Show 296, November 3, 2018: Taylor Pfaff, CEO, Left Coast Cellars, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Taylor PfaffIn 2003 the Pfaff Family arrived in Oregon on the plot that was to become Left Coast Cellars. In those early years there were just 35 acres of vines and a scruffy, prefabricated cottage. Nevertheless, the sweeping vistas, the canopies of 400 year-old oaks, and wild herons on the lake spoke of unimaginable potential. Since then, in fits and starts, The Pfaff Family has worked to bring out the magic inherent in this land.

“In the fifteen years since our beginnings, we have gone from a largely grape growing operation with long term contracts with fellow Oregon producers, a wonderful opportunity to establish the high quality of our fruit, to an all Estate commitment. We farm 142 acres of vines on our nearly 500-acre Estate, largely sedimentary soil laid down by the Missoula floods and some volcanic soil as well. We grow and meticulously tend our vines and grapes, handcraft our wines and bottle them on site, a fusion of art and science, most certainly a labor of love.”

We take a holistic approach to everything at Left Coast, sustainability being at the core of all we do. We received the largest USDA grant in Oregon in 2008 to go solar, and the vast majority of our estate’s electrical needs are supplied by the ground and roof mounted solar arrays. Our winery and vineyards are LIVE certified, Salmon Safe, and we were one of just six producers that went to a third-party verification in the initial Carbon Neutral Challenge, originally under the aegis of the Governor’s Office, now folded into LIVE as a Carbon Reduction program.”

Younger son, Taylor Pfaff, stepped into the CEO position the summer of 2016. He brings the experience of 6 harvests in the cellar under the excellent mentorship of Winemaker Joe Wright, along with a MBA in Wine and Spirits from the Kedge Business School of the University of Bordeaux.

Taylor Pfaff pulls the cork on Left Coast Estate for us.