Pioneering Oregon Vineyards

 

Fuqua Vineyards

Gary Fuqua worked as an economist for the Army Corp of Engineers in both Seattle and Washington D.C. He attended Cleveland High School in Portland and was one of the few native Oregonians to plant a vineyard in the Dundee Hills.

His interest in wine and grapes began when he was about 21 old and traveled to the great French wine regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux. At various times he took short enology and viticulture courses at UC Davis in California.

Gary and his wife Saundra purchased thirty-five acres in 1971. They soon built a house on the property and prepared the land for planting a vineyard. Within a short time he had planted three acres of Pinot Noir and Riesling. By 1986 he had planted over twenty acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. Most of the vineyard work was done by Gary and his family.

He first sold grapes to Dick Erath in 1975. Over the years he also sold to Yamhill Valley Vineyards, Lange, Adelsheim, Sokol-Blosser and Argyle.

In about 2012 Gary decided to retire from the vineyard business and sold the property.


 

Fun Facts

In 1983 a group of growers published the first edition of “Oregon Grape Grower’s Guide”, the “only” basic handbook on cool-climate viticulture written by growers-for growers. Over the years the book has been updated and remains the go-to resource for growers.