Making the Finest Oregon Wines

The King Estate story is woven into the history of Oregon wine, where winemaking is synonymous with discovery and sustainability. The last 30 years have been focused on innovation, craft, and a deep sense of respect for the land, the vines and the people who enjoy our wines. We have been establishing our traditions, one vintage at a time.

Today we continue to build a legacy with sustainable agricultural and winemaking practices, resulting in our collection of fine wines. Our deep-rooted philosophy led to King Estate becoming the largest certified Biodynamic vineyard in North America. It’s more than a trend to us — it’s a way of life.

How It All Began

An appreciation of risk and adventure runs through the King family lineage. The family patriarch, Ed King Jr., began his career as a designer of Navy aircraft electronics during World War II, later starting his own company, King Radio Corporation. He imparted a love for wine and enterprise to his son, also named Ed King. Together they envisioned the possibilities of producing premium wine in an untapped viticultural region.

In 1990, the younger Ed King owned two small vineyards as part of his timberland and farmland properties. Ed’s passion for wine grew alongside his vision for a premium Oregon winery. His aspirations came to fruition when, while purchasing hay for his horses, he discovered an ideal parcel, a 600-acre cattle ranch near Lorane, Oregon.

Looking over the misty ranch lands, Ed envisioned what would become the 1,033 acres of rolling vineyards of King Estate. Ed and his father purchased the land and the first grapes were planted in 1992 on just 16.5 acres. By 1994, more than 100 acres had been planted, creating the most clonally diverse soil and climate-matched vineyard in Oregon at the time. The first vintage of estate-grown grapes was harvested in 1995.