ShadowBuck

ShadowBuck is the first off-the-grid winery in the Pacific Northwest. In 2007, Tom Peters acquired a 500 acre property in Oregon’s Dufur Valley that was a former dry land wheat farm. Over several years, he converted the land to support 2 vineyards. All the buildings on the land and the irrigation system are solar-powered.

The winery, accessible by dirt roads, is about 45 minutes from Hood River on the eastern slope of Mount Hood in a town known as The Dalles. This is DESERT with volcanic soil! It lies outside the nearest AVA’s of Columbia Valley and Columbia Gorge so, the wines are designated Oregon.

Each of the two vineyards in production is 20 acres. Trystan, planted in 2010 was first harvested 5 years later. Obsidian was planted in 2013 and harvested initially in 2017. 

Both vineyards  are managed organically within the application of nitrogenic compounds, sulfur exposure (high winds negating the need for fungal suppression), and cultivation practices. Drip irrigation from an on-site artisan well provides year-round water supplementation to vineyards during summers where average rainfall is noted to be around 12 inches annually.

Tom is ably assisted by cellarmaster Marty Clifford, who started at ShadowBuck out of high school, and Tom’s grandson Russell, who is adding Chemistry to his winemaking and viticultural degrees.

This is a great and unique story, made even better by the grass-fed livestock they are raising. Beef and lamb are sold at the winery. The sheep are in charge of weed control in the vineyards. But, of course, we wouldn’t be telling this story if the wines aren’t excellent. And kudos to Tom for aging his wines more than typical before release.

ShadowBuck produces about 6,000 cases per year from 12 varieties.