About Us

Our Story

Like his forefathers some 1,000 years earlier, Dag Johan Sundby came to North America in 2005 seeking a new life.  The descendant of a long line of tillers of the soil, young Johan sought to sink his roots deep into the fertile Willamette Valley, to make his mark on the ancient Pinot Noir grape.  Inspired by the legendary vineyards of Burgundy, he sought the ideal terroir, finding it in the similar latitude and climate of Oregon.  Driven by New World optimism and youth, he is anchored by Old World values and a fierce determination to make premium wines that will stand the test of time.

Our People

Winemaker/Viticulturist:  Dan Rinke gained experience in the competitive California wine industry, then moved to Oregon seeking the holy grail of the Pinot Noir grape.  A graduate of Cal State Fresno, Dan is experienced in organic and biodynamic vineyard operations.

Principal:  Dag Johan Sundby discovered Oregon Pinot Noir while resident in Norway.  He followed his nose to the Willamette Valley, seeking a premier location to pursue his passion.

Our Logo

Excavated in 1904 from the burial mound of a Viking queen, the Oseberg ship was a luxurious pleasure vessel built circa 800 A.D.  Constructed by the greatest shipbuilders in the world, it is the finest example of artistic craftsmanship of the Viking Age.  From the waterline upward it has decorative carved friezes of beasts of symbolic and magical significance.  The Oseberg ship may be viewed today at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway.

The World Tree

A representation of Yggdrasil is found on our home page and on the neck foil of our white wines. The mythical ash tree Yggdrasil (“The World Tree”) rose through the middle of Viking heaven, called Asgard.  Yggdrasil, the symbol of life itself, was said to have three roots.  The first stretched to the seething cauldron in which life originated; the second was nourished by the Well of Knowledge; and the third sprang in Asgard.  Yggdrasil, a living thing constantly under assault by four deer nibbling its leaves and a serpent gnawing tirelessly at its lowest root, constantly regenerated itself.

Yggdrasil was the pillar around which all Norse worlds revolved, and both Maypoles and Christmas trees may harken back to it.  Its concept of a global axis survives in current references to the North and South Pole.  Yggdrasil is depicted symbolically in the wooden panels of the church at Urnes, Norway.