John Grochau was first exposed to wine and the winemaking landscape in his twenties, while living in France and racing bikes for a team based in the Loire Valley.

When he returned to his hometown of Portland, Oregon, he started working in the restaurant business, where he gained an even greater appreciation for wine. He was the assistant winemaker at the Biodynamic Brick House for four years before starting Grochau Cellars in 2002.

Based in the cooler Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Grochau makes balanced, expressive and textured wines from organic and sustainably-grown fruit. Wines are fermented slowly with natural yeasts and lightly filtered before bottling. John works with some of the Willamette Valley's legacy grapes--Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc--and with up-and-coming varieties like Gamay and Melon de Bourgogne.

Photos by Josh Chang / Foundry503

More information: grochaucellars.com