When wine insiders are discussing the great winemakers of Oregon, John Paul Cameron comes up in hushed and reverent tones. He, along with his Cameron Winery are living legends, yet few, besides the geekiest of Pinot-philes, have heard of him outside of Oregon. This is in no doubt due to his limited production, about 4000 cases annually, most of it consumed in Portland.

Established in 1984, Cameron is committed to producing wines that express terroir that is truly Oregonian. As a founding member of the Deep Roots Coalition, an organization that believes irrigation stands in the way of terroir, their vines are not irrigated; instead they're allowed to dig deep into the soils to find water in some of the best sites in the Willamette Valley.

This commitment to biodiversity is reflected in winemaker John Paul’s vineyards: multiple clones of the same grape are planted in each plot, and throughout the vineyard you’ll find bees pollinating the cover crops that grow between the vines. That vital force is directly reflected in the wines.

Contributing further to their commitment to sustainable farming, the vineyards are also home to cats, goats, and geese, all of whom play an important role, from eating rogue berries that may compete with resources to chasing away vermin, allowing the team at Cameron to eschew the use of certain sprays.

John Paul’s fanatical commitment to organic farming and hands-off winemaking ensures that he’s among the standard bearers for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, not just in the Willamette Valley, but also for the rest of the United States.