Today I had the opportunity to visit Airlie Winery in Monmouth, Oregon. Mary Olson, owner , was most gracious during my interview today. Mary purchased Airlie Winery & Dunn Forest Vineyard in 1997. Mary hails from Wisconsin and fell in love with Oregon and the Willamette Valley while she was in here working for US West. Airlie Winery is comprised of 45 acres, in the picturesque Willamette Valley, of which 32 acres are planted with grapes. Airlie Winery is for the most part a wholesale distributor of wine through distributors in twelve States. Airlie specializes in seven varieties of product including Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. This year Mary Olson expects a very good to excellent harvest. October 1 will be the begining of the harvest and will continue for three to four weeks. Barry Glassman is Marketing Director for Airlie and Elizabeth Clark is the Winemaker! Today they were both busy preparing for next weeks harvest. Airlie Winery has a loyal customer base and most local business is from repeat customers. As Mary Olson explained to me, most people "pack a snack and plan on spending some quality time". There is a "tasting room" and patio area that is perfect to bring a picnic lunch and share a bottle of wine with that someone special!
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