Oak Knoll
Ronald Vuylsteke and Marjorie Vuylsteke
Oak Knoll Winery
For Marjorie Vuylsteke, the idea of making wine began with her love of canning food for her growing family, six children in all. She says, “I was busy canning fruit and vegetables from the garden and the farm, and I thought, ‘I wonder about preserving wine?’” She looked for a recipe. No such luck. Little did she know, it was an involved process and not so simple. This did not stop her or her husband, Ronald Vuylsteke, who was working with Dick Erath at Tektronix at the time. He describes how they would spend their coffee breaks discussing winemaking.
RonVuylsteke and Marj Vuylsteke Photo by Kathryn ElsesserNaming their brand, Oak Knoll, the Vuylstekes started with berry and fruit wines and eventually produced their first vinifera, a 1971 Zinfandel from a vineyard in The Dalles. They would make their first Pinot Noir in 1973, after Ronald became focused on the Burgundian grape. He recalls one particular high point of his winemaking career, when he entered his 1983 Pinot Noir in the Oregon State Fair and won Best of Show. He remembers, “One judge was André Tchelistcheff of Beaulieu Vineyards, who called me and told me ‘I’ve been searching for 50 years for a great Pinot Noir; your wine is near the top.’”
Another validating moment occurred with the Valley’s first French vintner. He recalls, “I got a call from the Burgundian legend Robert Drouhin. Robert, his wife, daughter Véronique and winemaker wanted to visit. I did a vertical tasting of my Pinot Noir from 1979 through 1983.” Robert’s indelible comment? “This is great; it is as if I were in Burgundy.”
Oak Knoll Winery
Oak Knoll Winery
For Marjorie Vuylsteke, the idea of making wine began with her love of canning food for her growing family, six children in all. She says, “I was busy canning fruit and vegetables from the garden and the farm, and I thought, ‘I wonder about preserving wine?’” She looked for a recipe. No such luck. Little did she know, it was an involved process and not so simple. This did not stop her or her husband, Ronald Vuylsteke, who was working with Dick Erath at Tektronix at the time. He describes how they would spend their coffee breaks discussing winemaking.
RonVuylsteke and Marj Vuylsteke Photo by Kathryn ElsesserNaming their brand, Oak Knoll, the Vuylstekes started with berry and fruit wines and eventually produced their first vinifera, a 1971 Zinfandel from a vineyard in The Dalles. They would make their first Pinot Noir in 1973, after Ronald became focused on the Burgundian grape. He recalls one particular high point of his winemaking career, when he entered his 1983 Pinot Noir in the Oregon State Fair and won Best of Show. He remembers, “One judge was André Tchelistcheff of Beaulieu Vineyards, who called me and told me ‘I’ve been searching for 50 years for a great Pinot Noir; your wine is near the top.’”
Another validating moment occurred with the Valley’s first French vintner. He recalls, “I got a call from the Burgundian legend Robert Drouhin. Robert, his wife, daughter Véronique and winemaker wanted to visit. I did a vertical tasting of my Pinot Noir from 1979 through 1983.” Robert’s indelible comment? “This is great; it is as if I were in Burgundy.”
Oak Knoll Winery
