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Harry Peterson-Nedry | The Dad

Myers Briggs needs to create a new acronym for this man. A left-brain-meets-right if ever there was one, Harry Peterson-Nedry holds degrees in both chemistry and English. Harry’s interest in wine began innocently enough as a consumer passion, but soon developed into a consuming passion—one that was ultimately rooted in 1980, when he purchased land for what would grow to become the phenomenal Ridgecrest Vineyards.

His fledgling winery, Chehalem, allowed him to put into practice a hands-on, yet scientific approach to winemaking. A mini-generation removed from Oregon’s founding winegrowers, Harry was in a unique position to benefit from their successes and learn from their failures. He recently sold his interest in Chehalem in order to make wine solely from his favorite vineyard.


Wynne Peterson-Nedry | The Daughter

Wynne literally grew up on Ridgecrest Vineyards.

Just six months old when her parents purchased the property, Wynne followed in her father’s footsteps, but with remarkably different kicks. Chemistry degree? Check. English degree? No way. She straight-lined the wine bug with a master’s degree in oenology from UC Davis.

A worldview is immensely important to Wynne. She’s crewed and cellared in vineyards and wineries all over the world, from Burgundy to New Zealand. Wynne was head winemaker at Chehalem until 2018, when she decided to put her whole hand into the RR Wines fingerprint. She brings youth and cutting-edge technique to the table, the perfect foil to her dad’s deep
understanding of the vineyard he planted.


NEW ROLE FOR AN OLD FRIEND

Don’t let the untucked shirt or pescatarian ways fool you – you’ve just met a serious wine guy, not a wise guy. A Texan with over a decade in the Virgin Islands, you can’t be any more assertively laid-back than Jon Foster, Ridgecrest's General Manager and Sales Manager.

After attending the University of Texas at Austin, Jon embarked on a journey of food and beverage related customer service jobs in restaurants, retail grocery and wholesale wine & spirits – an adventure that included 16 years in St. Thomas, USVI.  After soaking up his fair share of sun, Jon headed to Oregon wine country to work with Wynne and Harry.

Jon’s quick wit and contagious enthusiasm is the secret sauce in our success. When he is not working in the valley or visiting our distributors on the road, Jon spends his time with his wife, daughter and their dog, Ila exploring the Pacific Northwest.

 


 

The crew that keeps it all going

Great wines start with great vines and ours couldn't be in better hands - literally! Chad Vargas, formerly Viticulturist at Adelsheim, and his crew at Atlas have been overseeing vineyard operations for the past six vintages.

 

 

 


 

The Original Gangsters who started it all

The Willamette Valley didn't rise to the forefront of the domestic wine scene by dealing in process patents and trade secrets. This is a valley of doers, dreamers, and collaborators - the open source software of oenology. In our infancy, the willingness of young upstarts like Dick Ponzi and David Adelsheim to share the results of their tremendous work led to a winemaking community like no other. We wouldn't be here without them (or if were were, it certainly wouldn't have been much fun). Rising tides, floating boats and all that aside, these two laid the groundwork for the tightly-knit, cohesive winery scene we find in Oregon today.

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