Portland Indie Wine Festival

Please join us in welcoming four more judges to the Festival: Jason Lett, Rich Cushman, Randy Goodman, and Cole Danehower!

Jason Lett: Winemaker, Black Cap Wines

You can say that Jason was born to make great wine!  The son of Eyrie Vineyard founder and Oregon wine legend David Lett, Jason has made quite a name for himself in the world of fine wine.  After growing up on his family’s vineyard in Oregon, Jason spent most of his summers as a teen working and living in Burgundy.  He has also worked on vineyards in Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand.  Jason returned to Oregon after graduating with a degree in Botany from the University of New Mexico.  In 2003, he became the managing winegrower at Bishop Creek Vineyard.  Jason left Bishop Creek in 2005 to take over the vineyards and winemaking at Eyrie, the place where his wine journey began. 

In addition to his duties at Eyrie, Jason has his own solo winemaking project- Black Cap, a pinot noir that had its first vintage in 2002.  When not busy with his many winemaking and managing duties, Jason can be found spending time with his wife and daughters on their farm in McMinnville.  Click here for a recent interview with Jason on viticulture.

Rich Cushman: Winemaker, Viento Wines

Rich is the winemaker at Viento Wines.  A native Oregonian, he has been making wine for over 25 years!  After studying for two years in the Masters program in Enology at UC Davis, Rich traveled to Germany, where he apprenticed at the Burklin-Wolf Vineyard.  Rich’s winemaking philosophy is straightforward: to make wines that are balanced and consistently good to drink.  He strives to bring out the best in the grapes without over-processing.  Rich’s vast experience in establishing successful vineyards and winemaking have made him a very sought after wine consultant.  His extensive knowledge of Oregon vineyards and much respected opinion will be great assets to our judging panel.

Randy Goodman: Sommelier and Owner, Bar Avignon

Randy brings more than 20 years of experience to the Festival.  No stranger to professional wine tasting, he has served as a judge at San Francisco’s annual Wine Competition and the Tri-Cities Northwest Wine Competition.  He’s also no stranger to the Indie Wine Festival; this will be his fourth experience as an Indie judge!  Hailing from Northern California, Randy is an acclaimed sommelier and restaurateur.  His experience includes serving as sommelier at San Francisco’s acclaimed Carnelian Room and opening Portland’s Wildwood Restaurant and Bar (where he worked for over thirteen years).  His latest venture is Bar Avignon, an acclaimed bar/restaurant that Randy opened in Summer of 2008 with his wife, Nancy.  Randy holds a degree in Oenology from UC Davis and has completed advanced coursework for the Guild of Master Sommelier. 

 Cole Danehower: Co-Publisher and Wine Editor, Northwest Palate Magazine

Cole is another highly respected member of Oregon’s wine community.  After working in executive marketing positions in Silicon Valley for nearly 20 years, Cole decided that his life needed to change, so he packed up and headed north to lush Oregon countryside.  Since arriving in Oregon, Cole has become a fixture in the northwest’s epicurean scene.  He  is the co-owner, co-publisher, and wine editor of Northwest Palate, a magazine that focuses on the wine, food, and lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest.  Cole is a James Beard Journalism award-winner and has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and The Oregonian, among others.   

In addition to his numerous other writing credits, Cole founded the Oregon Wine Report, which gives readers great information about the wines, wineries, and winemakers  of Oregon.  Cole has judged many wine competitions, and his palate and attention to a wine’s purity, balance, and character are highly regarded.  We are very excited for Cole’s return to the Festival!  For a fun and informative read, check out Cole’s blog, Inspired Imbiber 2.0.

Check back Thursday for the announcement of the final four Indie judges!