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AUGUST 19,2011
W hen Ken Morrison and Mauro Hernandez
first moved to their six-acre property in rural
Sherwood, they couldn’t resist cracking Green
Acres jokes. But aside from some playful bicker
ing about who was more like Zsa Zsa’s character
and briefly feeling overwhelmed by their new
surroundings, the men embraced their decision
and set to the task of learning the land. Just four
years later, the couple farm three acres of wine
grapes and have their own wine label, K&M
Wines. This might not have happened, however,
without an almost magical dose of serendipity.
Morrison was already making wine in his
garage and basement when a mutual friend in
Portland introduced him to Hernandez in
1997. One o f their earlier experiences together
was harvesting grapes from Sherwood wine
growers Fred and Jill Newton. W hile both
men appreciated wine, they didn’t start explor
ing and visiting wineries until a few years later,
when work transferred Morrison to San Fran
cisco in 2000.
Once settled in the Bay Area, Morrison and
Hernandez began visiting the wine regions of
California, where they were particularly taken
with the smaller, more low-key wineries of the
Russian River Valley. “We enjoyed the slower
pace and the personal experience of meeting
the owners when we visited these small winer
ies,” Morrison explains.
In the summer of 2006, Hernandez was of
fered a new work opportunity back in Oregon
and the couple once again was faced with re
• profile'
What’s Wine Is Yours
the lack o f prejudice they have experienced.
Hernandez says that “people assume that we
live in a conservative, rural community and
that our neighbors might not understand or
respect a gay couple, but we have absolutely
BY SARAH HORNER
been welcomed.”
Morrison adds, “O ur sexuality hasn’t been
an issue at all. W e’re respected as neighbors
x who appreciate the land and who participate
$ in the community of people here living the
same dream.” The couple laugh when they
share that in San Francisco they never felt the
sense o f community and neighborly spirit they
enjoy now.
Hernandez and Morrison launched their
wine label in 2009 and are focused on selling
their wines made from estate-grown pinot
noir and chardonnay. They have help main
taining the gardens, including four “baby doll”
sheep that roam the vineyard keeping the
location. A hesitant Morrison told his partner farmers quickly dissipated, replaced by a weeds at bay. They love to entertain guests and
the only way he’d move back to Oregon was if grounded feeling the couple got from working are open by appointment and on special wine
they could live in a place like Fred and Jill’s. on their land. “You get into a zone,” he shares, tasting weekends such as Memorial Day, La
Just two days later, while reading Craigslist “you’re working in the earth and it is really bor Day and Thanksgiving. “Just like those
ads, Morrison found that—go figure— Fred hard to feel stressed.”
small, intimate tasting rooms we loved so
and Jill’s place was for sale. The decision was a
Hernandez and Morrison named their much in the Russian River, we have created a
no-brainer. The couple closed on the property vineyard “Alchemy,” what Morrison describes personal experience here,” says Morrison.
in August 2007, their tenth anniversary.
as a metaphor for their life: “Alchemy is about
Hernandez agrees: “We love to share what
During the first year, the previous owners transformative change, which is what we’ve we love with others.”
came back regularly to help the men learn experienced together as we embraced this new
how to manage the three-acre vineyard and lifestyle.”
K&M W ines is located at 30875 SIV Heater
maintain the other three acres of lush gardens.
One o f the most pleasant surprises in the Road in Sherwood. For more information, call
Hernandez says that anxiety about becoming couple’s move from the city to the country is 503-625-3236 or visit kandmwines.com.
Sherwood winegrowers practice “alchemy”
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