RAISING RIBBON RIDGE

In 1980, Harry Peterson-Nedry planted the first 12 acres of vines in what, a quarter-century later, would become the Ribbon Ridge American Viticultural Area (AVA). Called Ridgecrest Vineyards, the site has since grown to 40 planted acres.

For many years, the vineyard has supplied grapes to Chehalem Winery, now part of the Stoller Wine Group. Today, it’s also home to RR Wines, which is managed by Peterson-Nedry and his daughter, Wynne.

What drew him to this previously unexplored and rather remote location?

“I was a little lucky, a little stubborn and focused on what seemed a short checklist of key success factors,” he says. “The general wisdom was that Ribbon Ridge was too far west to get ripe, too much into the Coast Range shadow and too high in elevation, being just shy of 700 feet.”

Despite those perceived negatives, Peterson-Nedry jumped in. He credits the good soil type and depth, the slope that faces from southeast to southwest and the success of Dick Erath’s nearby Chehalem Mountain Vineyard as motivation.

Another early arrival was winemaker Doug Tunnell of Brick House, who purchased a local farm in 1989.

“It was early fall, very dry and warm, just as I remembered Yamhill County