Photo: Leah Jorgensen recycles her wine boxes as part of her regenerative cardboard cover no-till garden. Last week, I had an engaging conversation about regenerative gardening with two herbalists in Eugene, Oregon and it turned into an impromptu interview about all things regenerative, including restructuring my wine business into a regenerative business model and what […]
In 2011 I came up with an idea. I had a vision for an Oregon wine beyond the state’s love affair with Pinot Noir. There’s no place in America quite like Southern Oregon for growing the best Cabernet Franc in the same echelon as the home of arguably the best Cabernet Franc in the world, […]
This past year has been one of my best years in a long time. It feels ironic to write that considering I went through some of the toughest times in my life. Thus, I decided to go on a sabbatical to find myself, to focus on my family during healthcare crises and management, and to […]
I did not plan, initially, to write extensively about regenerative business here, in my Field Notes. My time spent on sabbatical led to a deep dive into my business and I kept landing at regenerative business as a major tool and inspiration for a new system, a new way of doing business. It first came […]
I am not just thinking about the wine business anymore. I’m not. In some ways, that ship has sailed. There are still some ports to visit on that journey, but, mostly I’m setting out on a bigger course that is stretching out so much further, so much beyond one niche. It’s much, much more expansive. […]
I don’t shy away from difficult conversations. I have been saying for years the wine industry is going to hit a major wall and it will be interesting to see how it will all play out. WHAT WALL? It’s complicated and it’s multi-faceted. And there are many events that catapulted the industry to the strained […]
“If you wished to know how civilized a culture is, look at how they treat its women.” – Bacha Khan As a woman winemaker and entrepreneur, I’m not going to kick off Women’s History Month by highlighting women’s work and business. I know there are women making history in their fields every day, and that […]
Certainly one of the many interesting parts of my work is that every now and again I get interviewed for various podcasts, magazines, blogs and news outlets – primarily on my contributions and musings around Cabernet Franc. I enjoy the opportunity to get thoughtful and sometimes geeky about producing Oregon Cabernet Franc – and the […]
Since I’ve studied herbalism and adapted to an herbalist’s lifestyle, I have enjoyed working with roses. From rosebuds, to mature rose petals, to rose hips – Rosa rubiginosa is a magical plant with all kinds of health benefits or Materia Medica. One of the best and easiest ways to utilize rose is to simply dry […]
I first met Chef Rachel Yang when we partnered for a winemaker dinner at her restaurant Joule in Seattle on November 6, 2016. Yang was running three restaurants she owned with her husband, Seif Chirchi, under the Relay Restaurant Group. At the time, Yang had two James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef Northwest in […]
