Golden Cluster was born in 2013 by longtime Portland resident, Jeff Vejr - pronounced (V-ee-r) (aka The Winesman). But before launching his own wine project in Oregon, Mr. Vejr was involved with a wine project in Europe. He is obsessed with old vines and the art of blending wines, so he set out to work with a different producer of “old vines” each vintage. First stop was Priorat, Spain in 2010 at Genium Cellars. This collaboration with Dyson Demara (Hillcrest Winery) led to the creation of his first wine, the 2010 ‘Poboleda’ a blend of 125+ year old Cariñena, Garnacha, Merlot, and Syrah. In 2011, Mr. Vejr and Mr. Demara were given a similar opportunity at Domaine Olivier Pithon, in Calce, France. This time the blend was Syrah and Grenache from an 85+ year old vineyard. By 2012, Mr. Vejr had an opportunity to work with his friend Jesse Skiles of Fausse Piste an urban winery in Portland, Oregon. There he assisted Mr. Skiles with his growing “Rhone” project, working with Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier from around Oregon and Washington state. He also helped build and open one of Portland’s first gastropubs, Sauvage, dedicated to natural wines.

For 2013, the plan was to make a wine with Gary Mills of Jamsheed winery in the Yarra Valley, Australia, but fate stepped in. On a vineyard tour with Barnaby Tuttle of Teutonic Wine Company, Mr. Vejr was brought to the David Hill Vineyard & Winery in Forest Grove, Oregon to see the “old vine” Sylvaner and Chasselas that Barnaby sourced. While walking the vineyard, Mr. Vejr noticed some huge vines and inquired as to what they were. The answer was “Semillon” and destiny rang her bell. Semillon was Mr. Vejr’s first white wine love. To know that one of the oldest vineyards in Oregon had 48+ year old Semillon vines in it was a shock to him. There was really only one thing to do, stay in Oregon and make some “old vine” wines……The winery name is a nod to Charles Coury and to the Semillon grape. After being gifted a book titled “The Winemakers of the Pacific Northwest ” by Allen & Purser he read the following passage on page 164:

“In exceptional years, the winemaker does limited bottlings of outstanding White Riesling and Pinot Noir. These wines boast a special Golden Cluster label.”

When picking a name for his winery, Mr. Vejr chose not to name his winery after himself, but to pay respect to Mr. Coury and honor his vision. This is why he chose to use the name Golden Cluster. Semillon is known as the “golden” grape and it is the main grape in the “golden” wine, Sauternes.

In the preceding years, Mr. Vejr was able to secure not only the Semillon, but “old vine” Gewurztraminer, Flora, Pinot Noir, and he was instrumental in discovering the oldest known Savagnin Rose vines in the U.S.A. For 50 years these vines were thought to be Gewurztraminer. He was the first in Oregon to make a single varietal bottling of the “old vine” Flora and Savagnin Rose.

Mr. Vejr is also a co-owner of Les Caves, one of Portland’s most popular and acclaimed wine bars. Having previously helped to launch Portland’s “pop-up” scene with Chef’s Will Preich & Joel Stocks at Holdfast Dining, Mr. Vejr has a long been developing small, intimate, service-oriented restaurants and bars. He is known for his ease in describing wines, places and the people behind them. His authenticity is one of the main reasons why he has developed a loyal following in the Portland market and beyond. With no formal wine education, Mr. Vejr has established himself as one of the leaders of the “non-somm” movement in Portland. Fearless in what wines he pours, Mr. Vejr has captured the attention of the Portland consumer by pouring Georgian wines, orange wines, and has long been a champion of lesser known wine grapes and wine regions. This freedom to pour what moves him, has allowed Mr. Vejr to gain a wider appreciation of wine and wine culture.

Golden Cluster is now a family of brands.

Follow this next generation of Oregon wines.