For Erin Nuccio, his passion for wine began in the unlikeliest of places: Washington D.C. He started in the industry at a highly-regarded wine retailer whose clientele was a mixed bag of politicians and business people, chefs and industry folk, enthusiasts and new-comers to wine. Mostly, they were there for the revered French and Italian wines—although the California and new world offerings were also popular—but it was Oregon pinots that made the biggest impact on him.

Erin and his wife Jordan eventually moved to Northern California where Erin attended enology and viticulture school and was able to dive into the science of wine. Despite all the potential to shape a wine in the winery, he came to understand that the heart of a wine came from its vineyard. But, in Napa, the climate just wasn’t right and their next and final stop was to be the Willamette Valley.

Erin’s first clandestine drive up the long gravel road to Evesham Wood to meet Russ and Mary Raney was a fortuitous one: the feelings were right. Upon first meeting Russ, it became clear that they shared a philosophy and Russ became a mentor and a good friend. He graciously allowed Erin to apprentice under him and helped Erin make the first Haden Fig wines in 2007. After years of working together, Russ and Mary found someone who would continue the Evesham Wood legacy and carry-on their wine-making practices. In Erin, they found that they could retire early and secure the future of Evesham Wood. In August 2010, Erin and Jordan became the owners of Evesham Wood Winery & Le Puits Sec Vineyard.