By Sarah Brown
For The New Era/Lebanon Local
While many were out shopping for Black Friday deals on Nov. 25, Angie and Ron Moore celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary with the grand opening of their Moore Family Vineyard, located at 28041 Pleasant Valley Road in Sweet Home.
The dream was born out of love, it would appear, because Angie loves wineries and Ron loves Angie. When she returned home from a trip to Italy with her mother some years back, she told him how beautiful the wineries were.
“She went and fell in love with vineyards, and I decided, ‘Let’s plant some vineyards, then,'” Ron said.
According to Angie, Ron is the dreamer in the relationship while she’s the one who reins in his dreams a little. So when he said they should plant a vineyard, Angie told him he was “insane.” But the two discussed how the dream might be realized and decided to give it a try.
The vineyard sits on property formerly owned by Ron’s great-grandparents, William and Ethel Moore, who purchased 40 acres in 1926 and passed some of it down to their son, Bill Moore (Ron’s grandfather).
They also sold some of the property in the late 1960s to KFIR radio and, some 10 or 15 years ago, Ron purchased several acres from his grandparents where he built a home for his own family and sold Christmas trees.
“When the Christmas trees were gone, we didn’t know what we wanted to do,” Ron said.
Little did he know at the time that his wife would inspire him.
Angie said as she began visiting wineries with her friends over the years and learning about the different grapes and tastes and smells, her interest in il vino increased.
They planted their first grapes, Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay Noir, in 2019. Then, after an opportunity came in 2020 to buy back his great-grandparents’ land where KFIR was situated, Ron turned the former radio station into a tasting room. In 2021 they planted Chardonnay and Gamay Noir, and this year installed some Pinot Gris.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor were the wineries there, and it will be the same story for the Moore’s estate because they will have to wait three to four years for each batch to be harvestable. Meanwhile, the family purchased grapes in bulk from elsewhere and sent them to two wine makers – one in Harrisburg and one in Hillsboro – to get the business rolling.
“We tried to find the grapes that are the same grapes we’re growing here,” Ron said. “We don’t have the room here or the capability (to make our own wine), and we love both our wine makers.”
Moore Family Vineyard now sells sparkling wine (Brut, Moscato and Pomegranate), Pinot Gris, Rose, Pinot Noir and Red Blend, as well as their signature wine, Gamay Noir.
“It’s a French grape from the Beaujolais region,” Ron said of the Gamay. “There’s only four regions in the world that can grow it, and the Willamette Valley is one of them.
“We wanted to be a little bit different because most of the Willamette Valley is Pinot Noir, so we went with the Gamay. It’s a little bit bolder than a Pinot; it’s a little heavier, but not quite, so it’s still a really easy drinking red wine.”
Now, Angie looks out her back porch and sees the byproduct of love, watching the grapes bud on her husband’s family land and remembering a special trip with her mother.
“I think what super-inspired me was going to Italy with my mom in 2018,” Angie said. “She doesn’t drink wine, but she loves going to wineries. She just thinks they’re pretty, and she always talks to the older wine makers and just has good conversations with them.”