The Campbells, founding family of Elk Cove, was featured Pix Magazine’s discussion of family-run wineries adapting to change in recent years. The article was subtitled “A new generation of vintners is bringing fresh ideas and innovations” and includes a recommendation for our 2019 La Bohème Pinot Noir “A brooding blackberry and baking spice beauty with aromatic, textural drama.”
Archer interviewed second-generation winemakers across the US, including Owner/Winemaker Adam Campbell and his sister, Creative Director Anna Campbell in March of 2022:
Sometimes, new dynasties emerge from the old. “When I took over Elk Cove Vineyards from my folks, I knew that the key to that transition was growth,” says Adam Campbell. His parents Joe and Pat founded Elk Cove Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 1974; Adam helmed winemaking in 1995. “Like most of the first generation of Oregon wine pioneers, my folks didn’t have a plan for retirement, and I knew that our business would have to be sufficiently sized and successful enough to pay for their retirement, as well as provide for a sustainable business.”
Consequently, Campbell started leveraging banking relationships in the mid-1990s to acquire vineyards, increase production, and invest in sales and marketing. His sister Anna joined him in 2012, after a decade of working in commercial photography. “Wine is such a visual process, and we have such an engaged audience — I was able to use my background in photography and working on creative teams to build up our online presence,” she says.
The result? “We now own and farm 400 acres of estate vineyards for Elk Cove, and we have also founded a sister winery called Pike Road,” says Adam. “We have two thriving tasting rooms, and sell our wines throughout the USA and in 15 export markets.
– L.M Archer
Read the full article at Pix, the world’s first wine discovery platform with a simple matchmaking mission: to pair people with bottles that bring them joy. L.M. Archer is an award-winning writer and content consultant.
