Scott Shull founded Raptor Ridge Winery in 1995, launching his small-scale “home-grown” winery at his Wildhaven property in Hillsboro, Oregon. Still his vision grew, and in 2000 Scott and his wife Annie began clearing an old cherry orchard to create their gem-like 27-acre Tuscowallame Estate in the Laurelwood AVA in the Chehalem Mountains. The vineyard slopes east-southeast with sweeping views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams. Leveling off at about 500 feet in elevation, this gently sloping land is frequently visited by red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, barn owls, and great horned owls. Tuscowallame is an indigenous word, translating to “place where the owls dwell.”

“Our Estate vineyard is a magical place to farm wine grapes! It’s a perfect solar collector, sloping downhill ever increasingly, facing east southeast. The soils are a very complex mix of Loess atop an iron-rich volcanic underlay. Now that the vines are ‘twenty somethings’ their roots are deeply exploring this complex profile. The resulting wines dance expressively on the palate.”

Now a mature Willamette Valley estate, Raptor Ridge continues to grow ever-more fascinating wines. The winery is committed to sustainability, with LIVE Certification status since 2017. The fundamental ethos of Raptor Ridge – creating delicious, unique wine in an environment that feels like home – has remained a part of the Winery vibe since its inception.