About Our History
The second planting of Pinot Noir vines at the Wy’East Vineyard, circa 1995
Proprietors Christie and Dick Reed met in Chicago in 1977 while both were independent floor traders at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. A chance introduction to Master of Wine John Salvi, and subsequent visit to Bordeaux fired Christie’s first interest in the world of fine wine.
Additionally, Chicago became the wine auction capital of the United States in the 1980s, and there were many educational opportunities and notable wine luminaries in the area. The Reeds did a lot of exploring in the exploding California wine regions at this time.
The hubbub of the big city proved unappealing to the Reeds after their three children were born in the 1980s. They settled on Hood River as an ideal place to raise the family and they picked up and moved to Oregon in 1992.
The quality grapes of Wy’East Vineyard lured the Reeds into the wine business in 1996, and the Chardonnay vines planted next to the parking lot were planted as a whim - just in case the fruit stand ever bacame a tasting room. The first few years they sold all the grapes to other high-end Oregon wineries. The Reeds started producing wine in 2002.
Christie and Dick Reed live amongst the vines and handle all aspects of the business from choosing new grape varieties, site selection, production, tasting room, wholesale marketing and special events at both the tasting room and the vineyard.