EDUCATION SEMINARS
wednesday, MAY 13, 2026
The Willamette Valley Wine Auction offers dynamic seminars brought to you by industry leaders. Both panels take place at Abbey Road Farm on Wednesday, May 13.
To request a seat, please email Emily at the WVWA.
Seminar 1 at 12:00pm
The 2024 Vintage: A Benchmark Year
A focused look at the defining moments, key comparisons, and impressions in the glass for this standout vintage.
MODERATOR:
Clive Pursehouse, Forbes Wine
Clive Pursehouse
On relocating to the US West Coast 20 years ago, Clive Pursehouse developed a deep appreciation for the wines of the Pacific Northwest, and has been writing about these world-class Oregon and Washington State producers and their wines since 2007. Pursehouse is the newly-appointed Executive Editor of Forbes Wine and former North American editor at Decanter.
Panelists:
Adam Campbell, Elk Cove Vineyards
Elk Cove owner and Winemaker Adam Campbell is the son of founders Pat and Joe Campbell and grew up on the property. Like all the Campbell kids, he spent his summers in the vineyard and on the bottling line, but Adam developed a special connection to the vineyards. In 1995 he joined forces with his folks to make Elk Cove’s wines and in 1999 he became head winemaker. Living his whole life among the vines, Adam has tremendous respect for the land on which the grapes were grown.
Ben Casteel, Bethel Heights
Ben is a member of the second generation now taking charge at Bethel Heights Vineyard. Oldest son of two of the founders, Terry Casteel and Marilyn Webb, Ben grew up at Bethel Heights and worked in the vineyard during the summers. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1999, then headed for Burgundy to work the 1999 vintage at Domaine des Perdrix. He then spent the next five years at REX HILL, working his way up from cellarmaster to assistant winemaker. In 2005, he finally came back to Bethel Heights where he is now Winemaker.
Isabelle Meunier, Director of Winemaking | Aubaine
Isabelle is a native of Quebec who studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Dijon in Burgundy and at Lincoln University in New Zealand. She honed her craft under Pascal Marchand at Domaine de la Vougeraie, Blair Walter at Felton Road, and Dominique Lafon of Domaine des Comtes Lafon, who brought her to Oregon’s Evening Land in 2007. After overseeing Evening Land until 2014, she launched LAVINEA and later joined Andy Lytle in 2019 to lead winemaking at Aubaine, focusing on single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Eola-Amity Hills, where she crafts wines that reflect her Burgundian training and the character of the estate vineyards.
Amael Orrego, Winemaker | Benton-Lane
Amael grew up outside Santiago, Chile, where wine was a part of daily life, and earned a degree in agricultural engineering specializing in oenology and viticulture. Early in his career, a cold call to Agustin Huneeus led to harvest work at Flowers on the Sonoma Coast and an internship at Quintessa, followed by roles as assistant winemaker at Emiliana Vineyards and head winemaker at Kingston Family Vineyards, where he oversaw 7,000 cases annually focused on single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and earned Young Winemaker of the Year honors from La Cav and Tim Atkin in 2022. In 2022, he joined Benton-Lane, a natural fit through both his connection to Huneeus Vintners and his love of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, bringing him to the Willamette Valley to craft wines that express the vineyard’s full potential.
Seminar 2 at 2:30pm
A View Forward: Insights from the 2024 Vintage
How 2024 offers a window into the future of Willamette Valley wine.
MODERATOR
Zach Geballe, VinePair
Zach Geballe, VinePair
Zach Geballe is the co-host and producer of The VinePair Podcast, a twice-weekly, industry-leading podcast covering the beverage alcohol trade. In addition, he writes about the business and culture of drinks for VinePair. Previously, he spent two decades working the restaurant industry as a sommelier, bartender, and wine director for some of Seattle's finest restaurants and bars.
Panelists:
Kim Abrahams, Winemaker | Archery Summit
Kim Abrahams is a Louisiana native whose warmth, curiosity, and love of craft shape her life in Oregon wine country. Her winemaking journey has taken her from Napa to Tasmania, with chapters at Lingua Franca, Domaine Serene, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, and Delamere. Now rooted in McMinnville, she and her husband co‑own Mac Wine Lockers, blending community and creativity. Outside the cellar, Kim is a passionate beekeeper, food lover, and traveler who draws inspiration from every corner of life.
Kate Ayres, Winemaker | Penner-Ash
Kate’s interest in the sciences began at a young age growing up on the north coast of Oregon, where she spent time fishing, crabbing, and gathering mushrooms. She attended UC Davis in Animal Sciences before shifting to Viticulture and Enology, working harvest at Cakebread Cellars and later in New Zealand with Astrolabe and Jules Taylor. Between 2009 and 2011, she worked harvests in Portugal, Oregon at Bethel Heights, and Australia’s Barossa Valley, before returning to the U.S. to join The Hess Collection Winery. In 2016, she transitioned from Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Noir, joining Penner-Ash Wine Cellars and rising to Winemaker in 2018, working alongside founder Lynn Penner-Ash.
Remy Drabkin, Winemaker | Remy Wines
Remy Drabkin is the winemaker and owner of Remy Wines, a small winery making a big impact in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. One of Oregon’s first publicly queer, female winemakers, she has been a driving force for equity and inclusion, co-founding Wine Country Pride and Queer Wine Fest. Remy has been recognized as a Wine Enthusiast “Future 40,” one of Wine Industry Advisor’s “Wine’s Most Inspiring People,” and one of Worth Magazine’s “Groundbreaking Women,” and has dedicated more than 14 years to public service in McMinnville, serving on City Council, the Affordable Housing Commission, and as liaison to the city’s DE&I Taskforce before becoming the first woman and first queer-identified person elected Mayor of McMinnville in 2022.
Bryan Laing, Winemaker and Co-Founder | Hazelfern
Taking their name from the historic Hazelfern Farm in Portland, Oregon, Hazelfern’s journey from 5-gallon carboys in the family basement to a vineyard, winery, and farmhouse in the Willamette Valley has been a wild ride since 2006. Sparked by the loss of a young family member and a quarter-life crisis in 2014, co-founders Bryan and Laura Laing traded their daily commute for a tractor and the wine life, crafting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in an old-world style meant for good music, great people, memorable stories, and farm dinners. As winemaker, Bryan focuses on organic farming, thoughtful winemaking, and micro-lot, single-vineyard and blended wines that have earned placement on Top 100 lists from world-renowned critics.