Lost But Not Forgotten

Patty Green was a singularly gifted and intuitive winemaker in Oregon, though she never received tons of credit for being so. Part of that is certainly because she never sought that stuff out and probably went out of her way to avoid anything vaguely resembling publicity. One of the many things we all learned from her was a natural, holistic and encompassing view of agriculture and winemaking intertwined together.

She believed fervently in the vineyards she worked with, the people that owned and managed them and her ability to show the “place-ness” of each site she worked with. This is not a radical concept now in Oregon. Lots of wineries talk about their sites’ geological make-up, micro-climate and such, but 15-20 years ago that wasn’t really the case.

Patty Green and Jim Anderson started Patricia Green Cellars in 2000 after walking away from a very successful winery that they had built up since its inception in 1993. As karma would have it they were offered the opportunity, out of almost nowhere, to purchase a winery and vineyard that were located in the area that would become to be known as the Ribbon Ridge AVA. The winery was built on the idea that there were great vineyards in Oregon that could produce uniquely excellent wines if people dedicated themselves to the farming and winemaking necessary to do so.

In 2017 Patty passed away. The winery has carried on both in her name and as a tribute to her as a person and an important historical figure in Oregon’s history.