Our Story

When we met in Atlanta in 2015, both just having finished law school, we had no idea that six years later we would find ourselves in the Willamette Valley chasing a dream we hadn’t known existed. Our journey in wine began with a chance visit to Oregon in 2018; we immediately felt an undeniable connection to the community and to the land. We returned from Oregon to our then-home in Charlotte feeling inspired, sparking a years-long obsession with wine and the sense of place it can convey. The idea — almost a joke at first — of uprooting our lives to move out to the Willamette Valley grew stronger and the joke slowly became less so.

As two people who believe strongly in going all-in, we made the decision in August of 2021 to sell our home and move 3,000 miles away from friends and family to pursue this dream. After a whirlwind few months in Portland, two kids from the city moved out to Gaston, Oregon, to what is now the estate vineyard for Throughline Wines — Cancilla Vineyard — in April of 2022.

We worked with fruit from the site for the first time in 2021 — two tons from just a single block and a single clone — the beginning of a dream that could not have been achieved without the support of the tremendous community that exists throughout the Willamette Valley. As we move forward in this journey, we will allow thoughtfulness, compassion, and intention to be our guide at every step of the way, big or small. From farming decisions to winemaking to community engagement, the pursuit of knowledge will remain unrelenting, and we will apply those lessons as we learn about and grow with this place. While this methodical, open-minded approach may leave the ultimate destination unknown, we believe it will result in the creation of places, products, and a life, that is more beautiful than the sum of its parts.