Illahe

Biography

Brad Ford - Winemaker. Brad's job at Illahe is to make delicious wine with unique character. He hopes that by working with his grapes year after year, he will find the little things that make each one hand-crafted instead of factory-made. Most often, he reaches back to wine's history to grab hints about how to improve. Examples of this include working with his horses - Doc and Bea; trying ferments in oak, acacia, and clay; and spending hours on the bike pump moving the 1899.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 did his first harvest. Since then he has worked for Russ Raney and with Michael Lundeen and Gabriel Jagle sniffing and sippin. Lowell and Pauline - Owners and Growers. 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 at the county fair and state fair for his wines, including a best of show.In the 1990s, Lowell spearheaded the development of the Northwest Wine Studies Center at Chemeketa where he is a lifetime donor. Pauline isn't actively involved in the vineyard or winery, but she makes a famous salmon cheesecake that we invite you to indulge in at our holiday tastings!