Oregon magazine 1859 tells the story of the founding of Elk Cove Vineyards:

“On a misty day in 1974, in the steep foothills of the Coast Range, Pat and Joe Campbell planted their first grapevine in the shallow soil, and Elk Cove Vineyards was founded. The land had been settled by homesteaders, but this time the Campbells were the pioneers – of Oregon’s wine industry. Fewer than ten wineries existed in the state then.

The endeavor was in their family’s history. Pat’s great-grandfather immigrated from Switzerland to Oregon and grew grapes and made wine prior to prohibition. Her parents ran an orchard in Parkdale, at the foot of Mount Hood. It was there that Pat and Joe met, as teenagers picking strawberries for spending money. Joe went on to Harvard, then Stanford Medical School, and taught himself the science of winemaking, collaborating with other fledgling winegrowers to learn from their achievements and struggles.”

Read the full article at 1859’s website.