greg and Kara an opportunity to make wine there on a short-term basis. On one of their trips to search for grapes, Greg and Kara discovered Wooldridge Creek Vineyard and met Ted. They saw the potential for the kind of small winery they envisioned, and found in Ted and Mary the qualities of good prospective business partners and friends. They presented Ted and Mary with a proposal that they could not refuse. Wooldridge Creek Vineyard became Wooldridge Creek Vineyard and Winery.
History
In 2002, Ted and Mary met winemakers Greg Paneitz and Kara Olmo, who were in the area considering winemaking options. Until then, grapes from Wooldridge Creek Vineyard had been sold almost entirely to wineries around the state, with only a small amount being made into custom wine under the Wooldridge Creek label. The four saw an opportunity to combine the Warricks’ fruit with Greg’s and Kara’s winemaking skills. They partnered to create Wooldridge Creek Winery.
The Team
In the early 1970s, Ted was a United Airlines pilot and Mary was working for TWA at the Los Angeles Airport. After many years of frying their skin on the beaches of Southern California, Ted and Mary decided to seek a four-season climate where wine grapes would flourish. They loaded up their VW van and set out to explore the Northwest.
In the spring of 1976, while in Southern Oregon visiting Mary’s Aunty May and Uncle Bob, they spotted the current winery site from across the Applegate River. A quick trip to the north side of the river and up Slagle Creek Road confirmed that their search was over. They promptly purchased 18 acres and planned their move.
When the two arrived for good in 1977, they came with an MG, a VW van, an old Ford Bronco, a spotted dog, two cats, and eleven-year-old daughter Chrys. The family camped out in a camper shell at Aunty May and Uncle Bob’s while building the little log cabin that would be their home for the next 25 years.
Ted continued to fly for United, often gone for several days at a time. During his absences, Mary tended to Chrys and a growing menagerie of animals. She also looked after the small original planting of grapevines, located where the winery is today.
Ted and Mary attempted to make wine early on. That fateful endeavor led them to conclude that they were better suited to growing grapes than making wine. They continued to expand the vineyard – both acreage and plantings – and focused on selling the grapes to wineries around the state.
Over the years, additional parcels of land were purchased and planted. Today, the vineyard consists of 56 acres, and Ted and Mary have moved into a larger log home which they built above the main vineyard. The vineyard continues to be managed, worked, and picked by a crew of local neighbors and Applegate Valley residents.
Ted has retired from United Airlines, and Mary continues to try to retire from her family’s business. Their retirement vision of travels and outdoor adventures has expanded to include winery activities.
Practices & Techniques
Below is a list of organizations that we are committed to supporting.
Environment:
Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine
LIVE (Low Input Enology and Viticulture)
Blue Sky
ReCork America
Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
1000 Friends of Oregon
Nature Conservancy