Ayres Vineyard Claimed

Brad and Kathleen McLeroy are engaged in the south of France. The very next day, they visit Domaine Tempier, one of their favorite wineries. They happen to hear a passing comment that will ultimately shape their business plan. Monsieur Peyraud mentions that he makes the wine he loves to drink. Brad and Kathleen begin to hatch a plan… Brad, the owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, wine retailer, returns home from Oregon’s International Pinot Noir Celebration full of inspiration. He’s thoroughly taken by the region and its flag-bearing grape, Pinot Noir – a grape that expresses the coming together of fruit and earth. His first words upon being picked up at the airport are, “I think we can do it. I think we should do it.” To which Kathleen responds, “I think so, too. Let’s do this.” At the same time, Kathleen’s parents are planning their retirement on the West Coast. There was another family connection to Oregon, too: Kathleen’s great-great-grandfather was a pioneer on the Oregon Trail and played an important role in the Lost Wagon Train of 1853. “We grow it. We make it. We live it. We love it. It’s so true – I love what I do. Every year, Mother Nature sets the stage and allows me to create a different wine. In essence, I am given the opportunity to start fresh every growing season. It just never gets old!”