Elevating the Family Legacy

In the spring of 1894 Thomas and Cora Cook with their three sons decided that Kansas was not the place for them. They sold what little they had, got a wagon and set out on the trail to Oregon, their destination: Oregon City. The Winter of 1894 came early and they were forced to stop in Union county outside of La Grande Oregon. The next spring with Cora being pregnant they opted to hold off their journey. In July of 1895 Walter Cook was born. Shortly after the Cook family moved back to a little valley just east of Baker City. There the Cook Family started a Homestead in Keating Valley. When Walter was grown he Married Lucy Mills and Homesteaded nearby.

Today our vineyards are planted on the same ground that Walter Cook the Great Grandfather of our Winemaker Travis Cook claimed over 100 years ago. The land has always been apart of the Cook family and the desire to work the land has always been the heart of our dream. At a very young age our winemaker, Travis Cook developed a fascination with wine looking at labels and hearing the passion and romance about where they came from at the local wine shop. When he graduated from Baker High School in 2003, he followed his curiosity to Oregon State University and enrolled in their Viticulture and Enology program (vines and wine). In 2004 Travis and the Cook family with the help of some friends planted the first wine grapes on the homestead.