Vintage with Brian Bushlach Brian Bushlach

A half century ago only a handful of people knew how special Oregon's Willamette Valley was for grape growing. Cal Knudsen was among them, and as word got out, Brian Croser made the journey from Australia to see, and taste, for himself.  With his expectations confirmed, Croser teamed up with sparkling wine guru Rollin Soles to start Argyle, with Knudsen fruit as their founding vineyard. To this day, the Argyle-Knudsen partnership lives on in, and in this episode Croser joins Page Knudsen-Cowles and Host Brian Bushlach to reflect on what brought him to Oregon, and what keeps bringing him back.

We've all heard the saying "it all starts in the vineyard". It's a cliche because it's true! When the legends of the Oregon wine industry needed an expert hand on their vineyards, they called Allen Holstein. In this episode, Brian invites Page Knudsen Cowles to co-host another episode as we celebrate Knudsen Vineyards 50th Anniversary with the man who made it all possible in the vineyard.

The Burgundian influence on the Oregon Wine Industry, particularly the Willamette Valley, is inescapable. The Drouhin Family, led by Veronique, planted the French flag in the Dundee Hills in the 1980's and in doing so, legitimized the Oregon industry and fostered a partnership and friendship between the two regions. In this episode, Veronique joins us from Beaune to reflect on the relationships and growth of the industry with Brian and Page Knudsen Cowles.

1971 was a landmark year in Willamette Valley Wine Country- they just didn't know it at the time! Both Knudsen Vineyards and the Sokol Blosser Winery were founded in '71, and a half century later, they're both celebrating their 50th Anniversary. The parallels don't end there- both operations are now run by each family's second generation. In this episode, Brian welcomes back Page Knudsen Cowles to co-host as Alison and Alex Sokol Blosser join us for a fun conversation comparing notes on the past five decades in Oregon Wine Country.

You've probably heard of Argyle Wines thanks to Rollin Soles, who put the winery, and Oregon sparkling wine, on the map. There's a Knudsen connection in the DNA of Argyle, as Cal Knudsen teamed up with Brian Croser to found the Dundee Wine Company, giving birth to Argyle. To this day, Argyle is still sourcing the Knudsen Vineyards fruit for its award winning bubbles. In this episode, Brian invites Page Knudsen Cowles and Rollin Soles to share their journey in a fun and entertaining download.

There are many iconic names associated with the Oregon wine industry, but perhaps none as widely recognized as Dick Erath, who partnered with Cal Knudsen in 1971 to form the iconic Knudsen-Erath label. In this episode, Brian welcomes Page Knudsen Cowles and Dick Erath to revisit the roots of the Willamette Valley and the rolling Dundee Hills, reflecting on the past, present and future of the Oregon wine industry.