About Us

Celebrating over 25 years on this beautiful property.Ā  Coeur de Terre is truly thankful for our people and we welcome you to get to know us a little better.

We moved to the Willamette Valley in the spring of 1998 in pursuit of creating the next great Pinot Noir, as well as shaping an environment where our family could thrive. We believe in working sustainably and organically with nature to create a healthy environment for our vines and family.

We came to this special place after getting lost scouting potential vineyard sites over Memorial Day weekend in 1998. Then an out of the way property that showed great promise for growing quality Pinot noir grapes, we were intrigued. After spending many weeks walking the land and analyzing the soils, we decided this would be the future home of Coeur de Terre. We moved into our new home over Labor Day weekend that year and set to work developing the site.

Very hands on, we are responsible for all aspects of vineyard and winery operations. New plantings are grafted in our estate greenhouse from hand selected vines in the estate vineyard. All viticulture activity is directed by us and all winemaking is done onsite by us in micro-sized lots, keeping all blocks separate until bottling. Farmed utilizing organic practices from the start, our entire site has been glyphosate-free for over 5 years.

CdT is truly a family business and we take great pride in what we have created.Ā  Please come join us at the winery and vineyard to see what makes this place truly special.

Meet the Team

Scott Neal

Scott Neal

Owner/Winemaker

Scott grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota, developing a strong connection to the land and farming.Ā  After college, he embarked on a sales career, while always wanting to get back to his roots.Ā  When Scott met Lisa, they decided to move out of the suburbs and come to the Willamette Valley to grow Pinot Noir in the fall of 1998.

Learning the craft of winemaking once he arrived, Scott concentrates on making wines that celebrate the time and place where the grapes are grown. He believes in a minimalist touch, to allow the wines to shine.

 

Lisa Neal

Lisa Neal

Owner/General Manager

Lisa is the soul of Coeur de Terre and her commitment to this place is incredible. Lisa grew up in Colorado where she developed her love of the outdoors.Ā  After college and a wanderlust through South America and the United States, she met Scott and the journey to Oregon began.Ā  Lisa is involved in all aspects of the winery and vineyard and is the driving force behind our organic and regenerative agriculture initiatives.

Beyond wine, Lisa is a certified Yoga, Mediation, and Ayurvedic Instructor.

 

Jim Maguire

Jim Maguire

Direct Sales Manager

Jim brings an amazing amount of experience with him to this vital position at Coeur de Terre. He was first at CdT in 2005, helping our dear friends at Raptor Ridge bottle some of their wine at our facility. From there, Jim went to work for some of the most prestigious family-owned wineries in the valley.Ā  We are very excited to have him leading our direct sales team.

Prior to his wine journey, Jim served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy and spent time in the IT world. He is currently serving as City Council President in Dayton, Oregon.

Please come by and say hi to Big Jim!

Joanne Cramer-Brown

Joanne Cramer-Brown

Hospitality Manager

Joanne joined the Coeur de Terre team in Fall of 2020, and we just love having her on the team. She has served in many roles at the winery: working with our club members, hosting tastings, working events, and generally just doing whatever it takes. Joanne is a favorite with our guests and brings an exceptionally deep knowledge of wine, along with a wonderful personality.

We look forward to Joanne being with us for years to come.

 

Kadie Boe

Kadie Boe

Marketing Support

Kadie has been with CdT since May of 2023, and though she is not old enough (yet) to serve wine, she has brought an endless supply of energy and dedication to her position with us. She is currently managing our social media, as well as assisting in the tasting room and at events. We love having Kadie with us, and look forward to her developing her skills in the wine industry.

Hector Ortega de la Merced

Hector Ortega de la Merced

Vigneron - Crew Chief

Hector has been with us for 11 years now and is simply invaluable to our vineyard and winery. He can do almost everything and can fix any problem that occurs in the vineyard or the winery.

Scott refers to him as his “right hand” and we are just so blessed to have him and his family as such an integral part of our family winery.

Hector & Family

Hector & Family

Vineyard Crew

Not only are we blessed to have Hector as part of the CdT family, but his actual family works in the vineyard as well.Ā  His son JesĆŗs has been with us for 3 years and we love to see his growth in knowledge of the vineyard and winery.Ā  Along with him, his namesake, JesĆŗs (middle) joins us each summer and brings such joy and life with him.Ā  We always look forward to those summer months when with he is with us again.

This is my favorite winery in McMinnville. The wine is fantastic, the tasting room is beautiful and inviting, the staff are friendly, the views and atmosphere is serene. Since covid, they prefer that you make reservations before you come. We stayed a little too long and the staff was super friendly, informative, and relaxed. Iā€™m super lucky that my in-laws are longtime wine club membersā€”Iā€™m super glad they introduced me to this Oregon gem that I try to visit every time I come to McMinnville. If you choose to give a thumbs-up šŸ‘šŸ½ or not, I hope you found my review helpful!

Nathan Pierce Avatar Nathan Pierce

They host great summer concerts Friday evenings with wine & pizza baked on site in a mobile clay oven in a beautiful outdoor setting

Peggy Dayton Avatar Peggy Dayton

We attended Beatles Night on Labor Day. Ten bands, food catered by Biscuits & Pickles and lovely wines. The setting couldn't be any more beautiful. The staff and crew were friendly an efficient. We will visit again!

Dianne Rosa Avatar Dianne Rosa

My friend and I had an absolutely fantastic trip to Coeur De Terre Vineyard during our recent trip to McMinneville. Everything we tasted was both fantastic and unique, and we learned a lot about wine growing in Oregon on the tour we took. Every Coeur De Terre employee we interacted with was also fantastic. I would definitely put Coeur De Terre on your "must visit" list when you visit Oregon's wine country.

Amy Prestholt Avatar Amy Prestholt

Event Calendar

Please join us for the many events we have scheduled. Our music events are partnered with local musicians and all proceeds from entry fees go directly to the bands.

Celebrate Earth Day 2024

Join us from Noon to 2pm as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the modern environmental movement. Winemaker Scott Neal will be sharing the history and regenerative practices of our […]

Get Tickets Free ā€“ $25.00

Rosmarino Winemaker’s Dinner

Rosmarino Osteria Italiana 714 E 1st St, Newberg, OR, United States

Please join us for our annual winemaker's dinner at one of our absolutely favorite restaurants in the valley.Ā  Dario and Sheena create some of the best Italian food and Italian […]

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