Cole Danehower on Oregon Wine
Award Winning Wine Writer
Cole comes by wine honestly - he was bitten by the grape bug in the 1970s when he dropped in on a Robert Mondavi Winery tour of their vineyard and cellar. "I was amazed to learn about the utter complexity and artistry involved in wine," he recalls, "and now I love writing about how the creative winegrowers of the Pacific Northwest are distinguishing themselves in this craft."
Though he spent 17 years in executive marketing positions in California's Silicon Valley, by 1998 Cole felt the need for a major life change. "I hadn't made my millions like some," he says, "and I needed a change, so I up-stakes and moved to rural Oregon." Quickly, his passion for wine was renewed by what he saw in Oregon.
"Here was a young wine region producing amazing products through individual commitment and a passion for quality and creativity," he says, "yet consumers had little in the way of good information to help guide them in their Oregon wine purchases." Combining his love of wine with his skill as a writer, Cole created the Oregon Wine Report in 1998 to give consumers in-depth information on the wines, wineries, and winemakers of Oregon.
In 2003 Cole and the Oregon Wine Report were nominated for the most prestigious award in American food and wine writing: the James Beard Foundation Journalism Award. In 2004 he won the award for the "best newsletter writing on food, beverage, restaurant and nutrition," distinguishing the Oregon Wine Report as the best newsletter of its kind in the country.
