Our Story
Why do we say “wine for drinking”? Because wine is a beverage. There is nothing fancy about it, and certainly nothing fancy about tasting wine in our garage/renovated winery. If you like it, you should drink it.
Brendan started his journey in the wine world working hospitality at Chrysalis Winery in Virginia. Shortly after graduating college he moved to Napa Valley and continued guiding wine tours and tastings while also attending night classes for Viticulture and Enology.
He met his wife, Tarnna, working at the local bakery. In 2011 they moved back to Tarnna’s home town of Hood River, OR for a change of pace and scenery with no big plans in mind. Not long after, they had the opportunity to take over management of a friend’s backyard hobby vineyard and subsequently make their first 20 cases of rosé.
The beginning…
The next few years were a bit of a blur. Tarnna finished up her Masters degree for teaching while simultaneously helping to grow the winery from 20 to a whopping 200 cases, with baby #1 on the way.
Slow and steady…
Brendan and Tarnna leaned heavily on the amazing support of the local community, processing their first few vintages at Syncline Winery, who never asked for anything in return except the occasional 6-pack for the crew.
Currently…
In 2019 Brendan took the leap and left his full time job to focus on growing Willow. He and Tarnna are now at 900 case production annually which includes Columbia Gorge Riesling, Chardonnay, Rosé, and sparkling wines, and Yakima Valley Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
The future?
Who knows. We love what we do and love meeting new people. The goal in starting Willow was to create something special for people to share and a comfortable environment in which to enjoy it. We will keep doing what we’re doing as long as you’re still enjoying it!