From the earliest plantings in the 1960s and 1970s, women were an integral part of building Oregon's wine industry. They planted vines, managed harvest logistics, worked in cellars, ran tasting rooms, handled marketing and sales, and helped transform small, family-run wineries into enduring businesses. In an era when the wine industry offered fewer visible leadership opportunities for women, many helped build the infrastructure of the region through determination, creativity, and collaboration.

Over the decades, women have continued to expand their influence across the industry. Today, they serve as winemakers, vineyard managers, cellar hands, owners, marketers, educators, scientists, sales directors, and hospitality leaders. Their work has helped shape the character of the Willamette Valley – not only through the wines themselves, but through mentorship, collaboration, and a shared commitment to stewardship of the land and community.

The photographs featured here capture just a small glimpse of that story. Spanning generations, they reflect the many ways women have contributed to Oregon wine – whether working in the vineyard, guiding a harvest in the cellar, welcoming guests into tasting rooms, or leading organizations that support the region’s continued growth.

>>> Browse women-led wineries here

The Oregon Wine History Archive at Linfield University was created to collect, preserve, share, and continue the narrative of Oregon wine. Everything on our site is freely available to researchers interested in Oregon wine history. Their collection includes oral history interviews, a digital collection from people, wineries, vineyards, businesses, and organizations throughout the state, and historical photographs, wine labels, and photographs taken during their oral history interviews.