Steven Thompson

After graduating college studying cultural geography, Steven discovered wine on his travels throughout Europe and New Zealand as a cycling guide. It was this exposure of cycling past vineyards and sampling wines that caused him to pause and work his first harvest in the small Tuscan Village of Gaiole, Italy. Following his return to the US, Steven was encouraged to pursue wine as a career and enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at Walla Walla Community College. There he worked closely with professor, mentor and hero Stan Clarke and in 2003 was awarded the Walter J. Clore Scholarship for Excellence.

 With a conviction for organic vineyard and winery practices, Steven worked with several Walla Walla wine producers before practicing biodynamic viticulture at Cayuse Vineyards. A quest for cool climate viticulture and yearning for global travel led Steven back to New Zealand to work at Craggy Range in Hawke’s Bay and Seresin Estate in Marlborough.

 While in New Zealand, the opportunity arose to move back home and care for one of the oldest vineyards in the Pacific Northwest:  Atavus Vineyard. Shortly after, Steven and partner Kris moved home to the Columbia Gorge with the intention of creating wines from this unique vineyard and begin the first of Analemma Wines.

 Kris Fade

Kris attended school in Walla Walla, where she discovered surprising similarity between physical terroir analysis of vineyards sites and avalanche path risk calculation. As she would discover, the same slope, aspect, sun effect, precipitation, elevation, and latitude greatly influenced both studies. Sparking an interest where none had previously been, Kris was inspired to learn about the unique growing conditions which produced such varied fruit and wine. Wine suddenly became the natural synergy for her continued study of environmental politics, geology, and geography.

 Traveling abroad to New Zealand she was fortunate to pursue Taruna College’s Certificate in Applied Organics and Biodynamics, where she learned about farming practices referenced in previous studies. Kris worked on exemplar biodynamic farms throughout the country, including Tauroa Station, Taruna at Poriati, and Seresin Estate. Back in Oregon, she continues to pursue an education in organic agriculture and enjoys the amazing diversity within the Gorge’s growing climate.