Located on a stretch of the scenic Columbia Gorge, Jacob Williams is a family-owned winery named after Brad Gearhart’s two sons, Jacob and William. For over a decade, owner Brad Gearhart and winemaking veteran John Haw have teamed up to produce quality wines sourced from top vineyards in the region.
In January of 2015 they opened phase two of their Wishram-based winery expansion located next to Avery Park. The new tasting room features a wraparound patio that capitalizes on the panoramic view overlooking the Columbia River offering dramatic views of Mt. Hood and the surrounding rolling landscape of vineyards and orchards.
Brad Gearhart originally got started with a group of friends in 2003. They started Dry Hollow Winery in The Dalles, Oregon. Then in 2007 Brad ventured on his own and started Jacob Williams Winery. His father, Len Gearhart worked the tasting room for several years and helped out with a lot of the details along the way. Brad’s sons, Jake and Will are still in school, but come out to the tasting room and help when they can. Although Brad knows how to make fine wine, winemaker John Haw has been with the winery since the beginning.
John Haw’s experience started with Warner Vineyards and Leelanau Cellars in Michigan back in 1972. As his career blossomed he ventured to Oregon where his family was from, landing him at Shafer Vineyars in Forest Grove for his first introduction to Oregon wines. He continued on to Sokol Blosser for 11 years, which led him to Pedroncelli in Dry Creek California and finally he found his way to the Columbia Gorge, first working for Maryhill and then finding his home with Jacob Williams.
“The unique thing about the Columbia Gorge area is that you can make almost any wine that you want,” says Haw. “The growing regions are so varied that you can go from one style to another and if you pick the right vineyard you can make whatever you want. The options are endless. You can make Italian varietals, Pinot Noir, whites, it doesn’t matter. If you know your vineyard you can do a good job and it’s the only place I know of where you can have that variety.”
Applying careful vineyard selection, he coaxes distinctive site characteristics into the wines, focusing on red Bordeaux varietals like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, but also including Syrah and Zinfandel.
The Zinfandel is grown just down the drive from the winery, offering alluring aromas of dusty cocoa and forest floor, with gripping tannins and vibrant towering flavors of black cherry, raspberry, cocoa, currants, molasses and savory herbs.
Visit: $5 tasting fee refundable with bottle purchase, 3 Avery Rd. (Avery Park on Hwy 14), Wishram, open daily 10-6pm, check website for winter hours, (541) 645-0462, www.jacobwilliamswinery.com