Getting bit by the winemaking bug

When you arrive at J.K. Carriere, the owner and winemaker will introduce himself like this: “My name is Jim Prosser and I started this beautiful mess.” He’s a mad scientist winemaker who made it in commercial real estate, only to give it all up to join the Peace Corps and, later, travel the world making wine (in four countries so far.)

For Jim, making wine isn’t exactly the bucolic life in the vineyards we might imagine.

Take a look at any bottle of J.K. Carriere wine, and you’ll see an illustration of the vespidae, wasps commonly found in vineyards. They include yellowjackets and hornets, or as Jim puts it, “the family of wasps trying to kill me.”

As it turns out, Jim has a near-fatal allergy, and he’s come close to death on two occasions.

Fortunately for us, Jim is winning his fight with the vespidae (in no small part because his vineyard is helpfully located just up the hill from the new hospital in Newberg.)

The next time you’re in the Willamette Valley, take a little detour before you hit Newberg, get off the highway and visit this winery high in the hills with stunning views of the valley. Just watch out for the vespidae!