By Jan Jackson
Brothers Phil and Tony Kramer, new owners of Marquam Hill Vineyard and Winery, are hoping to finish massive tasting room and grounds renovations in time for an early fall opening. Since May, the brothers have been restoring and refinishing the original siding and adding a new roof on the house, rebuilding its tasting room and landscaping multiple areas for future event space.
“I keep thinking we are just two weeks away from opening but two weeks turn in to another two weeks and we aren’t quite there yet,” Phil Kramer said. “While Tony comes down to help, I’m the hands-on guy. I moved in here in May and because I live right on the property, I get started at 6 in the morning and don’t stop until late at night. I ask myself, ‘ And did you get your masters degree just for the heck of it?’ Actually, it is very exciting and my degrees are coming in very handy.”
The 60-acre Marquam Hill Vineyard and Winery property, developed in the early 1970s by Joe Dobbes Sr., includes 16 acres of grapes, an 8-acre lake surrounded by 30 acres of forest, a house and winemaking and tasting room facilities. The lake is leased to a private fishing club year-round and Kramer is clearing out the nearby trees, adding camping spots and leveling a large open grassy area for event space.
The vineyard is made up primarily of Riesling, Pinot noir and Chardonnay plus some Gewurtztramer and Muller-Thurgau.
“I am officially the vineyard manager so I’m spending a lot of time with the crews working the vines,” Kramer said. “I carry my map and as I travel up and down the 15 miles of vineyard, I see every one of the 17,000 vines so when I spot a problem, I mark its location and come back to it. The contract labor I’m using have had trouble getting used to me being right there with them but they are getting on to it. We won’t be making wine here this year but we are selling grapes and we may do a custom crush.”
Tony, a social worker who lives in Portland with his young family, was looking for a small farm for his mother (who now lives in Tucson) to live on when he found the Marquam property.
“My wife and I drove down and checked it out and then I called Phil,” Tony said. “I think originally we were just looking for a place we could all come to be closer to each other but after a few visits to the property, we decided it was for us. Phil moved to the site in May, and now we are just waiting for the final paperwork that will complete the licensing and bonding.”
Phil holds masters degree from the University Illinois, has a background in mechanical engineering, did under grad work testing chemicals, mildew, bird, pest management with Cornell University farm study program and has worked for architect firms in both Chicago and Philadelphia.
“Dobbes was an excellent winemaker and he had excellent grapes,” Phil said. “Though our vineyard and winery will open with a new name (which we haven’t finalized yet), we are looking forward to carrying on the tradition.”
For an update on the progress, visit www.marquamhillvineyard.com or call Phil Kramer at 503-829-6677 or e-mail [email protected].
