Meet the J Wrigleys
John Wrigley
Owner, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager
John was raised on the farm and ranch homesteaded by his family in the early 1900s. The ranch was approximately 1200 acres in size and also had cattle, sheep, and hogs. Life’s lessons taught John about farming and taking care of animals. He uses those lessons now to manage and develop his own family vineyard.
The search for the J Wrigley Vineyard began in 2005 and ended with the purchase of the estate property in December 2006. Preparation and planting of the vineyard took an additional two years. Similarly, John’s wine making experience has been self-taught and fed by a passion for more knowledge on the subject.
His first experience with wine making was shortly after college with an experiment using plums and other fruit. Gradually opportunities to acquire wine-grapes led to several vintages of purchased fruit from other vineyards.
The 2011 harvest was the first opportunity for John to make wine from estate grown fruit with pint noir and pinot gris finding its way to the barrel. Expressing his true farming heritage, John’s winemaking philosophy is minimal intervention in the winery to allow the vineyard to express itself through the wine.
Above all, John is a family man. He will be the first to tell you his family is what makes all the hard work worth it!
Jody Wrigley
Owner
With a long love of wines, Jody met John on a trip to Oregon. It was at that first meeting the two knew they were not only going to share a love of wine, but also a love for each other and building what is now known as J Wrigley Vineyards.
Jody and John have invested their heart and soul in developing this family business. Jody’s mom Sharon plays a prominent role in the tasting room helping with our hospitality team. J Wrigley’s core value is Family and they live this value in every sense of the word. As it is often said, “Planting a vineyard and making wine is a lifestyle!” With the help of their team, John and Jody continue to share their passion with wine lovers one glass at a time!
Our Team
Jeff Weiss
Operations Manager
Jeff grew up in Allentown, PA and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1993. He began his wine industry career in 2002 in the Napa Valley starting at Charles Krug Winery in wine production. He transitioned into the hospitality realm at Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente Wineries, Kenzo Winery, and Caymus Vineyards.
Jeff and his wife often visited the Willamette Valley to explore the region's wines and in 2016 they bought an old farmhouse in Carlton making it their permanent home in January 2020.
When not working, Jeff enjoys golfing, hosting BBQs, and can be found out in the yard in his vegetable garden, with his two dogs at his side.
Elaine Burke
Marketing Coordinator
Elaine grew up in Perrydale, OR and currently lives on a small farm in Sheridan with her husband and two boys. Her love of wine began when she returned to the valley after a few years away and remembered how much she enjoyed being surrounded by agriculture.
Lyuda Freeman
Wholesale Coordinator & Hospitality Associate
Lyuda is from Lobna, a small village in Ukraine. She graduated with a bachelor and specialist degree in economics from University in Nikolaev. In 2010 Lyuda move to Oregon and fell in love with its beautiful nature and the amazing wines produced here. She enjoys wine tasting, festivals, and serving wine to fellow wine enthusiasts. As your Hostess, she will welcome you with a smile and a great wine tasting experience.
Jen Nyburg
Hospitality Associate
Jen is a lifelong Oregonian. She was born and raised in Eugene and now lives with her husband, son and daughter in McMinnville. She loves photography, good food and great wine. She and her husband also enjoy traveling with friends to destination runs, usually including visits to wineries along the way! She loves to entertain and create a welcoming space for her guests.
Sophia Hampton
Sophia has lived in Oregon her whole life and is currently a senior at McMinnville High School. In her freetime, she enjoys dancing ballet, spending time with friends, and participating in her schools’ environmental club and choir. Although her age limits her from drinking wine, she has learned a lot about the vineyard and wine making process since joining the J Wrigley team. At the tasting room, Sophia is happy to make your charcuterie board, serve and clear your table, and make your experience an enjoyable one.
Beth Miller
Beth Miller has been working with J Wrigley for just over a year. She originally met Jody and Sharon at a Portland Wine and Seafood festival in 2013. These three amazing people bonded over amazing wines and stayed connected for the next few years while Beth was living in Portland. She eventually moved to Bend and reconnected with J Wrigley in 2017 at Sunriver’s Uncorked Wine Event.
In Fall of 2018 we began looking for someone to manage wholesale operations in Central Oregon – and it turned out to be Beth!
Balancing her J Wrigley role with a full-time job as the National/Regional Sales Manager of a local radio group in Bend, she identifies and maintains connections with outlets that make sense for the J Wrigley brand.
Michael Hampton
Michael has been intrigued with Northwest wines since moving to Yamhill Valley in the mid 90’s. He serves on the advisory board for The Evenstad Center for Wine Education and coaches students for wine-related careers at Linfield College.
With a preference for Northwest and European cuisine, Michael seeks out complimentary wines, and sometimes ciders, at home or during travel with his family. He enjoys hosting friends for festive dinner parties which often include 80’s music and epic desserts. Running is an enjoyable pastime to decrease the impact of these indulgences.
Michael feels fortunate to be able to serve wine as part of the J Wrigley team.
Sara Harris
Sara grew up in Happy Valley, OR and currently loves living in McMinnville. Sara moved to McMinnville to attend Linfield College where she earned a BS in Elementary Education. Sara went on to earn a Master's degree at Concordia University. When she is not pouring wine in our tasting room, she is teaching students in the classroom and coaching high school volleyball. Sara is dedicated to being a lifelong learner, so she loves learning about J Wrigley wines.
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