About Us
The luck that I believe in
Is that which comes with work,
And no one ever finds it
Who’s content to wish and shirk.
The men the world calls lucky
Will tell you, every one,
That success comes, not by wishing,
But by hard work, bravely done.
Cited without author in
Rolfe Cobleigh’s
Handy Farm Devices and
How to Use Them (1909)
Chris Shown — proprietor and vineyard manager
Always a farmer at heart, Chris’s involvement in the wine industry began in 1970, assisting his father in the establishment of their Rutherford vineyard in California’s Napa Valley. A strong believer in hands on sustainable agriculture, Chris not only manages Brigadoon Vineyards, but is also the primary caretaker of the vines and land. In addition, he manages other small vineyards in the Southern Willamette Valley.
Sheree Shown
Sheree’s love of wine stems from a joy in pairing fine wines with exceptional food. Sheree is a firm believer in the farm to table movement and has been pairing our own farm-raised lamb and garden produce with Willamette Valley wines for many years. Known for her superior wine and food palate, she is often deferred to with difficult blending decisions.
Matt Shown — winemaker
Having caught the winemaking bug at an early age, Matt has been working in the vineyards since he was 8 years old, trailing after his father on hot summer days. Perhaps due to this upbringing, Matt’s winemaking philosophy is rooted in the fields with the vines. His goal is to act more as a guide to the wine and through minimal intervention he can highlight his father’s work in the vineyard.
After earning a degree in Horticulture at Oregon State University, Matt began working dual harvests in New Zealand and Oregon from 2006 – 2008. In addition to being assistant winemaker at Sass Winery, Matt took on the winemaking duties for Brigadoon in 2008. To round out his background in Horticulture, Matt has also taken enology coursework at Chemeketa Community College.
Nick Shown
The youngest member of our family, Nick is a recent graduate of Unity College in Maine. He has always played an integral part at Brigadoon Vineyards, returning home the past 5 summers to assist in vineyard development. Nick’s degree in Environment Studies with an emphasis in Forestry led him to survey the timber at Brigadoon in 2008 and develop a long-range management plan. Recently he has traveled in Oregon and Sweden working on organic farms and dairies. His hope is to someday incorporate these fully integrated farm-to-table principles at Brigadoon Wine Company.