Our Story

mont • in • ore 

When former attorney John Forbis relocated to Oregon at the turn of the last century, he was struck by how much the property he purchased in the southern corner of Forest Grove reminded him of his home in Montana. Feeling that he had found his own Montana in Oregon, Forbis christened the property Montinore Ranch.

Over the years, the ranch changed its name as it changed ownership; it wasn’t until it was purchased by the Graham Family in the 1960s that the name Montinore Ranch was restored. For the next twenty years, Montinore was cultivated for a variety of crops and even operated briefly as a cattle ranch.

Rising from the Ashes 

On May 18th, 1980, less than 90 miles away from Montinore Ranch, in the Cascade Mountain Range, Mount Saint Helens erupted, turning the sky grey as ash fell like snow for miles. Over the next few months, smaller successive eruptions would send ash falling on Montinore, smothering the fields and forever changing the viability of the existing crops. In response, the Graham Family explored the possibility of planting a more durable perennial crop and had an agricultural survey done by teams from Oregon State University and UC Davis who both concluded the terroir was perfectly suited to grape-growing. 

In 1982, the first vines were planted and Montinore Ranch became Montinore Vineyards. Four years later, in 1986, Montinore would harvest its very first vintage.

The BD Effect

Rudy Marchesi first came to Montinore Estate in 1998 as a vineyard consultant to oversee daily operations. Having long admired the complexity of Old World wines grown according to Biodynamic principles and facing the threat of phylloxera on the estate, Rudy began implementing Biodynamic farming practices in 2003.  Two years later, Rudy purchased Montinore Estate and further committed himself to the practice of Biodynamic agriculture. It was under his leadership that the 200-acre vineyard received Demeter Biodynamic® certification in 2008. The transition to Biodynamic® farming marked, not only a shift in the health of the vineyard, but an obvious evolution in the character and quality of Montinore Estate wines.

Montinore Today

Since achieving Biodynamic® certification in 2008, Montinore Estate and Rudy Marchesi have become pillars in the field of sustainability and regenerative agriculture. With the ever-growing demand for Biodynamic® certified fruit, Montinore Estate purchased 180 acres of farmland in northeastern Yamhill-Carlton in early 2019 and began the arduous task of planting 120 vineyard acres. Once planting is complete the vineyard will boast 8 clones of Pinot Noir, as well as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and a small amount of Gamay and Riesling vines. Laughlin Road Ranch had its inaugural pick during harvest 2023, bringing in certified organic and Biodynamic® Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that will be expertly ushered through the winemaking process by our incredible winery team.