Rain Dance Vineyards

Ken Austin III is a fifth-generation Newberg resident. Celia’s family moved to Chehalem Mountain from Portland in 1966. Both attended Oregon State at the same time and never crossed paths; they finally met when Celia started working at A-dec in Newberg, and have been partners in marriage and business since 1977.

In 1991 they founded Rain Dance Ranch and built one of the country’s premier llama operations, traveling the world for breeding stock and producing several national champions over twenty-five years.

In 2009 they bought a property that had been Foothills Christmas Tree Farm — the place Ken’s family went every year for their tree growing up. It had gone untouched for years. Clearing thirty-year-old Christmas trees revealed a remarkable view, and they planted vines. They kept the name Foothills for that vineyard out of respect for the memory.

The first vintage, a 2013 Estate Pinot Noir, released on May 1, 2015. The estate now spans five vineyard sites totaling 120 acres with 80 planted, all dry farmed, LIVE Certified, and Salmon Safe.

Pinot Noir is the focus, but the whites are what people mention: two cool-climate Chardonnays, an off-dry Riesling, and a dry Gewürztraminer that comes up in review after review. There’s Gamay Noir and a Rosé of Pinot Noir too.

The tasting room is a 1926 farmhouse, meticulously remodeled in 2012, with an extensive patio and gas fire pit overlooking gardens, fountains, ponds, and vines. It sits a vineyard stroll up the hill from The Allison Inn & Spa, which makes it the easiest walk-to winery in the valley if you’re staying there.

Beyond tastings, they run monthly vineyard hikes led by their general manager, live music through August, and the annual Drink Pink Festival. And you can still visit the llamas.