An engineer's approach to the grapes.

Like so many others, Neil Frederickson left behind a career as an engineer to join the wine world. But unlike many, he didn't focus on the winemaking path - rather, Neil is a viticulture nerd. His passion is for the work that happens in the vineyard, long before the grapes hit the barrel and the bottle.

It all started with a retail winemaking kit. It was fun, but he wanted better grapes. So, he planted four plants in his Portland backyard. So far, so good. Then, 80 plants - planted up north at family cabin in the Okanagan Valley (a major wine region in British Columbia). Even better. Before long, he'd convinced his brother to invest in ten acres in the northwest corner of Willamette Valley, tucked into the foothills of the Coast Range. With four acres under production today, Neil is known for his experiments with adjusting yields (cutting back fruit) and canopy cover (balancing shade and sunshine) in order to maximize quality.

That's the engineer's background asserting itself in the viticultural process - and is only possible because Neil is personally engaged in every aspect of vineyard management.