Teutonic Wines — Portland

Barnaby Tuttle’s aha moment came in 2002 when he met German wine importer, Ewald Moseler, at Papa Haydn’s restaurant where he was working as general wine manager. Moseler brought with him 14 different Rieslings from the Middle Mosel for Barnaby to taste. Amazed by the range of flavors distinguishing each bottle —despite being from the same region and using the same variety of fruit — Barnaby bought all 14 bottles for his wine list, creating Portland’s most extensive German wine program. Then, he went home to tell his wife, Olga, that he had to quit his job and learn to make wines like the German Rieslings.

It wasn’t until 2005 that the opportunity for Barnaby and Olga to launch their wine making journey presented itself; a small plot of ground on a friend’s property in Alsea, Oregon, that she’d allow them to plant grapes on. Armed with no vineyard experience or financial backing, the Tuttle’s jumped head first into growing wine grapes. Starting with only a few small batches of wine for the first few years, the company, which came to be known as Teutonic Wines, slowly evolved and grew over time. Today, Barnaby and Olga make four to six thousand cases of wines a year in varieties that include, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Viognier and Grüner Veltliner. They also manage Wahlstrom Vineyard only a few miles outside of Portland where the ground is just right for growing wine grapes. Teutonic wines are consistently delicious, food friendly and competitively priced for the wine market. Pick up a bottle of Teutonic wine in your favorite variety in the Specialty Beverage department of your local Market of Choice.