Wahle Vineyards & Cellars
After getting his degree in Enology from UC Davis in 1988, Mark gained practical experience in Germany, California, and Oregon. A backpacking trip to Central America put him on a path to medical school, right back at his alma mater—UC Davis. After his residency, he returned to Oregon to practice both fields of study.
This emergency room physician, adventurer and winemaker grew up on one of the first commercial vineyards in the region. Mark’s family began planting their first commercial vineyard on a 100-acre hilltop site outside of Yamhill in 1974. Typical of the time, they planted Pommard, Wadenswil and assorted Coury clones. This early planting makes the Wahle vineyard one of the pioneer vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA along with Elk Cove Vineyards to the north. This vineyard is now the source for Mark’s beautifully crafted Wahle Yamhill-Carlton Pinot noir.
In 1999 Mark and his wife, Shaghayegh, discovered a second prime vineyard site. This 310 acre site in the Eola Hills similarly enjoys a breathtaking hilltop view of the surrounding wine country. This is the ‘Holmes Hill’ vineyard site, recognizing the original homesteader of this unique property. Now growing out of its adolescent phase, this vineyard is the source for Mark’s elegant, ageworthy Holmes Hill Pinot noir.