September 8, 2017
CapitalPress.com
3
Queen of the vine: Betty O’Brien
By GAIL OBERST
For the Capital Press
The daughter of an Oregon
farmer, one might think that
growing grapes was among
Betty O’Brien’s first choices
in careers. The owner of Elton
Vineyard in the Eola Hills of
Western Oregon laughs at the
suggestion.
“I always said I would nev-
er work on a farm again, and
here I am,” she said.
What changed her mind?
The romance of wine, of
course.
Betty and her late husband,
Dick, were floating down
the Rhine River early in their
half-century marriage. Drifting
by the romantic hillsides blan-
keted with winegrapes, an idea
was born. Perhaps they could
grow a few grapes on her par-
ents’ (Elton and Peggy Ingram)
property. In 1983, when they
planted the first 5 acres, much
of her family’s 500 acres was
in blackcaps, North America’s
indigenous black raspberry.
Her father had purchased the
then-marginal hillside farmland
in the 1950s. “He got a great
buy,” said Betty.
The couple planted the first
5 acres of grapes, and then
Gail Oberst/For the Capital Press
Betty O’Brien, owner of Elton Vineyard, relaxes in her extensive gardens with her dog, Gamgee.
more, as they could afford it.
By 2002, when she and her
brother inherited the property,
the O’Briens had planted 60
acres of grapes. The grapes, it
turns out, were planted on de-
sirable Jory and Nekia soils.
In high demand, the Pinot
noir, Pinot gris and other vari-
etals grown on the Ingram farm
have found their ways into the
bottles of Ken Wright, Sylvan
Ridge, Lange, Willamette Val-
ley Vineyards and many other
wines. O’Brien-grown Pinot
noirs have earned high praise
from wine experts. Willamette
Valley in 2007 struck a lease
and purchase deal with Betty
and more recently, her broth-
er, Allan Ingram. Willamette
Valley is making a big deal of
the vineyard, this year creating
the Elton label and attracting
new investors to build a tasting
room and winery adjacent to
the vineyard.
In recognition of Betty’s
service, Jim Bernau, founder of
Willamette Valley Vineyards,
established a scholarship at
Chemeketa Community Col-
lege’s wine studies program in
her name.
“It is wonderful to see what
these bright, young winemak-
ers are doing with the vineyard
the O’Briens planted so many
years ago. It gives me great
pleasure to assist in achieving
their dreams,” said Bernau.
Despite her declaration
that farm work was too hard
for her, Betty’s list of activi-
ties as an advocate for Oregon
wineries and winegrape grow-
ers is exhausting. Foremost:
the O’Briens have dedicated
half of their residual estate to
Chemeketa’s wine program,
and the other half to support
Oregon State University’s Vi-
ticulture Extension agent.
In addition to that posthu-
mous donation, she’s on the
board of directors of the Wil-
lamette Valley Vineyard. She’s
been the head of the Oregon
Wine Board, a past president
of the Oregon Winegrowers
Association and a past presi-
dent of the Eola-Amity Hills
Winegrowers
Association.
She’s on Chemeketa’s Foun-
dation Board, and chairs its
Wine Studies advisory com-
mittee. She’s had her hand in
many other nonprofits through
the years, from Girl Scouts to
Willamette Valley Hospice to
local arts groups.
Her nearly 2-acre gardens
below the vineyard are a popu-
lar location for exclusive non-
profit events. The pathways past
water features, native and exotic
flowers and trees and foliage
are packed with an eclectic col-
lection of sculptures, carvings,
glass, brass and quiet nooks,
where one can sit and enjoy
a glass of wine. One of her fa-
vorite sculptures, Rick Gregg’s
“She Danced in the Garden All
Day With Her Hat On,” is fea-
tured on the label of the new
Elton Winery bottles. More than
300 people turned out for the re-
lease party July 30.
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