Our Story

In April 2018, we set off on our viticulture journey with the purchase of our property and began reinvigorating the property and residence right away. Each year has been a tremendous learning opportunity and we embrace the concept that this is a journey - not a destination. Step one was choosing a name. Tapestry Vineyard was chosen, mainly due to a family tapestry Traci inherited from her great grandmother. This icon had traversed the Atlantic with her eastern European ancestors. After arriving at Ellis Island the tapestry was later hung in the hotel lobby of a small slavic community in Oregon. It now resides in Ashland Oregon and is a reminder of all of the people, places and stories that have been woven together to bring us to this point along the journey. 

The first year of harvest we knew next to nothing, however, were very determined to improve the  structure and health of the existing vines. Throughout that first year of growing and harvesting, we came to learn much more about pruning, structure, water, soils and of course pests. Birds and racoons enjoyed most of our first vintage - but taught us valuable lessons and ways we could protect our crop and respect the wildlife around us.

In 2019, we planted an additional area of Sauvignon Blanc and achieved our first small harvest in 2022. Through the intervening years of 2018 and 2022, we continued to learn and began employing regenerative practices and resisted the advice to spray inscticides, herbicids and fertilzers. This resulted in 2023 achieving our highest yield to date.

In 2022, we were also fortunate to be able to purchase the adjacent property and spent a full season prepping the land for additional planting by first removing invasive plants, grazing sheep and goats, adding chickens and ducks, composting, and focusing on preparation by planting new cover crops and grasses that would help restore health to the soil.

We knew at the outset that, as a small regenerative farm and vineyard, we would not compete on volume and thus needed to maintain laser focus on quality and higher value uses for non-vineyard space. We were also cognizant of the changes in local (global) climate, so we intentionally pursued vines, trees, and other growing activities that could adapt to the changing environment and embarked upon rebuilding the ecosystem that had been degraded over time. This led us to plant a variety of trees, such as Olives, PawPaw's, Peaches, Filberts, Elderberries, and and other plants to add diversity and help affix and build soil such as beets, asparagas and hardy grasses and clover. Additionally, thinking of the unique nature of the developing property, we added culinary saffron to the sunny edges in anticipation of providing a local source of one of the world's most unique spices.

Understanding regeneration is a long-term endeavor; many of these plants, trees, and animals will take years to mature, however, we hope that over that time we can continue the work of rebuilding the land, creating a pleasant space within our community, and offer learning and education opportunities for interested groups and individuals.

Warmly, Jason & Traci Darrow