Do something unusual. Do it well.

One evening, while vacationing in Boston, we wandered into a neighborhood wine bar. We were perusing the wine list when a commotion seemed to be happening by the bar. It was Dan Welsh, Oregon winemaker, receiving the accolades of the locals for his Blaufränkisch.

Blaufränkisch? That’s right. What Dan Welsh and Wendy Davis have come to understand is that to make it as an Oregon winemaker, you’ve got to make Pinot Noir – but it’s nearly impossible to make it exclusively on Pinot Noir. Instead, they’ve found a niche and they’re owning it.

Dan and Wendy came to wine from the world of high tech – big jobs with long hours. But when their twins were born, they reflected on their frequents trips to Europe and realized it was a time for a change. In Europe, wine is an every day part of life. So, before long, Dan was taking classes at the Northwest Wine Academy and helping with harvests in Washington and Oregon.

Now, they’re producing wines at the collaborative winemaking incubator in Portland, the Southeast Wine Collective. And having realized that “be the best at something” is good advice for both wine and business, they’re doubling down on that Blaufränkisch – and making it in Oregon wine!