What Has Gone Into the Ground Has Shaped the Northwest’s Wine
By Audrey Van Buskirk, Willamette Weekly July 4th, 2025
"Marine sediment, volcanic basalt, Missoula flood sediment? Unless you’re an expert, you probably won’t be able to tell, but just thinking about—and getting a taste of—50 million years of geology and climate change makes drinking local wines seem educational as well as delicious.
In Welsh, Bryn Mawr means big hill, and that’s certainly where these vineyards are, with a lovely indoor/outdoor tasting room blessed with a view from Mount Jefferson to Lincoln City. For over 15 years, (Rachel) Rose has crafted award-winning wines here, with commanding views and a steep pitch that doesn’t immediately seem made for farming of any kind. But Rose relishes the natural challenges and has a deep understanding of the geology of this area over the millennia. “It’s wild to work with these forces that happened 15 to 18 million years ago,” she says. "