How did two texans stumble into an oregon wine adventure?

We were first introduced to Oregon Pinot Noir by the Austin Wine Merchant after struggling to keep an ample supply of Burgundy wines on hand.  A hardship that a frenchman once explained to me like this “Burgundy wines are like the girl you dated in high school, you will spent the rest of your life looking for her”.   As we explored Oregon Pinot Noir,  there was something so intoxicating about the nose on those first Dundee Hills wines.  So in the summer of 2011 on an impromptu vacation we headed out to Oregon.  We planned the perfect trip…two days of beer tasting in Portland, three days of wine tasting in Dundee, then two days on the coast to “enjoy” our new discoveries.

Portland breweries are iconic and great fun but our hearts were being pulled towards wine country.   As soon as we hit wine country it was LOVE.  With every winery we became more enamored with elegant nature of the wines and intrigued by the subtle differences that site, season, soil and the winemaker made.   We left that trip with many wine club memberships and a plan to return during cooler weather so we could fully stock our growing Texas wine cellar.

In 2012 on a March spring break trip we returned.  We were intrigued by the French presence in Oregon, so this time we headed to the southern part of the Dundee Hills, home to Domaine Drouhin, Archery Summit, DePonté Cellars and others. Wine tasting on this hill was a revelation.  The clear expression of these Oregon wines were unmistakable and quality reminded us of those French wines we loved.  So after a day of tasting we were driving down Archery Summit Road and came across a “for sale” sign on a small farm.  It wasn’t pretty but it sure had good neighbors.   The idea of having a farm property was not a new one, we had been looking for something outside of Austin.  But in that moment we both could not think of a single reason not to pursue this new adventure in Oregon.

By May of 2012 we officially bought "the farm”, a small 5 acre parcel in the Dundee Hills with Jory soil, a south-east facing slope, and stunning views of the valley but also a super ugly chicken barn. Was this our dream? We never imagined leaving Texas, yet now we could see ourselves joining a growing Oregon wine community. With a lot of help from our neighbors, we began farming our little corner of Oregon.  Balanza Vineyard was officially planted in the Fall of 2014 and in a moment we both realized that our hearts and future were now rooted in Oregon.  

What transpired next was nothing short of a whirlwind…..

In Fall of 2014, taking another leap of faith we bought a neighbors four acre home and started building a business and life in Oregon.

In 2015 we planted the vineyard on the new property and started to “remodel” the house into our boutique B&B home.

In 2017,  winemaker Isabelle Dutartre crafted our first Balanza Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. Working with Isabelle to guide our vineyard and wines is a dream come true.

In the summer of 2018, we completed our home and began welcoming our first B&B guests to wine country.

In 2018 with a wine club in mind, we added both our Porch Swing Rosé and Dundee Hills Chardonnay - both wines we adore

In March of 2020 (interesting timing) we launched our wine club and began shipping wine to club members across the US.  The support from our  wine club and later returning guests was amazing that year - and is why we are still making wine, breakfast, and memories in Oregon.

In 2020 we also we also began a collaboration making our fun and playful Block Party Pinot wine with Pam Walden a wonderful winemaker with finesse, drive and bravery.

Our adventure in Oregon is now more than twelve years old, we still love the peaceful nature of Oregon wine country, the inspiring vistas of the Dundee Hills, the joys and work of operating a small vineyard,  the creative collaboration of working with amazing winemakers to bottle our fruit, and the fun of creating spaces and experiences that bring joy and comfort to our guests. 

Our wines represent this place in the Oregon we call home, they are crafted as clear expressions of our vineyard with a lot of love and very little intervention.  We feel lucky to be here in the vineyard and so honored when you choose to share a bottle of our wine with friends or decide to make our vineyard your home when visiting the Dundee Hills. 

Cheers to adventure, wine and community!

Kerry & Chaly