When Lynn Penner-Ash arrived in Oregon in 1988, the state had fewer than fifty wineries and no female head winemaker. She changed both facts — and the way the valley farms Pinot.
Every wine region has its founding fathers; the Willamette Valley also has a founding mother. Lynn Penner-Ash broke into Oregon winemaking when it was still a tiny, male-dominated frontier, earned the respect of an entire industry, and then built a label that became a benchmark for the region. Her story is one of the most important — and, for too long, under-told — chapters in the history of Oregon wine.
California training, Oregon destiny
Penner-Ash came to wine the rigorous way: a degree in viticulture and enology from UC Davis, followed by stints at marquee California houses including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Domaine Chandon, and Chateau St. Jean.[1] Then, in 1988, she moved north to Oregon — arriving as the first female winemaker in a state that then counted fewer than fifty wineries.[1]
Rex Hill, and a new way to farm Pinot
From 1988 to 2001 she was the winemaker — and ultimately president — at Rex Hill in Newberg, where she became one of the most respected figures in Oregon wine.[1] Crucially, she was an experimenter: her willingness to rethink vineyard practices in the 1990s, including new thinking on the timing of cluster thinning for Pinot Noir, helped shift the whole valley’s viticultural philosophy.[1] Her influence reached well beyond her own cellar.
| Trained | UC Davis (viticulture & enology); Stag’s Leap, Domaine Chandon, Chateau St. Jean[1] |
|---|---|
| Arrived in Oregon | 1988 — the state’s first female winemaker[1] |
| Rex Hill | Winemaker, then president, 1988–2001[1] |
| Own label | Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, founded 1998 (Yamhill-Carlton)[2] |
| Acquired | Jackson Family Wines, 2016[2] |
Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, 1998
In 1998 Lynn and her husband Ron struck out on their own, founding Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.[2] It began with just 125 cases and grew into one of the Willamette Valley’s most acclaimed producers; the family’s gravity-flow winery, broken ground in 2003, processed its first on-site vintage in 2005.[2] The label became part of the wave of valley estates drawn into the era of outside investment when Jackson Family Wines acquired it in 2016.[2]
She did not just make great wine. She made it possible for the next generation of Oregon women to imagine doing the same.
A door held open
Penner-Ash belongs in the same conversation as the valley’s celebrated founding men — Dick Erath, David Lett, and the rest — and her example widened the path for everyone who came after. Meeting that history is part of what we love about a day in the valley; a thoughtful Willamette Valley wine tour can put the people, not just the wines, at the center.
Related reading: Dick Erath · Ken Wright · the history of Oregon wine · plan a wine tour
Frequently asked questions
Who was Oregon’s first female winemaker?
Lynn Penner-Ash, who arrived in Oregon in 1988 to become winemaker (and later president) at Rex Hill, when the state had fewer than fifty wineries.
What is Penner-Ash Wine Cellars?
The label Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash founded in 1998 in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. It grew from 125 cases into one of the Willamette Valley’s most acclaimed producers and was acquired by Jackson Family Wines in 2016.
Sources
- “An interview with Lynn Penner-Ash, co-founder of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars” (arrived Oregon 1988 as first female winemaker; UC Davis; Stag’s Leap, Domaine Chandon, Chateau St. Jean; Rex Hill 1988–2001; 1990s vineyard experimentation), Northwest Wine Report. northwestwinereport.com
- “Penner-Ash Wine Cellars” (founded 1998 in Yamhill-Carlton; 125 inaugural cases; gravity-flow winery, first on-site vintage 2005; acquired by Jackson Family Wines, 2016), Penner-Ash Wine Cellars / WineWiki. pennerash.com
Want to read more?
Books we drew on and recommend for going deeper on Oregon wine.
Oregon Wine: A Deep-Rooted HistoryScott Stursa
Pacific Pinot NoirJohn Winthrop Haeger
Voodoo Vintners: Oregon’s Astonishing Biodynamic WinegrowersKatherine ColeAs an Amazon Associate, Wine History Tours earns from qualifying purchases. This supports our research at no extra cost to you.
