In July of 2003, Gary Horner arrived at a very rustic, northwest winery in Dundee Oregon, an institution that was more than ready for his innovative talents. He had found a kindred spirit in wine pioneer Dick Erath, who shared his background in science and a reverence for Oregon s unique terroir. As Gary began to add his own distinctive and personal touches to Erath wines, he continued to utilize the latest technology in the winery to bring out the very best expression of Pinot Noir. Gary has a Zen approach to his work in the winery. He usually arrives about an hour before his cellar crew shows up for work. I like to let things come to me, when all is quiet and I can almost mediate in the winery. He explains, I taste and then walk to the same spot, not consciously, but I just walk and get in this zone. He takes copious notes on his initial impressions and then considers what s going to happen next. He especially loves this tasting process during harvest, which he calls freestyle. Gary Horner was raised in Seattle, Washington and attended the University of Washington, where he earned a B.S. in Pharmacy Science. He went on to receive his Doctorate at Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. He was working as a Clinical Pharmacist with a Seattle research hospital when he fi rst began to make wine at home. In 1988, he decided to take the plunge and leave behind his pharmacy jacket for his winery galoshes. He and his family moved to Oregon s Willamette Valley. There, he was employed part-time as a pharmacist while he worked the bottling line at Bethel Heights Vineyard in Salem. Gary participated in U.C.-Davis famed wine education program through short courses and was soon promoted to Associate Winemaker at Bethel Heights. He attended industry symposiums and got to know his peers in the region. He received hands-on, practical, sensory learning from those who built the Oregon wine industry. In 1989, Gary s enthusiasm for his newfound career inspired him to start his own wine label, Destiny Vintners. Meantime, he worked as winemaker and vineyard manager for Witness Tree Vineyard. He also broadened his production experience with vineyard management at Washington Hills Cellars, a 1,400-ton facility in Sunnyside, Washington, Avatar Partners in Napa Valley, and Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe, Oregon. During his six-year stay at Benton-Lane, Gary was able to strike a balance between technology and intuition, with his passionate quest for making world class Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir still reigns supreme in Dundee, and in the Willamette Valley for that matter. Dundee is sort of the center of the Pinot universe, says Gary, and Erath is the heart of Dundee. He believes that making the best Pinot Noir starts in the vineyard. He carefully selects unique clones that thrive in specifi c vineyard blocks, especially when it comes to making his highly acclaimed single vineyard Pinot Noirs. At the same time, Gary feels this region is appropriate for many varietals. He looks forward to continuing his experiments with different wine grapes, smaller batch production, separating clones and vineyards to observe distinctions, conducting yeast experiments and cropping experiments. I ll always have my curiosity. That is the scientist in me. He adds, Still, I am committed to making the best Pinot Noir this region has to offer it s time-honored, authentic and uniquely Oregon.