Siltstone Wine is the culmination of life in the vineyard. The story begins in Sacramento, California well before the first modern-day vines were planted in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
In Sacramento the Myers family; parents Tucson and Lonnie, and sons Mark and Joel, lived across the street from another young couple, Charles and Shirley Coury and their two boys, Brad and Charley. Charles was studying Enology and Viticulture at nearby UC Davis, and at the time was finishing his Masters thesis on growing Pinot noir in cool climates in the Western United States. Through the Courys, the Myers met other young students in the UC Davis program; Werner Koblet and David Lett.
In the mid-sixties Joel's father accepted a position with the State of Oregon and moved his family to Silverton, Oregon. Both Coury and Lett had moved north and were carving vineyards out of orchards, pastures and blackberry patches that covered the hills in the north Willamette Valley. The Myers family frequently visited the Courys and Letts maintaining their friendship.
Growing up in Silverton, Joel worked on farms since age 10. One of his first jobs was to help the Letts plant and trellis their vineyards in the Dundee Hills in 1968. Through high school and college, Joel was actively involved in farming, working mainly for the large grass seed and grain growers in the area. Joel took a semester off from college in 1976 to visit vineyards, research stations, and wineries in Germany, Austria and Yugoslavia with Charles Coury.
In the summer of 1979 Joel graduated from University of Oregon with a degree in Geography and Environmental Science. After searching for a job with the Forest Service, he accepted what he thought would be a temporary harvest position in the vineyard of his friend, David Lett's Eyrie Vineyard. Soon after, he was offered a full time vineyard-cellar manager position with Eyrie.
Joel met Louise Bernards, a teacher and artist from a local farm family, who was working for the Letts as well. They were married in 1981 and together they traveled to Switzerland, where Joel worked with Dr. Werner Koblet, David Lett's colleague from UC Davis. At the time, Koblet was one of Europe's leading researchers in vine physiology and management. Working closely with Koblet and other Swiss winegrowers, Joel developed his base knowledge in vine physiology, disease control, integrated production, and clonal studies. Coupled with his comprehensive background in traditional farming, he returned with a new interest and vision for the potential of Oregon viticulture.
In 1984 Joel founded Vinetenders and began the lifetime challenge of vineyard management in Oregon. Vinetenders currently manages over 400 acres of prime vineyard property in the north Willamette Valley. His nearly 30 years of experience in vineyard design and management brings unmatched knowledge and expertise to the Oregon wine industry.
Working in the vineyard and cellar at Eyrie, Joel learned the winemakers' decisions must not begin at the crush pad, but in the vineyard. Many of the problems encountered in the cellar could be mitigated and even eliminated by careful work and preparation in the vineyard. In this tradition, he has worked each day, always weighing vineyard management decisions carefully towards producing the best wine possible, vintage to vintage.
Siltstones' first vintage in 2000 is the culmination of Joel's hard work and is a reflection of his lifelong passion. He carries on that tradition into the future together with his wife Louise and sons Joey, John & David.
Siltstone Wines and Vinetenders-The Second Generation
Joey Myers
Joey Myers
Joey Myers was raised in Dayton, Oregon and graduated from McMinnville High School in 2002. He attended Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Geography and Land Use Planning. Thoughout his young life, Joey worked with Vinetenders, working in all aspects of vineyard development and operations.
After graduating from college, Joey worked harvest 2006 and 2007 in the Napa Valley with viticulturist Franci Ashton at Etude Winery. Winter 2006/2007 Joey traveled to New Zealand working in Central Otago at Felton Road Winery. After a brief stay at home in Oregon after harvest 2007, he worked in Europe with close friends in Switzerland, France and Germany. Returning to Oregon harvest 2008, Joey brings a strong and diverse viticultural background working with Vinetenders and Siltstone Wines.
John Myers
John H Myers
John graduated from McMinnville High School in 2005. While in school, John worked with Vinetenders in the vineyards and on the family farm in Dayton giving him an extensive background in the agriculture industry. John recently completed his Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business Management at Oregon State University. He is currently working in Siltstone Wines' marketing efforts and in the business operations of Vinetenders.
David Myers
David Myers
David currently attends college at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. David has worked on the family farm and for other local farmers acquiring a broad agricultural perspective. He has also worked for a local equipment repair shop specializing in vineyard equipment repair and maintenance. At ISU he majors in Diesel Technology/Applied Technology and anticipates graduating with his Bachelors degree in 2012. When David returns to Oregon he looks forward to the possibility of entering the field of viticulture.
