Sheer Pleasure
By Oregon Wine Press May 2021
"The difficult we do right away; the impossible takes a little longer." For Jon and Kathy Lauer, owners of Byrn Mawr Vineyards, this adage feels familiar.
The couple’s foray into wine started in 2009, after purchasing 20 acres in the Eola-Amity Hills area, northwest of Salem. It was a steep, challenging site, and the Lauer's were new to it all.
Although inexperienced, the two attorneys from San Diego were enthusiastic about their new retirement venture. They turned the existing house into living quarters on the main floor and built a winery/tasting room in the basement. The couple then hired young Rachel Rose, a novice winemaker. A risky decision at the time, but a great one in the end: Rose remains the foundation of the winery’s success.