Oregon Attitude
Oregonians have historically been an industrious, independent people who take great pride in their pioneer history and revere their natural heritage. They have typically been people of honesty, and sincerity, with little tolerance for pretense and superficiality. At Iris Vineyards we incorporated this “Oregon Attitude” into our vineyard management, winemaking and every aspect of our business.
We work hard at making the best possible wines from the grapes we grow in our own vineyard and those we purchase from others. We strive to make wines that are honest, distinctive representations of the fruit from which they come. We have great respect for our natural heritage and are careful stewards of our land and protectors of our natural environment. We believe that great wines require the hands-on effort of a talented winemaker who has an intimate understanding of the vineyards from which the wine grapes originate and each lot of wine in the cellar. The proof is in the bottle.
Meet Richard & Pamela
Iris Vineyards' owners Pamela Frye and Richard Boyles are native Oregonians. Both graduated from the University of Oregon in Eugene. After a decade living and working in Washington state, Germany and Switzerland they returned to Oregon to replant their roots and begin planning and developing their Oregon winery. Chalice Vineyard at Iris Hill was planted in 1996 marking the beginning of the Iris Vineyard venture. Pamela, Richard and their children Amalia and Drew live on their 870 acre family estate overlooking Iris Vineyards.
Arpad and the Vineyard
Iris Vineyard Estate, near Lorane, Oregon, is our cornerstone. We have embarked on a multi-year vineyard expansion program under the supervision of our talented Vineyard Manager, Arpad Walker. The cool climate in the foothills of the Oregon Coastal Range allows the grapes to mature slowly while maintaining the proper acid balance that is essential for producing the finest Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. We also entered into long-term relationships with some of Oregon’s finest growers allowing us to increase production and meet the growing demand for our wines.
Aaron and Our New Winery
Our new winery has a production capacity of 25,000 to 30,000 cases annually. The winery is designed for small lot, hands-on production necessary to produce the highest quality wines. Vintage 2008 will be the first in our new facility. Aaron Lieberman has joined our team as Winemaker to spearhead the development of the next phase of our winemaking program. Aaron has a decade of Oregon winemaking experience as well as extensive knowledge in viticulture. Under Aaron’s direction our new winery will help ensure continuity of quality and style in all Iris wines.
Meet Mike
Iris Vineyards’ President, Mike Lambert, joined the company in the spring of 2007 to lead the transformation of Iris Vineyards into a nationally distributed premium brand winery. Mike is a 20+ year wine industry veteran with upper level, ultra-premium, winery management experience in both California and Oregon. He and his family moved to Oregon in 1992 when he joined the startup team at King Estate where he became Vice President and General Manager. Later Mike served as President and CEO of Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe, Oregon.
Our Tasting Room
Stop by our new tasting room to experience our exceptional wines and friendly staff! Tasting fee is only $3.00, includes a free wine glass, as well as complimentary cheese and crackers. We also feature weekly wine Specials only available in the Tasting Room.
Hours of Operation
- Monday-Friday: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: Closed
Address
- 195 Palmer Avenue [ Map ]
- Cottage Grove, OR 97424
- Phone: 541-942-5993
- Located just up the street from the Territorial Seed Co.