The family that farms together...

This is a story of two farming families in Southern Oregon. Direct competitors in the pear and apple business, Mike Naumes knew that if he wanted a date with Laura Earnest that he’d have to earn it by helping load her family’s orchard trucks.

Fast forward a few decades and Mike and Laura raised three kids (triplets!) and over 3000 acres of apples, pears, and cherries in California, Oregon and Washington. In 2012, they had to rip out a lot of apple trees and decided to plant wine grapes instead of fruit trees. It was Laura’s passion that drove the decision.

Her love of wine and interest in viticulture and enology helped them plant their original 6 acres that has now grown to 85 acres. The old orchard sites were a perfect spot to grow grapes. The family strongly believes that the best way to manage something is to understand every step of the process, so it is not unusual to see Laura out in the vineyard planting, pruning, and babying her vines.

Laura works closely with winemaker Chris Graves to ensure that the wines reflect where they are grown. And it’s still a family operation, with all three children active in the day-to-day operations of the business.