LifeGrid Magazine March 2018 | Page 18

Open Claim Vineyard Dallas, Oregon | Brett & Marnie Wall by Karla Erovick - LifeGrid Editor (McMinnville) It was a passion for food and wine that led Brett and Marnie Wall ever deeper into the Oregon wine scene. It started for them as an appreciation of Oregon wine that eventually led them to planting grapes on family-owned property in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. This is an emerging area for vineyards and possibly the newest AVA for the Willamette Valley, Mt Pisgah. Open Claim Vineyards takes its name from being offered as an “Open Claim” in 1850 for someone willing to nurture the land. In this same spirit the Wall’s have undertaken to nurture the land to produce grapes and wine. This new boutique enterprise produces 121 cases of wine per year. We’ve assembled a glimpse of the highlights of their foray into wine making. www.openclaimvineyards.com Photography Credit © Andrea Johnson Photography and Open Claim Vineyard