The Etzel Farm sits at a seam between loamy wetland meadows and forested hillsides in the Chehalem Creek Valley, outside Newberg, Oregon, one of the most fecund ribbons of soil for pinot noir vines in the United States and home to a multi-generational family of winemakers.

At the heart of the transition from dairy farm to winery is the transformation of an historic barn into a cathedral for winemaking, the result of an ethic of resourcefulness and honor for the land and its legacy. The restored barn and surrounding additions accommodate wine production, animal husbandry, crop production and harvesting, as well as living quarters and spaces to entertain, taste wine and experience a vibrant working farmstead.

The tasting room building is located at the heart of the property, connecting visitors to its many landscape and working spaces. The warm interior space allows for hosting guests in an intimate setting, contrasting a sense of calm to the natural hum of the land and wine production. Serving is arranged in multiple window seats, connecting the tasting experience to the light and sounds of the farm.

The buildings are as much a product of their site as is the wine that’s made inside them. The former dairy barn, originally constructed in 1937 from Douglas Fir and Cedar trees from the farm, was restored to give it a new life and purpose. The barn’s original frame remains in use as the barn’s structure, and the structure of the new buildings are made in a similar manner, from trees felled and milled on site.

This spirit of sustainability and resourcefulness pervades the farm, as many of the buildings are built from repurposed elements of the farm’s original outbuildings. The old terra-cotta block milk shed was converted into a restroom building and the concrete stave grain silo converted into an egress stair. Floors, walls, and ceilings in the tasting room building are fully finished with reclaimed wood from deconstructed buildings at the farm.