OREGON, USA — Oregon's Indigenous heritage runs deep, including within the state's wine country.
Greywing Cellars is run by the first Native winemaker in Oregon: Brandy Grey, with her partner of 14 years, Ari Grey, the vineyard manager. Greywing is not only a play on their last names but also a riff on Oregon's state motto, "She flies on her own wings."
Though the Oregon winemaking industry is becoming more diverse, often, people don't know of Native-owned wineries.
Brandy, who is Shawnee and Cherokee, told KGW that "wine is the perfect vehicle" to take in the connections with the land.
"What we're trying to do with our glass is to create community and an opportunity for people to talk about how important it is to connect to each other, what we owe to each other," Brandy said.
Connections to the land and a sense of place are essential to Brady's philosophy: thus, why Greywing Cellar is organic.
"The truth is that this beautiful land that we live in is here because of the land management places by Indigenous people who've been here for hundreds of generations," she said.
Not only have Brandy and Ari planted vines for sparkling wines with Brandy's parents in their family vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains — named Blackfeather for her great-grandmother, Minnehaha Blackfeather — the couple also sources pinot noir from Fairsing Vineyard.
Brandy said Fairsing Vineyard is a high-elevation spot in Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area, located in Washington County and Yamhill County. Most of the vineyards in that area are located on the south-facing slopes, and its marine sediments are some of the oldest soils in the Willamette Valley, which create unique conditions for the winemakers.
Fairsing Vineyard specializes in biodynamic and organic practices, and as a result, wine drinkers easily taste the notes of bright red fruit, structure and acids.
But wine isn't their only focus — both Brandy and Ari Grey are from the Southwest, and giving back to their communities is near and dear to their hearts.
With the sale of each bottle, a portion goes to Adopt-A-Native Elder — which donates food boxes, firewood, yarn for weaving rugs and other resources to elders on the Navajo Reservation — and the Native Womens’ Wilderness, which promotes awareness for the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women campaign.
Indigenous women are murdered at rates 10 times the national average in some jurisdictions, according to the Attorney General’s Office. As of May 1, 2023, 142 Indigenous people were reported missing in Washington, according to Washington State Patrol. Seattle has the highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women in the United States.
Ari also spotlighted next week's Taste for Equity event in Portland, which the Native American Youth Alliance helps sponsor. The event celebrates the contributions of Black, Indigenous, People of Color and LGBTQ+ chefs, winemakers, poets, musicians and community members.
"If you prosper, help someone else prosper," Ari said.