Four Great Articles About the Pioneers of Oregon Wine

Sokal Blosser posted this on Facebook today and I thought I would pass it along:
It was published in the Jan.7th, 2010 Oregon Wine Press
In Memory Of:
Richard Sommer
Cal Knudsen
Gary Andrus
Arnold Kohnert

Richard Sommer - Father of Oregon’s fine wine industry dies at age 79
By Cara Pallone
First Published in September 2009
Like the old winemaker’s vines, stories about Richard Sommer are rooted in time—a source of laughter and conversation as his friends reminisce for years to come.
They’ll remember his signature suspenders and berets. They’ll toast glasses of sweet Riesling or a mellow red and talk about his unruly locks or his fresh, homemade bread.(more)

Cal Knudsen - Willamette Valley wine pioneer dies at age 85
By Karl Klooster
First Published in the June 2009 Edition
Renaissance man” would have been a suitable sobriquet for C. Calvert “Cal” Knudsen, who succumbed to cancer April 24 at his Palm Springs home at the age of 85.
He could also have been called “lucky,” because the fates favored him at certain pivotal points in his life, when things might easily have gone the other way.(more, scan down)

Gary Andrus - Enterprising winery owner raised the Pinot Noir barBy Karl Klooster 

First Published in the March 2009 Edition

Gary Andrus, owner of Gypsy Dancer, died Jan. 30, from complications of pneumonia. He was 63.
Personal passions marked Andrus’ life.
He will be most remembered as a man whose passion for Oregon Pinot Noir elevated it to another level. But he also made the U.S. Olympic team as a downhill skier, and he loved fly-fishing for trout, the most cerebrally challenging contest of man versus fish ever contrived.
It’s quite an accomplishment to have made outstanding wine in even one distinct growing region, much less in three. But Andrus’ 30-year career led him to success in California and New Zealand as well as Oregon.
In 1978, he founded Pine Ridge Winery in California’s Napa Valley. He named it after a noted ski area.
He jumped on the California wine bandwagon just as it was beginning to gather speed. And he rode it for all it was worth. (more, scan down)

Arnold Kohnert - “Mr. Pompadour” leaves legacy, legion of friends

By Gregory Jones
First Published in July 2009
In April, the Rogue Valley and Oregon wine community lost one of its pioneers and staunchest supporters in Arnold Kohnert. Known affectionately as “Mr. Pompadour,” Kohnert’s signature statement could be heard on his answering machine: “This is Pompadour Vineyard, home of the best Bordeaux grapes in the Valley.”
Kohnert’s distinguished career stretched from the beaches of Normandy in WWII, to the profession of engineer, building commercial buildings in California, to Pompadour Vineyard, which he and his wife, Mary, tended for more than 20 years. (more, scan down)