Friends, we have a great conversation for you today. One of the Pacific Northwest wine pioneers, Lynn Penner-Ash has recently decided to step down from winemaking and I have an exclusive interview with her today. Lynn started her winery back in the 1980s and has a wealth of experience, seeing the Willamette Valley be transformed into what it is today — one of the world’s finest wine destinations. I think you will really enjoy hearing more of her story in wine. Here is my interview with Oregon wine legend, Lynn Penner-Ash.
OB: What was the Willamette Valley like when you first started making wine? Do you like what you see today or do you fondly look back at earlier years?
LPA: The Willamette Valley wine industry was tiny in comparison to the California industry in the 1980’s. The distance to wineries was far and the availability of winemaking equipment and sales reps didn’t exist. All the winemakers had to rely on each other when a piece of equipment broke down or a part wasn’t readily available. It wasn’t unheard of to get help from a local farmer when a pump needed fixing, or a sorting line design needed building.
I miss the closeness of my peers in the industry (but this was also pre-children for a lot of us). It was easier to all gather and enjoy a social event or have a planning meeting as we all fit in one room. I look back on those times fondly but also appreciate the advancement and recognition of our industry today. I am proud that we have made Oregon a wine destination.
OB: Who were some seminal figures in wine that inspired you to become a winemaker?
LPA: In my earlier years of wine in California, I had the opportunity to spend time with the Zepponi family, Margo and Don Van Staaveren of Chateau St Jean, Michael and Kathie Havens and many young, enthusiastic, aspiring winemakers. I also had grandparents that owned 60-acres of Thompson Seedless in Sanger, California, so I spent many a summer in the vineyard. I loved the smell of grapes crushed in the dirt with a hint of diesel. I think all these experiences made me realize that I wanted to enjoy a similar lifestyle!
OB: At the time when you began making wine there were very few women winemakers in the Pacific Northwest. Can you talk about the evolution of Pacific Northwest woman winemakers that you have seen throughout your illustrious career?
LPA: There were indeed few women winemakers in Oregon in 1988. The Oregon industry was made up of couples pursuing their love of wine and they had delineated responsibilities accordingly. When I first started at Rex Hill, the wines started earning more recognition. People were paying attention to this woman making wine for Rex Hill. Very quickly I started to get calls asking if I knew of other women who might be interested in moving to Oregon for a winemaking job! I’ve strived to hire women interns, beginning with my years at Rex Hill. I had the honor to work with young women that have now become very accomplished winemakers in California, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Oregon! This of course includes Kate Ayres, the current winemaker for Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, with whom I have worked side by side with for the last six years and know she will continue to honor and craft our wines with care and thoughtfulness. I must also make a note that I have also had the pleasure to work with
many young men who have also gone on to be accomplished winemakers.
Numbers of women working in wine in Oregon are increasing and I am very happy to see women on most every winery’s harvest team. We hosted a gathering several year’s back of women winemakers, assistant winemakers, and vineyard managers – we had over 190 women come together. I am proud to see more and more women in positions of leadership in both winemaking and vineyard management.
OB: I’m sure you have some favorite wines that you have made in your cellar. Looking back, what are some of your favorite wines and what are some of your favorite vintages that you have enjoyed? Do you have a tendency to enjoy cooler vintage wines, like from 2007 and 2011 or warmer vintages like 2014-16?
LPA: I am very partial to the cooler years like 1993, 1999, 2007, and 2011. Those vintages really challenged all of us – no matter how you identify. We had to work hard to make great wines and when I pull one of those cooler vintages out to taste, I am impressed with their ability to age and the great job we did making wines during those crazy weather vintages. And there is always a good story to tell!