Native Flora

Scott Flora grew up near Napa with a passion for wine. Denise came to it later in life. Together they explored the Willamette Valley, fell for what was grown here, bought land in 2005, and planted their first vines in 2006.

Then they did something nobody does. The accepted wisdom is that vineyards need southern exposure so the sun’s heat can ripen the fruit. The Floras planted a high-altitude, north-facing site instead, on the reasoning that sugar production is a function of photosynthesis — which is powered by light, not heat. It was highly controversial at the time. It worked.

The site covers 33 acres with about 20 planted, surrounded on three sides by forest with open sky on the fourth. Their own word for it is sanctum: a private place free from intrusion, high above the Chehalem Valley.

The operation is genuinely boutique. Scott and Denise personally manage every aspect of the vineyard and winery, and offer three owner-poured tasting appointments a day, capped at eight guests. The tasting room is inside their home. As they put it, when you walk into the tasting room you’ve literally walked into their life.

The farm is part of the experience. A trio of Great Pyrenees guards a flock of sheep that mow the vineyard. There’s a koi tank, a rainwater capture and reuse system, four dogs, and a garden. One visitor arrived to find Scott helping a baby goose hatch.

The wines span Pinot Noir, a range of whites, and sparkling, in limited quantities, with labels as distinctive as the tasting notes Scott gives them.

Denise now serves as president of the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association.