In the early nineties we purchased two and a half acres of rural property west of McMinnville in the northern Willamette Valley. The hillside property with views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson featured jory soil and eastern exposure and was located at the southern most tip of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, making it ideal for cultivating grapes.

Dreams of one day planting a vineyard were on our minds, but dual careers in public education and commitment to raising a family put those dreams on hold. Nearly fifteen years later while enjoying an agriturismo in the Tuscan countryside, we became enthralled with the centuries-old family farms which cultivated their own wine grapes and olive trees for the family’s personal use. Additionally (minus the stone buildings and red tiled roofs) we couldn’t help but notice the similarity of the landscape to the beautiful vistas of the Northern Willamette Valley.

A return visit to Italy the following year only deepened the allure and simultaneously the proverbial stars were beginning to align: The children were now adults, career paths evolved, and an established wine industry leader was whispering in our ears. As a result, in 2007 Pheasant Hill Vineyard was established and planted in the classic Pinot Noir Pommard clone. We are extremely grateful to Apolloni Vineyards for creating our Pallino wines from Pheasant Hill Vineyard fruit.

So what’s up with this word, “Pallino”? Well. . .during the course of our travels in Italy, we encountered the game of Bocce. As many know, the target ball in Bocce is called a pallino. Rough translations of the word include, point, object, target and bullet to name a few. We embrace the concept of “target” as that summarizes our journey and our end goal of cultivating a vineyard and producing quality wines. Lastly, and more importantly, Pallino, represents our targeted desire to bring friends and family together for the sharing of fine wine and fresh local cuisine. With each bottle of Pheasant Hill’s Pallino wine, we invite you to consider your own dreams and establish your own target.

Salute!

Colin & Candice Cameron