Meet the Members: Torii Mor Vineyard and Winery
Tucked away in the Dundee Hills is Torii Mor Vineyard and Winery, a quiet oasis surrounded by Japanese gardens owned by retired neurosurgeon Dr. Donald Olson. Their roots run decades deep to the very beginning of viticulture in the region.
The current Torii Mor vineyard is the original estate that was planted with clones from Dick Erath, David Lett, Charles Coury and Jim Maresh. As a small child, Kerry helped water the cuttings in milk cartons, and then watched the winemaker’s make wine from the grapes; including industry standouts Patricia Green, Joe Dobbes, Ryan Harms, Jacques Tardy and currently Jon Tomaselli.
Read below to hear why Torii Mor holds such a significant place in Marketing & Winery Operations Director, Kerry Boenisch’s, heart and such a remarkable reputation in the Willamette Valley as they celebrate their 50th year in the Dundee Hills.
What is special to you about the Dundee Hills?
The honor of coming full circle and working with Dr. Olson and an outstanding team is very special to me. Also, the legacy of the Dundee Hills grape growers mixed with the enthusiastic contribution the current industry members who carry on the traits that created the legacy – resilience, innovation, ingenuity and an effusive ability to tell a good story based on world-class Pinot Noir and Oregon grapes grown in Jory soil from a viticultural and enological point of view is very special too.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.
My family started the winery in 1972, planting the estate vineyard and building the house where I grew up, alongside the other first generation grape growing families in the Dundee Hills. Since Dr. Olson purchased the property from my family in the late 1980s, he has continued the themes of connection to the earth, collaboration with the community, modern zen simplicity in landscape and hardscape, and evolved resiliently with the vineyard to mark its 50th year in 2022! We have also been chosen to participate in 2022 Oregon Pinot Camp, a significant milestone for us and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the glorious Dundee Hills AVA.
Our in-house Chef Paul Folkestad will be pairing food and wine throughout the year on our Torii Mor Winery TV channel, along with an anniversary blog that chronicles the last 50 years in the vineyard and winery, the evolution of the brand, and elevates stories of other growers in the Dundee Hills. We’ll cap off our 50th anniversary with a celebration in November. Stay tuned for more details!
If you’re interested in trying a new recipe, I hope you’ll enjoy the Steak & Cake with Pinot and Port Pairings from Chef Paul!
Learn more about Torii Mor Vineyard and Winery.