We first visited Coup d’Or in December 2021. We turned off Barlow Road down an inconspicuous gravel driveway. Towering firs lined the North side and dormant vines flanked the South. About a quarter mile in, the path dipped and crossed a babbling creek and then snaked through a thick grove of evergreens before opening onto a hidden, bucolic meadow. A bout of winter snow had freshly melted and left the ground encased in chalky mud. A light layer of fog settled in the Willamette Valley and was wafting between the douglas firs which slowly swayed in the chilly afternoon breeze. The sun, starting its decline towards the Pacific, pierced through the fog and illuminated dew-stained grass in gradients of yellow and orange.

We were instantly at peace here. The property struck us with its silence, the way it was nestled between towering tree lines on every side, and how Mt. Hood peeked its white head out over the Eastern ridges. We knew this was something special, a golden find.

Oregon had long inspired us with the caliber of wines coming from its fertile, rain-washed soils and its ever-warming summers heralding long July nights when the sun doesn’t depart until nearly 10pm. The soft coo of summer cicadas reminds us of summers in France, as do the winding country roads that meander between small towns and fields growing every crop imaginable. As we drive along the glassy Willamette River up towards Portland, we frequently wonder what the travelers on the Oregon Trail thought when they arrived in this place.

Nature is the centerpiece here. The culture is built around it. You can feel the promise of this land in the seasons shifting and the delicious farm stores that unexpectedly dot rural routes. I suppose we too caught “gold fever” and felt compelled to create a wine to tirelessly try to bottle our golden moment.