Upper Five Vineyard

Terry Sullivan remembers 1982 as the year he moved to the west coast and saw the vineyards of California for the first time. That first glimpse of the vineyards must have planted a seed for Terry because almost two decades later, he and Molly purchased what used to be the upper five acres (hence the name) of a larger pear orchard. They planted their vineyard on those acres in 2003 and now sell their grapes to a winemaker in Portland. The vineyard is currently growing Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Grenache grape varieties. The vineyard is certified organic by Oregon Tilth, and Terry is passionate about his committment to growing organically . He wouldn't do it any other way.

A small patch on the vineyard is dedicated to melons, and these are brought to the Co-op each August. After trying out several different varieties of melon, Terry settled on the Galia (Arava's to be specific) because they thrived the most in the Upper Five, at an altitude of 2000 feet.

In spite of his bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in ocean engineering, Terry asserts that if he had more acres he would farm for a living. But for now, he still supports his growing habit with work as a consulting oceanographer. As he says, "There's nothing better than a day in the vineyard."

"Ya Gotta Believe"

"The most important part of organic growing, to me, is in the faith that it is the right thing. Some things don’t have hard evidence to back up what you do. The Gnome is one of those things. He travels with me when I work my [consulting] job. I believe his company assures that my farm will be in good shape when I return.
Pic is of gnome waiting with me for baggage."

~Terry